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Safetytech Accelerator announces collaboration to improve real-time detection of potential fires below deck

25/05/2021

Safetytech Accelerator is delighted to announce a collaboration with Seaspan, and selects Everactive technology in a bid to improve real-time detection of potential fires below deck.

The challenge

Allianz predicted that fire and explosion are the biggest safety threats for the Marine and Shipping sector. This trend continues in an era when ships are larger and moving more containers than ever.

Most container ships use smoke detection systems where air is continuously sucked through pipes and directed to a detector in the below deck cargo hold. Once smoke reaches the detector, an alarm is triggered, and the pipes automatically release CO2.

The primary challenge is that it is slow – by the time the smoke reaches the detector the conditions are too hostile for crew to enter the hold. Secondly, spraying CO2 into the hatch may not actually be effective in tackling the fire within a container.

A possible solution

This possible solution could prevent potential fires by early detection of slight increases in a container’s temperature. This can enable smaller issues to be resolved before they become dangerous – providing cost savings and protecting people and assets.

Everactive – a technology company which produces category-defining batteryless and wireless sensors to generate a new class of data for the analytics of the future Industrial IoT, was chosen after a highly competitive Safetytech Accelerator selection process. Their solution is a battery-less and always on, which enables dense wireless sensor networks that can continuously monitor cargo holds in order to detect fires before they can cause catastrophic damage.

Maurizio Pilu, Managing Director of Safetytech Accelerator had this to say about the collaboration, “Battery-less sensor networks could disrupt safety and risk management shipping and other sectors, and fire detection is perhaps one of the most important applications. I’m delighted that we will be working with Seaspan and Everactive on this pilot.”

This pilot will benefit from support from Lloyd’s Register’s Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis which will model airflow and help define the density and placement of sensors.

Pilu added, “The use of LR’s CFD for sensor planning is key for the success of this project and exemplifies the highly-specialized expertise Safetytech Accelerator can draw from when working on difficult technical challenges.”

Watch this space for more information as the project progresses.

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Notes to editors

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About Seaspan

Seaspan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp. (NYSE:ATCO) is a leading independent owner and operator of containerships. We charter our vessels primarily pursuant to long-term, fixed-rate time charters to the world’s largest container shipping liners. As at March 31, 2021, Seaspan’s fleet consisted of 127 containerships representing total capacity of approximately 1,073,200 TEU. We also have 37 vessels under construction and four second-hand vessels, including the two vessel deliveries announced today, with aggregate TEU of 597,000, increasing total capacity to 1,670,200 TEU, on a fully delivered basis. For more information, visit www.seaspancorp.com

About Everactive

Everactive is a technology company that sells category-defining batteryless, wireless Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Operating without batteries, the company’s always-on wireless sensors deliver continuous cloud-based analytics at a scale not possible with battery-powered devices. Everactive’s end-to-end solutions are built upon groundbreaking advances in ultra-low-power circuit design and wireless communication that allow it to power its Eversensors exclusively from harvested energy. The company has developed the required networking and cloud software to deliver an out-of-the-box service focused on providing high-value insights from newly generated and self-sustaining data streams. For more information, please visit: www.everactive.com.

About Safetytech Accelerator

The Safetytech Accelerator is a non-profit established by Lloyd’s Register and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. It is the first fully dedicated technology accelerator focused on safety and risk in industrial sectors. Their mission is to make the world safer and more sustainable through wider adoption of safetytech.