August/September 2012Make sure your ECDIS has the latest software installed! jrceurope.com ▸ Download the latest software or contact any of the 1000 JRC trained engineers in over 50 countries around the world. Did you know that JRC also have Admiralty Information Overlay (V56) update available. bridge systems • training • ecdis • container ships • satcoms contents August/September 2012 volume 6 issue 4 Editor: Martyn Wingrove t: +44 20 8370 1736 e:
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[email protected] Chairman: John Labdon Managing Director: Steve Labdon Editorial Director: Steve Matthews Sales & Development Director: Steve Parks Publishing Director: Hamish Dickie Finance Director: Cathy Labdon Group Sales Manager: Bill Cochrane Published by: Riviera Maritime Media Ltd Mitre House 66 Abbey Road Enfield EN1 2QN UK Human-machine interfaces should be the main consideration of integrated bridge design (see page 36) REGULARS 3 COMMENT 7 DIGEST 8 DIARY 11 ACCIDENT REPORT 13 CONTRACTS & INSTALLATIONS 82 EQUIPMENT & SERVICES 84 FORESIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS 63 Infotainment is adapted to users’ needs CONTAINER SHIPS 66 Satcoms and WiFi are in demand 67 Italian tie-up for Station 711 68 Container tracking costs controlled via GSM SATCOMS 17 18 21 22 Technology upgrades lead to higher bandwidth Greek companies implement new services New anti-piracy docking station unveiled Router developed for near-shore operations FLEET MANAGEMENT 71 Class delivers software solutions 72 Docmap rolls out new program 74 Satellite AIS, software upgrades and contracts SHIP DESIGN 76 CFD is part of the next generation of software 77 Seakeeping analysis added to programs 79 Software aids tanker design OPERATOR FEEDBACK 24 V.Ships begins installing KVH satcom services 25 BC Ferries installs WiFi across the fleet DYNAMIC POSITIONING 80 Manpower problems and safety concerns 81 New developments in DP systems ECDIS 27 Advanced systems are for competent operators 30 Systems developed for GNSS redundancy 34 New equipment and training revealed www.rivieramm.com/publications Marine Electronics & Communications (ISSN 1756-0373) is published bi-monthly by Riviera Maritime Media Ltd and distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318. 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NEXT ISSUE Broadband communications, voyage planning, offshore support vessels, networks, emergency response, dynamic positioning BRIDGE SYSTEMS 36 US suppliers deliver system integration 39 Steering controls help OSG cut fuel costs 40 Multifunction workstations and bridge contracts 43 BNWAS technology advances for ship safety SUBSCRIPTIONS A subscription costs £249 and comprises six printed issues per year, published bi-monthly, plus complimentary bonus material: • two supplements: A Complete Guide to ECDIS and The Complete Guide to VSAT • digital editions of Marine Electronics & Communications • industry yearplanner including key industry dates • access to www.marinemec.com and its searchable online archive Subscribe online: www.rivieramm.com/subscribe Front cover advertisement: JRC continues to make every effort to ensure the correct and timely updating of onboard ECDIS. Visit our website for the most recent software update for your ECDIS: jrceurope.com ©2012 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd CREW WELFARE 47 Medical assistance can be delivered remotely A member of: AUTOMATION & MONITORING Total average net circulation: 4,200 Period: January - December 2011 49 Open architecture enables additional modules 50 BP installs monitors on tankers and gas ships TRAINING SIMULATORS 52 US academies prepare for STCW changes Join over 2,600 members in our LinkedIn® Marine Electronics & Communications Networking Group For anyone, ashore or on board, involved with communications, navigation systems, control and automation, shipmanagement systems, as well as wider IT and software innovations www.rivieramm.com/groups TRAINING 55 E-learning designed for ecdis training 57 New simulators and courses introduced 58 Transas programs new engineroom models August/September 2012 Make sure your ECDIS has the latest software installed! VESSEL SECURITY 60 Intelligence in the anti-piracy fight jrceurope.com ▸ Download the latest software or contact any of the 1000 JRC trained engineers in over 50 countries around the world. Did you know that JRC also have Admiralty Information Overlay (V56) update available. bridge systems • training • ecdis • container ships • satcoms www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 1 www.docmapexpress.com Docmap Express IR ® One stop shop for simple and user friendly reporting, investigation and analysis of all accidents/incidents and near misses. An affordable and scalable cloud based solution. • • • • • • Simple installation on vessel computer Multi language support Fully preconfigured Root cause analysis Analytical reports Tracking of preventive actions Visit us at SMM Hamburg 4 - 7 Sept 2012 Hall B6 Stand 430 Powered by USA: Canada: There will be meetings. the majority of the worldwide commercial fleet will be using ecdis. All passenger ships. One thing is for sure. By the end of this decade. An example of this might be a captain sailing a ship.marinemec. will need to have ecdis on their bridges by their first survey after July 2014. but perhaps for cultural reasons this does not happen. This is not simply about the technology. Type-specific training is also required under Standards of Training. potentially putting the ship and those on board at risk. but it should be recognised as essential for quality operators who want to prevent costly accidents. Generic ecdis courses to IMO’s standardised model (IMO course 1. they have so far not addressed the passage plan that took the vessel so close to the Italian island Giglio. Admiralty. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) advised that some systems have reportedly failed to display significant underwater features in the ‘standard’ display mode. or what part ecdis played in the incident. and many others. Ecdis training and other questions will be addressed at Riviera Maritime Media’s Marine Electronics & Communications conference in London on r Wagstaff says this training should help prevent future accidents by promoting teamwork and better crew communication. and better officer communication could have prevented the Costa Concordia accident. Crew resource management. He says that communication breakdown between junior and senior officers can lead to disaster. Graham Wagstaff. is also a new STCW requirement. ecdis is considered by IMO and others as a tool for improving ship safety. Transas is reprogramming engineroom and cargo handling simulation software so it can interact with bridge simulators for resource management courses. can be tested through crew resource management training. The human factor is critical – ensuring bridge officers can use ecdis effectively for safe navigation. Would a junior officer have the confidence to point out the dangers and would the captain be receptive enough to change course on the advice? This type of scenario. There have been concerns about the number of officers that need to be trained in time for the full roll out of ecdis. The introduction of online type-specific courses. close to the coast. There is a staggered timetable for ecdis implementation. as highlighted in this issue of Marine Electronics & Communications. has added a new dimension to the available training. Seagull and Videotel have also developed e-learning ecdis courses.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 3 . Mr Wagstaff thinks human factor training. Not only is it becoming a mandatory requirement. The Italian authorities’ reports are beginning to filter through and will make interesting reading (see page 11). he roll out of the mandatory carriage of ecdis began in July as a compulsory addition to the bridge equipment on new passenger ships of more than 500gt and new tankers of more than 3. says Transas Marine’s technical simulation business director.000gt. conferences and workshops in September and October where ecdis issues will be discussed.000gt will have to carry the equipment from July next year. held in association with the UK’s Hydrographic Office (UKHO)’s affiliate. new dry cargo ships of more than 50.27) cover the legal requirements and general ecdis operations. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for the ecdis equipment that an officer will encounter on board. competent bridge team. The update to STCW adds new elements to crew competence. It involves testing officer teamwork during challenging exercises that could involve simulated incidents. possibly a cruise ship with thousands of passengers on board. The industry appears to be rectifying this issue by ensuring their products meet the required standards (see page 29). T M T here are issues with the ability of some ecdis products to correctly display all potential hazards.comment Martyn Wingrove Training is the key to ship safety 24–25 September. However. It is important to make sure that all outstanding training and anomaly issues are dealt with by the time the main mandatory push kicks in for the bulk of the commercial fleet in a few years' time. Ecdis training is offered by an increasing number of academies and online services. Safebridge has started offering online training for Sperry Marine ecdis (see page 55). MEC www. regardless of their delivery date. and senior officers should learn to accept this advice. also known as human factor training. but that is only the case when it is in the hands of a properly trained. Junior officers should be able to question a captain’s decisions on safety grounds. But academies such as UK-based Ecdis Ltd have maintained they have spare capacity on their courses. A permanent window on an international fleet . m ENJOY PROGRESS .2 B6. MV Hemingway was forced to change course. the cargo owner and port authorities. The promise of hassle-free solutions was delivered right away.imtechmarine.Randall Miller received the message just after the board meeting. Recently Randall had selected Imtech Marine as their connectivity supplier.2 0 Imtech Marine’s connectivity solutions excel by their Im I global coverage and value added services. Find out g more at www. An alternative route was quickly agreed. due to an emergency in the next port of call. Thanks to the global VSAT connection he could set up a crystal clear video conference with the captain. w you See M 20 at S0M /B5. the delay limited to mere hours.com/connectivity. . According to IACS’ new chairman. BSH. which allows the most up-to-date versions of charts to be uploaded directly to an ecdis via the NavStick USB device. Sky-Stream will use the broad C-band beam of Eutelsat 10A as the main anchor for its services across the Middle East. It will also use Eutelsat 3C to extend its Ku-band coverage over the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The latest of these. Tom Boardley. Africa and in eastern Atlantic waters. and the Nato Shipping Centre (NSC) will be acquiring exactAIS data. position. It also tested the AIS on board a ship travelling on various courses and speeds within inland waterways and offshore out to 50nm. which will be deployed on the Eutelsat 3C and Eutelsat 10A satellites. and Naples. this is a process that www.2 to improve satellite network operations. The new version has a number of enhancements that provide scalability. and we expect in April next year to publish revised CSRs. Sky-Stream will use the new capacity to provide GSM backhaul. • IMO member states have rejected a proposal to establish a new 1. voice over IP and virtual private networks to African maritime areas. Italy. was launched on the Soyuz vehicle in July. Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.” Mr Boardley said. Germany and France. “The rules will be worked on from the industry’s input through this year. This will provide a comprehensive view of vessels bound for and navigating within US ports and waterways. Then there will be another period of consultation. EV-1 will utilise S-band and C-band communications to frequently downlink information to ground stations in Norway and the UK. ExactEarth is updating its satellite AIS capabilities by commissioning new exactView (EV) satellites. Prior to the delivery to the Coast Guard.000 mile long recommended route for all ships in the Mozambique Channel.com will result in the enforcement of CSRs in 2014. The final harmonised CSR will be published and adopted towards the end of 2013. Rule harmonisation leads to design software changes Classification societies are preparing for the adoption of harmonised common structural rules (CSR) for the design of tanker and bulk carrier hulls. automation and bridge systems to clients in Belgium. NSC is the primary point of contact for the exchange of shipping information between Nato and the international shipping community. course. • BMT Argoss has won a contract to provide weather routeing information to oil companies operating in the Java Sea to improve the safety of crew transfers. The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has begun industry consultation on the harmonisation of hull scantling rules. A draft of the rules was published in July. • Imtech has acquired Belgium maritime technical services provider Van Stappen & Cada to supply ship electronics. Nato to use AIS for counter-piracy ExactEarth has gained a contract from Nato to provide satellite AIS data for security and antipiracy operations. • Navtor has introduced NavSync. Northrop Grumman developed the necessary shoreside communications. Internet access and on-demand video services to its maritime and offshore customers. This is on top of SkyStream’s existing C-band coverage over Australia and East Asia. • Orolia has acquired Boatracs to combine its GPS and navigation products with fleet management and communications hardware and software. AIS will also be used in support of Nato’s maritime counter-terrorism Active Endeavour operation in the Mediterranean. Northrop Grumman tested the nationwide AIS from coastal installations. EV-1. integration and monitoring support for overall efficiency. The new rules will mean changes in ship ››› Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 7 . in brief • iDirect has launched its SatManage 5. and manifest and cargo data. The Nato Maritime Operation Centres in Northwood. • Baytek’s maritime monitors have been approved by Germanischer Lloyd and the German federal shipping and hydrographic authority. • Furuno Electric will be launching new ecdis models FMD-3200 and FMD-3300 and presenting its ecdis training solutions at SMM in Hamburg in September. • Kemilinks International has started using SkyWave Mobile’s IsatData Pro for vessel tracking. for ecdis and radar.marinemec. the Middle East and West Africa by taking capacity on two Eutelsat satellites. Then by July 2014 they will enter into force. It continuously updates information about piracy incidents in the high risk areas and exactAIS data can be used to help identify merchant vessels in the vicinity of pirate attack groups (see page 60). The Dubai-based company has contracted for a total of 70 MHz of bandwidth. The information will be used on Nato’s Ocean Shield counter-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea. • A new ENC service (AusENC) has been launched to cover Australia and Papua New Guinea. EV-1 satellite with AIS payload is launched on Soyuz from Kazakhstan Northrop commissions AIS network for US Coast Guard Northrop Grumman has produced an AIS network for the US Coast Guard. destination. fuel monitoring and remote telemetry solutions. The information will be combined with other government intelligence and surveillance data and shared with authorised government operators to enhance maritime situational awareness. network and processing capability to ensure the effective exchange of AIS information. The satellite and payload will be commissioned over the next three months. speed.digest VSAT services upgraded through Eutelsat satellites Sky-Stream will extend its services to maritime and offshore clients in Europe. UK. The nationwide AIS is a two-way maritime digital communication system that interrogates incoming vessels to check vessel identity. • HostQuarters has expanded its VSAT Cand Ku-band services to provide mobile Internet. 30 countries need to ratify MLC 2006 and. The software will also automatically generate 3D models for hull structural analysis directly from rule calculation data. UK www.org Transas introduces ENCs for iPads Transas Marine has developed an application of its electronic navigation charts (ENCs) that can be downloaded on to iPads. accident prevention and medical care.comsys. pilots in Singapore have started using the iSailor service.. 24-25 September 2012. but a total design support system. communications.ics-shipping.rivieramm. Then CSR TankCheck Stage 2 is used for strength assessments using finite element analysis.digest ››› design software. at the time of publication. manning levels. which allows users to assess the effects of changes to the parameters of initial ship designs. ClassNK’s executive vice president. but also the insights and opinions of leading shipyards and designers in the development process. Japanese society. diary see us at. Users would then pay Transas for the charts for the areas within which they wish to navigate.rivieramm. LR and ABS claim the software integrates design assessment with classification knowledge and experience. qualifications. 2012 4-7 September SMM 2012. London. EU. Houston. in association with Preparations needed for MLC changes Ship operators need to be prepared for the enforcement of the new Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) by training shore based and shipboard personnel in its implications for their operations. Takuya Yoneya. London.com/events 15-16 October Tanker Safety Conference. DNV said shipowners. To come into force. This includes the analysis of hull lines and propulsion systems (see page 76). compliant with IACS’ 2010 CSRs. Meanwhile.rivieramm. London. Once ratified shipmanagers will have one year to ensure they comply. In this software there are modules for checking tanker designs through strength analysis.impa. The convention has requirements in a wide variety of areas such as: certification and onboard documentation.com 2013 19-20 February Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference.oilcomm. “This new software is not just a calculation tool. Mr Boardley’s Lloyd’s Register team has co-operated with ABS on developing software that can be used to evaluate new designs according to harmonised CSRs. employment agreements. meaning it will be mandatory by the fourth quarter of 2013. Hamburg. and increase the speed of the ship design process. and training organisations expect the threshold will be reached before the end of the third quarter. 8 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 Australian and Chinese ports must provide an advance notice of arrival (ANOA). UK www. It will be essential for shipyards and designers to efficiently test and implement the new rules. In one of the first implementations.com 27-29 November Seatrade Middle East. “Experience shows that shipowners and managers will have to develop new or revise [existing] procedures in order to handle the Convention. There are new functions.seatrade-middleeast. This involved a complete renewal of ClassNK’s existing CSR software.com/events 7-8 March Annual Marine Propulsion Conference. and GPSNavX and MacENC software. They should ensure their ships are inspected and certified within the deadlines. explained: “Our goal with this new software was to incorporate not only our extensive experiences with the CSR. UK www.com . London. Northport Systems has enabled its Fugawi X-Traverse ENCs to be supported by Solteknik high definition raster charts of Sweden from the Swedish Hydrographic Office for use on iPads with the iNavX app. The Liberian administration uses risk analysis software and ANOAs to calculate whether a particular vessel may be a prime target for port state control inspection. London. such as a case study tool. but also improve design quality. The service has been introduced for leisure craft and pilots. The iSailor application will be available free to be downloaded from the Apple app store for iPads. such as Det Norske Veritas (DNV). USA www. health and safety.marinemec. Class societies.net 12-13 September International Chamber of Shipping conference. working hours. Singapore www. management companies and crew manning agencies should implement measures to ensure compliance with the requirements. MEC www. has released harmonised CSR compliant software that follows IACS’ draft rules.” Training organisations have developed online courses on the requirements and implementation of MLC 2006 (see page 57). It can be integrated with other CAD and ship performance calculation software enabling data transfer and processing based on new CSRs. All Liberian-flagged vessels calling at US.” said Mr Yoneya. recreational facilities. UK www. or risk challenges from inspectors and port state control.co. DNV said. leading to significant cost and time savings and promoting technical consistency in the design stage.uk 12-13 September IMPA. Class societies are assisting shipyards in designing the next generation of ships.rivieramm. The first stage module enables shipyards to quickly check that their designs follow current tanker structural rules.com/events Software to reduce ship detention risk The Liberian Registry has introduced a program to screen advance notice of ship arrivals as part of a detention prevention plan. ClassNK. It builds on IMO’s long range identification and tracking (LRIT) scheme to reduce detention rates. Dubai. We are confident that this software will not only support the development of safer ships. London.com/events 6-8 November OilComm. The tablet computers will use GPS data to provide an accurate position on the relevant ENC. UK www.smm-hamburg. UAE www. Germany www. 28 had done so.de 11-14 September VSAT 2012 Conference. UK www.. 11 81 500 +31 (0)88 .netwavesystems. DATA MARLIANT Non-stop computing for the high seas COST SAVING! ONSHORE OFFSHORE NetWave Systems BV Blauw-roodlaan 100 2718 SJ Zoetermeer The Netherlands T F E I +31 (0)88 .com www.11 81 599 sales@netwavesystems. Hal l B6 Stand 403 .NETWAVE MARITIME INFORMATION SYSTEMS ALREADY MORE THAN 5.com .500 VESSELS RELY ON US AND THIS NUMBER IS GROWING EVERY DAY VDR Voyage Data Recorders Visit us on SMM. By switching and extending computer signals. highest reliability with redundancy concepts and special safety features such as monitoring and SNMP. Protect your valuable equipment Meet us at SMM: Hall B8.gdsys.Get maximum flexibility for your IT. Now you can remove your valuable IT equipment from rough environments. improve working conditions for your staff and store your equipment in protected technical areas – by deploying KVM technology from Guntermann & Drunck. G&D’s user-friendly KVM technology offers you superior user interfaces. on dredge vessels. Moving computers out of control rooms gives you space and improved working conditions without distracting noise and heat. in harbours or in the vessel traffic service.g. Leading the way in digital KVM Guntermann & Drunck GmbH Phone: +49 (0) 27 39/89 01 . Stand 200 DVICenter system The matrix switch DVICenter displayed here allows many controllers to simultaneously access multiple remote computers in real-time without any loss in quality and performance.333 sales@gdsys. on off-shore platforms.de KVM Extender | Switches | Matrix Switches . making it the perfect fit for your tasks on the bridge or for special application controls e.de | www. KVM technology allows you to operate your IT systems from anywhere thus enhancing your crew’s flexibility. He says. Damage would have been sustained at the strongest part of the vessel. supporting my decision as master with a fully documented risk assessment. Following the blackout. much in the way the Titanic attempted to avoid hitting the iceberg. appropriate to manage such an emergency. so the electrical supply may well have been maintained. The screen dump for 20 minutes after hitting the rocks indicates that damage stability criteria were not being met. a statement of facts. An interesting point raised is that the vessel www. a criminal enquiry to determine responsibilities and guilt and an administrative investigation conducted by the Italian Coastguard which also looks at the question of responsibility along with causal factors. Had shore management given approval for navigating in such close proximity to this dangerous shoal? Without this information we can learn little of the navigational practices on this and other Costa vessels. Addressing these particular issues appears to be the responsibility of the Italian Coastguard and possibly the prosecutor. on the whole. which was conducted at around 16 knots. Supplementary batteries provided emergency lighting and internal shipboard communications. the vessel’s progress through the water and on to its final grounding position appears to have been the result of its residual headway with the helm hard to starboard and the north easterly winds experienced at the time. it was commonly said to be “just like the Titanic”.com T Costa Concordia crashed into rocks close to the island of Giglio before capsizing Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 11 . it notes that in addition to its own technical marine safety investigation – intended to determine causes with the aim of improving maritime safety – there are two other investigative strands underway.” MEC he shipping community. We need to know what the company SMS requires in these circumstances. On the Costa Concordia. spatially aware bridge system. One of the effects of the electrical blackout suffered five minutes after striking the rocks was that the computer containing the software to calculate the vessel’s stability was put out of order. The VDR analysis was scheduled for release to the other investigations on 21 July. it does contain a simulation of the vessel’s deteriorating stability. We must hope that the continuing investigations will ultimately shed some light on these key matters. Thirty years ago I would have had to provide senior shore management with a very clear justification for taking such a course. to a great extent. capable of alerting the master or watchkeeper of the point at which avoiding action can no longer be effective. The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has published an interim report into the disaster.accident report Plenty of Costa Concordia questions still to be answered Italian report is critical of delay in commencing abandonment but says organisation of the process was generally appropriate to the circumstances by Alan Welcome might have fared much better had she been slowed down as much as possible and deliberately allowed to strike the rocks head on. while bridge equipment continued to function by virtue of UPS arrangements. including onboard navigation audits and SMS assessment. “The preliminary report alludes to a passage plan routeing the vessel to a position 0. suggestions have been made in support of some form of electronic. but was unable to connect with the emergency electrical panel. Access to this report has naturally fuelled the already considerable discussion of the accident in online professional forums. If the events portrayed in the report are correct. with the added benefit of the collision bulkhead. access to VDR information so far appears to have been restricted to the prosecutor. The report does not say if it subsequently became available again. The machinery spaces would probably not have been flooded. along with the wider public.marinemec. with little room for error. The first is critical of the delay in sounding the general emergency alarm – just over an hour from striking the Scole reefs – and in taking timely steps to abandon the ship. the current report is.9 miles off Giglio and only 0. At the time of the disaster. This appears to have involved a substantial 56 degree turn to starboard. The second. it seems there is actually some truth in this. nor does it mention whether there is any requirement for it to be connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). It indicates the planned manoeuvre to pass close to the port on the island of Giglio. the helm was first put hard to starboard to avoid the rocks ahead. interestingly. achieved using sistership Costa Serena’s stability program. has a right to expect that robust accident investigation activity will determine the root causes of the loss of the Costa Concordia. Captain Chris Allport is an independent marine consultant specialising in safety management and risk assessment systems. says that the organisation of the abandonment of the ship was. Recognising that it is difficult to make the non-intuitive decision to deliberately damage your vessel. there should be such a document to confirm that this manoeuvre was considered to be an acceptable risk. Probably as a consequence of this. followed by hard to port in an attempt to prevent the ship from striking further aft. “Similarly. However.5 miles from the Scole reef. The report does make two preliminary remarks. When the blackout occurred the emergency generator started. In the preamble. The criminal investigation takes precedence over the other two and as a result. we own and operate the complete network. Ku-band technology. And unlike other providers. All this. data and video applications. For our service providers and their end-users this means seamless connectivity through Automatic Beam Switching.intelsat. and complete coverage of the world’s principal shipping routes. and utilizes proven. www. Whether you’re operating on land. our Global Mobility Network provides capacity. • • • • • Always-on broadband at committed information rates and fixed cost basis On-demand options available on request Speeds up to 50 Mbps Automatic Beam Switching Antenna sizes as small as 60 cms Step up to best-in-class mobility at Intelsat.com/mobility .432 Kbps 50 Mbps IS YOUR MOBILITY NETWORK UP TO SPEED? Others make the claim. sea or air. delivered with the built-in quality you’ve come to expect from an Intelsat service. coverage and connectivity for converged voice. Our global platform features a core mobility network of 10 beams on 7 satellites. Introducing Intelsat’s GLOBAL MOBILITY NETWORK Contact Intelsat today to speak with one of our global mobility experts. but here’s the truth: only Intelsat delivers broadband mobile everywhere at speeds up to 50 Mbps. so you only have one call to make. outfitting and drafting. These include a submarine rescue mother ship and two rescue and towing ships that will be built by Istanbul Shipyard in Tuzla. telephone and alarm systems. Other offshore vessel operators use Veripos’ GNSS systems (see page 81). hull structure. On the other two PSVs and ER Luisa and ER Vittoria anchor handlers. USS Ponce was deployed to US Central Command in June. piping and electrical design.000gt ship.marinemec. It also installs the VHF/ UHF communications for the crane operators. with power management and machinery monitoring and control modules. KR is modernising its computer systems to use advanced 3D CAD tools for designing vessels that require both specialisation and technological innovations. The contract will incorporate additional maintenance. Huntington Ingalls Industries will be using Aveva Mars. to support mine countermeasures and coastal patrols by the US Navy. A complete Foran package has been installed in GYOE. Thailand. navigation and CCTV systems. WR Systems has recently added experience to its maritime technologies division. The shipyard is using the program to design specialised offshore support vessels. machinery. Foran software generates a 3D model of an offshore support vessel During the yard stay. the galley and berthing spaces. public address. communications and navigation systems on these vessels. Aveva also gained contracts for the use of Aveva Marine by Russian engineering companies. cleaning the ship’s main and auxiliary condensers. Also in Asia. outfitting and cable design modules for 3D engineering and design. Oakwell selected Foran for designing seismic vessels and split hopper barges. VolgogradNIPImorneft will use Aveva Marine to design jack-up platforms in the Russian section of the Caspian Sea for Lukoil. ER Offshore to use Veripos GNSS German offshore vessel operator ER Offshore has awarded a contract to Veripos to provide global satellite positioning (GNSS) services for two years. Veripos will supply its second www. