CONSOLIDATED DAMAGE CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract : Shipboard damage control of today, which includes fire prevention, detection and suppression, is much the same as during World War II. Yet, in view of Navy peacetime disasters in the last three decades and the impact of new materials and technology on ships, it is necessary to up-date damage control to be in consonance wtih the requirements of ships of the 21st century. An advanced damage control concept is presented in this report which takes advantage of logic aided fire detectors, through the hull communication techniques, minicomputers, fire spread prediction models, smoke movement prediction, instant recall of ships design, ventilation patterns, crew densities, and other information pertinent to a ship. This Consolidated Damage Control System concept will not only aid in the survival of a ship through fire prevention, rapid detection, and suppression, but also will significantly enhance the crew's ability to carry out its primary function, namely, to remain on the fighting line. It also has the pronounced added benefit of keeping both the damage control assistant (DCA) and ship's captain informed on a running real-time basis of extent of damage, predicted expansion of damage and progress of control. (Author)