This is an article I realized for ET. I'm an italian student, so I apologize you for possible mistakes of language:
R.M.S. TITANIC VS QUEEN MARY 2:
BATTLE BETWEEN GIANTS!
Copyrights 2004 by Gaetano Anania
The sinking of R.M.S. Titanic was an hard stroke for Naval Engineering of the epoch and the loss of this ship can be considered as the greatest defeat ever happened in this field. After 1912 there was a great revolution in the world of navigation, in order to increase the safety of every ship, of their crews and passengers, and it was based on the lessons taken by Titanic’s tragedy. Particurarly in 1914 the maritime nations adopted the SOLAS Convention (Convention for the Safety Life at Sea) and it was modified and improved several times. That one of 1974 is still in force today. The last important modification on this Convention was done on the 1 July 1998. It deals with design, satellite communications, helicopters, etc. After the 15 April 1912, navigation and ships became day after day more secure. Today the most representative product of this important development of modern Naval Engineering is Queen Mary 2. This is the biggest ship ever built in the mankind’s history and it concentrates in itself all the last knowledges in terms of security. Its dimensions are amazing: it is long more than 300 metres and its tonnage is about 150.000 tons! This article deals with a comparison of technical and security aspects concerning these two ships: Titanic, Lord of past, and QM2, Queen of present.
Communications with others ships:
Before the terrible night of 14 -15 April 1912, R.M.S. Titanic received about seven segnalations of icebergs by others ships. On board the giant the only communication system was the wireless telegraph (Marconi Company), therefore the preservation of communications was very hard. The ship’s position was calculated manually with many mistakes. Furthermore Titanic’s radio had a very limited field of action: about 200 nautical miles.
The modern QM2 communicates with others ships by the global net of satellites. Every moment it is able to know the metereological situation in each part of the world and it can establish its right position on the sea with the help of satellites. Furthermore, more than forty years ago was institued the Ice Patrol which controls the mouvement of icebergs on the sea.
Communications on board:
On board R.M.S. Titanic communications between crew and passengers were very hard, because on this ship did not exist a public address system. So there was a great confusion on all bridges and news passed from a passenger to another very slowly. Titanic’s passengers did not realize immediately the danger of their situation, so at first many of them refused to go on lifeboats. The work of crew was so even more hard.
After SOLAS Convention on all modern ships, like QM2, public address system began compulsory. Furthermore in all cabins there are the instructions to follow during moments of emergency and ship’s evacuation is proved several times by crew, obviously with the partecipation of all passengers, who have several points of meeting on all ship in order to avoid any further possibility of confusion.
Propulsion and hull’s features:
On R.M.S. Titanic the transmission of orders from bridge to rudder was totally mechanical and the propulsion was based on the steam furnished by boilers to a reciprocating machine. Therefore each manoeuvring required much of time. The result was that Titanic crept along the iceberg.
Ships like QM2 have the bottom streghtened and more hydrodynamic respect to the past, therefore each manoueuvring is very fast. The communications of bridge with the rudder and the control room is better thanks to the help of electronics.
Watertight compartiments system and water-scooping pumps:
R.M.S. Titanic crept with iceberg for only 10 seconds but this time was sufficient to tear the first 5 watertight compartiments, though the sheet plates were bolted each one with the other, therefore they were more reinforced than modern weldings. At 1:30 a.m. of 15 April 1912, Titanic had taken on board 31.000 tons of water and water-scooping pumps were not enough to take it out of the hull. Furthermore the watertight bulkheads did not go over the E bridge, so with the ship’s inclination, water stepped over watertight bulkheads with a chain reaction. For Titanic was the end.
QM2 has a greater coefficient of permeability. Like the others modern ships, in time of emergency, projet foresees a complete flooding of all watertight compartiments. Respect to R.M.S. Titanic, QM2 has closer waterthigt compartiments and they are covered by a superior bridge. Chain reaction is not possible on board QM2. Water-scooping pumps are more powerful and efficient than Titanic’s ones and they activate themselves authomatically. Therefore this ship could sink in a longer time.
Reaction of hull’s structure to sinking:
When R.M.S Titanic sank, its structure because of inclination broke in two parts, because it was not projected for that sort of pressure. So the sinking of the ship was more dramatic for all passengers.
Thanks to computers simulations, experts say that modern ships cruise like QM2 could not sink with the immersion of the bow or the stern, but with an upsetting on a side. Furthermore the ship’s structure is very reinforced so it could resist also to anomalous marine wave.
Lifeboats, life preservers and life rafts:
R.M.S. Titanic had on board lifeboats for about 960 passengers. The ship with a total of 20 lifeboats respected the law. It provided for at least 16 lifeboats on board ships with a tonnage superior to 10.000 tons. But Titanic’s tonnage was about of 48.000 tons! Furthermore the night of tragedy, boats were not totally filled with passengers, because Titanic’s officials feared of a possible sagging of the ropes. Unlike they were tested in Belfast with the max weight of 60 persons. Another great problem was the cold of the night. Titanic’s passengers suffered because the lifeboats were not covered.
SOLAS Convention on modern ships like QM2, provided for a great number of lifeboats (about 120% of all passengers) and they have to be closed totally or partially. Furthermore there are also life rafts and each passenger has a life preserver with a position light and a whistle.