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered to the Turkish Navy by mid-2015. In another deal. Zelenodolsk Design Bureau will be using the program for designing ice-class ships. which was delivered by Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard to Carnival at the end of May.contracts & installations Imtech gains jack-up and naval contracts Imtech Marine will be installing the communication and IT systems for a second new self-elevating vessel in China for Dutch company. ecdis and inertial navigation technology. led by WR Systems.com generation GNSS service. Aveva’s software was recently selected by Ghenova Ingeniería engineering company to help design eight LPG tankers for STX Promar Shipyard. Turkey. Sener gained a contract from Oakwell Shipyard to provide CAD software for shipbuilding in Sattahip. including China and Russia. Systems installed on Carnival flagship MTN Satellite Communications and Wireless Maritime Services (WMS) combined to supply Carnival Cruise Lines’ latest flagship. It converted the vessel from an amphibious transport dock ship into an afloat forward staging base in five months with the help of a series of contractors. Ghenova will be using Aveva Marine hull. On both vessels. The installations on JB-118 offshore windfarm construction vessel follows the one successfully completed earlier this year on sister unit JB-117 in Shenzhen. Imtech also has an agreement with Jack-Up Barge to provide monitoring and maintenance on the IT. after the retrofit in MHI Shipyard in Norfolk. and drafting CAD. hull structure. Imtech subsidiary Elkon is designing and supplying electrical systems to power three Turkish machinery and outfitting. which offers an additional Glonass capability. Carnival Breeze. as well as communications for the helideck. It also includes an integrated vessel management system. with VSAT and mobile phone services. and Mike Kellner joined as a director of the maritime business. and 55 uniformed naval personnel. enterprise resource management software for US Coast Guard and Navy vessels. who navigate. The consortium of WR Systems-led contractors includes J&L Marine Electronics. Jack-Up Barge. SAM Electronics and L-3 Valmarine have supplied advanced integrated navigation and automation control systems to the 130. Sener gained a licence agreement from KR Engineering for the use of its Foran 3D modelling program for hull-form generation. The contract involves supply of power and propulsion systems. In another deal. the US and Brazil. Additional modifications included overhauling USS Ponce’s main propulsion boilers. These generate any proprietary positioning solutions in addition to outputting data and measurements to external processing or quality control software. consultancy and development to further tailor Aveva Mars to fit with Ingalls’ business processes. Veripos will continue to supply nine of ER Offshore’s PSVs with its standard highprecision augmentation services. Imtech supplies VSAT. Sener. USS Ponce’s bridge equipment and navigation sensors were replaced with automated systems to allow MSC to reduce crewing to 152 civil service mariners. Arthur Thomas was appointed as vice president. overhauling other existing ship’s equipment. MTN and WMS provided VSAT broadband ››› Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 13 . for initial design. Aveva and Qinetiq GRC clinched more supply deals from shipyards in Asia. The yard is building the tankers for Brazilian shipowner Transpetro. The Foran system is being used to design a supply vessel with azimuth diesel-electric propulsion for US shipowner Tidewater. It has modules covering ship structure. Navy Auxiliary vessels. Design software in demand Ship design software companies gained a host of new contracts in the last three months as shipyards and engineering firms enhanced their capabilities. and refurbishing Conversion includes bridge refit Military Sealift Command (MSC) has completed the retrofit of USS Ponce. operate and maintain the ship. Delphinus Engineering. The contract is an extension of the current arrangements and covers 11 platform supply vessels (PSVs) and two anchor handlers. Chinese shipbuilder Guangdong Yuexin Ocean Engineering (GYOE) has also acquired a licence from Sener for the use of Foran CAD software. Raytheon and S&S Metals & Plastics. All of ER Offshore’s 13 vessels are already permanently equipped with configurable Veripos LD2 integrated mobile units. which sells radar. services. The deal involves installation of VSAT and network hardware and services for Internet access. On this landmark installation the H2OLiteSpeed VSAT service includes a KNS compact Supertrack A6 antenna and terminal.” said Mr Kenworthy. and download speeds of up to 4 Mbps are available. • Selex Elsag has been selected as the UK distributor of the bridge navigational watch alarm system (BNWAS) product from Net-Logic. Vizada and Thrane & Thrane have completed installation and commissioning of VSAT and FleetBroadband systems on Hansa Heavy Lift’s entire fleet of 21 multipurpose heavy-lift vessels.marinemec. Brasdril. * Maris and Consilium have agreed to co-operate on the service and installation of all Maris products through Consilium’s network in more than 50 countries. says H2OSatellite’s managing director. as well as from fixed PCs. a joint venture of AT&T and MTN. voice and data. This wireless product can interface with voyage data recorders. Carnival Breeze was also fitted with L-3 Valmarine’s Valmatic Platinium automated system. MTN’s president and chief executive. file transfer and sharing. All data generated on board is transferred to a cloud-based application for vessel benchmarking.” SAM installed the Nacos Platinum allpurpose navigation assembly on the 306m vessel. and video conferencing as well as e-mail. Robert Kenworthy. to enhance its VSAT services to cruise ships. WMS. There was also a live Twitter chat set up. Two further multipilot consoles are assigned for specific ecdis and conning operations. open architecture satellite platform. Operator control is via 10 multifunction workstations variously fitted at control points such as the engine control room. The complete system comprised dual S-band and X-band radars linked by an Ethernet network to six multipilot workstations. 14 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 remote IT support and e-mail. Errol Olivier.” The service will be available through existing Ku-band antennas. data transfer and remote support. to provide more than 2GB of daily capacity for MTN’s cruise and yacht customers in the Caribbean. in brief • Pro Nautas. He adds. MTN will utilise capacity on Intelsat’s Ku-band mobile global broadband infrastructure. MEC www. MTN will use capacity on the first Intelsat Epic satellite. provides uninterrupted cellular calling. “During it’s first month in service. Initially. electrical and automation systems for three platform supply vessels to be built by Kleven Maritime for Norwegian owners Atlantic Offshore and Remoy Shipping. “The latest vessel to activate the system will benefit from faster downloads of data. • Trimble’s latest generation of GNSS receivers for marine construction and hydrographic survey now support Fugro’s Marinestar positioning services. Intelsat 29e. This game-changing infrastructure will allow us to set the bar for broadband telecommunications at sea. WMS provides exclusive cellular services across Carnival’s entire fleet of 24 vessels. MTN Satellite Communications chose to take beam capacity from the Intelsat Epic. The Intelsat Epic platform is a complementary overlay to Intelsat’s network and will be launched in 2015 (see page 17). • Wärtsilä has gained a contract to supply diesel-electric propulsion.000 passengers and 1. Harris CapRock said the solution will enable Brasdril. to extend its corporate network to the drilling assets. The UK-based company is providing its VSAT services via Korean antenna manufacturer KNS hardware and SES Broadband Services.com . The Litespeed package will continue to go from strength to strength and I look forward to seeing the results of further developments to the product range within the package. • ABB has gained a contract from Rickmers Group to supply energy management systems for five multipurpose vessels. clearer voice calls at negligible cost. explained. • QinetiQ GRC has gained a contract from Egyptian Military Technical College to provide its Paramarine design software to support the teaching of ship and submarine design. Kevin McCarthy. and all three vessels are due to be delivered in 2014. Cruise VSAT services to use Epic platform Intelsat has gained another client for its next generation of satellites. Jim McKenna. The Internet café solution gives passengers and crew wireless access to ship satcoms from their own mobile devices.contracts & installations ››› communications to it’s 4. ABB will deliver dynamic trim optimisation and fleet management systems for these vessels. Equipment deliveries will begin in 2013. ecdis and autopilot. “We chose the Intelsat Epic platform for our high-throughput multi-spot (HTMS) Ku-band solution for the Caribbean. Once Intelsat 29e is commissioned.800 crew. Brasdril will increase bandwidth at 11 sites for its own requirements and those of its clients – oil companies operating in Brazil. and receive input from a vessel’s radar. which integrates with the Nacos bridge equipment. MTN will then partially transition to its VSAT service on the Intelsat Epic platform. Brazilian rig deal for Harris CapRock Harris CapRock has extended its contract with Brazilian rig operator. says WMS’ MTN and WMS supply VSAT services on Carnival Breeze vice president. ship’s bridge and officer cabins. to provide satcoms for its fleet of 12 semi-submersible rigs and one drillship. There is also seamless connection with Carnival’s FunHub portal to provide passengers with digital access to all of the ship’s services and facilities. This is the first of a series of strategic initiatives that will include much more than just satellite bandwidth – to offer passengers and crew the same Internet experience they have at home or at land-based resorts. said MTN’s head of network engineering. Each workstation can be operated as a radar or ecdis while also providing conning functions. • Cobham has won an eight-year contract from Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) to provide oil pollution detection and surveillance around the coast of the UK. This included a shared set of standardised workstations with multifunction displays supported by a common operational network. Under a long-term agreement. VSAT milestone reached for H20LiteSpeed H2OLiteSpeed has installed its 200th VSAT system to provide broadband Internet access. texting and data services for guests and crew on board. WMS carried tens of thousands of voice calls to and from the ship. a subsidiary of US-based Diamond Offshore. “H2OLiteSpeed turns the ship into a remote office complete with virtual private network links.” The coverage has been extended to the Middle East. It’s as easy as that.cobham. and rear assembly.com/seatel + + = . The world’s most trusted maritime antenna systems. And because the Sea Tel 4012 can be controlled over the internet.Introducing the Sea Tel 4012. Remove and replace the front feed. the Sea Tel 4009. you can connect to it from anywhere in the world including your corporate offices. The best just got better. secured communication and extensive diagnostic capability. Unfasten eight bolts. www. your Sea Tel 4012 makes the optional upgrade from the current Ku Band. Within minutes. Finally. The new Sea Tel 4012’s completely redesigned monolithic software architecture offers IP-based. the sturdy pedestal design is based on the industry’s best 1-meter maritime antenna system. to GX or other Ka Band networks.facebook. The interface allows the antenna system to be controlled from a computer browser or even a tablet or mobile device.com/seatel www. It lets you go from Ku to Ka in eight easy turns. The new frequency-tuned radome is engineered to operate in Ku and Ka Band networks. com . Are You Ready? Visit us at SMM Hall B6 Stand 598 for a chance to win an iPod 4 ...com | Visit: www.7 September 2012 Call: +44 (0)1925 818918 | Email:
[email protected] Next Generation of GT Mail. Intelsat revealed it would invest in a new satellite platform of multiple frequencies for a variety of services. describes the investment as the progressive evolution of the Intelsat fleet that is required to meet surging global bandwidth demand. Adonis Violaris. Combined with multi-band frequency reuse. Intelsat is evaluating proposals by several manufacturers for these satellites. will discuss the future impact of different VSAT solutions. assessment of the main communications solutions and the intelligent ship concept. Initially. This will be held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London on 24–25 September. Services from the platform will be shared with aerospace. Inmarsat. Intelsat Epic will deliver C-. Kaushik Roy. providing a global network with wide and spot beams and frequency reuse technology. Iridium.” says Intelsat’s chief technical officer. including maritime. supply and provide engineering support for the global network. providing C. Ku. There will be a ship operators’ forum and a moderated technology provider panel. The company’s chief executive. Presentations will be made by representatives from key technology suppliers such as Cobham Sea Tel. Ships will be able to use existing hardware and network topologies. Middle East and South East Asia. Lloyd's Register's engineering specialist. MOL LNG Transport’s HSE manager. they will offer complete Ku-band VSAT solutions along the main shipping and offshore operating areas. Intelsat.” Intelsat is commissioning its latest satellite – Intelsat 19 to provide Ku.and Ku-band coverage over the Indian Ocean. but will be offered higher bandwidth from the satellites.and Ka-band. he claims. www.marinemec. Key speakers will come from the shipping and communications industries to highlight how enhancements in satcoms can improve fleet operations. The Intelsat 22 satellite was also launched and commissioned during the second quarter. the Intelsat Epic platform will include two next generation satellites – Intelsat 29e and 33e. Dave McGlade. In June. “Intelsat Epic caters to this environment. this is high throughput with the benefits of backward and forward compatibility. with an architecture open to a wide array of network topologies and terminal technologies. efficiency and availability Intelsat promises will enable the deployment of smaller terminals.and Ku-band to the major sea lanes that must be managed efficiently. Together.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 17 . Thierry Guillemin. Imtech’s managing director. Imtech will supply. The high throughput.and Ka-band services. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement’s communications director. launch new satellites and improve global coverage everal satellite communications companies have upgraded their network technology and announced new service offerings during the second and third quarters of this year. which are due to be commissioned in 2015 and 2016. They will explain how satcoms enables more efficient voyage planning and vessel monitoring. There will be sessions on what shipmanagers need from their satcoms.satcoms Technology upgrades lead to higher bandwidth More advanced VSAT services with higher bandwidth will be available as satcoms companies upgrade their IT. media and government clients. One of Intelsat’s first customers is Harris CapRock. will discuss how communications can provide better crew welfare and help reduce ship operating costs. and ITC Global will design. including Ku. “Our customers operate vast infrastructures S Satellites such as the recently launched Intelsat 22 are providing high bandwidth services on C. Imtech Marine and ITC Global signed a long-term strategic alliance (which had been in negotiation since 2011) to provide a global VSAT network. which will be taking capacity from the Intelsat 29e satellite.and C-band services in the north and south-west Pacific. Ghani Behloul will discuss the importance of communications in fleet management. install and service shipboard maritime electronics and communications systems. Eric van Conference will highlight satcom applications Future development in satellite communications and the applications this enables will be key discussion topics at this year’s Marine Electronics & Communications Conference. NSSLGlobal and Telenor. Tony Morrison and Vizada’s chief strategy officer. and around Africa. Mr Olsen says Marlink can now provide seamless. Marlink.” These would include offshore vessel. to that of the regular FB voice channel.5 Mbps and the premium service offers bandwidth up to 3 Mbps. Otesat’s Greek facilities will be commissioned as an Intellian service centre for south-east Europe. optimising bandwidth use. This is a compact 80cm-diameter antenna that weighs 83kg. Intellian says this was designed for shortsea shipping and fishing sectors. has introduced new C-band services on the iDirect platform. which is of paramount importance in the ship-to-shore communications. and electronic documentation handling to be conducted simultaneously.” he adds. the Middle East. A unique characteristic of Infinity’s VoIP is that the voice quality of the new service is equal. A recent addition to Sealink was Wilhelmsen Group. WaveCall standard connectivity is up to 1. throttling back capacity and warning operators when they are close to reaching capacity. if not better. Navarino. The WaveCall Premium is for operators with higher requirements and comes with flexible CIR and four voice lines. Greek-flagged Suezmax crude tanker. He adds. Our alliance means that our maritime customers get the benefits of having automatic beam switching and seamless connectivity for their vessels across the globe. Otesat’s product development manager. Otesat-Maritel has expanded its VSAT solution through a deal with antenna manufacturer Intellian. It has CIR of 24 Kbps and contention [ratio] of less than 1:6. for the Posidonia exhibition. Infinity VoIP routes calls through FleetBroadband (FB). virtual private networks (VPN). minimising costs. Particular attention has been given to the quality aspect. says the deal will “allow us to upgrade and further enhance our portfolio of fixed-fee communication packages. “We provide levels of service with different consumption packages. Otesat’s chief executive. “The result is that both office and vessels can benefit from calling each other at no cost. depending on their business and crew welfare requirements. Marlink will integrate its VSAT network with iDirect’s Evolution X5 satellite router. a subsidiary of Astrium. Marlink’s standard VSAT on Ku-band is WaveCall. The relationship between Otesat and Inmarsat was highlighted at Posidonia by the announcement that the number of FB terminal installations had reached 30. The services will utilise digital video broadcast on a second generation of satellites (DVB-S2) with adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) on regional and global maritime C-band. Our partnership with Inmarsat has been very successful. “We are providing an entry level into VSAT with 60cm antenna and volume bundles. Springfield Shipping says Otesat-Maritel’s satcoms solution was an optimal match for its ICT requirements and includes the full service package. Otesat and Hellenic Radio Services have signed up as distribution partners of XpressLink. Otesat supplied an FB500 terminal on Springfield Shipping’s 2004-built. This will enhance network efficiency and open up new options for customers using Sealink global C-band coverage. VoIP will allow ship operators to use the office switchboard to call any vessel as if it was a regular extension in the office. The Norwegian company introduced a new package for WaveCall at the Posidonia exhibition in Greece. and the company will become a distributor of the South Korean company’s VSAT and TV terminals.” Mr Olsen said at Posidonia. It may also include tanker and containership operators. via a data exchange. Otesat unveiled Intellian’s latest VSAT antenna. says Marlink’s chief executive Tore Morten Olsen.” At Posidonia. multiple voice lines. George Polychronopoulos. directly to the extension of the person in the office they wish to contact. They then may need to move to Sealink.satcoms den Adel.” OmniAccess expanded its network coverage globally by deploying a third iDirect series New Greek services implemented Greek satcom suppliers have expanded their services and products to encourage one of the world’s largest groups of shipowners to upgrade their communications. Marlink’s customised service allows multi-user crew and operational communications. With the eyes of the shipping industry on Athens in June. “We have an extensive global network and vast knowledge and experience. As ship operators get used to the VSAT benefits they want more bandwidth and can move up to WaveCall Premium without reconfiguring. Our portfolio of services is supported by our global network. which now consists of 89 locations worldwide.000.” Mr Olsen explains. says: “We have been a leading distribution partner for FB since it was launched.” Two maritime VSAT providers – Marlink and OmniAccess – have started using iDirect latest technology to supply broadband services. ranging up to 8 Mbps. Intellian’s v80L VSAT antenna was designed for shortsea shipping communication requirements 18 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. says the alliance will provide an unparalleled service in the maritime sector. Dave McGlade: Intelsat Epic will enable the deployment of smaller terminals “Bringing the iDirect platform to our C-band services is part of our strategy to offer increased choice in customised Sealink services. Navarino’s commercial director. with flexible committed information rates (CIR). which had C-band antennas installed on 37 roro vessels. virtually global coverage on C-band with data rates based on customer requirements. explains. Through caching. Navarino launched a new voice over IP (VoIP) service for ships that are connected with its existing Infinity communications hub. the v80L. Yannis Pavlis.com . Panos Tsikopoulos. Infinity creates a bandwidth surplus that can in turn be allocated to VoIP. We also have the possibility of carrying out remote monitoring and maintenance. ferry and cruise ship operators. Olympic Future. which are available alongside our standardised WaveCall portfolio. “The use of DVBS2 with ACM on C-band will be attractive for vessels with high requirements for bandwidth. remote monitoring and telemetry services.” Greek satcom suppliers will be ready for the launch of Inmarsat’s Ka-band services next year. Vessels will be able to call the office without dialling any country prefix. ITC Global has experience in setting up customised VSAT networks.marinemec. Greek-based companies were taking the opportunity to highlight their new services. www.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 19 .marinemec. com .20 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.marinemec. ” Intellian antennas and OmniAccess’ services have been installed on board 19 river cruise vessels. The hardware can be delivered pre-assembled for simpler and faster onboard installations. says the additions will create more choice to vessel operators. such as a fixed-multiple voice solution for FB. With our live monitoring. The Ku-band service can be received on 60cm. Globe Wireless has introduced a software update for its Globe iFusion FB and VSAT services. This enables multiple calls using Globe’s digital quality voice (DQV) technology on both the GSM and VoIP phones over a standard FB terminal. typically within one hour of Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 21 New anti-piracy docking station unveiled Beam Communications has developed a new Iridium-based anti-piracy satcoms solution with covert antenna and docking station. Sally-Anne Ray. Broadbeam Ultra. VSAT auto-recovery tools and a pre-paid/sponsored e-mail solution. The latest service is a cost-effective package with data rates of up to 1. Each handset is configured from shore via Globe iPortal. who may have their own security arrangements. Vizada. like the Beam product. If auto-recovery does not work the Globe iFusion. Brad Rogers. they can retire to the secure citadel and remain in communication with naval forces (see page 60). via the L-band back-up. tri-axis Ku-band VSAT antennas. allows the Globe Wireless VSAT technician to remotely access all the onboard core components and systems. we have expanded our operations in a market where always-on connectivity is absolutely critical. Vizada’s chief strategic officer. www.satcoms 15100 universal satellite hub. This will increase coverage over the Brazilian offshore area and over the piraterisk areas off East Africa. “This new feature assures the customer that over 95 per cent of all outages are recovered remotely. Part of the package includes alarms installed around the ship so crew can press a button if they are under attack.marinemec. Another Astrium subsidiary. Bertrand Hartman. Two of the three hubs we have deployed were completely installed by iDirect remotely. Iridium’s head of global distribution channels. can offer data speeds up to 25 Mbps using Intellian 60cm. or 80cm or 1m diameter antennas. The company’s high level service.” Beam’s director of European business. “This will allow us to add more vessels onto our network and contribute to improving the service for the existing ones. on a chartered vessel the charterer would have a unique PIN and all calls would be billed under a sub-account in the customer's invoice each month. so there has been minimal impact to our operations.” he explained at Posidonia. explains. or manager. Phones are charged ready for use in emergencies.” Beam supplies the docking station through its agents. “They are continuously evolving by including more value-added services. “The citadel docking stations provide independent communications for crew in safe rooms. For example. The company says this provides shipowners with uninterrupted high-speed connectivity for a variety of applications including high definition video conferencing. R6 takes the existing Globe Mobile multiple voice lines for FB and uses it as a voice over IP (VoIP) solution. with easy top-up options. With its third iDirect hub.5 Mbps. Globe iFusion will now allow up to five inbound and outbound calls over DQV . Mr Hartman claims.000. It will also cover the pirate-risk areas off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.” NSSLGlobal is expanding its coverage to offer maritime VSAT services over East Africa and South America by using two new beams on the SES-4 satellite.” He adds. so crew could send e-mail to the shipowner. ACM and greater uptime in inclement weather. has launched a new addition to its Pharostar maritime VSAT portfolio. The PotsDock Extreme is for an Iridium Extreme handset that can be placed in a ship’s citadel. Vizada plans to expand the coverage twice this year with new satellite beams due to be commissioned over the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean. If using Iridium’s AccessPoint then the phone. It is becoming almost mandatory to have this type of system on board as part of the vessel’s insurance. Vizada’s monthly packages start from 5GBs for US$1. says citadel devices. OmniAccess’s chief executive. R6 will support eight VoIP phones and handsets plugged into the i250 FB terminal.” The service covers the growing offshore oil sector in Brazil and off Kenya. Globe Wireless’ director of VSAT engineering. corporate VPN access and high quality voice calls. There is more voice and tracking services. while the standard circuit switched voice line remains free at all time for emergencies. Tore Olsen (Marlink): “We are providing an entry level into VSAT with 60cm antenna and volume bundles” This includes sales of KVH services to South American shipping companies and complements KVH’s growing presence in Brazil. streaming HDTV channels. are becoming more sophisticated. Davide Carpenga. He adds. or safe room. Marlink.com . including Vizada. “These new spot beams provide coverage in two of the world’s fastest growing territories. or docking station would become a wireless hotspot. AST and Otesat-Maritel. says. says the iDirect network means it can offer automatic beam switching. says “We designed the docking station for Iridium Extreme and specifically designed the antenna to be camouflaged on deck. requiring less back-up L-band usage. The network expansion will offer DVB2-RCS [return channel via satellite] services and will be operated out of NSSLGlobal’s Jacksonville hub. Ghani Behloul. and the service can be combined with L-band back-up or FleetBroadband (FB) or OpenPort. R6 for Globe iFusion contains additional VSAT features developed to keep VSAT terminals online. Greg Ewert. and dedicated signals to response centres. assigning names and numbers to a phone line and setting up PIN codes to restrict outbound calls. There will be a range of service plans based on providing data allowances that will complement the throughput-based VSAT offering. “We were able to establish a global satellite network in only 18 months. “Iridium Extreme has tracking and GPS functions and an SOS button for emergency. Automated scripts monitor the VSAT system and will attempt to auto-recover the system with no intervention by technicians or crew. NSSLGlobal’s chief operating officer. KVH Industries has enhanced its offshore South American VSAT by signing up Andesat as a reseller for its mini-VSAT Broadband service and TracPhone V-series in the region. If crew are under attack from pirates. The R6 software has new features. “Using fast. including GMDSS. “Many shipowners would like to save on communication costs instead of investing largely in VSAT solutions. optimising broadband performance and providing clear voice and low latency. for installation on small vesssels. such as US$5-10 per MB. O3b will offer data bursts up to 500 Mbps in aggregate bandwidth to a single vessel. without any interaction from the crew. with a built-in SIM card slot. We will be offering connections in 55 countries during the pilot phase. • L3 Communications has gained a contract to supply US special operation forces with maritime VSAT hardware. We are still working to increase the number of countries. The router has firewall functions. MEC in brief • Chinese fishermen are trialling 100 of Beam’s Oceana 400 terminals and 100 Oceana 800 terminals using Inmarsat FleetPhones. fibre-like connections that deliver the same Internet access and broadband experience at sea as guests are used to at home. The Pebble router will detect the 3G signal. explains why the organisation is recommending the terminal to its members.” Thuraya and Addvalue Communications recently unveiled the jointly developed SF2500 maritime satellite voice terminal.000 units for an expansion of the trial. our engineers are already online checking the system and coverage. O3bMaritime will track a ship’s course continuously.” says Mr Hart. says the router could act as a replacement for VSAT on ships that operate within terrestrial GSM networks. It will switch back to FB once a vessel is outside the terrestrial network. The return on investment for the Pebble hardware will be 2–3 months. Youri Hart. Some would like to enable higher data speeds while a vessel is in port or near shore. its reliability in different conditions and the built-in emergency response alert system were key factors in our choice. and provides a seamless saving of data costs.15m-diameter stabilised VSAT terminal for Ku. and will switch the outgoing traffic from FB to a shore network. AirRadio and C&C Technology and plans to expand into maritime satcoms.000 AIS transmit only transponders. to the Mexican Merchant Marine. John Finney. • Global Satellite Engineering’s new software platform. • Iridium has launched a 200MB promotional OpenPort service over its Iridium Pilot terminals. Yussuf Solichien. nor any SIM card changes. which it claims can provide cruise ship guests and crew with more than 100 times the average Internet access rates at sea. “The SF2500 satellite voice terminal can withstand extremely high temperatures and KVH’s range of TracPhone VSAT antennas will be distributed in South America by Andesat humid conditions. • Affini has been formed through the integration of Red-M.” Indonesian Fisherman Association’s chairman.” In Europe. Also shipowners want a back-up for their satellite communication. “This will include a roaming Simcard with limitations preventing connection to high-cost terrestrial networks. test the data quality and link. claims the service has a unique voice solution and VSAT enhancements. The router can switch to using shore networks. GSatTrack. • Gentay has introduced the i-Safe 28. Colin Chan. Beam expects this will lead to an order for 1. says SF2500 was specially designed for fishing vessels and surveillance ships operating in harsh maritime environments. says O3b would deploy dedicated steerable satellite beams to achieve this. “This is just the start of several new updates and features we have planned for Globe iFusion and our customers in the coming months.marinemec. helicopter communications and a non-directional heli-beacon to an unnamed jack-up rig. Port IT’s maritime IT consultant. The terminal operates over Thuraya’s network. “We wanted Indonesian fishermen to feel protected and safe by putting the best satellite communications at their disposal.com . • Xanatos Marine has gained a US$5 million contract to supply 19. • Selex Elsag has provided FleetBroadband and other safety equipment. as often in ports they have no connection due to port infrastructure like cranes and buildings. Addvalue’s chief executive. The company’s president. He adds. WiFi and local area network ports and will act as a least-cost routing system.and Ka-band services. Router developed for nearshore communications Port-IT will be launching a new router and service package to provide cheaper nearshore phone connections. now supports more than 70 different tracking devices.” he says. O3b’s chief commercial officer. 22 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. • Intellian has begun offering a threeyear limited warranty across its entire VSAT and TV antenna range. • RigNet has acquired Aberdeenbased Nessco Group for almost US$49 million to strengthen its position in the European offshore satcoms market. its small powerful antenna. cabling and mounting brackets.” he says. The Indonesian Fisherman Association was an early adopter of the SF2500. The router can work with already installed firewalls and FleetBroadband (FB). optimising costs and fleet operations. “NSDG is a unique GSM 3G subscription that works hand-in-hand with the Pebble router. O3b Networks has developed the O3bMaritime service. In a highly selective service. an intrinsically safe smartphone with global roaming SIM card. Cios Pebble is a 3G data router. • Orbit has unveiled its new OrSat 300 1.” Port IT will be launching the router and its new Near Shore Data Grid (NSDG) at SMM in Hamburg in September. “The versatility of the SF2500. David Kagan. which it claims offers 70 per cent savings on global roaming voice and data costs. and was proven in sea trials. If there is an issue. It has an advanced GPS navigation system that allows vessels to document and transmit critical location and time information.satcoms any outage. most vessels are recovered within 15 minutes after remotely accessing the vessel. He adds.” The router will be delivered with a marine grade antenna for optimal signal use. to enable access to terrestrial GSM networks from ships. Germany and The International Workboat 2012 .com OCEANSAT IS INTELLIANS FIRST DISTRIBUTOR SINCE 2005 PHONE +31 183 401025 | WWW.New Orleans.indd 1 24/07/2012 16:37:55 Maritime Solutions for a Changing World ™ Intellian VSAT + TVRO + Lease + Airtime + Webfiltering + 24/7 Installation & service + Global reception Visit us at SMM 2012 – Hamburg.wrsystems.COM |
[email protected] Advert_JC0504201202. USA www.com • www.OCEANSAT. Louisiana.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 23 .COM www.emsysmarine. and for FleetBroadband it was US$630. “Owners were doing their own thing. and the issue of pre-paid cards to give crew voice and Internet access.” During the tender preparation process.” Part of the tender preparations involved a comparison of different satcoms costs. which was too long considering how technology can change.Ships’ managed ships were required in order to reap the benefits of IT support. remote monitoring of equipment and IT support. Tender documents went out to 10 suppliers and the returned bids were analysed.marinemec. If they use the TracPhone V11 antenna.Ships manages a large fleet with variable owner and crew requirements. KVH claims. so we could see what the ships were doing in real time.com 24 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 .operator feedback Flexibility and seamless links drive V. “V. and ecdis updates. without disruptions when vessels move between two satellite beams. backed up by an overlay of C-band services. Seacom reviewed the monthly average rate per user from 2011 data for various types of onboard communication. reducing the installation costs and time. VSAT equipment can be installed by the crew. “With systems of old. Neil Sayce. We considered their coverage and we were looking at whether they have automatic beam switching. vessel routeing and crew welfare were requirements that V. “Our philosophy was that we wanted a three-year commitment. The KVH solution was chosen following a bidding process involving 10 suppliers.” he explains. Seacom set out criteria for the applications VSAT would need to unlock.Ships’ VSAT choice Remote IT access. which are ever more important. Around 450 ships are in full technical management. on which Seacom services the satcoms equipment.000 job. “We wanted delivery of weather route planning. We looked at the hardware options and ability to upgrade. “We were getting increasing pressure from the manpower division to improve crew services. There are plenty of owners who will go for a fixed airtime plan. It was about getting equipment out to the ships and using a crane – it could be a US$10.Ships wanted from KVH’s satcoms packages V .Ships can run its onboard applications and crew welfare solutions on an always-on service. says standard IT arrangements on V. “We wanted an always-on system for crew welfare and business requirements. KVH was chosen as the preferred one. The combination of Ku-band VSAT. Mr Sayce says Seacom created a matrix of how the bidders would meet its criteria and then used this to chose the best match. So it put in the budget a cost of US$1. and remote access to manuals.” The options for metered or fixed data services. “KVH has flexibility on the hardware and on the airtime deals. which made it difficult to support. We wanted a 24/7 support service and remote monitoring. communication boxes and services.” He continues. and no crane is required. but some suppliers wanted five to eight years.Ships’ IT subsidiary Seacom Electronics has chosen to use KVH Industries’ latest mini-VSAT Broadband on the managed fleet to facilitate a range of onboard services. V. could be using KVH’s terminals. From the matrix of supplier answers. potentially up to 450 ships. then they can upgrade from metered to full service later. “Some equipment manufacturers want to bolt on communication devices on their equipment so they are not reliant on shipboard services and they can monitor their own devices. and the inclusion of the CommBox communications management devices. We also wanted to get anti-piracy updates.” He explains. who are delighted to do this as they know what it enables. and also at a supplier’s security and controls – such as firewalls.Ships’ technically managed vessels. In time. it was all about the logistics and installation on vessels. Others want the full service. KVH’s use of ArcLight spread spectrum technology enables the deployment of smaller VSAT antennas than some of its competitors. It found the average monthly rate for using Fleet or Inmarsat B was US$1. But with KVH’s 60cm TracPhone V7 dish it gives us more options. so we could replicate our own in-house ship-to-shore database via the VSAT every 20 minutes. The Ku-band and C-band overlay extends seamless coverage over 95 per cent of the earth’s surface”. V.000 vessels and 26. Mr Sayce continues. This is important as we could not afford the satellite communications to go down if ships are sailing between beams.” Mr Sayce says. So we had to put a plan together to choose a preferred supplier of VSAT. filtering. The biggest driver was improving crew services.” MEC www. getting affordable voice and data services. means V.000 crew. are also beneficial. We were looking at the communications platform and how a supplier would achieve an always-on KVH’s TracPhone V7 60cm-diameter terminals can be installed without the use of cranes capability. For example.Ships manages more than 1. We wanted database replication. such as 200MB of data for US$1. “The CommBox gives us an element of control over the services we give the crew as well as offering compression – up to 80 per cent reduction in file volume but not much reduction in quality.000 per vessel per month. fulfilling all of the criteria.” says Mr Sayce.220 per vessel. Seacom’s managing director. so we were seeing different types of VSAT installed. traffic prioritising and quality of service. doing the job while the vessel is in service – you do not need to wait for a refit.000 per month. they spontaneously welcomed the news with a standing ovation.” says Ms Storey. route was the first to have the service enabled in 2010. to both Departure Bay. Vancouver. “It was a greater challenge for our team but they managed this by positioning the land-based high speed radios to enable coverage. possibly over a greater distance. based on a global system for mobile communications (GSM) enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) and universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) high speed packet access (HSPA) network technologies. the service connects to the Internet in BC Ferries’ data centre. “This is acceptable to passengers as the service is free of charge. Vancouver. The Tsawwassen. Queen of New Westminster and Coastal Celebration. BC Ferries believes 4G/LTE technology has great potential as it provides very high bandwidth and low latency connectivity.marinemec.” Each ship and terminal has a number of wireless access points installed throughout the passenger areas to enable pervasive WiFi which can be accessed from all mobile devices: laptops. “Technology is ever changing and we are always evaluating new offerings. but cannot provide full technical support to passengers. Corrine Storey. Reportedly. Our challenge is providing reliable network connectivity to a moving fleet of vessels in a challenging physical environment. Spirit of Vancouver Island. Using the ship-to-shore wireless network. tablet computers and smartphones. Each ship is allocated 2 Mbps download speed and each terminal has large access points that provide connectivity to the traffic lanes. “We don’t have the ability to run an IT helpdesk but we do provide passengers with a frequently asked questions sheet which gives basic advice on restarting the device. the wireless network or the Internet browser. BC Ferries’ Network Operations provides the WiFi service. “Based on the technology and the distances between them on that route. “We started in this area because our IT team felt we could have success using land-based high speed radios. “We did not introduce the service on these routes until all the ships had the cabling installed. because we wanted consistency of service for the customer. Nanaimo.” says Ms Storey. The latest tranche of vessels comprised Queen of Oak Bay.” says Ms Storey. With such a positive reaction at stake. Therefore its IT team is eager to test out 4G long-term evolution (LTE) technology. but it is constantly being changed and upgraded. the Canadian operator wanted to ensure that the installation was foolproof before enabling the service in May 2012 on the routes from Horseshoe Bay. Clear skies and a flat sea reflect the signal and so disrupt it. The passengers understand. connectivity is available for 96–98 per cent of each journey.” However. to Swartz Bay. as does rain. Cabling work on board each vessel took a few weeks to complete and the installation of the wireless access points lasted a couple of days in each case. The technology has not yet had a full production release so testing cannot take place yet. as well as Queen of Surrey. Vessel cabling was carried out during refit periods in drydock.” Ms Storey says. Queen of Coquitlam and Coastal Renaissance.Pioneering onboard WiFi project is expanded British Columbia Ferries began rolling out WiFi on one of its routes in 2010 and has now added two further routes to the fold by Clare Nicholls hen passengers on British Columbia Ferries' (BC Ferries) Queen of Surrey heard an announcement from the chief steward that a free onboard WiFi service had been launched.” There are a few locations where the WiFi coverage is a little patchy and it is also weatherdependent. the best connectivity is provided on a cloudy day with slightly choppy water. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 25 . but will still face challenges with the distances of open water involved.com W Spirit of Vancouver Island was one of the original WiFi-enabled vessels in 2010 “The reason it took us two years to launch the next stage of the service was that for the two Horseshoe Bay routes there was 42km of open water to cover. The operator intends to roll out the service to the remainder of its routes. www.” says Ms Storey. WiFi was available at both terminals and on board Spirit of British Columbia. and Langdale on the Sunshine Coast. but BC Ferries will look at this in the near future. Victoria. which is a standard for wireless communication of high speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. BC Ferries’ technicians are on hand to repair any hardware faults which may occur. WiFi is also available at the routes’ terminals. Building the ship-to-shore network initially took a year. but in practical terms. Queen of Cowichan. However the operator is cautious and will investigate its availability and performance in the marine environment. the service has been very reliable. reported vice president of customer services. . A valuable addition to the growing list of ecdis-related titles is the Admiralty Guide to the Practical Use of ENCs (NP231). There is certainly a growing demand for hard information. the majority are more likely to welcome assistance in achieving a compliant. So while savvy early adopters may appreciate additional functionality such as anti-collision advice. there appear to be increasing efforts to provide realistic. ecdis may be able to interact in an intelligent manner with bridge watch alarms to deliver higher levels of navigational security by Alan Welcome anti-piracy information. Looking a little to the future. interspersed at appropriate places in the main body of the text. addressing ecdisrelated issues. that ‘many individual features such as pipelines. readers will particularly appreciate the highlighted boxes containing notes and cautions. After all. Written in a very accessible manner. for example. Shipping companies at any stage of ecdis implementation will find much of interest in the updated and comprehensive guidance recently issued by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).ecdis Advanced ecdis is for competent operators Safe and successful implementation of ecdis will represent a significant development in navigation and vessel operation. these are probably of limited interest to the majority of shipowners who are more concerned with managing a safe and efficient transition to mandatory ecdis carriage. Marine Notice 11/2012 sets out to clarify emerging issues relating to the carriage requirements for ecdis and to provide guidance for ecdisfitted ships calling at Australian ports. ecdis in general still suffers with teething troubles. Did you know.marinemec. and all measures to address existing and emerging problems must be regarded as valuable progress. Shipowners will certainly note the prevalence of ecdis/ENC-associated detainable deficiencies. published by the UK Hydrographic Office. Of particular interest are its two flow charts that will be used by AMSA’s Port State Control (PSC) inspectors.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 27 . wartsand-all information and advice. ecdis has the potential to deliver safety benefits by way of enhanced interaction with other items of bridge equipment such as bridge navigation watch alarm systems (BNWAS). It is good to note that earlier attempts to persuade shipowners that ecdis is easy have largely disappeared. safe. voyage optimisation and overlays providing ECDIS listed iin the ship's Record of Equipment Form NO (without any valid reasons) Is ECDIS being used for navigation? Action code 30 (depending on circumstances) YES NO Is the ECDIS type-approved? Action code 30 YES Has the ECDIS been maintained to the latest applicable IHO standards and as may be required by its type approval? YES NO (Actions depend on the seriousness of any resulting limitations on effective operation) Action code 30 or 17 Part of the AMSA flow chart: Action code 30 is a detainable deficiency www. In time. Also just published is NP5012. workable system. the Admiralty Guide to W hile additional ecdis functionality can offer some useful and intriguing add-ons. cables and soundings do not activate indications or alarms’? NP231 says ‘this is dependent on the ecdis manufacturer’s interpretation of the IMO performance standards’. Admiralty has launched a course. Admiralty says it will enable them to provide their students with a fuller understanding of the interaction between ENC data. manual off and auto. In addition.com www. and can turn it off by means of a key or code. BNWAS are intended ‘to monitor bridge activity and detect operator disability which could lead to marine accidents’. “Our vessel and voyage optimisation software (VVOS). Karin Schepers. using one DVD. Currently. Regular interaction with ecdis can already be used to satisfy some BNWAS products that the bridge remains manned. as a ship may encounter problems on the bridge when the autopilot is not in use. Stuart Newman. to ensure that there is someone on the bridge who is alive. However.ecdis ENC Symbols Used in Ecdis. by regulation. For more information +47 51 46 47 00 info. but it was not switched on. On a ship conforming with regulation Solas V/19.com .2. manual on. it must be taken into consideration as part of a larger Get official ENCs from Jeppesen. says it is possible ecdis could be employed to remove the risk of incidents of this nature. Karin Schepers was fitted with a BNWAS. of course. ecdis software and the ecdis user. In addition. Our ENCs are authorized for paperless navigation and meet all ECDIS mandate requirements. but if it becomes apparent that the spirit of the current BNWAS rules is routinely being ignored. in other words. furthermore. increase safety and streamline the business of shipping. it still does not address the problem of the master who chooses not to use BNWAS. allows mariners to constantly monitor and adjust the voyage to ensure the vessel sails the most economical route and that cargo and crew safety is optimised. designed specifically for nationally accredited maritime lecturers or industry training professionals. However. under the current regulations. Given the successful implementation of ecdis – on a single vessel or across a fleet – there is then the opportunity to look for ways to gain as much benefit as possible from the equipment. this may have to be considered. “Currently.marinemec. run by its own experts. Choose from several flexible licensing options including pay-asyou-go. removing the manual options. Paul Elgar. awake and taking an interest in a vessel’s progress (see page 43). a view reinforced by the grounding of the 7. Our KW810 BNWAS also offers an optional auto mode linked to a vessel’s GPS. That means you can install and update ENCs in minutes. says ecdis can open doors to evolving technologies designed to improve operational efficiencies. use of the BNWAS was routinely not required by the master. This would. This seems to defeat the object of the equipment. director of BNWAS manufacturer AMI Marine.852gt container vessel. BNWAS is required to be in operation whenever the ship is underway at sea. This would appear to be more appropriate.marine@jeppesen. require a change in the regulations. Jeppesen’s fleet manager product combines with VVOS to give mariners and shoreside shipowners the ability to track and monitor the performance parameters of their vessels. Jeppesen’s strategic business manager. Ecdis has the potential to deliver safety benefits by way of intelligent interaction with other items of bridge equipment. simply because it is used 28 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 on all vessels. so they can manage their assets more efficiently and improve strategic decision making. Industry sources confirm that it is feasible to hard wire BNWAS so that it is operational when sensors indicate the vessel is underway. GPS seems to be the best piece of bridge equipment to trigger automatic or fully automatic operation. the master has ultimate control of the BNWAS. according to the MAIB accident report. as it will be in operation even if a vessel suffers GPS failure or outage. BNWAS has three settings.3. There is also a supporting computer-based training (CBT) course. which means that it becomes operational whenever the ship’s heading or track control system is activated.2. “While reducing fuel consumption is a key goal in achieving greater efficiency. which lets you access ENCs wherever you need them. Jeppesen ENC Service and Jeppesen Primar ECDIS Service provide official ENCs in our proprietary compact-file format. ecdis may ultimately offer the best prospect.” Although this certainly seems to offer an improvement. Manufacturers have since responded by confirming that their products meet the IHB standards. “As part of the consultation process between IHO and ecdis manufacturers. To a great extent this is beyond our control. “What is probably least well known about the issue of ecdis anomalies is that JRC put out its first warning on 26 May 2010. by the end of 2010 the legacy ecdis issues had been solved from a technical point of view. but a NAVAREA warning is read by all officers so this was the best way to communicate the problem.com . This was a wreck symbol. Maris’s technical director. with outdated software. The IHO check data set project has highlighted the importance of having a requirement of legacy ecdis software upgrades to be promptly completed within realistic time limits and schedules. we have put our systems through the stringent tests set by the IHO and submitted our report to them.” Meanwhile.76 is fully compliant with IHO tests. We had fixes in place by August and December 2010. We can issue fixes but we cannot force people to install them. a vessel that slows engine speed to reduce fuel consumption. As to why some JRC ecdis were not upgraded JRC said it could not reach every possible customer by itself. In May 2010 we identified the first display error issue. that older JRC ecdis. “However.picture. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 29 www. ecdis/ENC growing pains were brought centre stage by the initial analysis of information derived from running International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)-set tests on ENCs. and had substantially addressed the problems long before the IHB ecdis dataset was issued. For example. Philippe Kah. When the IHB issued its test data check set in October 2011.4. and as a result gets caught in heavy weather. none of them critical. JRC believes the industry needs a more robust system to ensure that ecdis units meet the latest IHO standards. JRC published the warning on the JRC public website and issued a technical bulletin and software update on the (restricted) JRC service agent network websites.” JRC was the only company to be specifically named in the IHB circular. In a recent statement.5. may end up burning extra fuel or experience costly cargo damage at sea.marinemec. JRC agreed to the issue of a NAVAREA warning in March 2012 after discussions with the IHB and the UK Hydrographic Office. it found further minor problems with the presentation library on older JRC ecdis units. to ensure that all manufacturers’ ecdis units are fully upgraded. A recent report from the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) on these tests indicated that only a third of systems that were tested functioned as expected ( MEC April/May 2012). but we have been able to advise our distributors that the new Ecdis900 V4. Then in September 2010. we found a small sea area that appeared incorrectly as land. informed decisions. JRC said the first information notice to customers was issued in October 2010 but as far as JRC was concerned. JRC says it was aware of. posed a potential risk to safe navigation. These too were solved by April 2012 despite the IHB issuing its circular warning in March. The previous generation Ecdis900 did not match the exhaustive criteria set out in the IHO report in four minor areas. said the company took swift action to ensure that its software was acknowledged as meeting the standards set for ecdis. Taking a holistic view of the issue. However. Fleet manager communicates with the ecdis and VVOS to provide positional awareness and give mariners the critical data they need to make the best. along with the test support documentation and screen dumps required in the latest circular. Maris reconfirmed that the next version of its Ecdis900 ecdis meets performance standards set by the IHB. JRC said. some JRC systems in use at sea had not been upgraded with these 2010 fixes. some 22 months before the IHO circular on the subject.” Regarding the manner in which the software fixes were promulgated. UrsaNav says it provides the world’s most advanced solutions for low frequency alternative PNT. including high performance eLoran timing receivers. a privately owned. On the subject of back-up for commercial vessels he comments. evaluate and document a wireless technical approach as an alternative to GPS for providing precise time. high power terrestrial system. www. “We have partnered with Symmetricom. 30 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 P Ramsey Faragher [BAE Systems]: “Our positioning systems use the same dual core 1 GHz ARM processor found in modern mobile phones” It seemed to have a bright future until the US administration withdrew its funding as part of a 2010 cost-cutting programme.com . has a serious GPS dependency issue. While support from other satellite navigation systems (GNSS) will spread the risk. both natural and man-made. navigation and timing (PNT) provision vulnerable to a wide range of threats. it is conducting on-air tests from the former Loran support unit site in New Jersey. then a tightly coupled solution should stand a chance of lasting through such long GNSS outage periods. robust GNSS back-up and redundancy? by Alan Welcome retty well everyone agrees that the world in general. One of the goals is to research. US technology company UrsaNav reports that as a result of a co-operative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the US Coast Guard. e-navigation creeps closer. The GLA (General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland) has brought the problem back under the spotlight. and shipping in particular. the similarity of the technologies still leaves positioning. However. There is an urgent need for redundancy in ship positioning. However. have prompted a protest to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). is seen as a viable means of providing PNT back-up and redundancy. He says that modern inertial technologies can deliver very high levels of accuracy over short periods of time – centimetres over a few minutes – exactly what is required in the offshore industry. or some visibility to any GNSS observations. and Nautel. waveforms and modulation techniques. if you have Loran observations that can be coupled. noting that recent major problems reported from Korea concerning deliberate jamming of GPS affecting aviation and shipping.marinemec. employing different frequencies. “Twelve hours of outage support is not feasible with a stand-alone inertial navigation solution.ecdis positioning Can signals of opportunity fill the positioning gap? The mandatory ecdis roll out has begun. international company specialising in the integration and application of inertial technologies to onshore and offshore survey and positioning services. research and development continues in Europe and it appears that the story is still far from over on the other side of the Atlantic. Inertial navigation is sometimes mentioned as a possible means of providing back-up for GNSS. terrestrialbased alternative to satellite systems such as GPS. Keith Vickery is president of Zupt LLC. Further tests are planned at various US sites.” Enhanced Loran (eLoran). the industry-leading supplier of high power RF (radio frequency) transmitters. Disrupting GPS signals is a violation of the ITU charter against sending malicious signals. This ‘alliance of expertise’ provides the foundation technology for the best wide-area. the global leader in precise time synchronisation. but are we any nearer to genuine. However the complexity and cost of systems capable of providing the required level of accuracy for a worthwhile period of time make this impractical. a low frequency. Doc annonce maritime 2012.indd 2 21/12/11 23:37 . Depending on the application – military versus civil. etc. Other suggested applications include helping fire and rescue services find their way through smoke filled buildings and enhancing the safety of lone workers and security staff.marinemec. radio and mobile phone signals. In fact. Perhaps surprisingly. We have also used angle of arrival in the past to test specific techniques to allow the use of communications signals from airliners. “We perform lots of basic measurements – carrier phase and rate. It also works in remote areas such as the Arctic. it does appear to have some maritime potential. BAE makes no specific mention of NAVSOP providing GNSS back-up and redundancy in the context of commercial shipping.ecdis positioning GLONASS and Galileo. Ramsey Faragher. like the one UrsaNav will be radiating in the US. so that is the starting point. radio and mobile phone signals. BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre’s principal scientist. By exploiting such a wide range of signals. at a first look. “The concept of navigation by signals of opportunity is not new. so that when GPS drops out you can continue to navigate. has a wide range of potential military applications ranging from helping soldiers operating in remote or dense urban areas to providing improved security for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). but to let it learn.” MEC www. a range of techniques and signal choices can be applied. NAVSOP. “NAVSOP builds up a few different memories – not just transmitter location. He notes. “The longer it has spent learning. Our indoor and outdoor positioning systems both use the same dual core 1 GHz ARM Navsop: Navigation Via Signals of Opportunity A new positioning system which exploits existing signals including Wi-Fi. NAVSOP is resistant to malicious interference such as jamming and spoofing. NAVSOP calculates its position by making use of the hundreds of different signals that are all around us. and then throw the data at a suite of clever algorithms. It is the equivalent of doing your ‘WiFi scan’ with a laptop and seeing the names of the routers around you. “A ‘sky-free’ timing service. and we will need to look into BAE’s research in some detail in order to make a proper objective evaluation. It can then learn about all the cellular and WiFi transmitters. the GLA welcomed CRADA as part of a new set of low-frequency (LF) services being trialled on both sides of the Atlantic. vulnerable to disruption. time of arrival of repetitive structures. such as dense urban areas. but at face value. such as all the DVB-T (digital video broadcastingterrestrial) and DAB (digital audio broadcasting) transmitters. Dr Faragher explains. TV. it says. because it learns from initially unidentified signals to build an increasingly accurate and reliable fix on its own location. However. the other for outdoor use. by picking up signals that include low earth orbit satellites and other civilian signals. Most modern digital signals contain identity information broadcast within their structure. Martin Bransby. to calculate its location to within a few meters While GPS relies on one signal which is vulnerable to jamming or interference. Navigation via signals of opportunity (NAVSOP) is described as an advanced positioning system that exploits existing transmissions such as WiFi.” This looks like good news. man-portable versus mounted on a large vehicle. NAVSOP can exploit any of the hundreds os signals that already exist. Dr Faragher says NAVSOP is in fact a family of technologies and techniques with two distinct prototype systems – one for indoor positioning. signals from GPS jammers could sometimes be exploited by NAVSOP. which could face attempts to disrupt their guidance systems. we are developing other methods of fingerprinting transmitters so that you do not have to demodulate and decode data to identify them.” NAVSOP tries to learn as much as it can about its environment. saying. led a team that received an Institute of Navigation award for a ground breaking paper on how aspects of the technology work indoors. it seems to tick all the necessary boxes.” While the undeniable beauty of NAVSOP is that the infrastructure required is already in place. these could be integrated into one system to provide seamless indoor– outdoor positioning. BAE says that while GPS relies on a specific and relatively weak satellite signal. but it needs to be given something to learn from to begin with. We just make more precise measurements of a host of metrics. where a bogus signal tricks a device into delivering misleading information. “It learns by itself over time.” In March.” BAE says a major advantage of the system is its ability to function in places where GPS does not. deep inside building and even underground and underwater Navsop can use the following signal sources to navigate: 1 GPS satellite 2 Air traffic control communication 3 Television communications tower 4 Wi-Fi 5 GPS jamming device 6 Cellular transmitter 7 Radio communications tower The infrastructure required for NAVSOP is already in place and the hardware required is commercially available 32 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 processor found in modern mobile phones. we cannot – and have no need or desire to – decode any user data packets from mobile phone or WiFi base-stations. “The idea is not to throw a NAVSOP system immediately into a horrible situation such as aggressive GPS jamming or severe solar storm events the first day you get it out of the box and turn it on.” says Dr Faragher. the less dependent it is on GPS. determines which transmitters are the best and discards poor ones from its database.” he adds. “Most of the measurements are the same fundamental measurements as any mobile phone or TV tuner makes in order to ‘lock onto’ the signals. says Dr Faragher. TV. is already available in trial mode across Britain and some other parts of Europe using the GLA’s prototype eLoran system plus GPS+eLoran timing receivers. You can quickly reach a point where you actually view GPS measurements with a level of caution and can detect spoofing events.com . However. signal strength. These ID fields within the signals are publically available to everyone at all times. to calculate the user’s location to within a few metres. This can be GPS. yet a recent announcement from BAE Systems appears to suggest it is developing a system with the potential to deliver redundancy in positioning on a global basis without the need for any investment in expensive new infrastructure. However. a view shared by GLA’s research and radionavigation manager. or the provision of a set of transmitter locations and identities. the necessary hardware is already commercially available too. The technology can also reach areas that GPS is unable to penetrate. position. available as singleor dual-frequency unit. It meets the requirements of IMO for navigation equipment and is type approved by BSH. Easy interfacing All required input and output interfaces are available to integrate the LAZ 5100 into the ship's navigation system. USCG and CCS.raytheon-anschuetz.There‘s no such thing as bad weather. Together with the transducer LSE 297 (50 kHz).com Reliable operation The menu guided operation with direct access to all functions enables the operator to set-up the echo sounder system to his requirements. The LAZ 5100 navigation echo sounder guarantees a reliable detection of the sea bottom in shallow as well as in deep water and is designed for an automatic and smooth operation. date and time. position. Make your marine visions a reality with fully ECDIS compliant devices • Colour calibration • Optical bonding • IP 67 dust & water protection R Anschütz Please visit us at SMM Hamburg Hall B6.com/solutions/maritime Navigation Echo Sounder LAZ 5100 RZ_MOXA_AZ MarineElectronics&Comm_90x130mm+3mm_DU260312.4” high resolution display shows detailed depth information. The large 10.000 m. Various transducers with frequencies from 24 kHz to 200 kHz can be operated and the maximum measuring range is 2. The LAZ 5100 is suitable for vessels of all sizes and can be used both for new buildings and moderniza- Key Features Meets IMO requirements Single or dual frequency version Interfaces to ship navigation system 24 hours data storage for depth.com www. an extensive quality control process. The water depth is presented as a colored echogram to show the trend of the water depth below to vessel.uk D -24100 Kiel.co.03.raytheon-anschuetz. Only inappropriate equipment. thus it is qualified for an easy modernization and repair of navigation echo sounder systems. The display can be dimmed in 9 steps for a non-dazzling readout during twilight and night.moxa. It can operate a variety of transducers both of L-3 ELAC Nautik and other manufacturers. This 100% quality control ensures that the delivered components are without any defects and the echo sounder system will operate at maximum performance.marinemec. All LAZ 5100 navigation echo sounders and transducers are developed and manufactures at L-3 ELAC Nautik's factory in Kiel (Germany) and have to pass All you need to interface the LAZ 5100 with your ship Transducer LSE 297 Optional slave display DAZ 25 2 Navigation Service 3 Communication Spare Parts Raytheon Anschütz provides the worldwide shipping industry with a wide scope of navigation systems.