By Gaetano Anania - Copyrights 2004
R.M.S. TITANIC VS QUEEN MARY 2:
BATTLE BETWEEN GIANTS!
Copyrights 2004 by Gaetano Anania
The sinking of R.M.S. Titanic was an hard stroke for Naval Engineering of the epoch and the loss of this ship can be considered as the greatest defeat ever happened in this field. After 1912 there was a great revolution in the world of navigation, in order to increase the safety of every ship, of their crews and passengers, and it was based on the lessons taken by Titanic’s tragedy. Particurarly in 1914 the maritime nations adopted the SOLAS Convention (Convention for the Safety Life at Sea) and it was modified and improved several times. That one of 1974 is still in force today. The last important modification on this Convention was done on the 1 July 1998. It deals with design, satellite communications, helicopters, etc. After the 15 April 1912, navigation and ships became day after day more secure. Today the most representative product of this important development of modern Naval Engineering is Queen Mary 2. This is the biggest ship ever built in the mankind’s history and it concentrates in itself all the last knowledges in terms of security. Its dimensions are amazing: it is long more than 300 metres and its tonnage is about 150.000 tons! This article deals with a comparison of technical and security aspects concerning these two ships: Titanic, Lord of past, and QM2, Queen of present.
Communications with others ships:
Before the terrible night of 14 -15 April 1912, R.M.S. Titanic received about seven segnalations of icebergs by others ships. On board the giant the only communication system was the wireless telegraph (Marconi Company), therefore the preservation of communications was very hard. The ship’s position was calculated manually with many mistakes. Furthermore Titanic’s radio had a very limited field of action: about 200 nautical miles.
The modern QM2 communicates with others ships by the global net of satellites. Every moment it is able to know the metereological situation in each part of the world and it can establish its right position on the sea with the help of satellites. Furthermore, more than forty years ago was institued the Ice Patrol which controls the mouvement of icebergs on the sea.
Communications on board:
On board R.M.S. Titanic communications between crew and passengers were very hard, because on this ship did not exist a public address system. So there was a great confusion on all bridges and news passed from a passenger to another very slowly. Titanic’s passengers did not realize immediately the danger of their situation, so at first many of them refused to go on lifeboats. The work of crew was so even more hard.
After SOLAS Convention on all modern ships, like QM2, public address system began compulsory. Furthermore in all cabins there are the instructions to follow during moments of emergency and ship’s evacuation is proved several times by crew, obviously with the partecipation of all passengers, who have several points of meeting on all ship in order to avoid any further possibility of confusion.
Propulsion and hull’s features:
On R.M.S. Titanic the transmission of orders from bridge to rudder was totally mechanical and the propulsion was based on the steam furnished by boilers to a reciprocating machine. Therefore each manoeuvring required much of time. The result was that Titanic crept along the iceberg.
Ships like QM2 have the bottom streghtened and more hydrodynamic respect to the past, therefore each manoueuvring is very fast. The communications of bridge with the rudder and the control room is better thanks to the help of electronics.
Watertight compartiments system and water-scooping pumps:
R.M.S. Titanic crept with iceberg for only 10 seconds but this time was sufficient to tear the first 5 watertight compartiments, though the sheet plates were bolted each one with the other, therefore they were more reinforced than modern weldings. At 1:30 a.m. of 15 April 1912, Titanic had taken on board 31.000 tons of water and water-scooping pumps were not enough to take it out of the hull. Furthermore the watertight bulkheads did not go over the E bridge, so with the ship’s inclination, water stepped over watertight bulkheads with a chain reaction. For Titanic was the end.
QM2 has a greater coefficient of permeability. Like the others modern ships, in time of emergency, projet foresees a complete flooding of all watertight compartiments. Respect to R.M.S. Titanic, QM2 has closer waterthigt compartiments and they are covered by a superior bridge. Chain reaction is not possible on board QM2. Water-scooping pumps are more powerful and efficient than Titanic’s ones and they activate themselves authomatically. Therefore this ship could sink in a longer time.
Reaction of hull’s structure to sinking:
When R.M.S Titanic sank, its structure because of inclination broke in two parts, because it was not projected for that sort of pressure. So the sinking of the ship was more dramatic for all passengers.
Thanks to computers simulations, experts say that modern ships cruise like QM2 could not sink with the immersion of the bow or the stern, but with an upsetting on a side. Furthermore the ship’s structure is very reinforced so it could resist also to anomalous marine wave.
Lifeboats, life preservers and life rafts:
R.M.S. Titanic had on board lifeboats for about 960 passengers. The ship with a total of 20 lifeboats respected the law. It provided for at least 16 lifeboats on board ships with a tonnage superior to 10.000 tons. But Titanic’s tonnage was about of 48.000 tons! Furthermore the night of tragedy, boats were not totally filled with passengers, because Titanic’s officials feared of a possible sagging of the ropes. Unlike they were tested in Belfast with the max weight of 60 persons. Another great problem was the cold of the night. Titanic’s passengers suffered because the lifeboats were not covered.
SOLAS Convention on modern ships like QM2, provided for a great number of lifeboats (about 120% of all passengers) and they have to be closed totally or partially. Furthermore there are also life rafts and each passenger has a life preserver with a position light and a whistle.
By Gaetano Anania - Copyrights 2004