[email protected] 1 DISCOVER THE UNKNOWN 21. date and time Menu guided operation Mute control for acoustic alarms Large variety of transducers can be operated Automatic and reliable operation in shallow and deep water Transducers L-3 ELAC Nautik has developed special transducers for the operation with the LAZ 5100. date and time.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 33 . LSE 329 (100 kHz) and LSE 313 (200 kHz) the echo sounder system provides an excellent performance and combines long ranges with high resolution. Improved design The electronic unit can operate 8 different frequencies and a menu controlled transducer and performance setting allows an easy set-up of the echo sounder system. like digital slave displays and printers.com Raytheon Anschütz GmbH Tel: +44 (0)1454 453 287 www. NMEA inputs and outputs. • Gyro Compasses • Autopilots and Steering Control Systems • Radar / ECDIS / Conning • Multifunctional Workstations • After Sales Services More information: smm.500 units have been sold. General The water depth below a vessel is one of the most important information for safe navigation. Automatic gain control and TVG give reliable bottom detection both in shallow and deep water without additional actions of the user.L-3marinesystems. In addition the current water depth is displayed digitally together with information about the ship's position. Booth 304 www. Best selling navigation aid Until today already more than 6.12 17:55 Navigation Echo Sounder LAZ 5100 Reliable Depth Information for Safe Navigation 24 Hour Service Hotline +44 (0)8455 049 159 tion projects. VGA and a centronics interface are provided to connect peripheral devices. Germany Tel +49(0)4 31-30 19-0 Fax +49(0)4 31-30 19-291 www. System Overview ADVANCED NAVIGATION SYSTEMS Sophisticated and Approved The LAZ 5100 is the latest navigation echo sounder of L-3 ELAC Nautik. An internal memory of 24 hours stores the depth. ranging from stand-alone components to IMO-compliant Integrated Navigation Systems (INS). ” Tamot offers ecdis calibration Hatteland Display has appointed Yokohamabased Tamot to provide ecdis calibration services in Japan. This follows a training session in Tokyo held by Hatteland Display. “We always strive to prepare our students not only for their exams. “The new route planning functionality will enable the mariner to plot an optimum route and then automatically receive a tailored list of corrections for that route alone. The first afternoon of the conference will have a session dedicated to the current status of ecdis adoption. He said. 100 navigating officers have completed the course and received certificates. senior lecturer at Warsash. will provide an operator’s perspective on the implementation of ecdis. There will also be a panel discussion at the end of the session. The Navmaster course also helps second officers to upload chart corrections. but also the re-calibration of ecdis equipment after such repairs. The DVDs can include any specific company safety management system requirements. This session will also update the industry on the progress of the e-navigation concept. Wallem Germany manager. in association with the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) subsidiary Admiralty. Tor Svanes. The Navmaster computer-based training is provided on two DVDs.” As part of the service.” Wallem is using Navmaster ecdis on nine of its tanker fleet Route specific chart corrections from Thomas Gunn Thomas Gunn Navigation Services has introduced Voyager 4. Tamot is able to offer not only the regular warranty and non-warranty service of Hatteland Display products. subscribers will automatically receive the new Voyager 4 software. “It is a good step forward in providing type-specific ecdis training locally in Asia. Capt Domenico Kapetanovic. Thomas Gunn. including its correct use and the provision of effective training.com Elcome International joins Ecdis Training Consortium Ecdis Training Consortium (ETC). Mangala Herath. Voyager’s file compression technology ensures easy delivery of weekly updates for British Admiralty Notices to Mariners and tracings. radio and radar. but also for the reality they will face at sea. “We have incorporated a number of industry firsts into the new Voyager. which is operated by MSG MarineServe has appointed Elcome International in Dubai to act as its local partner to expand its coverage to the Middle East. and to safeguard the need of customers to ensure their navigation and radar approvals are maintained. Leif Grindheim. Our new training licences will ensure that officers trained at Warsash are ready to serve on the many ships that are using Admiralty Digital Publications. customers. said: “The extension of service into an even more technology-based level reflects the ongoing efforts to offer a higher degree in service performance. ecdis training systems and approved ‘train-the-trainer’ courses together with certificate authentication and trainee database services for reference by its partners. To ensure that the mariner continues to have the most up-todate port information available to them. Warsash Maritime Academy will explain the importance of tackling ecdis training and will highlight the key improvements that need to be made in current training provisions.ecdis Conference to bring new focus on ecdis The issues around the implementation of ecdis carriage. OSG has 45 tankers fitted with Navmaster ecdis and DVD training. In the Admiralty’s workshop. production and service. The event will be held in London. More than 70 vessels have been equipped with the two Navmaster type training DVDs. For more details on the programme please visit: www. By adding these two major hubs to our training network. In his opening address. training and what should be expected in 2013. It is teaching ecdis courses at the Moloobhoy training centre in Mumbai and the Compass training centre in Manila. will be addressed at the Marine Electronics & Communications Conference on 24–25 September. has received positive feedback from officers on nine Wallem-managed vessels equipped with Navmaster. General Maritime Management’s marine operations manager. we are able to better serve our customers.rivieramm.” explained managing director. the other the assessment test. SIRE inspectors are enquiring about type-specific training and they are satisfied at seeing our onboard staff undergoing the Navmaster training course. Our crews have become more confident when using ecdis and are now aware of most of the features. Furuno extends ecdis training network Furuno has opened ecdis training facilities in India and in the Philippines. Hatteland Display’s vice president. a director at Hailwood Consulting. particularly with regard to the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE). Furuno’s head of training. will be setting the scene for mandatory ecdis carriage. .” MEC www. “More often than not. There will be a morning workshop that will deliver information on the mandatory carriage of ecdis. and Admiralty Vector Chart Service and Admiralty Raster Chart Service updates. and Navtor’s managing director.com/events PC Maritime issues 100th ecdis type-training certificate Since the introduction of PC Maritime’s ecdis type-training in March 2012. PC Maritime says it was the first manufacturer to provide stand-alone typespecific ecdis training. any amendments available will also be included in the weekly Voyager updates service.marinemec. said. Ian Moncrieff. Ecdis updates will be coming from Capt Paul Hailwood. says. Chris Lowe. Tamot can also provide in-field service for gyro compass. Capt Hailwood will be asking attendees if they are ready for ecdis carriage and offering advice if they are not.” Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) is another tanker operator that uses PC Maritime’s ecdis. port state control and other concerned authorities. Training is accessed through any computer and an e-mail account. the latest version of its automated chart management system. MSG says it will provide its established ecdis 34 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 training courseware. Yutaka Wada. the UKHO’s chief executive. thereby utilising the ecdis more. one containing interactive instruction. Admiralty supplies Warsash with digital publications The UK Hydrographic Office has started supplying UK-based Warsash Maritime Academy with training licences for its full portfolio of Admiralty digital publications. The Preferred ECDIS MARIS is working with the UKHO to develop The Admiralty e-Navigator. From the leading technology Company www.maris.no
[email protected],
[email protected] Tel (Norway) +47 974 72 000 Tel (Singapore) +65 627 62 472 0575/12 Contact: www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 35 bridge systems US suppliers deliver bridge integration and functionality Systems integration meets shipping head-on, with integrated navigation systems and humanmachine interfaces central to bridge design by Barry Parker T he increasing number of inputs and processes to be monitored from an integrated bridge system (IBS) has brought human factors to the forefront in bridge design. At the same time, owners’ desires to reduce crew sizes have fuelled the trend towards bridge integration. According to IMO, “The integrated navigation system (INS) supports safety of navigation by evaluating inputs from several sources, combining them to provide information giving timely alerts of dangerous situations and system failures and degradation of integrity of this information.” Where components are integrated to support route monitoring and collision avoidance functions at a minimum, the official INS definitions apply. INSs are the subject of an IMO resolution, MSC.252(83), which applies to newbuildings equipped with integrated bridge systems delivered after the beginning of 2011. The planners and marketers at Northrup Grumman Sperry Marine have their eyes on regulatory developments. Sperry Marine’s managing director, Alan Dix, says there are a number of upcoming regulatory changes that will have an impact on the products that comprise the Sperry Marine IBS. “These include the ecdis carriage requirement and associated changes to our ecdis product. In addition, there is the activity on both IMO bridge alert management Furuno’s Voyager IBS has been supplied to Hornbeck and Seacor offshore vessels and new ecdis software maintenance and training requirements. We are also closely following the work of the IMO committee on the e-navigation standard.” In practical terms, integrated bridges need to have consistency in data display and in management of alerts and alarms, across multifunctional workstations for radar/plotting, ecdis and conning, steering and auto-piloting, AIS, DGPS and a host of other navigation functions. Depending on the installation, other ship systems may also be integrated with the INS. Mr Dix says defence segment created technologies are gradually filtered into the commercial sector. He continues: “In the commercial sector, safety and risk mitigation are most important for our customers when selecting an IBS supplier. Sperry Marine supportability and redundancy are also extremely important in order to keep the vessels on schedule.” In describing the key customer considerations, he says, “Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean – one of our longterm customers – are extremely focused on these aspects, as well as on performance as it relates to fuel efficiency and ship stability. The levels of integration and redundancy are usually greater on these vessels because they tend to be more sensitive to any issue that might cause a schedule delay. The same is true for product carriers, though to a lesser degree. “Sperry Marine is one of the few marine equipment suppliers who designs and manufactures most of the primary navigation components that comprise an IBS. The Sperry Marine components include the VisionMaster Integrated bridges installed on Jones Act tankers In the United States, most deepsea ship construction is focused on providing tankers to cover Jones Act trades. Oil companies are constantly upgrading or ordering new tankers to cover Jones Act routes, principally Alaska and West Coast trades, and ordering US-supplied integrated bridge systems (IBS). Raytheon Anschütz gained a contract in 2011 from Polar Tankers (a ConocoPhillips subsidiary) for retrofitting an older version of IBS on tankers that serve Alaska and the US West Coast. Also in the Alaska tanker trades, oil company BP utilises a series of four 185,000 dwt tankers with IBSs supplied by Japan Radio Co. These 1.3 million barrel capacity tankers are operated by Alaska Tanker Co, and were built between 2004 and 2006 in the General Dynamics-owned NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. A series of 46,000 dwt tankers built at Aker Philadelphia’s shipyard, for companies controlled by Overseas Shipholding Group, reflect the complexity of integrating different bridge components. These tankers’ IBS are hybrids, with a gyro and autopilot from Raytheon Anschütz (the STD22), and Furuno’s radar/plotting (FAR-2837S and FAR-2827) and ecdis (FEA-2107). 36 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.marinemec.com radar and ecdis, autopilot, gyrocompass system, speed log, integrated alarm management system, conning display system, magnetic compass, steering controls, network architecture system and full bridge console.” Mr Dix spoke about his company’s positioning in the market, which extends far beyond US shipyards. He says: “In the US market, Sperry Marine primarily sells to vessel owners, who then specify the Sperry Marine IBS for their newbuilding projects in foreign shipyards. There are also a small number of bridge systems that are sold into shipyards in the US, including some bridge retrofit projects.” Integrated bridges have found their way into a vibrant offshore sector centred on ships built for the US oil industry - where DP is required for long periods of station keeping. Kongsberg Maritime’s US senior sales manager, Ted Murphey, says that the company’s main product sales in North America are for its DP systems. “The DP system interfaces control all effectors on vessels,” he explains. “We took it one step further, adding thrusters control systems, and then alarm and monitoring systems (for engines, pumps and tanks), which made for seamless integration on the same platform. Then, as the final step, we put the integrated bridge onto the same platform, which completes what we call ‘the full picture’. For customers, there is one purchase order – there is also much less cabling and man hours. A customer will not buy the K-Bridge as a stand-alone product, unless they are buying something else from us. We also supply environmental sensors, including the gyro, and positioning sensors.” From the buyer’s business standpoint, Harvey Gulf International Marine’s chief executive, Shane Guidry, says offshore service vessel (OSV) operators have high regard for system integration. He adds, “With an integrated setup, you get one-stop shopping. You do not have to be calling 10 vendors when there is a problem. When there is finger-pointing, it costs time and money; but you avoid that with an integrated approach.” Harvey Gulf has just announced the acquisition of rival vessel operator Bee-Mar, increasing its OSV fleet to 34 vessels. Mr Guidry says that Harvey Gulf’s Tiger Shark class vessels (90m long OSVs), being built at Eastern Shipbuilding, have the Converteam package. He says that these vessels are the only ships in the US Gulf to have the Navigation Bridge Layout (NBLES) notation for equipment and systems from ABS. This notation is an enhancement on ABS’s one man bridge operation (OMBO) notation. One of the Tiger Shark class vessels is scheduled to work for Hess in the US Gulf, and another for Shell in Alaska. Harvey Gulf has attracted considerable attention with its orders of four dual-fuelled OSVs, to be built at another US Gulf yard www.marinemec.com Trinity Marine. The STX-designed vessels will utilise Wärtsilä engines that enable the switching between LNG and conventional fuel. Mr Guidry says Wärtsilä also supplied the bridge package. This was part of its partnering agreement with Raytheon Anschütz to offer navigation systems in conjunction with Wärtsilä’s suite of propulsion systems. Raytheon Anschütz’s vice president of sales, Frank Christophersen says this partnership is a growing trend in the industry. He adds, “Most integrated bridges are put together by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) who assembles components from different manufacturers.” San Diego-based Raytheon Anschütz manufactures the main units of the integrated bridge – such as radar, ecdis, autopilot, gyro and speed logs. These are then integrated with components from other manufacturers, including GPS and AIS. Mr Christophersen says part of shipowners’ purchasing criteria for IBS is compliance with regulations and safety considerations. This is part of Raytheon Anschütz’s success in selling its Synapsis IBS, or variations based on the same technology, to the high-end shipowners, such as cruise ship operators and oil companies, as well as the quasi-commercial Military Sealift Command. Mr Christophersen says that bigger customers would look at the life-cycle costs, rather than simply comparing the upfront costs, for a unit that meets the regulatory minimum. In US Gulf shipyards, the integrators play a vital role, tying all the components together and making sure that they communicate with each other. Jacksonville, Florida-based Gaylon Barcom, a senior integration and applications engineer at S&S Metal & Plastics says, “Even the large buyers, including the government, are moving towards commercial off the shelf (COTS) systems where possible. If the components talk to each other, work in concert, and have a workable form and fit, COTS will be preferable.” OSV operators Hornbeck Offshore and Seacor have shown a preference for Furuno and JRC equipment. Mr Barcom says, “Many small technical shops have developed a capability to service Furuno and JRC radar, ecdis, echosounder and speed logs, and that is important to buyers. Furuno has been active with other owners in the offshore sector. For example, the US centric Gulf Offshore Logistics, with a group of recently delivered DP platform supply vessels, has gone with a Rolls-Royce bridge system (integrating a suite of Furuno products). Rolls-Royce also supplied thrusters on these Louisiana-built vessels. MEC Sperry Marine’s Vision Master IBS includes multifunction displays and integrated navigation aids Marine Technologies IBS is designed for offshore vessels One of the largest OSV operators in the US Gulf, and beyond, Edison Chouest Offshore, is an investor in its own specialist integrated bridge solutions provider, Marine Technologies The company was originally founded in 2002 to offer DP systems. Marine Technologies’ Bridge Mate IBS is designed for the offshore sector and offers redundancy through its dual network architecture. It has displays available on multifunctional work stations, which can also handle the control of thruster systems, for allimportant station-keeping in the offshore sector. Besides Edison Chouest, the customer list includes Bourbon Offshore and Seacor. Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 37 24 INCH WIDESCREEN THE OPTIMAL SIZE FOR YOUR ECDIS APPLICATION ! Available as Display or Panel Computer from 8 to 26 inch. TYPE APPROVED MAPS HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER VIEWED ! Our commitment to develop specialized products for a multitude of onboard ship systems continues with a brand new product range called Series X. See more at www.hatteland-display.com SERIES X INTRODUCING THE FUTURE OF AIS. For years, maritime operators have trusted our R4 technology as the AIS industry standard. Building on this success, we now proudly present the next generation: R5 SUPREME AIS. Featuring cutting-edge digital radio design, it shares technology with military-grade systems, marking a big leap forward. The highly versatile R5 platform will continue to evolve as new requirements are introduced, keeping you at the forefront of AIS technology for many years to come. www.saabgroup.com VISIT US AT SMM 2012 4 – 7 September, Hall 6, Booth 406 SAAB R5 SUPREME AIS The R5 SUPREME AIS is a highly advanced system for qualified customers requiring first class equipment. It includes a separate transponder unit and a dedicated sunlight readable colour Control and Display Unit. The system has full network support and is designed for redundant installations and multiple displays, it also offers navigation functionality by connection of Saab’s GPS/DGPS sensors. there will be two additional multifunctional workstations to serve as main and back-up ecdis and another workstation with ecdis and conning functions for route planning purposes. taking into consideration fuel savings and safety. The choice of our new adaptive autopilot system was influenced by considerations of saving fuel and thus reducing emissions. as it can help optimise route planning.marinemec. This graphic display indicates the steering performance of the vessel in relation to the effects of changes to parameter settings such as rudder. The INS will include S-band.com . The ships are being built at Brodosplit shipyard in Croatia. The operator benefits from simplified adjustments to the autopilot’s settings to gain optimised steering performance.” says Mr Denker. counterrudder and yawing. operating costs and just-in-time arrivals. Each package will also include a double Anschütz Standard 22 gyro compass system. It can calculate the shortest route between two destinations and the impact of wind and waves. under similar weather conditions. an integrated consistent common reference system (CCRS) will monitor all navigation sensors and automatically select the best available data. Thus. Raytheon Anschütz will also provide each vessel with NautoSteer AS series and the adaptive NautoPilot 5300 autopilot for manual and automatic steering. the bridges will be equipped with two fixed-role conning displays. weather condition and required steering accuracy. “ An optionally integrated acceleration monitor provides a warning if a pre-defined cross acceleration limit is exceeded. There is also a course control mode. Raytheon Anschütz has gained a contract from Jumbo Shipping to supply its integrated navigation system (INS) to new heavy-lift vessels. the full package of navigation sensors. we have developed and implemented unique features such as the Eco-mode and the heading and rudder plotter into the new NP 5000 autopilot series. Raytheon Anschütz’s Synapsis ecdis workstation also provides fuel-efficiency savings to ship operators. useful when a route is close to a coastline or through narrow channels. Additionally.and X-band radar sensors and widescreen multifunctional workstations for chart radar. With OSG we had the chance to prove the positive effects of NP 5000 on steering performance and fuel consumption in practice for the first time. “so that we can navigate the vessel more gently and economically. where the autopilot automatically compensates for drift and keeps the vessel on the required course line. and GMDSS radio communication equipment. standard displays and computer software. Jumbo ordered Synapsis INS because of the high level of redundancy that will be required for the 152m-long K-3000 ships to operate in icy waters and around offshore oil production facilities. On each vessel. Relevant navigation data such as charts.117 dwt vessel’s bunker consumption.” Capt Shatrov continues.” The bunker-burning reductions were evident during Overseas Fran’s first voyage with the NP 5300 from Skagen to New York.” The integrated heading and rudder plotter provides a graphical indication of heading changes and the resulting rudder angles. The NP 5300 is part of the NP 5000 autopilot range.” he says. NP 5000 has advanced functions for high precision course keeping. ecdis and conning. swell and currents on fuel consumption. Dmitry Shatrov. says Raytheon Anschütz’s product manager. This helps to avoid damage to cargo or discomfort to passengers due to high acceleration stresses that might occur for example during a heading change at high speed. “OSG is undertaking great efforts to increase energy efficiency on board its ships. 112. There is an option to supply a third vessel if Jumbo orders it from the shipyard. The autopilot automatically adapts to the sea and weather conditions to ensure a ship uses the least amount of fuel. Its functions cover wire-break monitoring and a simplified steering mode selector switch. radar. Synapsis bridge controls will be installed on two K-3000-class ships at Brodosplit in 2013. On each ship.bridge systems Cutting fuel costs through efficient steering controls A tanker trial demonstrates how configuring autopilots to optimise rudder movements for local conditions can deliver fuel savings A new generation of autopilot can help ship operators to reduce their fuel consumption and meet IMO’s best practice for efficient ship operation – the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). Part of Synapsis is the NautoSteer AS steering control series. “Since we all know that less rudder movement significantly contributes to reduced fuel consumption and emissions. Overseas Fran’s master. In onboard trials a US tanker operator has proven that one manufacturer’s autopilot can cut its fuel costs. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 39 www. Olav Denker. The Anschütz NautoPilot (NP) 5300 autopilot was installed on OSG’s Aframax Overseas Fran in October 2011 and had an immediate effect on the 2001-built. routes and sensor information will be shared within the network and stored independently on each system. To investigate the actual effect of NP 5300 on rudder movements. the company claims. The autopilot can be integrated as part of the Synapsis integrated bridge and navigation system that includes multifunction workstations. All workstations will be connected through a redundant Ethernet-based local area network (LAN). less rudder action is required and the ship encounters less drag. the heading and rudder plot of this voyage was NautoPilot 5300 reduced fuel consumption by controlling rudder movements compared with the results of the last voyage on the same route with the old autopilot system. Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) has contracted Raytheon Anschütz for the replacement of the existing autopilot systems on its tanker fleet following a successful trial in the fourth quarter of last year. Through the contract. The autopilot reduces the rudder response to periodical yawing movements caused by the prevailing conditions. which is based on a reliable CAN-bus technology. “The newly installed autopilot system has a user-friendly interface in which you can easily adjust autopilot functionality in the prevailing circumstances. which optimises rudder movements when switched onto the integrated Eco-mode. reducing its fuel consumption. explains: “We can see on our print-out that rudder movement is more economic and gentle with the new autopilot system. which further minimises rudder action and thus increases fuel efficiency. has supplied MantaDigital multifunction displays as part of an integrated bridge on the largest yacht ever built in the southern hemisphere. Transas will customise the conning display to include aft and bow docking modes. ecdis and a conning facility delivered via ten MantaDigital multifunction displays. The system has been installed on 67m. For Jo Tankers. In an emergency. operate and update. 30KW S-band NaviChart radar and Navi-Sailor dual ecdis. At the receiver. The first system is due to be delivered before the end of this year and the rest in 2013. such as notices to mariners. The economic benefits are savings on hardware and energy costs.” Standard ports connect the devices to computers. It has also gained a contract to provide ecdis to Jo Tankers. KVM transmitted signals are crystal clear and produce true colour images at control stations. Kelvin Hughes equipment supplied to Vertigo includes radar. and supply ecdis to six planned newbuildings. where they are access protected and air conditioned. Settings like cable length. 837gt ketch Vertigo. The Lloyd’s Register-classed vessel was built by Alloy Yachts in New Zealand. but this has been extended to include transmitters and receivers. Transas will upgrade ecdis on a fleet of 14 combined product and chemical carriers. We also have key navigational data utilised by other onboard systems so it can be viewed by all crew. KVM does not strain regular networks with latencies or KVM data. KVM products establish a direct point-to-pointconnection without using the network. when controlling ROVs from a containerised office on an offshore support vessel. KVM products are plug-and-play devices that extend computer signals from the server room up to the bridge. on-screen NAVTEX information. KVM matrix switches extend signals. “Applying KVM technology facilitates the work of controllers. “Customised navigation instruments supplement the bridge system to provide environmental and sailing information through an array of sensors. during a piracy attack. Other features include overlays of ARPA and AIS targets.bridge systems Technology enables multifunction workstations KVM technology enables the use of multipurpose workstations. adaptable devices and improved ergonomics. stand-alone 56cm panel PC system with a high resolution TFT display. users can access their remote computers in real-time without experiencing any latencies or lack in quality.com . The bridge equipment will include 12KW X-band Navi-Chart radar. The technology can be applied to mobile control rooms.” says Udo Guntermann. This way information can be displayed on large screens or on touch panels. says Guntermann & Drunck. software or the computer’s operating system. computers placed in server rooms remain fully accessible and can still be operated.” Radar is part of the integrated navigation system on Vertigo SAM Electronics targets retrofit market L-3 company SAM Electronics has introduced a new space and cost-efficient ecdis unit. and in specialised containers for controlling remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Homi Daruwalla. The infrastructural cabling extends those signals to the corresponding receiver at the bridge. switches and controllers. KVM systems could also be used to allow crew to control a ship from a citadel. video. KVM technology is considerably different to regular networks. “Information from the Kelvin Hughes’ integrated bridge system is fed to the LCD screens fitted in the bridge and fly-bridge. and reduced IT downtime and training time. Kelvin Hughes also supplies the vessel operator with chart services through KH Charts. For the direct connection with extenders. Simple to install. says Guntermann & Drunck. This technology can be applied to control rooms and bridges. Each bridge will consist of seven multifunctional display (MFD) workstations with DNV NAUT – OSV (A) class notation. The advantages include the need for fewer peripherals. designed specifically for retrofit applications. but can be controlled from the citadel. SAM says Ecdispilot Basic is a compact. computer ports are connected directly to the KVM transmitter. This means IT and communication equipment cannot be operated or manipulated by unauthorised personnel. Access to IT equipment and communication is preserved. signals from one or multiple computers are extended to the operator station where they can be switched. Deliveries on the four UT 755 platform supply vessels will also include Transas’ Navi-Conning workstation and slave multifunction displays. explained how the system was customised for Vertigo. There are also security and installation advantages. These are multifunction displays with radar overlays. or bridges. MEC www. and tidal and current data. helping officers access remote computers from any workstation. Using the existing cable structure. or safe room. while reducing IT downtime and improving information display quality. easier switching between applications like ecdis and radar on workstations. mouse. Ecdispilot Basic also has a separate layer for user objects. Transas will be supplying integrated bridge systems for Rolls-Royce designed OSVs built at PaxOcean Engineering’s Zhuhai shipyard in Guangdong Province.” he said. A KVM feature allows users to lock the entire computer system on the nautical bridge. and updates through ChartCo. Computers are connected either directly from the server room to the control room using transmitters and receivers or over matrix systems. for example. users connect their monitors and input devices. Martronics’ director. cable quality and runtime delays can be adjusted at the extender. All the ships will be equipped with dual 66cm Navi-Sailor 4000 ecdis premium. Operators can use a video wall and workstations to control subsea ROVs. KVM was originally an acronym for keyboard. to be stored in separate server rooms. Transas gains two contracts Transas Marine has won a contract to supply four bridge systems for offshore supply vessels (OSV) under construction in China. Some vessels will utilise Transas’ recently launched pay as you sail chart solution for (S)ENC. Compared to data networks. its features include an extendable navaid sensor interface module and advanced route planning facilities. From here. the New Zealand agent for Kelvin Hughes. says German-based supplier Guntermann & Drunck.marinemec. smoother workflow. “KVM extenders and switches help separate employees from equipment. Computers are removed from control rooms. since IT applications can be monitored from a central control room. 40 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 Kelvin Hughes supplies yacht bridge Martronics. de Please visit us at SMM 2012. The world´s leading manufacturer of antennas to all kinds of vessels Visit us at SMM Hall B6 Stand 427 AS Reaching further 4124 Tau Tel: +47 5174 0500 • Fax: +47 5174 0501 E-mail: sales@comrod. Stand 310. Hamburg.ECDISPILOT Basic and BNWAS Basic The cost-effective Retrofit Solutions – Ready for Compliance! Also available as ECDISPILOT Platinum and BNWAS Platinum for Integrated Navigation Systems. SAM Electronics GmbH Behringstrasse 120 22763 Hamburg .com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 41 . Germany ANC@sam-electronics. 4 .com www.sam-electronics. Hall B6.com www.marinemec.de www.7 September.comrod. www.Booth 508 World’s No.com Tel: +44 (0)1709 468021 Fax: +44(0)1709 871 873 M SM1 t a B us Hall 409 e Se in tand S 42 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.marinemec.Navgard Tanker Shipping 2:Navgard Tanker Shipping 09/08/2012 16:20 Pag BNWAS Is your fleet in safe hands? Join us at SMM 4-7 sept 2012 hamburg Hall B6 .1 BNWAS Simplest Install • All Major Approvals • No Hidden Extras Get compliant and get on with your job.navgard.com e-mail: navgardenquiries@martek-marine. Contact Martek Marine.com . Stena Line and P&O Ferries. On 1 July 2013. Paul Luen. AMI has approval from all the major classification societies. which can be a significant part of the overall cost of the system. AMI has specified the default as 4 knots but this can be changed on request. Navigation officers have to respond to this in order to ensure they are aware and performing their duties. Some manufacturers go even further for type approvals. which allows any combination of up to five back-up officer locations to be selected for a second-stage alarm. IACS members will normally recognise each other’s type approval certification. The first deadline was 1 July 2011. He continues. Mr Newman says.” AMI Marine has supplied BNWAS to many shipping fleets such as Norbulk.marinemec. The KW810 has a fourth-stage alarm that can be connected to the ship’s security alert system or a global maritime distress and safety system. injury or fatigue by Clare Nicholls he latest stage of the rolling timetable for the mandatory use of bridge navigation watch alarm systems (BNWAS) came into force on 1 July. Recently. We are also expecting the Lloyd’s Register (LR) marine equipment directive certification at the end of the summer. It is a simple piece of kit but operators do not want to be held up in port because they cannot get the support where they need it. “The reset button must be located anywhere on the bridge that affords a proper lookout and each one should be accessible from manoeuvring consoles and workstations. which some LR branches do not recognise. “For LR vessels we ship the system with the onboard PIR disabled.” However. supplying power and data. “Navgard users would have to perform a series of keystrokes they Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 43 . but the overall cost of the system.com T AMI Marine's BN150 is designed for smaller vessels incorporated. The Navgard system will be updated so that it can data log if and when it has been switched off.” comments Mr Luen. They should find out how complicated it is to wire the system up.” comments Stuart Newman. We wanted to give our customers peace of mind that they were not going to be exposed to different class society interpretations. director of manufacturer AMI Marine. “Owners should look for a reputable brand that can give installation or back-up and support wherever vessels navigate. says of his company’s Navgard BNWAS. MSC 128 (75) regulations stipulate a BNWAS may display an alert between a minimum of three and maximum of 12 minutes.000gt now have to fit a BNWAS by their next survey to meet IMO MSC 86/26/add. covering new ships over 150gt and all new passenger ships. But there was a price premium with that technology and there were things we wanted to implement that we could not in the first system. So we designed the BN150 for smaller vessels. the main control panel is small and easy to install. including the cabling. We offer touch-screen main panels on our KW810 – this gives a user a lot of information in an easy to digest format. “A safety system should be difficult to turn off.1 annex 1 regulations. They should not just look at the price of the individual control panels. BNWAS will be able to be EC wheelmarked on all vessels sailing with a European flag. the remit will be extended to existing ships of over 500gt and from 1 July 2014 it will include existing ships over 150gt. From October. BNWAS regulations were updated to specify that on Solas vessels the system should be operational whenever the vessel is underway at sea. “I believe we are the only manufacturer that has got type approval from every single classification society and either explicit or implicit approval from all the flag associations. Type approval to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) performance standard 62616 is compulsory for BNWAS.” comments Mr Newman. “We are somewhat unusual amongst manufacturers in offering two models of BNWAS. AMI has calibrated the KW810 so that users can optionally connect it to a GPS whenever the vessel is moving. so if a ship becomes disabled it automatically alerts vessels in the surrounding area. “This reduces cable prices and installation time.” All the cables between the components of the BN150 only need a single two core cable throughout. Navgard uses passive infrared sensor motion detection technology. All existing passenger ships and ships over 3. Martek Marine’s managing director.BNWAS bridge systems Crew benefit from the latest BNWAS technology Bridge navigation watch alarm systems sound an alert if navigation officers are incapacitated through illness. An audio alarm follows if the visual alert has gone unnoticed.” says Mr Luen. A duty back-up officer selector switch is also www. ” Mr Luen has this advice for owners looking to invest in a BNWAS.” Another new feature will be an annual performance test which enables the system to automatically test and verify the correct operation of all the peripheral devices.” MEC Uni-Safe installed its BW-800 BNWAS on catamaran Leonora Christina www.” concludes Ms Levy. So we will definitely know when someone has deliberately shut it down.” BNWAS distributor Aage Hempel’s marketing and quality manager. Uni-Safe has installed its BW-800 BNWAS on fast ferry Leonora Christina. Two officers can be designated as back-up officer at any time. using the serial communication bus between all alarm units – one cable fits all. Heidi Larsen. after all the existing ships have been installed with BNWAS. Owners can choose to set up an annual reminder in the system to carry this out. the market demand will drop dramatically. However.” Mr Bris says. “We decided on Navgard because it covered everything we were looking for in a system.” An alarm can be selected from several different audio signals to distinguish it from other alarms on the bridge and in cabins. Marinelec’s director. including for UK-based Rix Shipping’s fleet of dry cargo vessels and tankers. “Movement detection in Totem’s BNWAS uses the latest dual microwave and infrared technology to avoid false resets. The system can be reset in three different ways: by pressing the reset buttons on the bridge. We are building stock into our own supply chain but there will be less pressure on price at that point. Commissioning and set-up was very simple and we were ready to use the system straight away.” The firm has already sold around 100 systems and is analysing other manufacturers in the market as a way to finding more to represent. “An added value. The peak period has already begun. Pepe Bris.” Marinelec itself has released version 3+ of its Lynx BNWAS. Last year TotemPlus also launched a BNWAS. The BornholmerFærgen catamaran sails between Rønne on the island of Bornholm. Another manufacturer takes a different view on when it is best to install BNWAS. It had all type approvals in place that we needed to ensure that our whole fleet could install the same system and so that we would not incur additional costs from flag authorities. “Irrelevant of where ships sit in the compliance window. Most of the systems are retrofitted when the vessel is sailing from one port to another or installed the next time the vessel is in dock. New functions include assigning the name of the officer of the watch (OOW).” says Mr Citeau. In addition. agrees with this. On smaller ships. the choice of systems will be diminished for them because some manufacturers could be caught with no stock. “Owners should wait a little longer as there 44 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 Martek’s Navgard BNWAS will be able to log if and when a system is turned off – and by whom will be a new generation of systems coming to market which use wireless technology.” Aage Hempel supplies UK-based Navitron’s NT990 BNWAS. Version 3+ also has configurable outputs in fixed or flashing mode and an extended National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) standard interface for the reset. owners should look to fit the systems in drydock now. “We chose our manufacturer carefully in order to give full support for technician and class approval. this should allow the control panel on its own to be compliant with the regulations. Furthermore. “It is simple and easy to install because it uses a bus communication system. without the need for any other equipment. Martek has supplied around 5. is that it can be turned into a burglar alarm in port. automatic switch on and emergency call functions. Rix’s managing director. unique to Totem BNWAS. “Set up of timers and back-up officer selection is easily done directly from the liquid crystal display of the main unit display. and increased capacity of connection devices. it says. “The small size of the units makes it easy to install on vessels with limited space for new equipment. Denmark. if all owners wait until the last minute to install BNWAS just before the regulations come into force. and will not add extra pressure on a possibly overloaded navigator. which is designed to be more efficient.bridge systems BNWAS would not normally engage in to switch our system off. Such external resets (including motion detection resets) increase crew welfare because normal operation on the bridge will not demand tedious manual resets by the OOW.” says marketing manager. “We decided to supply this model as it is robust and easy to install. and will alarm following any unauthorised motion on the bridge. It is much easier to do this as bulkheads or ceiling tiles may need to be removed for the cabling. This version also offers new peripheral devices for acoustic and optical remote indications and manual switch on. But by far the most important requirement for us was the ease of installation. or by movement detection by motion sensors. and Ystad in Sweden. it will be all about delivery.com . or by reset orders from other navigation systems capable of that function. The system was provided as part of a total electronics navigation/ communications and entertainment package for the ferry. “The system can be installed and commissioned by the crew in a few hours. According to Uni-Safe’s marketing manager.marinemec. Pascal Citeau. says. James Doyle comments.000 systems so far. Lynx version 3+ is type approved by Bureau Veritas. Merav Levy. Martek is going to increase the size and brightness of one of the alarm LEDs on the control panel. “Many shipowners could wait until the last minute but then they face the risk of not having stock due to the high demand. such as ecdis that can reset the BNWAS through any user command. net www.marinemec.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 45 .net www.BNWAS 150 MARINE UK LTD • • • • • • Easy to install and simple operation Can be installed by the ship’s crew Ideal for vessels of 150 tonnes and upwards Worldwide after sales support network Fully type approved 3 year warranty Contact Us at
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VoD. com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 47 . and increasingly advanced technological solutions are available. seven seafarers join Crewtoo every day and more than 200 members vote and share comment with each other every week. The results are printed the following week and a weightier round-up of responses is delivered to respondents’ e-mail addresses. MEC Seafarers social network launches Headland Media has expanded its Crewtoo service by launching a social media website. MMA has a core team of 10 practising US physicians to ensure the service is available at all times. with equipment supplied ranging from blood test syringes. Currently. An MTS contract can also cover the transportation of patients to ports worldwide. repatriation. “The video conferencing uses an encrypted signal and very little bandwidth.000 members. Members can search for ex-seafaring colleagues. This Crewtoo community grew further in April as the service evolved into a stand-alone weekly e-newsletter called ‘Your Crewtoo’. The equipment carries all the type certifications for use on vessels and by non-medical personnel. electrocardiograms.” One recent example of where the video conferencing facility helped in an emergency was when a seafarer in his 50s did not show up for a shift in the galley. The opportunities seem endless with the advent of this technology. who advised them that it looked like the crew member had M Maritime Medical Access’ telemedicine service now features DigiGone video conferencing had a stroke. chat with each other and receive news and information specifically relevant to them. The results of any testing are stored in a data centre which can be accessed at all times through the web-based platform.crew welfare Medical assistance at the click of a mouse Direct video conferencing. vital signs monitors and spirometers to an HD camera.000 members by the end of the year. The doctors who receive the call can advise crew as to which medical treatment can be carried out on board or whether the incident is an emergency and if a medevac is necessary. gathering demographic information about an incident before putting the caller through to a doctor.” says Mr Keenan. which allows remote diagnostics of medical conditions. The site has been designed to allow crew to comment on their profiles using their ship’s e-mail. A worldwide emergency communication centre fields any calls. says. Colleagues found him disorientated in his cabin. telephone and e-mail access to doctors for seafarers is helping to save lives and improve health at sea by Clare Nicholls any owners are now investing in telemedicine services to ensure the health of their crew. Instant messaging is also available to aid privacy. Setel Hellas has launched Maritime Telemedicine Solution (MTS). “The patient has responded well to the treatment and I hear that he will be clear to resume work within the next few months. Setel has co-operated with an accredited health care institution to provide 24/7 access to medical personnel via a dedicated satellite phone line and web-based platform supported by Inmarsat Fleet 77 and FleetBroadband terminals. hospitalisation of a patient and.com. a helicopter was able to be dispatched and a medevac took place. We only usually use it for brief consultations but some of our shipowner clients are now also using it for operational reasons. The whole service comprises telephone and e-mail response as well as the new video conferencing facility. Since November. the e-newsletter attracted 1. director of remote medical programs for MMA. Another new feature in the service is file sharing. slurring his speech and demonstrating weakness in various extremities. if necessary. rather than needing full web access at sea. They immediately began a video conference with one of MMA’s on-call doctors. As the vessel they were on was within a couple of hundred miles of the US coast. Headland went live with crewtoo. “We are working with new technologies to enhance the delivery of care to our clients but we do not want to see anyone sick so we also provide preventative advice. Seafarers can now sign up to the site and create an individual profile. In three months. the company has run adverts in the daily NewsLink e-newsletter asking crew members to e-mail their thoughts on issues ranging from their favourite type of music to the downsides of working at sea. Kyle Keenan. George Washington University’s department of emergency medicine in Washington DC has been providing its Maritime Medical Access (MMA) service since 1989 but recently launched a video conferencing capability using DigiGone software.” comments Mr Keenan.marinemec. For instance they can film a certain piece of equipment if there is a failure and a technical expert onshore can view this and advise a course of action without needing to fly out to the ship. The Crewtoo team has set itself the objective of reaching 6. Elsewhere. www. Remote medical testing is available on board. Doctors onshore can then review these examinations and revert with advice via e-mail. The doctors are faculty members at George Washington University. so in July. Seafarers can send sensitive medical information using a secure connection which compresses data. crew calling • and more Best • value installation and airtime All your maritime communications reporting for duty Iridium Pilot delivers reliable. backed by an industry leading five-year warranty for peace of mind — no matter where you are. high-performance global voice and data communications.com . www.Ship Shape • Reliable pole-to-pole global coverage Delivering email.iridiumpilot. weather. Germanischer Lloyd. Det Norske Veritas and Lloyd’s Register were selected as contacts for developing the Blue Vision NG system. MTU developed a commissioning tool for setting local parameters for the automation system.automation & monitoring Open architecture enables addition of analysis modules New MTU automation systems will enhance engineroom monitoring. Advanced and Premium versions together are a sixth generation of MTU’s monitoring and control system (MCS) and supersede the current fifth generation products – Smartline. MTU has mixed its own specialised components with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products to make the Blue Vision series modular and scalable. MTU has also created a portable control unit as an optional auxiliary. analysis and storage of process data. It houses the system processing unit that contains the MCS and RCS modules for engine monitoring and remote control. recording.” says MTU's Blue Vision NG project director. emphasis was placed on achieving a consistent equivalent part and spare parts concept to cover the long-term operational requirements of a ship’s automation. says MTU’s Blue Vision NG project leader. for example. “MCS-6 has been configured as open architecture in order to permit adding. The Blue Vision New Generation (NG) automation system is for vessels that are powered by MTU’s Series 2000 and 4000 engines. It can monitor the emergency air-shutoff flap and controls the starting sequence. “In multi-shaft installations separate LOPs and workstations throughout a ship are connected through an Ethernet-based field Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 49 . Blueline and Bluevision. MTU will introduce a more extensive version (Blue Vision Premium NG) at a later point. The interface module includes a safety circuit and provides an emergency stop function. On the MCS. The RCS is available on the local control stand in the engineroom. the gearbox system. the propulsion system and the auxiliary systems via interfaces. An LOP is allocated to a single shaft and is a control stand in the engineroom.” says Mr Ihmor.marinemec. Due to their demanding requirements and specifications. and the maritime environment. The monitoring unit acts as a safety system for independent monitoring of the various redundant engine signals.” he says. fault diagnostics.” www. MTU has incorporated an interface to remote control systems (RCS) for third party manufacturers. Stefan Ihmor.com M Requirements Analysis Device Device Device Design (HW/SW Archiecture Detailed Design Software Module Development Hardware Software Module Test Software Implementation MTU went through an extensive process to develop its new automation system Blue Vision NG enables the monitoring and control of the propulsion plant on control stands and on other workstations. the following electronic components are mounted directly on MTU marine engines: engine control unit (ECU). Uniform software interfaces facilitate the migration of code and accelerate the integration of imported software. The Basic. upgrading and exchanging components. Prefabricated plug-andplay cabling reduces commissioning times and minimises cabling faults. For a fully integrated system. The control unit includes engine monitoring and diagnostic functions. sensor signals are recorded. and controllable pitch propellers. The Blue Vision NG automation system supports propulsion systems with reversereduction gearboxes and fixed pitch propellers. classifiable version (Blue Vision Advanced NG). engine monitoring unit and engine interface module. Application-specific peripheral components such as propulsion control levers and instruments are connected via CAN bus and Ethernet for data communication. evaluated and shown on instruments and displays. for data tracing. in the cases of product phase-outs. One important aspect in the development of Blue Vision NG was to ensure early involvement of the classification societies in the development process. while the uniform communication interfaces make it possible to exchange entire components. The central component of the Blue Vision NG is the local operating panel (LOP). All the key components meet the maximum requirements in terms of ambient conditions – temperature. They can also trigger alarms. including speed and lubricating oil pressure. It is available both in a non-classifiable version (Blue Vision Basic NG) and in an expanded. The Premium version will support waterjets. “The automation for the propulsion plant is handled by an engineering system and it is connected to the engine control system (ECS). These signals can be monitored by up to six control stands. while there are RCS components on the control stands. “Key factors in this regard include the use of standardised interfaces and adequate performance for expanding the system. Cornelius Müller. exhaust monitoring and oil mist detection. shock. as well as local monitoring in the engineroom. “During the development. while Kongsberg adds an AVL analysis package to its K-Chief system Requirements Specificition Automation & Engineering System Type Approval Field Test System Integration & System Test Development Engineering System Software Integration & Device Test Requirements Analysis System System System Design (System FMEA) TU has developed a new version of its onboard automation and control system for workboats and support vessels. We can also determine if fuel injection is early or late. “We have sold 25 contracts and the first vessels are now being commissioned. turbochargers. make fuel efficiency calculations using the Emerson flow meters and display the fuel consumption.” Mr Ihmor explains.” says Mr Strasser. Kongsberg Maritime has integrated AVL’s analysis package. propulsion shaft. including keyboard and trackball. This enabled the vessel’s engineers to collect vibration data from equipment. From this information. Other engineering companies are developing analysis tools with interfaces with automation systems. through a stand-alone display. There is access to data for each vessel online for onshore managers. Information from sensors on the main and auxiliary engines. SKF engineers visited each of BP Shipping’s fleet of 53 vessels to examine critical machinery and identify which units should be regularly monitored. The SKF monitoring and reporting system enables onboard engineers to perform maintenance and replace components by providing specific data as to which tasks need to be performed and when. or later than expected. which divides up the ring so that it can be closed immediately in case of a loss of communication.” The two companies have received orders for the integrated EPOS and K-Chief. from sensors such as tank level gauge radar. MEC BP employs SKF monitors for tankers and gas carriers SKF has created a preventative maintenance programme for the BP Shipping fleet to cut costs and decrease maintenance. fans. Operators can use this to determine whether there are good reasons to change equipment such as injection pumps early. He adds. and subsequently applied measurement studs to each machine. with its K-Chief engineroom controls to provide analysis of engine parameters. “We have integrated AVL into the Kongsberg K-Chief for the possibility of not just monitoring a vessel’s performance.” Emerson has developed a way for onboard engineering officers to remain updated with engineroom systems from their accommodation. “We can feed data to the overall automation system. engine cooling water temperature and engine lubricating oil pressure. enabling SKF engineers to produce a precisely detailed report for each vessel on the current condition of the machinery. says the EPOS program provides information on the condition of a ship’s engine. The feedback from SKF also generates a work order of the vessel’s maintenance management system. “The operational availability is ensured by the ring bus topology in combination with a media redundancy protocol. says Kongsberg’s vice president for sensor sales. The operating panel can input and display six functions and is used in four configurations. We can control power management functions. SKF will provide this service for six years. Machinery is monitored on LNG ships 50 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. Stefan Bremer.” Mr Ihmor continues. It will have a screen monitoring system. Future developments for MTU involve launching Blue Vision Premium that can be used to control controllable pitch propellers. Standard transport control protocol and internet protocol (TCP/IP) packages are used for carrying service and process data via the system bus. The cross-shaft ring structure connects all system bus stations by means of three port switches and Ethernet cables. PODs and combined systems. An optional portable operation unit can be connected at different locations via a remote interface module. pump and shaft devices. is fed through the process LAN to K-Chief and presented on the operator stations. “With MTM Automation.com .marinemec. and a new propulsion control lever. turbochargers. an automated program interrogates the condition monitoring database and determines which machines are to be monitored during the following month. He says. Jens-Christian Strate. The information can also be sent via the ship’s satellite communications to the onshore shipmanager’s office. pumps. including diesel generators. This comes under Emerson’s Marine Tank Management (MTM) automation solution.” Various instruments can also be connected for measuring engine speed. waterjets. Christian Strasser. and this can be integrated with the rest of the ship’s automation. such as within the combustion chambers. SKF sends weekly reports and recommendations back to each chief engineer along with any necessary reminders when new data sets are due. AVL’s condition monitoring systems product manager. says the company’s sales manager. “It provides information on the condition of the combustion chambers and differences between the cylinders. motors and turbines. This is managed by an Ethernet switch. gearboxes.automation & monitoring bus. or package up components in a sub-system. we have everything together in one system.” Mr Bremer says. including specific information about cylinders and subsystems. We can integrate third party systems into K-Chief to provide different interfaces with operators. and provides predictions of realistic maintenance intervals. Three types of propulsion control levers are available. AVL EPOS mimics the information on the operator stations and provides the analysis. The information was then downloaded to a condition monitoring database on the ship’s server before being automatically sent electronically to SKF for remote analysis. A non-MTU RCS and selected shipyard signals can be connected by the customer in a shipyard duct employing standard terminal technology. There will be an autopilot. and fuel levels. Austrian engineering consultancy AVL’s EPOS is linked to engineroom components through the K-Chief local area network (LAN) and the process network LAN. EPOS. Sensors were then attached to the studs to enable the recording of baseline data. All the equipment on a vessel could have different systems.” Emerson Process Management can either supply a complete automation system. gear oil pressure and temperature. hydraulic activators. The next stage of the project was to provide onboard training for the chief engineers in the use of a hand-held computers to collect data from the machines. such as pressures and temperatures. Voith-Schneider systems. with general alarms and controls. “It provides data on fuel consumption and the mechanical stresses on engine parts. but also to compare the information with engines in a fleet of ships. This way they can get the full picture of performance. On a monthly basis. remote service and diagnostics and fuel-saving functions. EPOS describes the engine status. The first systems are going on a Viking Line ferry and a Maersk Line container ship. and fuel oil tanks. so we can integrate all these into one offering to the end-user. This enables the vessels’ engineers to prioritise their work schedule and thereby increase efficiency. It is also developing new automation and control computers that will be launched by the fourth quarter of this year. “Prefabricated plugand-play cabling is used to connect the engine and gearbox as well as the MTU RCS and MCS components on the control stands to the LOP. 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[email protected] . My crew can learn a single system that provides all our navigation and oil spill detection requirements in one radar solution. the increasing complexity of ships’ systems has brought about new training needs. Kings Point also boasts navigation laboratories for simulated navigation. Along with the 2010 Manila amendments to the STCW. is a customised hybrid. and an LCD chart display from Transas Marine. these include state academies in California. Its engineroom simulator (originally developed to train engineers on fleet tankers operated by the Military Sealift Command). many decent simulators have poorly designed instructor stations. Furuno and KelvinHughes radar. as well as changes in training requirements. Massachusetts. The US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA. but rotating the view in different directions is not the same as a real 360 degree scene.” He points out that a mouse or joystick might enable a 360 degree view on screen. George Sandberg.better known for its flight simulation software.with an engineroom console from Tano (part of L3) tied to software that enables a simulation of responses to students’ actions. saying: “Although a cubical or mini-bridge simulator might be provided with software that is the same as. He says training academies should remember the importance of first considering how a simulator will be used rather than buying the infrastructure first. Each console offers a choice of Sperry Marine. Simulator based learning is now an integral part of courses designed along IMO guidelines. and for experienced mariners. recording it and monitoring it. which entered into force at the beginning of this year. Maine. and the World Folio SENC from Transas. which he subdivides into four aspects: visual.training simulators US centres are preparing for changes in STCW rules Academies should consider the potential uses of bridge and engineroom simulators. stresses the importance of fidelity. it lacks the physical fidelity of a full mission simulator. The Computer Aided Operations Research Facility (CAORF). The USMMA’s bridge simulator uses a modified version of the Polaris system by Kongsberg Maritime. also full mission. and difficulties performing screen printouts. and with search and rescue is linked www.” citing impediments to user-friendliness such as constant screen switching. and capable of running a full mission simulator.com . seafarers’ rights organisations. physical and exercise. simulator training is provided both for cadets. and purely private businesses providing simulator training to mariners. and discovering that the simulator does not meet an institution’s needs. Capt Sandberg also emphasises the importance of a well designed instructor station for running exercises. before investing in new systems by Barry Parker imulators have become an integral part of the officer training landscape as advances in technology have supported new requirements. using an array of projectors from MultiGen-Paradigm . where screen printouts play an important role. Capt Sandberg. opened at Kings Point in the mid 1970s. at Kings Point) is part of the Department of Transportation at the Federal level. who advises clients on their purchasing of training equipment. Michigan (Great Lakes Maritime). A handful of state schools also offer simulator training. many key strokes or mouse clicks. then 52 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 S California Maritime Academy’s full mission bridge simulator has a 360 degree capability creating a program. The bridge is also equipped with radar/ARPA and the Kongsberg Seamap ecdis. hydrodynamic. Continuing education of officers and seafarers is handled by the academies but also by a combination of facilities tied to labour unions. retired from Kings Point and now busy with Seasand Maritime Consulting. He says: “Unfortunately. Software for training mariners in distress response. New York and Texas. modifying it “on the fly”. Capt Sandberg suggests that a well designed instructor station should offer ease of running an exercise. He also advises potential buyers to closely evaluate “full mission” simulators. the USMMA boasts full mission bridge and engine capabilities with a linkage between the simulators. at government-run academies and at private sector vocational training centres. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention. as detailed in the amendments to the Standards of Training. within the US Maritime Administration. Nearly 40 years later.marinemec. teaching to the IMO requirements. In the United States. the first to use images generated by computer. providing official raster and ENC data. played an integral role in planning at the CAORF facility. appropriate cabling runs and communication amongst the systems. and process controls including pumping and flaring of gas (MEC June/July 2012). telex and facsimile modes. says there should be a partnership between the simulator suppliers and the training centres that will be using them. and liquid cargo handling (for crude oil. “We knew we would be using Transas for the majority if not all of the systems in the new building. The academy’s specialties include an oil spill trajectory simulator and a crisis management centre running the Transas Pisces 2 system and a liquid cargo handling simulator. Transas’s vice president for US activities.” The view is mirrored by comments from Neil Bennett.” The California Maritime Academy opened its simulation centre. with many graduates taking jobs on offshore service vessels. vessel interaction with other ships and the channel topography are all vital. running Transas NTPRO software linked to projectors with 360 degree capability. especially concerning training for bridge resource management. “The more comfortable the users are with the programs. He adds. Capt Sandberg emphasises the importance of physical fidelity. providing simulators for training academies. spaces were designed to perfectly fit the simulation systems with room for hardware. Another SCI centre is in Houston. These will be tied to the full mission bridge simulator. a semisubmersible. Transas representatives also worked on our design team for the building. It is not about what we have. Texas. Kongsberg’s existing Polaris bridge simulator is being complemented with a new advanced K-Pos DP trainer. Stephen Kreta. like the California Maritime Academy. and a propulsion plant simulator. Mr Kreta explains how the interactions between customer and vendor start early in the process. The school’s associate vice president for academic affairs. MEC California academy is ready for regulation changes With the new provisions in STCW. telephone and telex modes and satellite communications. a tanker and a drillship. There will also be additional classroom training stations. Neil Bennett. working closely with Shell in Alaska. described the long term nature of relationships with customers.to the bridge simulator. At Vancouver’s British Columbia Institute of Technology. A container stowage simulator is based on Powerstow (from Navis) used throughout the container ship fleets. There is also a Transassourced GMDSS simulator (with imitation of DSC. as well as instruction of high end piloting and research. For example. This will be based on the Kongsberg K-Pos DP22.” www. “Each successful project delivered should provide a platform for further growth and expansion into new training areas. He adds: “It is important to support the customer's investigations throughout and provide assistance wherever we can. Stephen Kreta. Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies and GlobalSim have benefited from the northward creep of oil drilling in a different way. Kongsberg’s Polaris full mission bridge simulator features at the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) education centre in Paducah.marinemec. In south Florida. have already incorporated the changes in training requirements into their curriculums. Kongsberg has also been active along the other US coasts. He adds. The bridge layout must replicate the real environment as closely as possible. Importantly. which works closely with BC Ferries and Seaspan. Louisiana-based Hornbeck Offshore has designed a proprietary simulation program to train mariners on its DP 2 multi-purpose offshore supply vessels. Some. adding.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 53 . at the Star Centre . This was upgraded in late 2010 to further serve the workboats and pilots. has taken delivery of an OSV simulator for training in navigation. In the case of our new simulation building. passenger ships and tugs. Brian Long.” The simulation centre boasts two bridge simulators. So we listen to their specific requirements. east of San Francisco. In addition. says the long relationship the academy has with Kongsberg was the reason it chose the company to supply the DP training facilities. its bridge systems include a DP 2 capability. Star Centre’s director. a tug bridge. The Star Centre’s capabilities reflect the increasing importance of the offshore sector in the US market. and simulated Navtex).a ship’s bridge. it’s about what they need. The group’s customer Superior Marine.” On Cape Cod. the Massachusetts Maritime Academy installed a full mission bridge simulator in a new building. a Tug operators are trained at the Maritime Institute of Technology on a Transas simulator dual redundant dynamic positioning system. the first thing we try to do is listen to their needs. “The good vendors are on top of STCW and incorporate it into their systems. It includes facilities for simulating oil spills. Evidencing the importance of DP 2 training. which maintains owned simulators at a facility in the Philippines. cites the importance of training for crew retention. three new simulators came online in 2011. learn about how they train or wish to train using simulators.” On setting up a simulation centre. chemical and LNG and LPG tankers) is taught on the Transas 4000. Capt Sandberg noted that hydrodynamic fidelity is critical in DP training. Kentucky. It was developed in close co-ordination with the leading towboat operators. with a Transas full mission bridge simulator in 2008 in Vallejo. “This type of training requires full mission simulation. tied to a number of smaller simulatorsincluding gas turbine and steam simulators. augmenting its existing Transas NTPRO 5000 installation. Pro-active vessel operators with large fleets or specialised vessels have also taken their simulation needs in-house and are prepared for STCW and MLC changes. high speed vessels. He says: “At Transas.” Transas’ vice president for US activities. Kongsberg Maritime.the headquarters of the American Maritime Officers labour union. it can depict scenarios of ROV handling. “The 2012 Manila amendments to the STCW Code add a few items that are best taught using simulation such as ecdis and engineroom team management. when we are talking with academies. crane operations. many of the academies and training centres are considering their simulators. Kongsberg says the DP models to be delivered include a supply vessel. also running Transas software. so we were well prepared for any changes. says the centre is prepared for changes in STCW and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).” On the US inland river system. He adds. the easier that is to accomplish. but we were already incorporating those into our curriculum. and understand as much as we can regarding their training objectives. He says: “Correct vessel handling characteristics. the partnership and relationships are long standing and was a tremendous asset to us. The academy’s associate vice president for academic affairs. Mr Bennett says it is important to follow advice on standards and to draw upon similar projects where appropriate. That way. Overseas Shipholding Group. helping to increase knowledge.com . until you get THE FULL PICTURE! THE FULL PICTURE www. You can train on day-to-day challenges as well as emergency and critical operations. Our simulator solutions are based on unrivalled experience with real systems.km.com 54 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. safety and efficiency at sea. You get the ability to train your students or crew to act with precision and certainty in difficult conditions.• • • • • • • • • Ship’s Bridge Simulators Offshore Vessel Simulators Dynamic Positioning Simulators Engine Room Simulators Ballast Handling Simulators Cargo Handling Simulators Crane & Winch Simulators Communication (GMDSS) Simulators VTS Simulators INCREASE EFFICIENCY & SAFETY AT SEA – BENEFIT FROM BEST PRACTICE! MARITIME & OFFSHORE SIMULATORS Kongsberg provides simulator solutions that maximise performance in a range of operations at sea. to provide you with the highest degree of realism in use and appearance. With Kongsberg simulators you will benefit from best practice learnt by training on operations over and over again.kongsberg.marinemec. excluding VAT. The e-learning layer has a ‘guide me’ mode. Safebridge was established in 2009 and has developed its product on the principle of ‘learning by doing’ (implicit learning). Imtech’s SeaGuide and SevenCs’ Orca following by the end of the year. The company and the platform grew out of the EC’s Leonardo da Vinci project to devise optimum training methods for seafarers. topics and specific steps or instructions. The consequences can be dramatic: “We have information coming back from fleet operators that ships are already being detained by port state control (PSC) because the officers do not have the necessary skills.com U The ‘guide me’ tutorial mode on the VisionMaster FT5 course software with chart data and the output of a data generator to simulate the ecdis under conditions at sea.1 as its basis and Safebridge has ensured this is backwards compatible with version 5.training Type-specific ecdis training boosted by distance learning The launch of Safebridge’s first online type-specific ecdis training course gives ship operators and crew an alternative to expensive and time consuming classroom training by Clare Nicholls nder the training requirements of Standards of Training. The special feature of the Safebridge system is the ‘free play’ mode. The system runs using four layers: an application server combines the ecdis manufacturer’s original www. Safebridge recommends an Internet connection of 2 Mbps. “Every individual learns in a different way.” Each ecdis tutorial has eight modules.” The test results are then sent to whoever booked the course – the individual seafarer or the ship operator. “This gives users the freedom to study when and for how long it is suitable for them – and to use the ‘free play’ feature. “Equally. 901B and 2000. beginning the moment the user first logs in. To set up the training.” said Ms Wilbrandt. These two streams are then fed to the Internet via a web server. A certificate is issued immediately. with ChartWorld’s eGlobe and Raytheon Anschütz’s Synapsis following imminently. The Vision Master FT5 course uses version 5. a crew member or a ship operator representative visits the Safebridge website and pays for a course using a credit card.” she commented. then something is wrong.” says Safebridge’s marketing manager. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) 2010. Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine’s VisionMaster FT5 was the first manufacturer’s system to go live in May.0. we have not set a limit for the number of times users can take the test. “We can tweak it to be compatible with version 4 but it will not work for older systems. navigation officers changing to a ship with an unfamiliar ecdis will have to retrain on that specific model. within which there are units. “The advantage of online learning is its flexibility and the elimination of all travel and accommodation costs. “We have had discussions with clients who have indicated that if one of their students is taking too long to complete the test. so the training process also involves learning a new language. If the timeframe between an officer receiving an assignment and joining a ship is short. “Any major version upgrades for any ecdis model will necessitate new training. with the latter manufacturer’s Chartpilot 1100 and 9330. Japan Radio Co’s JAN 701B. and as the mandatory ecdis carriage requirements take increasing effect. Ms Wilbrandt says. which can be printed out with a QR code for scanning by PSC. Some flag states require a type-specific course to last a minimum of 16 hours but Safebridge users have a three-week window to complete the training. where each menu. although the platform can function using a minimum of a 1 Mbps connection.” Ms Wilbrandt comments.” MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 55 . This allows users free access to the manufacturers’ actual software so that they can try out the system and practise using the system without having to be on board and without the risk of altering existing ecdis settings. An individual course costs €185. which provides the interactive interface to the user.” At the end of the training. There is a cut-off time for the whole test.marinemec. The crew member will receive a username and password to log into the system and then has to download the client software to run the platform. Safebridge is an online e-learning portal for specific ecdis models and could be a solution to the short-term typespecific training requirement. The instructional layer is controlled separately by the e-learning server. Multipilot 1100 and 1000. classroom training can be impractical or impossible. “There is almost no standard terminology for any function in ecdis. Ms Wilbrandt believes that the quality of the training on the Safebridge platform matches anything found in a classroom. Transas’ NaviSailor 4000. Christina Wilbrandt. tool or symbol. SAM Electronics’ Ecdispilot Platinum and Basic and Multipilot Platinum will be available from the autumn.” says Ms Wilbrandt. function and cursor specific to the individual ecdis model is explained. the user takes a test comprising an average of 10 to 12 questions of varying complexity. The scan will then take the PSC officer straight to the certificate online. SevenCs’ Ceact. marinemec. ISM. www.2011 13:30:20 C M Get your certification while onboard Y Our Onboard Courses gives value for money We provide seafarer training and assessment tools for effective compliance to STCW. Health and Environment (SHE). and Electronic Chart Display (ECDIS) and other topics as onboard courses.pdf 1 09.com/events information correct as of 10.12 platinum sponsor gold sponsor silver sponsors official publication organised by 90x190_Marine_Electronics_August.in association with 24-25 September 2012.com . and IMO standards Seagull offers Ship Security Officer (SSO). ideas and contacts that benefit your business. Please visit our web page for the full list. CM MY CY CMY K 56 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. London Will you join the debate or read about it later? Come to the third Marine Electronics & Communications Conference to be certain that you are keeping up with information. Safety.08.rivieramm.12. Safety Officer (SO). training Online training program launched C-MAR’s The Dynamic Positioning Centre and Videotel Marine. Various types of tugs and propulsion are available. addressing environmental challenges to shipping. It is www. New training covers revised STCW requirements Videotel has several new computer-based training (CBT) courses to cover IMO requirements under the new Standards of Training. “The NAUTIS tug simulator provides us with high fidelity simulation for our ASD training program. BW Shipping. “We have created e-learning CBT courses for marine environmental awareness and ship security awareness training. and a new projection system will be added. ranging from conventional shaft propellers to ASD and tractor tugs. This course was compiled with assistance from a variety of organisations and ship operators – including Bernhard Schulte. “We decided that the Polaris ship’s bridge simulator and Neptune engineroom simulator combination was a powerful and flexible system. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) regulations. which includes two full-mission bridges and four part-task bridges. and much dynamic animated content. policies and procedures. The online course contains mixed media in the form of text. The project will involve refurbishment for the main Polaris bridge simulator. The course is aligned with the Nautical Institute’s DP basic or induction course syllabus and covers all areas of DP. The full mission engineroom simulator will be upgraded with touch screen technology.38. have developed a new DP basic training course to provide greater flexibility to the teaching of DP operators. video and audio and offers a stimulating and flexible approach to training. “Our CBT courses are state-of-the-art. BV unveils web-based MLC training Bureau Veritas (BV) has launched an e-learning program to help shipping companies train their personnel for the next version of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). The web-based training is aimed at seafarers and shorebased personnel as a first step in MLC-related education. tanker operator Vela and the Maersk group. including K-Bridge and Polaris radar ARPA. It provides information to those responsible for the implementation of MLC systems and procedures on board ships. . realistic tug handling training for our customers at any location worldwide. together with modes of operation. New Polaris bridge and Neptune simulators are being installed this year.marinemec. The School of Marine Simulation’s project manager. There are links to external documents that provide a more detailed and comprehensive overview of each subject. says TOS’ manager of nautical and technical services. We are offering the possibility for our students to train on the very latest versions of these simulators. and new local operating stations. The training is divided into eight interactive modules covering the background.” says Mr Bond. with four hours of guided learning and tests between each module. NAUTIS can include a 360 degree tug simulator and desktop trainers.” The marine environmental awareness training covers IMO model course 1.” he adds.com expected that enough countries will have signed the new MLC to ratify the convention this year. We have selected the portable version because the simulator will guarantee high quality. Ronald van der Kolk. users intending to become DP operators will have sufficient understanding of the principles and practice of DP to confidently undertake a programme of simulator exercises as the next step towards gaining a recognised DP qualification from the Nautical Institute. and multi-tug operations and finetune ship manoeuvring parameters. On completion of the course. “This is what we mean by ‘virtual’ learning – it is the closest we can ››› Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 57 Tug trainer deployed in Rotterdam VSTEP has delivered a NAUTIS tug training simulator to Transport & Offshore Services’ (TOS) headquarters in Rotterdam. But TOS will use a portable version of the simulator for mobile training purposes. Each module includes tests and case studies of good MLC implementation. The security awareness training addresses the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code. The Det Norske Veritas-certified NAUTIS trainer will be used for TOS’ new azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug training programme.” NAUTIS enables training on the handling of tugs with different propulsion systems during a variety of operations. the latter now being a requirement for everyone on board ship. He adds. says Videotel’s deputy chairman. says BV. New consoles.27. the marine environment. NAUTIS includes a set of instructor tools to prepare and control manoeuvring exercises. security plans. Stephen Bond. concept and requirements of the convention. including system architecture and basic principles. The London-based company has also introduced e-learning to cover working at height and in enclosed spaces. New simulators for Tyneside Model of the upgraded Polaris bridge simulator South Tyneside College is upgrading its navigation and engineroom simulators with new Kongsberg Maritime equipment. images. operational procedures and risk considerations. Paul Hodgson. which reduces the training time required at a C-MAR DP Centre. It covers the key threats to shipping. says the decision was made to ensure the college kept up with cutting-edge technology. emissions to air and the introduction of invasive species. animations. STCW requirements and IMO model course 3. highly visual and engaging with interesting and informative video. Shell. Our new courses are broken down into five separate modules [each]. communication and reporting. using the extensive library of exercises and models we have developed over the years. If required they can then easily move up to a higher level. “Under the Manila amendments to STCW. as well as the competency.” Mr Bond explains the driver behind developing new CBT. Graham Wagstaff. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) in September. But we can also supply a series of touch screens to replicate the hard panels or the real switchboard hardware. Seagull’s senior course instructor. or the main switchboard. “There is a load calculator from Kockum Sonics to simulate the loads on the vessel’s hull during loading and unloading. But STCW should be considered as a minimum for training and many ship operators will be obliged to abide by the reports. This follows approval from the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) for the course earlier this year. without repeating any of the e-learning modules they have already taken.” Mr Bond says. He adds. “We have an advisory group that meets twice a year and they highlighted the need for dedicated training on working aloft on tankers. Crew need to be competent and vessel operators need to keep records to ensure their staff and crew keep up with their training.” The new courses have also been certified by DNV through the SeaSkill programme. Transas is migrating its models from the old platforms – ERS 5000 engineroom and LCHS 4000 liquid cargo handling. It takes between three and six months to add new ship models to the TechSim. It is writing new models for various ship types for its TechSim simulator platform to enable interaction with bridge and crane simulators for resource management training.training ››› get to simulating actual maritime operations. putting them through problematic challenges that are based on real life situations from accident reports and experience. “In the product tanker model. which effectively required us to start again from basic and produce security training that has been fully checked by DNV against the revised STCW.” Mr Brunvoll adds. It is all about putting pressure on the crew. with continued NMA backing.com . others are focused on particular types of vessels. “For tankers and gas carriers specifically. “Instructors can make valves fail and a member of the team would have to go out of the control room to manually operate the valve. One recent addition to the Transas portfolio was TechSim engineroom and liquid cargo handling software for a Panamax product carrier with a MAN MC engine. vessel charterers and organisations like the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) in providing training courses. It shows hull stress.” Almost any piece of equipment control can be simulated. The training is a DVD format with interactive CD-ROM that can be accessed on board and ashore. The training is also designed so that seafarers are more or less obliged to familiarise themselves with the particular security requirements of the vessel they are on and the company employing them. controls for the steering gear or fire stations or boilers.” says Mr Wagstaff. port state control (PSC). The latest models to be added are for ferries and LPG carriers.” MEC Transas creates new models for engineroom simulators Transas Marine is developing more simulator software for its engineroom and cargo handling simulators. for example. such as environmental awareness and ship security awareness. offshore patrol vessels.” Transas has written a desktop cargo handling simulator for LNG carriers 58 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.” Norwegians approve Seagull's new ship security e-learning course Seagull will be launching computer-based training (CBT) on ship security to comply with Standards of Training. including those on the bridge. All engineroom and cargo handling simulators should be able to operate on laptops or desktop PCs for the training of large volumes of people. “We are addressing the requirements of STCW. Anders Brunvoll. depending on their position and duties on board. The simulator replicates all of the panels of the tanker’s machinery controls. Our training is not easy – we do not want it be just a ‘tick-box’ exercise. we simulate the control and monitoring system with various screen shots.” Although many courses. With the new security onboard training we offer three courses and. We have worked with Maersk Tankers and Stena Bulk to develop this training with video filmed on their ships. says there are particular provisions in CBT to ensure seafarers are properly trained in anti-piracy techniques. are suitable for all ship types. “Seafarers will be able to start at any of the three levels. There are already TechSim models for enginerooms and cargo handling systems for Anzac frigates. shipowners can be assured that certification through these courses will demonstrate the proficiency. suction hopper dredgers and azipod dieselelectric cruise ships. “This was a challenging process. cargo handling and bridge simulators is an integrated approach to training. in engineroom control areas and on the equipment. randomised questions to really challenge seafarers to learn and remember. It can simulate sloshing effects if we change the weather and sea conditions during loadings. Combining engineroom. we have introduced a new programme for working at height. Trainees can work out and enter a cargo plan including how to fill the tanks in parcels and calculate the stresses on the ship during loading.marinemec. “We would test the team with failures and problems. All our courses have a substantial range of timed. People on board are required to work in these tanks and clamber down into enclosed spaces that may contain toxic substances.” he says. Mr Wagstaff explains. flag states. buoyancy and stability calculations. all seafarers must receive generic security awareness and familiarisation training. plus valve and pipework schematics. such as replicating engine automation. crew would be asked to go out of the control room to tackle the simulated local controls and remain in radio contact. while those with specific security related roles need appropriate training for their role. ability and onward development. of their seafarers in security matters. such as changing from heavy fuel oil to diesel. We have also included valve control on a systems schematic screen. says Transas’ technical simulation business director.” The cargo handling simulator includes cargo control room screens. It is because tankers are large vessels with huge tanks and high levels of health and safety requirements. “Getting NMA approval is very important for us. During training with this simulator. “We want to have a full library of full mission simulators on TechSim. we have designed all our courses to increase skill. superyachts.indd 1 MEC_SSM_half_AugSept12_190 x 130mm 10/08/2012 11:13 Page 1 16/07/12 12:53 Drum Cussac’s Maritime Division is a market leader in anti-piracy and maritime security consultancy. Our services are supported by a dedicated Maritime Operations Team and a purpose-built 24/7 Response Centre. commercial vessels. We are certified by the DfT Maritime Security (formerly TRANSEC). Hamburg. a member of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) and actively participating in the Security in Complex Environments Group (SCEG) along with the Steering Committee of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC).com Come and visit us at Stand 113. port facilities and the energy sector. SMM. +44 (0) 1202 802 060 |
[email protected]_Ad_new2011 190x130 Meer. accredited by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 59 . We provide specialist advice and security solutions globally to the oil and gas industry. offshore operators. Hall B8.marinemec.com www. 4-7 September 2012 Global Presence Europe | North America and Caribbean | Latin America | Africa | Middle East | Asia and Pacific www. marinemec. Commenting on the bespoke system. was published in August 2011. not the solution to the eradication of piracy. Masamichi Morooka. legal framework can move to a system where shipowners can provide an adequate deterrent to pirate attacks.com n 2011 the seas off East Africa saw a significant increase in attacks by Somaliabased pirates. but it recognises that while the industry awaits a more permanent. While BMP4 has much to say regarding onboard preparations and the provision of physical barriers. the majority being used as human shields by the pirates.vessel security anti-piracy Armed guards are not the long-term solution Ships wishing to avoid hijacking must use best practice. and that all necessary permits and licenses are obtained. long-term solution. these efforts do not represent the long-term solution the industry is calling for. The Human Cost of Somali Piracy 2011. and make it clear that any piracy will not be tolerated. International shipping association BIMCO has published its GuardCon standard contract for the employment of security guards on vessels. The company has introduced a custom-built computerised system to facilitate direct contact with its teams on board vessels in high risk areas. fear. The current inquiry will consider what progress has been made by Operation Atalanta and whether the threat of Somalian piracy is being reduced. weapons and personnel. the ICS emphasised that the provision of armed guards is at best a short-term expedient. chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is quite clear in his view that the situation remains 60 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I Naval forces helped thwart nearly 90 per cent of pirate attacks on shipping in 2011 entirely unacceptable. That report called for a more robust approach to be taken with pirates along with greater efforts to tackle the poverty seen as the root cause of the problem. management issues – including selection. deterring and delaying pirate attack in the high risk areas. While welcoming such progress. 35 hostages died in 2011. said: “It is really world-class software developed in-house to meet the business and customers’ needs. notes that in addition to all the foregoing miseries.” BIMCO says it would not like to see the use of armed security guards on ships becoming institutionalised. according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre. The guidance covers professional certification. a detailed report from the IMB and Oceans Beyond Piracy. One of the many companies providing armed guards. At the end of last year a change in government policy allowed UK-registered vessels to employ armed guards to defend themselves against pirates in exceptional circumstances. chief of operations for Sea Marshals. governments need to task their military to take further immediate action to restore security on the high seas now. So far this year hijackings are even lower than 2011. Ultimately. It enables us to provide first-rate communications between our operations centre and vessels under our protection. NATO shipping centre and IMB. guards currently provide an effective deterrent to piracy attacks. intelligence. said. eight died from disease or malnutrition while 19 died during rescue efforts by naval vessels or attempting to escape. according to IMO.” ICS members hope recent action by EU NAVFOR against a major pirate base in Somalia signals the start of a more robust military response. Grant Hunter. Commenting on the current situation. armed guards and naval forces are thwarting a greater number of attacks. IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) recently delivered interim guidance to private maritime security companies (PMSCs) providing contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the high risk area. humiliation and uncertainty meted out to the hostages. Lieutenant Commander Jacqueline Sherriff. suffering. vetting and training of personnel – and deployment considerations with particular reference to legal compliance.” Best management practices (BMP) for protection against Somalia based piracy provides industry agreed advice to assist ships in avoiding. but the success rate fell from 29 per cent (50 hijacked vessels) in 2010 to 11. The economic impact of piracy is overshadowed by the increasing levels of violence. says it operates a complete maritime security service using fully qualified armed and unarmed security teams. Eight were killed by pirates during or after an attack. Sea Marshals Ltd. said that allowing the use of armed guards in a structured. Chief officer for legal and contractual affairs. enabling us to keep captains up to speed with updates of threats in their area. good preparation and additional measures depending on their particular circumstances by Alan Welcome for the employment of security services so that minimum levels of insurance cover for PMSCs are established and that adequate safeguards are put in place to ensure that liabilities and responsibilities are properly addressed. “While we recognise that long-term solutions are needed to restore law and order in Somalia itself. The new system allows for automated location tracking of vessels. Thomas Jakobsson. with 13 vessels hijacked. Masters and shipowners can access the latest advice via relevant websites including Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA). Shipping minister. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) may be contacted at any time for updated advice. The House of Lords EU sub-committee on external affairs is conducting a follow-up to its 2010 report into combating Somali piracy. Although ship operators.5 per cent (33 hijacked). the only way to properly address this appalling mess are solutions that deal effectively with the political and social problems that beset Somalia. communications equipment and other electronic apparatus including acoustic devices feature increasingly in the toolbox of any vessel well prepared for entering high risk areas. BMP4. company requirements. The current version. spokesperson for the Royal Navy EU Naval www. Mike Penning. “GuardCon’s objective is to create a contractual benchmark . the Jeppesen Piracy Update is an overlay feature for digital C-MAP charts in Jeppesen’s OceanView route planning systems.” She said ships most likely to be taken are those that are ill-prepared through failure to apply the guidance and self-protection measures in BMP4. UKMTO. “We have always maintained that BMP should be renamed ‘minimum management practice’. Each ship has different vulnerabilities. Recorded CCTV footage may provide useful evidence following an attack. In daylight. ships and shipowners can also take advantage of a variety of commercial services designed to provide up-todate information relating to pirate activity and the location of pirate vessels. he says. Lieutenant Commander Sherriff recommends the use of anti-piracy planning chart Q6099 produced by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) with support from the EU Naval Force and NATO. “If the radar detects a vessel the camera will automatically turn in the right direction so that you can clearly see what the blip on the radar screen really means. For example. the minimum BMP4 reporting requirement. such as the UKMTO. as well as leading news media and a wide network of independent sources. The EU Naval Force actions against pirate logistic supplies on the shoreline taken on 14 May were part of a concerted effort to deny pirate action groups this freedom of movement. The United States Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence. “In terms of [the pirates’s] continued willingness to launch attacks. we make an additional layer of information and upload it to the Jeppesen server. thermal imaging cameras are not affected by glare from the sun. said IMO piracy figures highlight the value of self-protection measures because a number of attacks in 2011 were thwarted through the proper application of all BMP selfprotection measures. Logically.9 considers the use of CCTV over vulnerable areas.marinemec. This will give ample time to react and prepare for a possible attack.” He notes that thermal imaging cameras do not require any light whatsoever to produce clear images. if a vessel can avoid areas in which pirates are operating. our company experts process and analyse it before forwarding it to Jeppesen.” The Jeppesen service allows viewing of detailed source descriptions for verification purposes.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 61 . If the data is received from a credible source.” MEC Naval forces provide aerial protection for ships in pirate risk areas www. says Flir Commercial Systems’s marketing director. Christiaan Maras.” she said. there still remains a considerable freedom of movement in pirate operational regions of Puntland and Galmadug. However. He says the company has delivered a number of systems to vessels operating in pirate sensitive areas. unlike CCTV cameras. so we can release it immediately. She noted. and unlike cameras that use light amplification – also called I2 – the operator will not be blinded if a light is pointed at the camera.Force. MSCHOA. noting that BMP can only be effective if all the necessary measures deemed appropriate to protect a particular vessel by the risk assessment conducted as part of the ship security plan are put in place. notes Mr Nodland.3 x 2. Data sources include IMB. Jeppesen’s strategic partner in the service. “It is not a ‘one hat fits all’ situation. said Mr Maras. while section 8. “After Bergen Risk Solutions receives this data. This can be downloaded as a pdf from the UKHO website. After the data has been verified. particularly the poop deck. suggests considering the use of night vision optics and advises maintaining a careful radar watch. While thermal imaging cameras will not prevent pirate attacks they do enable operators to see suspect vessels at a considerable distance. Vessels that are too small to be picked up by a radar will still appear clearly on a thermal image. it should be safe. “A thermal imaging camera like the Flir Voyager will detect small 2. LRIT and SSAS. This is not common practice in the industry. Data is updated five times a day during weekdays and once a day at weekends. Arild Nodland is founder and chief executive of Bergen Risk Solutions. The most substantial part of the analysis involves crossreferencing the data to verify its accuracy. we know it has already been checked.2 ‘Watchkeeping and Enhanced Vigilance’. only 25 per cent of merchant vessels successfully pirated had registered with MSCHOA. This assessment is borne out by operational analysis by the Combined Maritime Force which found that from May 2011 to May 2012. Data from our own network of sources might take up to 24 hours to verify. BMP4 section 8.” She noted the anti-piracy value of merchant vessels’ communication arrangements and mandatory electronic equipment such as AIS. A thermal imaging camera can also be connected to the radar in a so-called ‘slew-tocue’ configuration. allied to a well prepared and drilled ship’s crew.3 metre vessels from about 6km away. REGISTER TODAY WITH VIP CODE MECVIP! EXPLORATION PRODUCTION SUPPORT VESSEL DRILLING www. November 6-8.Oil Comm Unveiling the next generation of communications solutions for the oil and gas community.com 20765 . 2012 Houston Marriott Westchase Houston. TX Join more than 1.OilComm.200 colleagues at this premier annual event dedicated solely to communications in an offshore or remote inland environment. The system utilises HP servers to handle the entertainment features. mobile devices and onboard Internet. product manager at Zenitel. which allows users to record TV programmes. The infotainment portal allows the cruise operator to distribute information about the ship.” he comments. updated every month. This allows access to the entertainment catalogue.com . “For instance a wake-up alarm feature can only be utilised if interactive TVs are installed. It offers passengers live TV . or an interactive restaurant menu. Zenitel will continue this service to give their customers a choice of packages. For shorter journeys. Alarm systems can be integrated as Siemens’ Media4Cruises allows third party application integration well.” says Thomas Lillevik. Then if they want to return. Many ships are now equipped with in-cabin entertainment systems which owners can utilise to generate income as well as ensuring that passengers and crew are satisfied when on passage. so we are now free to offer more of these services ourselves. Previously.entertainment systems Customisable infotainment systems adapt to users’ needs Passengers and crew alike increasingly expect to have multiple entertainment options on long voyages but owners can leverage interactive entertainment systems to bring in revenue. they can just swipe the card again. Additionally. Its Vingtor Infotainment product was originally launched in 2010 but is now receiving a wholesale upgrade. the company is launching a network private video recorder (NPVR) for crew. Locatel. Customers can choose from HP or Cisco switches. Zenitel can provide a digital signage system for public areas that can carry advertisements for onboard shops.” says Mr Lillevik. too by Clare Nicholls W ith the rise of interactive TVs. Crew will be able to play music from their own mp3 players through the TV by pairing their devices using Bluetooth. This makes the system very flexible. Zenitel has used its partner. Zenitel has also developed an IP TV solution which can be installed in the backs of seats in passenger lounges. the TV can pause the entertainment and display a message directing passengers and crew to muster stations.” The updated set-top box will connect to an open media. as well as providing Internet access and an e-mail service. The set-top boxes will also be enabled with WiFi Internet access and Bluetooth. or send Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 63 www. on demand server on to which owners can load their choice of movies.” Zenitel is currently installing its new systems on a 200-cabin vessel under construction in Croatia. The programme data is stored on a central server.” comments Mr Lillevik. The system can also integrate with ships’ CCTV cameras. accessed through a core switch. so if a general alarm is sounded. as well as a jack-up rig being built in Dubai.marinemec. “We advise customers to purchase interactive TVs so that they can control the TVs from the servers. the set-top box will connect to the server and access the recording a user has specified. Furthermore. to carry out commissioning for some systems. “It is now possible for our customers to add or delete pages or edit text and insert images on a page. Users can purchase a radio frequency identification (RFID) card which they swipe in front of the screen. “We have decided to train our own staff to commission the systems. Passengers can also receive news and weather information. so crew can monitor other areas of the vessel or passengers can watch the view from the bow of a ship if a camera has been set up there. marketing content or booking services. video and music on demand. owners were only able to purchase a movie library from Zenitel. Another system that allows customisable content is Siemens’ Media4Cruises. Zenitel IP TV systems are installed on 20 fleets of ships in total. but Mr Lillevik reports that this company does not have enough manpower to project manage the amount of installations Zenitel currently requires. “We have improved the graphical user interface so that it is easy for our customers to edit what the end-user will see on their screens. “The great thing about this system is that if a passenger wants to pause the entertainment and move to another area of the ship. owners have many opportunities to connect with guests and crew at sea. Norway-based Zenitel is in the process of introducing a variety of new features to its entertainment systems offerings. they can re-swipe the card in front of any screen in any seat and the entertainment will start from the same place it stopped at. or an integrated smart TV.” says Oliver Schwarz. can book additional features and get aquainted with the offers during their cruise. Allin’s PBX integration services also enable onboard staff to reach passengers on their registered mobile devices via VoIP . as passengers have their mobile phones with them everywhere they go. “The set-top box is the mature. “This technology opens up a whole new range of possibilities. but roaming charges can be expensive. video. shop. This combines satisfied passengers with increased turnover. watch a movie. Furthermore they can use the system to book onboard hospitality services and see the latest ship and route information. but in fact it is supplied by a third party. On the TV screen this application looks like it is part of our system.” Mr Schwarz says. SAM Electronics’ subsidiary. third-party applications can be integrated. “We recommend passengers download the application before they board. chat. “The lights and air conditioning are connected to the same network as the infotainment system so we could utilise that. sales manager at Siemens Communications.” MEC www. following Funa’s acquisition of Mavco earlier this year. the sooner they get informations about their cruise. and then sends a message to each passenger when it discovers a picture of them. These deployments will add over 4. lighting. select wake-up and room comfort preferences. This solution is a fully integrated platform with interactive guest services and operationenhancing business intelligence.” There are two hardware formats for the system: a set-top box. Passengers can now use their mobile devices to control these elements through the ship’s intranet. increase productivity and reduce costs. Guests can use the portal to make enquiries. According to Mr Schwarz. transparency. options. passengers are reachable on their own numbers. “With our guest service portal we designed an innovative platform for the hospitality industry to maximise guest satisfaction and gain significant cost savings.” says Mr Schwarz. The passenger can then order and pay for the photo using the system. Allin Interactive launched the feature earlier this year as a component of its DigiMobile platform. housekeeping. this extends many of Allin’s interactive TV applications to passengers’ mobile devices. “Due to its unique architecture the guest service portal delivers outstanding convenience. entertain. concierge.e. any time during the travel cycle using their tablet. The pair will be delivered in 2013 and 2014.” says Tino Herrmann. Also. Media and Technology. Using a smart TV means we are bound to a particular manufacturer’s model. The technology enables phone-to-phone and phone-to-onboard extension calling as well as VoIP existing operational structure to deliver expanded capabilities to its customer base. A content management portal manages digital assets. It enables guests to interact with cruise ship staff anywhere. The quicker they have access to this application. broadcast and security systems.” Siemens also provides onboard GSM roaming services or voice over IP (VoIP) Internet telephony. This uses wireless LAN to call other people on the same network via VoIP. Elsewhere. Combined with a ship’s onboard WiFi network. as long as they download an application. “For instance on the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet.” comments Mr Schwartz. which we have to adapt for each installation. Mavco specialises in audio.entertainment systems e-postcards. flexibility. ship-to-shore calling between registered phones and worldwide phones. they have added a photo shop where passengers can buy photos of themselves which have been taken during the voyage. The graphical user interface allows the owner to add its branding to the system. scalability and reliability and provides real-time analytics and advertising capabilities. “The application may use face recognition technology to compare the images to each guest’s photo ID. The guest service portal achieves its functionality through five unified guest interfaces. respectively. and there is also a web-based global device management tool.000 passenger cabins to the DigiHD installed base worldwide.” Another system supplier has already introduced VoIP calling to its portfolio. Operation is designed to be easy and seamless and affords branding and customer loyalty opportunities. “For GSM. Funa. Norwegian Cruise Line awarded Allin with a contract to install the DigiHD digital interactive television solution on newbuilds Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. which is no longer needed. will now integrate Mavco into its They can book restaurants and check activities and shore excursion itineraries during the day without having to ask a crew member.” Passengers can also access the system through mobile devices. TV or mobile devices. Both companies are headquartered in Miami.” A feature that controls lighting and air conditioning levels was launched this year. public address. “There are advantages and disadvantages for both formats. Recently. “It is a feature aimed at the luxury end of the market. which connects to a standard TV. visuals and interactivity that guests will love. “Smart TVs are new and create both opportunities and challenges. as it is cheaper to just use a light switch than a network controller with all the electronics behind it. The upside is the saving on the set top box. guest modules (i. branding and customer loyalty building. Its central intelligence platform reflects open standards. vice president of hospitality solutions at Lufthansa Systems. VoIP Internet telephony shifts the business of the network operation and billing from the network operators to the ship operators. Lufthansa Systems has developed a new guest service portal designed to give cruise lines a competitive advantage by enabling operators to capture new revenue streams.marinemec. dine. proven solution. socialise and inform) and a robust architecture. book a service. The guest status database identifies guests and their preferences and this information can be leveraged for personalisation. book and shop. send e-cards and plan an excursion.com Lufthansa’s new Guest Services Portal enables passengers to make onboard reservations 64 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 . USA. Media4Cruises is a very open infotainment system. SAM's Funa acquires Mavco Two companies that number onboard entertainment technology supplies among their portfolios will now be jointly managed. . Ofer Ship Holding has adopted the new FB multi-voice capability from Inmarsat distribution partner Station 711. L-band services remain the preferred option for most container ship operators. on one of its ships. NYK is installing KVH’s TracPhone V7 systems on more than 100 vessels.” NYK says. This requires delivering real-time weather and sea current forecasts to the ship and automatically sending ship operations data back to shore for ongoing analysis. It all depends on how we use the data to save fuel. We will use several suppliers and the choice between VSAT or FB depends on the 66 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 V Shipowners are investing in VSAT. the fuel oil consumption will need an additional 10 tonnes.000 TEU container vessel. but innovative owners are investing in VSAT or onboard GSM networks and voice over IP (VoIP) technology. then ship and engine performance information from our container ships to the shore. It has trialled the Vocality private branch exchange (PBX) alongside Japan Radio Co’s FB 500 terminal. But the tools cannot save anything alone. as well as VoIP telephone lines with optimised service and prioritisation of applications. He explains. Dotan Sofer.” The mini-VSAT Broadband service equips vessels with data rates up to 1 Mbps. there needs to be more.” VSAT is a facilitator for other business uses. “Performance monitoring is one of the tools we use. The improved connectivity provided by our miniVSAT Broadband service will allow for greater information sharing and collaboration between NYK employees on vessels and shore. or larger.” He says an essential piece of business information to be sent across the VSAT terminal will be for berthing of NYK’s vessels. NYK’s general manager for Europe and Africa communications. With an 8. Japanese shipping group Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) decided to invest in KVH Industries’ VSAT technology across the fleet of container ships. It also provides affordable communications for crew members to communicate with their families or use the Internet.container ships Satcoms and WiFi are in demand for crew and cargo NYK container ships are being fitted with KVH VSAT for business and crew requirements essel operators are upgrading their satellite communications with either VSAT or L-band services such as Inmarsat FleetBroadband (FB) or Iridium OpenPort to improve crew welfare and vessel operations. He explains. It may contribute to attracting the younger generations to become seafarers and to retain our current seafarers as well. L-band services and GSM networks for crew welfare and container tracking vessels' voyages and trends. “Berthing information is the key for saving bunker costs.com . and the associated hardware. Ian Aitchison.” Another advantage is the crew welfare services it activates. JRC-500. but as NYK says. Another container ship operator is trialling a new way to deliver crew phone and data services without the upfront costs of VSAT. These 60cm-diameter antennas. “NYK’s IBIS project helps improve the operation of their ships and reduce CO2 emissions. any last-minute arrival time changes will cost a lot in extra fuel. under the OceanBB brand. are supplied through KVH’s partner SKY Perfect JSAT. Brent Bruun.marinemec. such as vessel performance monitoring. Both were deployed on the 4. The Japanese shipowner is an innovator in the sector in its efforts to optimise the economic and environmental impact of the fleet. If the vessel needs to arrive one hour earlier in 12 hours. “It was easy to integrate the FB multi-voice www.250 TEU Zim Constanza on a free trial from Station 711. says Ofer’s head of IT. It also gives crew Internet access along with the FB. says KVH’s senior vice president of global sales and business development. tankers and dry bulk carriers. the shipowner will use KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband to send realtime information between these ships and its shore bases. Under NYK’s innovative bunker and idle-time saving (IBIS) project. increasing both safety and efficiency. says the satcoms investment is about reducing fuel consumption and enhancing vessel performance. “We use VSAT to send real-time oceanographic data to our vessels. “Broadband is beneficial for our business and crew welfare. and are now in full use with crew paying for voice and data services with pre-paid cards. We think FB is suitable and good enough for our business and crew needs. but they are receiving the same high quality voice service as the bridge. says Station 711’s sales director. The se@Comm WiFi service will provide access points to enable crew to use their own laptops and smartphones to stay connected to these services on board the ships. or JRC-500 FB terminals will be installed on all of the newbuildings. “The crew do not have to use the ship’s equipment as they can use their own devices over the built-in onboard WiFi. billing and account management. This is easy for crew and the prices are cheaper than dialling directly. Silvio Laureti explains. plus Fleet 77 terminals supplied by Thrane & Thrane (Sailor terminals) or JRC.” Station 711’s FB web platform provides a suite of customised management and control tools for Inmarsat services. The high quality of the multiple voice lines is the same as we had previously on the existing FB terminal. as they have more privacy. GLOBECOMM’S SE@COMM SOLUTION KEEPS WIFI FOR CREW COMMUNICATIONS SEPARATE FROM THE SHIP’S BUSINESS se@Comm Ship Business Sat Terminal Captain Bridge Ships Office se@Comm PC se@Wall Firewall Ships Network Business Traffic Only se@Comm Crew WiFI Crew Traffic Only Cabin A WiFi Laptop Crew recreation Area WiFi Crew Mobile Device Italian tie-up for Station 711 More shipowners will be able to use the Station 711 suite of value-added services over FleetBroadband (FB) after Telecom Italia selected the company to provide a web management platform. Albert Bokelmann.capability into the vessel’s infrastructure. He adds. “The comprehensive voice and e-mail service enables us to significantly reduce our overall communications costs and provide crew calling services that positively impact welfare and morale while at sea. This includes provisioning and spending control.” The ship’s business communications are kept separate through the se@Wall firewall unit. Telecom Italia’s vice president of new products and services. As a long-time Iridium customer. all due to be delivered over the rest of this year and 2013. The vessels will receive one dedicated voice line for the captain and two independent crew phone lines. Kobi Ohayon. German ship operator Reederei Werner Bockstiegel chose to upgrade its crew calling services with Iridium’s new Pilot terminals and OpenPort services along with Globecomm’s Telaurus se@Comm communications package. Ofer did look at other satcom systems for these newbuildings. and to shipping companies as there are no memory sticks stuck into the ship’s computers or network.com BBC Chartering in Leer.” Mr Ross continues. like having a tight cost control over FB traffic. or being overheard. The Internet-based administration interface allows Telecom Italia to provide its customers with a self management value-added service for billing.” Globecomm supplied Iridium Pilot terminals and service plans for the Reederei Werner Bockstiegel ships through its local sales agent. tablets and smartphones. the German shipmanager had a mixture of terminals on board its vessels. It decided to standardise the satcoms solution across the fleet and allow crew to use their own laptops. and trust in its reliability to keep our business on course and our crews safe. and the crew really appreciates the added flexibility and privacy that this service provides. It also includes advance price notifications and push delivery of e-mails “It was vital for us to combine affordable equipment with competitive airtime to give flexibility to our vessels. We are strongly committed to improve our satellite offering with solutions that best fit our customers’ needs. “The attraction was the way to keep crew calling. customer care. It also has 10 new vessels on order. Sailor 500. Prior to this.marinemec. even in remote areas or small ports. Mr Sofar explains. “Everything goes through this unit to and from the satellite terminal and it is the firewall that keeps the crew and business communication streams separate. has reported that having se@Comm installed will improve their daily operations significantly by enabling their e-mails to be delivered to the vessel in real-time. e-mail and messaging services.” he adds. our charterer company. reseller billing. for which they can use our low-cost pre-paid cards. says Reederei Werner Bockstiegel’s fleet manager. This has great benefits to the crew. The rest of Ofer’s fleet have a mixture of FB150 and FB250. “Our crew have the possibility of having conversations without waiting for lines to become free. www. Gregor Ross.” Phone calls through FB multi-voice and Vocality PBX are of the same high quality voice service as calls would be on the bridge. “FB multi-voice adds significant value to the service. and traffic monitoring.” Mr Sofer says. messaging and Internet browsing separate from the business communications.” says Mr Bokelmann. The crew are very happy with it. On the Reederei Werner Bockstiegel fleet. This improves online security by reducing the risk of passing on viruses and other malware over the ship network. Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 67 . “We have decided to invest in enriching our offer of Inmarsat FB services with one of the most advanced suites of value added services. we appreciate the power of the world’s furthestreaching network. “We have checked out VSAT and found it to be expensive.” Multivoice also supports the 505 emergency calling capability that connects a vessel immediately to a maritime rescue centre. Nordic-IT Marine Communications. and we expect it to be very attractive to the shipping companies we work with. but still chose FB 500. provisioning and customer self-management. says Globecomm’s sales and marketing director. The project included installing WiFi and L-band terminals on 65 vessels in the fleet to enhance crew phone. Not only do the crew now have more privacy for their calls. We are now out of the pilot stage and crew are paying for the minutes with pre-paid cards. This is part of Ericsson’s service to Maersk. we use two of our access points. Operators can charge their clients more.” says Mr Ross.” MEC Container tracking costs controlled through GSM The costs of tracking containers on ships is about to drop as Vobal Technologies is launching a new GSM-based technology. “Our technology uses much less bandwidth than other GSM networks. At present we have GSM networks for cell phones and messaging services. have chosen to install VSAT services to accommodate the additional data requirements. Companies using containers to transport their products around the world will be able to track their cargoes. Ericsson is the overall project manager and provides the onboard GSM base stations. We recently did some installations for Reederei Werner Bockstiegel in Singapore and Latvia. “For our service there would be no SIM card changes and we can extend the service down into the cargo hold.” Containers can be tracked on ships as well as in port 68 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.” says Mr Ross. so companies can communicate with their containers. Malaysia and the Middle East. But Vobal’s GSM technology can operate over FleetBroadband (FB).com . says Mr Ravi. Ronnie Ravi. There will be cables connecting the antenna to the below-deck control units and one to the firewall unit in the bridge area. There is also a cable to the first access point. The company wants to do further tests with the container tracking technology. such as Maersk Line. then se@Connect can throttle back crew connectivity to just voice and messaging. Globecomm provides the VSAT back haul through its operation centres and satellite network. to provide the cargo tracking for their customers. “We also provide the geofencing that follows the ships and manages the satellite link when they are out of GSM roaming range.” he adds. “When the ship is close to shore. We developed the system that manages the GSM network seamlessly for the clients. It is a different approach as it is more like voice over IP (VoIP). So we can design GSM systems to operate over FB as well as VSAT to minimise the expense and bandwidth use. The company also provides se@Connect units for managing crew Internet browsing and connectivity. “Our GSM service works over standard IP channels at just 6 Kbps for crew communications and uses just 5MB of bandwidth per month. people will also be able to control container temperatures and pressures. which land line-based GSM services cannot penetrate.” Mr Ross explains.marinemec. The installations take half a day as we try and get the crew to do the preparation work. We have just released the container tracking service and have done trials on it at sea. we will have introduced GPRS [general packet radio service]. “The GSM network would provide connections around the ship and inside cargo areas. and eventually control their storage environments with a chip linked to an onboard network. then crew can browse the Internet. by blocking Internet access until VSAT becomes available again. We would provide the GSM infrastructure to ensure their products can be accessed at sea as well as on land. We are rolling this out to the Maersk fleet through our service centres in Singapore. It is a major contract covering 150 vessels with options to extend this to 400 vessels. Globecomm is also working with Ericsson to Iridium Pilot terminals provide the satellite link for Reederei Werner Bockstiegel managed vessels provide an onboard GSM solution for container tracking and crew calling on other container ship fleets worldwide. “Container ship operators will be interested as the costs will be less than US$1 per voyage to track the container. says Vobal’s chief operating officer. “There is a lot of interest in cargo tracking through GSM. This is particularly important for companies transporting perishable cargoes in refrigerated containers. The main contract for these services is with Maersk Line. When GPRS is available. then mobile phone services can roam within the terrestrial networks. Companies will be able to track containers at sea and monitor sensors that can alert them if the refrigerated temperature drops or if there is a break-in. so it could be profitable for them.” Mr Ravi says most GSM networks use a lot of bandwidth. the traffic goes through the satellite link. We are looking for partners that have a vessel for further tests of the GSM infrastructure. and on newbuildings in China. so there are no cables. But if VSAT is not available. which boost the WiFi network. and includes linking GSM through VSAT services. “If the VSAT is available. “On a standard container ship with six decks. “By the fourth quarter of this year. But when the ship is out of range.” For crew calling Vobal has its S3 GSM base station and S2 VoIP server. and container tracking.container ships Nordic-IT installed the WiFi network and hardware. These trials have proven that the concept works. The second access point installed is a wireless repeater. We are also in talks with companies that provide container monitoring and controls. which is why some operators. “We found suitable positions on the vessels to install the access points. which means it is viable as an attachment to FB150 L-band services. he says. such as installing the mountings and cable runs.” Globecomm’s se@Wall firewall unit can also be connected to Inmarsat and/or VSAT terminals. He explains. both above and below deck and will also relay land GSM signals into the holds when in port.com www.Your customers can monitor their cargo on land.com service@ses-marine. We are also compatible with VSAT and can operate in failover environments between VSAT and FBB so you won’t need to upgrade existing broadband satellite equipment (FBB or VSAT). significantly reducing data expenses. Marine Electronics for the Shipping Industry l l l l l Supplier of all leading brands – see our website Accredited ISO 9001 24/7 service and support Factory trained engineers 8 locations around the UK Supply. There is no need to swap in special SIM cards or to have a GSM Roaming Agreement.ses-marine.marinemec. We use industry-leading minimal bandwidth. service and support to the highest standards % +44 (0)1634 295500 (24 hrs) www.
[email protected] Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 69
[email protected] www. We are certified by Inmarsat to operate over the Standard IP Channel of FleetBroadband and to operate on Inmarsat VLA accounts.com We specialize in providing GSM and voice coverage for the commercial maritime industry with technology designed to operate at sea. The CargoGSM solution provides complete GSM coverage of vessel’s cargo spaces. why not give them the option at sea? Extend a GSM network out at sea with Vobal’s CargoGSM™ solution It’s more effective than using smoke signals.com . relaying important alerts to crew members.vobal. while maintaining excellent voice quality. Our patented protocols and hardware allow Vobal’s systems to work on board even if satellite connectivity is temporarily lost. 7 Sept 2012 Hall B1. simplicity is the key to success.indd 1 14/12/2010 16:50 70 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.OG Stand 501 20 years experience.marinemec. 1 simple solution. Dry Dock. • • • • • • • Type Approved PMS Minimal Training Required Rapid Technical Support Service No ‘Per Seat’ or any Annual License Fees Global Customer Base from VLCC’s to Workboats Complete Package or Single Modular Components available PMS.uk MA5496_MarineSoftware_Ad_half-pg_FA.com .co. Procurement. Visit us at SMM Hamburg 4 . Safety & Document Management Solutions Visit www.marinesoftware.uk or email
[email protected] ship to shore. Stock. minimum rest hours and operator experience. By the end of the year it plans to launch or release seven different programs or modules. along with others in the NS5 Enterprise suite.” To meet these requirements. Mr Stroubakis explains. Several of those companies will be utilising software modules offered through the ABS Newbuild Programme. tablet computers and smartphones. Germanischer Lloyd (GL). as well as the Standards of Training. fuel and lube consumption. allowing shipowners the ability to generate the necessary information to facilitate company. We have seen a tremendous increase in companies who are turning to providers that are backed by class because of their ability to provide a global support network and who have the resources to continue to provide comprehensive and integrated solutions to their clients. “With the heightened focus on conserving energy and industry environmental regulations. too. “This module.” The solution has the ability to track and record key voyage-related events including ballast activities. our integration capabilities give us the advantage of providing our customers with the backing of a 150-year-old classification society with a global presence. comments. trend and report the information necessary to satisfy environmental regulations. Joe Woods. is releasing a raft of updates for its software offerings. which includes risk assessment and comprehensive safety reporting. In recent months. will be supported by the upcoming mobile platform.fleet management Class societies use experience for fleet management software With so much shipping industry knowledge. Certification and Watchkeeping and Oil Companies International Marine Forum guidelines.” Mr Woods is well aware of current owner demands. The first of these is an updated quality and safety module for GL ShipManager. “This module provides a platform for effective. it is developing a warehouse and inventory management module to support standard inventory and reconciliation tracking. “We try to minimise installation challenges by using a formal and strategic project management method. classification and regulatory reporting. trending and reporting. This includes hull inspection. Features will include ‘alert view’ notifications and mobile calendaring. senior vice president of global operations.” ABS NS also has several other projects in the pipeline. This electronically captured data can then be transmitted between ship and shore via NS5 Enterprise database replication. It is developing a platform to support portable devices including scanners. as well as the International Convention for the Control and Management of www. classification societies are keeping abreast of owners’ and managers’ needs for fleet management programs by Clare Nicholls he software divisions of classification societies are drawing on the competence of the whole of their organisations to update their fleet management program portfolios. “As a division of ABS. ABS NS has signed several major contracts to provide software to owners and managers including Caspian Drilling. Vice president of product development. Fernando Lehrer. qualification requirements. “Shipowners and operators are looking to classification societies for long-term software partnerships.” says Mr Stroubakis. ABS is launching a new energy and environment module as part of the NS5 Enterprise suite. says. According to ABS Nautical Systems’ senior vice president for global sales and marketing. which includes fuel switching and ship energy efficiency management plan regulations. Oceanografia SA de CV and Aboitiz Jebsen Ship Management. TMS Bulkers. “Flexible dashboards with charts and graphs provide both crew and shoreside personnel with access to the same information for trending and analysis purposes which can lead to improved vessel and fleet performance.” The crewing module will also be upgraded to allow customers to track crew manning levels. Petrochem General Management. “The quality and safety module will support Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 71 .” The module was also designed to assist owners and operators with regulatory requirements including Marpol Annex VI. “Easy to use data entry forms can be populated manually or automatically. fuel oil switching and cargo information. the most needed trend is for software tools which track.com T ABS’ energy and environment module is designed to streamline data collection and reporting Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments. Samson Maritime. The key aspect is communication and risk management throughout the lifecycle of a project. Demetri Stroubakis. efficient and environmentally sound voyage management as well as automated capabilities that can enhance operational decisions while reducing crew burden by streamlining data collection.marinemec. Furthermore. making overall warehouse tracking and trending more efficient with fewer discrepancies. while complying with Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements. energy and environmental and maintenance management software to all ABS-classed vessels built after 1 January 2009. We work with clients from project inception and planning through to execution. managing director of Docmap.” Crew can use the software on mobile devices such as smartphones. tables.marinemec.0 rollout Norway-based Docmap expects to finish the rollout of version 7. The final major update is the introduction of a sloshing module for GL SeaScout. “We originally had three maritime customers. The firm will also be developing integration with other databases. “The car carrier has about 50 ventilation fans for the cargo decks. “We are harmonising all the different voyage and operational reports that are carried out on ships today.0 of its fleet management software by the end of this year. Crew can only enter that space when the fans are running.” The GL HullManager module supports maintenance of the steel structure of a vessel.” Dr Büssow comments. Other new features include better functionality for publishing documents on remote sites.” says Dr Büssow. “We also want our customers to be able to use Docmap as a tool to be certified to ISO standards. vaccinations or whether their certifications are up-to-date. 72 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. “We are launching a mobile client application for GL HullManager which will allow crew members to simultaneously perform tank inspections and record their findings. ie. This is critical equipment. alarms and warning levels of the vibration monitoring equipment. which can lead to heavy deformations and damage to the expensive tanks. the GL MachineryManager module is undergoing a pilot installation on a car carrier. An offline version of the software can be loaded onto a toughbook (a robust notebook portable computer).com . trends. now is the right time to use this momentum to software support these processes” explains Dr Büssow. so it will benefit crew to know what kind of condition each fan is in. Change requests are recorded to keep control of costs. GL has partnered with SKF to install vibration monitoring equipment on the ventilation fans in the vehicle decks. but this functionality will now be extended to onboard liquids.” says Mr Syversen.” Docmap is also looking at integrating full tanker management self-assessment capability into future versions. The software can function with any portable device with a Windows-based operating system Additionally.” A project can then be managed in the yard using an offline version of the software.” comments Dr Büssow. MEC Docmap continues version 7. GL FleetAnalyzer. land and sea. “Drydocking a vessel every five years is a big cost burden to shipping companies. “The program graphically displays the readings. particularly the reporting module. “As MLC compliance will require some updates in crewing processes in shipping companies. including the tanks.0 already includes parts of this – a risk assessment module – but the functionality will be extended to add more reporting options. We are heavily investing for our customers and the industry. “We looked into cloud computing but we do not think that it is a viable option at the moment. “Having the right information available to take better shipmanagement decisions is priceless to owners and GL has the most comprehensive and innovative software portfolio in shipping. “Particularly in LNG carriers there can be problems with tank sloshing. as users can configure how often they want to synchronise their databases. which will record all emissions and performance data on board. whether they will have a sloshing problem and what to do to avoid it. The software already assesses and predicts the movement of vessels in seaway. A synchronisation module uses satellite communications to synchronise the databases so that they are in compliance with the master at any time. as at-sea broadband connections are not fast enough to cope. This will improve reporting of emissions to air. “Our mission is to supply software solutions for quality and safety and improvement of our clients’ core operations.” Dr Büssow explains. “One customer even uses our synchronisation system for their landbased subsidiaries as they don’t trust the Internet connections.” Secondly.” concludes Dr Büssow. “Typically this drydock work is only partly supported by the existing software module. “The software will be able to compute all of the relevant emissions data from that information. so that there will be one point of entry for information relevant to a number of programs. which will allow a shipping company’s crewing department to cross reference crew competencies with available positions. This is why we are using this file transfer protocol system via satellite. GL’s global head of maritime software. GL will be launching GL EmissionManager.” he continues. This module will handle crew data management for tasks such as salary payment. graphs or charts in GL’s established reporting solution. such as incident reporting. This sloshing function will tell operators if they navigate a vessel in a particular seaway with a particular speed. so there needs to be a link to the technical management module to ensure that all the necessary equipment repair and maintenance can be done in drydock. now we have over 30.” says Dr Büssow. Version 7. comments.” Last year Docmap signed four new maritime contracts with international companies including Seacor from the US. GL has also launched GL CrewManager. “We are updating some function certificates for certificate handling and we are now working on the risk assessment functionality. So far around 20 out of its more than 50 customers have been upgraded with the latest version. Svein Syversen. “We have had very good development since we started as an independent company seven years ago. which is a new ISM requirement. GL HullManager will be available on mobile devices to enable on-the-spot inspection recording Furthermore. because they can create their own forms for seafarers to report non-conformities. uploading a report instantly to the database. Many tasks can only be completed in drydock.0 that we have helped train our customers to be able to operate all the new functionalities. such as steel work. GL is also introducing a drydock tender module for GL ShipManager. “There is so much new functionality in version 7. holds and other structures that require inspection on a regular basis.” The data can be extracted and displayed in the format of an operator’s choosing.” Mr Syversen says.fleet management the key processes that a quality safety manager undertakes. The software will also record crew resting hours and support MLC surveys.” says Dr Torsten Büssow. This module will collect all these tasks together and then tender the work to various parties. “Our customers like the new version. visualising a 3D model of a vessel.” comments Mr Syversen. such as the yard or equipment manufacturers.” says Mr Syversen. Centralised Procurement .Crew Management .teromarine...Docking Management .HSSEQA www.no –
[email protected] do these market leaders have in common? TM Master.Voyage e-Log . Fleet Management Solutions Maintenance & Inventory .no . electrical and automation systems. broken down into banner advertising impressions. BassNet is used on nine product and chemical carriers and seven bulk carriers. delivering complete berth-toberth tracking with no interruptions in coverage across the entire globe.” Suppliers can track requests ShipServ has developed a new reporting tool that enables maritime suppliers and brand manufacturers to track their entire marketing spend. It is planning to launch 18 additional AIS-enabled satellites. With a strong software background. this acquisition will provide ABB with additional access to fast growing energy optimisation markets.” and management reporting. procurement. starting later this year. Once the deal is completed (expected before the end of September) ABB will integrate Amarcon’s technology into its own process automation division.000 suppliers registered on ShipServ Pages. 74 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 . We are looking forward to going live with MarineCFO over our fleet this year. The company also reported signing several additional contracts for satellite AIS data services. OMC has chosen to implement the full MarineCFO Enterprise software suite to manage marine operations. The Windows-based maintenance management program has been upgraded with a new section incorporating an engine parameter book. which covers ship propulsion. Headquartered in Lisbon. said “Amarcon’s Octopus product. consumption and cost for all the considered routes. Raimy Eymard. and there is a function to block buyers from sending future RFQs. said. Profile complete score shows a supplier’s profile on ShipServ Pages and suggests improvements. AWT uses its route comparison and weather routeing technology to provide data for the fuel optimisation service ABB acquires Octopus technology ABB has bought Dutch company Amarcon to provide ship monitoring and performance software. AWT provides a voyage time and consumption estimate. AWT provides a pre-voyage report showing the calculated results in terms of time. OMC operates 54m. In July. ABB will use Octopus as part of its Smart Marine product. which monitors ship hydrodynamics and models vessel safety during different operations. profile views. will provide ship tracking and other maritime navigational and safety services to EMSA for three years. Operators will be able to maintain. Fuel optimisation service developed Applied Weather Technology (AWT) has launched a fuel optimisation service to enable ship operators and charterers to monitor and manage voyage costs.fleet management Further adoption of vessel tracking AIS Interest in satellite AIS has gained momentum as more satellites are launched to enhance these vessel tracking services. exchange and adjust these components to reduce NOx emissions. searches. OGC is promoting the use of open standards in the geospatial sector to break down barriers to data distribution and ensure AIS meets future market requirements. MEC www. an affiliate of Orbcomm. Veli-Matti Reinikkala. Asian nations are also investing in satellite AIS. AWT monitors both the route and vessel performance in relation to speed and consumption. Orbcomm is expanding its global AIS services through a substantial investment programme. which is developing new geospatial solutions. “MarineCFO allows us to integrate all our departments without the headaches of paper trails and errors. Portugal. Orbcomm participated in numerous AIS demonstrations and tests. During a voyage. Bass has gained class approved for BassNet from five classification societies – Det Norse Veritas. The Supplier Insight Report is available free to all the 40. Germanischer Lloyd. Fleet managers can decide on the most cost-effective and safe route for the vessel. such as slow steaming. Bureau Veritas. and total cost when requested. which will create the next generation constellation. request for quotes (RFQs) and purchase orders. safety management and vetting MarineCFO gains contract Offshore Marine Contractors (OMC). It claims exactAIS Premium provides a single provisioning of global AIS data. ABB’s head of process automation. In June. its knowhow of ship hydrodynamics and ship modelling capabilities are a complementary and strategic fit for our existing software portfolio. The latest large order for satellite AIS came in July from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). which provides liftboats to the offshore oil and gas industry. exactEarth joined the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). DNV has proposed to the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) that these can be part of an electronic planned maintenance system. 61m and 66m liftboats.marinemec.com BassNet used on Grindrod fleet Grindrod Shipping has started using BassNet fleet management systems on 16 of its tanker and dry cargo vessels. It tracks this across both maritime search engine ShipServ Pages and the TradeNet e-commerce platform. pollution control and security on board ships for the European Union. Rival vessel tracking supplier. Marine Software wanted to introduce system functionality to the Marine Planned Maintenance software to start identifying NOx influencing components. Upon completion of each voyage. EMSA is responsible for maritime safety. therefore increasing our bottom line. RFQ Inbox is where suppliers can manage and respond to all their RFQs. ShipServ has also launched three other free tools to complement the new Supplier Insight Report. Grindrod is using applications for maintenance. human resource management. This will assist vessel operators in meeting this requirement within an electronic planned maintenance system. contact views. This is for both the recommended speed to make the required arrival and any alternative speed. has started using MarineCFO vessel management software. fleet maintenance and finances. It shows in one dashboard all the results of their marketing activity. This allows vessel operators to carry out tasks on engine components that influence nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. It is mainly used by heavy lift vessels and subsea construction ships. The main product in the Amarcon portfolio is Octopus. LuxSpace. AWT provides an end of voyage report allowing ship operators to quantify and report on savings achieved. exactEarth has developed a new data service that fuses satellite and terrestrial-based AIS sources. After discussions with DNV regarding the record book of engine parameters and NOx influencing components. including an extensive naval exercise conducted by 22 nations in the Pacific Ocean. OMC’s chief financial officer. ClassNK and Lloyd’s Register. Maintenance software upgraded Marine Software has added a new section to its Marine Planned Maintenance software and gained type approval from Det Norske Veritas. crew. marinemec.www.com Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 75 . Mr Hochkirch expects developments in cloud computing and processor performance will facilitate the development of more applications. such as for minimising lifetime fuel consumption. It provides equilibrium condition analysis in up to six degrees of freedom. the desire for ever more sophisticated applications is likely to mean computational requirements will grow faster than hardware unless optimisation approaches are changed as well. We expect to ABS and SDARI analysed velocity of flow around a Capesize bulk carrier propeller using CFD see more propulsion shapes and efficiency devices in the future.600 cores [processing units].marinemec. Massive parallel computers can be used in designs for better refined and tuned optimisation. the door is open to more sophisticated applications. Also. The consideration of operational profiles (where for example 80 per cent of design speed is the most frequent operating speed) has been shown to offer fuel saving potential of several percentage points. 4) Some design aspects. It is likely that we will see various techniques to make optimisation projects more efficient on the software side as well. FutureShip has developed software for optimising hull and propulsion systems. and likely to become standard as computing power becomes available and design for actual fuel consumption will gain in importance. What is coming during this decade is designing.” The exponential growth in computer hardware continues to drive innovation in ship design software. 2) Consideration of matrices of load conditions and speeds is theoretically feasible. They are adding wave resistance features to their design analysis programs to enhance hull optimisation in different sea conditions.com . Volker Bertram. The FS-Waves program uses CFD to compute the spectral wave spectrum. weight equalising ducts and saver fins. 3) Hull optimisations will eventually also allow changes in the geometries of propellers and appendages. “Hull designs can be optimised through CFD and using parametric modelling.” One of Mr Bertram’s colleagues at FutureShip. 76 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www.” In a paper presented at the Computer and IT Applications in the Maritime Industries (COMPIT) 2012 conference. expects more developments will come in CFD and design analysis. from calm to rough waters. such as manoeuvring and production. Karsten Hochkirch. Rapid internal network communication was ensured by a network with a data rate of 40 Gbps. The FS-Equilibrium program is a workbench for analysis of fluid flow and stresses on floating structures.” he explains. These services are increasingly in demand as owners are looking to reduce their fuel costs and emissions. Correspondingly. We have new software computing the 3D flow around the ship to compute the wave action on the hull in these conditions. mesh models and analysis software. With increased computing resources. Today’s computer capacity allows us to complete complex design environments. “The growth in computing power lays the foundation for more advanced optimisation applications. and to connect propulsion with hull optimisation. integrating panel modelling and free surface CFD. says ship design software is becoming more complex with greater integration of CFD with 3D meshing and wave action analysis. as more sophisticated methods to quantify these aspects are added to optimisation models. He adds.ship design CFD A bright future for program development and integration The next generation of ship design software will provide greater optimisation of hull structures and propulsion systems during actual operating conditions D esigners are using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and other modelling programs to optimise the interaction of hull lines with the propulsion system. analysing and then optimising the whole structure of the hull with the propulsion system and fuel-saving appendages – such as twisted rudders. Mr Hochkirch explained how FutureShip expanded its computer capacity. according to FutureShip’s Karsten Hochkirch: 1) Operational profiles will be considered not just as a single design point. we can estimate the size of the resistance in a scale of sea conditions. FutureShip’s senior project engineer. “There is still significant potential for future improvements in hydrodynamics and design. It has the FS-Flow software for meshing of ship designs and analysis of boundary conditions in fluid flow. will be further considered. our parallel computing cluster was extended to a total of 6. “In 2011. storage capacity was extended to 36 terabytes. He expects developers to introduce hybrid computing that mixes low-fidelity CFD for coarse Changing face of design analysis The following will have the potential to change ship design during this decade. However. He says. Its pre. were also viewed and evaluated in Beta CAE’s uETA program. Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 77 . This was the case on a project involving Greek design software company Beta CAE Systems.” he said at the COMPIT conference in Liege. CFD that combines free-surface effects with a viscous solution was employed for accurate drag prediction with fast turnaround times. CFD analysis was mixed with computer-aided engineering (CAE). coupled with meta-modelling and using coarse meshes. and the axial kinetic energy loss was 37 per cent. 52 per cent of the shaft power was usable for ship propulsion. The ANSA Fluent CFD software calculated the maximum force applied on the rudder’s surface. In her COMPIT paper. devices that can reduce axial energy loss should be considered in the first priority. Mr Hochkirch continues. ABS senior engineer. “According to the propeller energy loss analysis.and post-processor programs were used for designing and optimising a rudder on an unnamed 169m-long Handysize bulk carrier. batch meshing and morphing tools to provide more streamline hull structures. Other software suppliers have released new software that will enhance shipyard productivity and quality. but can use huge volumes of computer power.marinemec. bare hull. The static analysis calculated the strength of the rudder assembly and the contact pressure between the rudder bearing and stock. It supports any shape or mesh density.” ABS worked with China’s Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) in analysing propeller energy-loss reutilisation for a Capesize bulk carrier. and improve model generation and 3D imaging. finite element modelling (FEM). The maximum force appears at the vessel’s full speed of 15 knots. different design variables were modelled and analysed. This saved engineering working hours and helped to avoid any human errors that might have occurred during the process. such as using a smaller expanded area ratio. Such computations. such as streamlines. CFD simulations of the open water propeller. Beta CAE Systems’s supervisor. Yi-Fang (Yvonne) Hsieh. more sophisticated models should evolve over the next decade.” Ms Hsieh said friction losses could be reduced through propeller design optimisation. and the application of the multi-objective optimisation on the rudder. “Maestro has introduced seakeeping into the software this year for extreme load and fatigue analysis on vessels. “Based on the validated CFD results. This was ideally suited for the hull optimisation New design software for seakeeping analysis Maestro has released a new version of its ship design software that includes seakeeping analysis for the first time. combining a flow solver with multi-variate analysis. may drift gradually into industry applications over the next decade. CFD simulations provide detailed flow information around a propeller in both the temporal and spatial domain. which is usually very difficult and expensive to measure in the traditional model tests. During this process. Time consuming tasks like meshing. Maestro’s software maps the source of forces on ship hull forms in the structural mesh instead of using the hydrodynamic pressure. explained how CFD can be used to reduce energy losses from propulsion systems. The software was made commercially available for the first time in April. Pre. Such models may add complexity in various forms – more sophisticated seakeeping models. This reduces the computer memory required for analysis. Devices may be used to recover the tangential kinetic energy. The Maestro Wave program can apply linear seakeeping panel pressure analysis to complete ship models. especially for added resistance in waves. The first stage of the process was to set up two different FE models for structural and CFD analysis.” In another example. Other energy losses included the friction and tangential energy losses of the shaft power. During the project. Another design advancement is likely to be the development of self-learning meta-modelling that produces hydrodynamic response surfaces based on variants from CFD evaluations. It is an integrated solution that provides structural. George Korbetis. “Maestro can transfer hydrodynamic loads to a dense mesh finite element model.meshes with high-fidelity CFD and fine meshes.” In her COMPIT presentation. The propeller energy loss was evaluated based on the validated CFD results of the propeller/hull interaction simulation. “The CFD software appears to be mature enough to change little for the hull optimisation applications. Ms Hsieh described the results. He demonstrated a process of defining strength analysis. says Nick Danese. it was assumed that the main force that strains the rudder is produced by the water flow around it. However. and larger diameter with a lower rotational speed. Since the axial kinetic energy gain was responsible for the primary propeller energy loss. One area of research is the use of CFD to improve hull optimisation by minimising calm-water resistance. The CFD results. The calculated force was taken as the loading condition for the rudder’s structural analysis. the propeller energy loss evaluation was performed and used to guide the energysaving device design to maximise the energyloss reutilisation for propulsion.” Mr Danese says panel-based hydrodynamic analysis was suited for transferring seakeeping loads to 3D finite element structural models.com Beta CAE’s software is used to model the stresses on a Handysize bulk carrier rudder trunk FutureShip CFD is used to optimise the hull of a container ship facilitate the FEM processing and analysis. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri Cantieri Navali used Engys software for hull design.and post-processor software helped www. Model shape parameterisation was performed by the ANSA morphing tool and the optimisation software. The rudder’s surface and assembly was batch meshed using ANSA. so the mesh can be as coarse or fine as needed. She added in the paper. described in his COMPIT paper how these programs were used. a consultant and agent for Maestro. when the rudder turns to the maximum angle of 35 degrees. For this research. hydrodynamic and extreme load analysis. and propeller/hull interaction situations were carried out and compared with model test results. model simplification and mesh quality improvement were replaced by automated processes. “CFD really opens up a new possibility for the future design of energy-saving devices to maximise the energy loss reutilisation for propulsion. “In energy-loss analysis. vectors and contours. com Web: www.No Missing Link Fugro delivers high performance navigation data in all ocean regions over two independent links from original source to final delivery onboard the vessel.fugroseastar.saj. Fugro Seastar AS Tel: +47 21 50 14 00 Fax: +47 21 50 14 01 E-mail:
[email protected] O P.com To obtain full potential of fuel savings verify your theoretical trim optimization against real measured w w w.22111 Mariehamn Aland Islands +358-18-16100 9001:2008 .ax S ee us at SMM B1 Stand 110 Choose a system maker that provides granted accuracy!
[email protected] SAJ Instrument Ab Ltd .Box 1760 . The application of multi-variate analysis allows the designer to have a better insight into the design space. more physical modelling is involved in a propeller simulation: transition. Aage Milde. The optimal solution can be retrieved with far fewer evaluations with respect to the traditional methods.000 dwt medium range tankers would be built at Constanta Shipyard when SNC receives orders. and cavitation. with a significant consequence on the prediction of the forces.” The 50. controls. optimised hull lines and lower deck heights. We used CFD analysis to improve the hull performance and reduce wave resistance. Also. So it is possible to use high-fidelity CFD simulations.” During LHEEA’s modelling study. “This requires the capability to simulate a rotating propeller behind a ship hull. the unstructured finite-volume flow solver. More advanced numerical techniques are also required to capture very small scale flow motion such as tip vortex. Patrick Queutey. Mr Queutey adds. so owners can access this on the Internet at an early stage to provide their feedback. The hull optimisation was done with CFD analysis and in conjunction with the Hamburg ship model basin (HSVA). the accurate simulation of these phenomena can be obtained by automatic adaptive grid refinement. the results obtained for this first try are very promising. Different methods are used to optimise the hull with respect to resistance over a range of different speeds for a given displacement.” Further research in France has focused on the computation of turbulent flow around a container ship’s propulsion system. Software aids Brazilian tanker design Rolls-Royce used Napa and ShipX software to help design bunker tankers for the Brazilian coastal trade. While turbulence modelling for the bilge vortex is a crucial issue to ensure an accurate prediction for the wake flow. which allows a part of the grid (containing the propeller) to rotate within the main part of the grid. but also a good prediction for the propeller.” Mr Queutey says. “SNC analysed design options for different hull forms. integrating their design with the propeller. ventilation.com . rudder. It requires not only an accurate prediction of resistance and wake flow. using CFD to design the ‘Dream’ series of tankers. “Operators need high technology and optimised propulsion to get good performance and better efficiency. “The study of the flow around the container ship gave us the opportunity to assess the flow solver to predict hull/propeller coupling in self-propulsion conditions. “The designs have a shallow draught for use in ports with depth restrictions. Rolls-Royce used Napa for stability analysis and ShipX for vessel speed simulation and propulsion estimates.” Mr Queutey adds. combined with effects of free-surface deformation. He adds. in 3D. using a clustering method. Starting from a coarse mesh. such as the explicit algebraic stress model with rotation correction. while keeping a connection between the two parts.” says Mr Rusen. steering gear and thrusters. since many of the phenomena to be studied originate from highly localised low pressure zones. ventilation. which becomes crucial in the decision-making phase of the design process. “Propeller-hull interaction is an important topic for ship design. etc. says SNC’s managing director.350 dwt vessels have a design draught of 4. with accurate modelling of all the physics involved. thus saving a considerable amount of computational time. multiple port characteristics and tightening environmental regulations. These capabilities are being developed for inclusion in ISIS-CFD. in order to find out the optimal layout of the design solution for the given operating conditions applied. then confirmed our findings by tank testing at HSVA. According to LHEEA ECN lecturer. Hull lines need to be designed with CFD and FEM (finite element modelling). with efficient propulsion. says Engys’s Paolo Geremia. Energy and the Environment Atmosphere (LHEEA) research at central Nantes University (ECN) has been working with Numeca’s Fine Marine to develop a suite of design software for computing viscous flows around ships. It automatically improved the prediction of the tip vortex. The same propeller was used to check the sliding grid approach.marinemec. An essential building block for the simulations is a sliding grid technique. delivering fuel savings of 30 per cent compared with competing vessels. The NVC 604 BT-type tankers are under construction in Brazil for owner Navegação São Miguel. The Dream tankers were designed for flexible trade patterns. 4. We also model ship systems.CFD ship design study Fincantieri undertook for a passenger ferry hull. Radu Rusen. Accurate prediction for ships is a challenging task for CFD computation.” Rolls-Royce will also supply propulsion and machinery. turbulence. based on an efficient multi-variate analysis approach. including the pipework. says Rolls-Royce’s manager of ship technology and design. turbulence modelling is a crucial aspect to hull design. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 79 Rear view of the dynamic pressure distribution on a propeller as computed by Nantes University www. “This flow solver code has been fully validated for resistance and wake flow prediction using advanced turbulence models. The Laboratory for Hydrodynamics. But more physical modelling is involved when simulating propeller motions. propeller. cavitation. Considering the complexity of this exercise. Dream product tanker designed Romanian shipbuilder Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) has worked with designers SDC Ship & Consult. “A large number of geometrical-design variables were considered in early-stage design. “The innovative CFD solver is coupled to an optimisation method. the adaptive grid refinement method was applied to a rotating propeller. This allows the designer to perform a fast and broad search on the global design space by identifying the set of the optimal designs. Mr Rusen says the tankers would be compliant with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) up to 2025. We have done this without compromising the mild steel content and scantlings. The ships are designed for Mediterranean and Black Sea operations.5m and a service speed of 10 knots. in all operating conditions. automation and switchboards. and they have larger cargo capacity than their competitors. the researchers first analysed an isolated propeller in order to evaluate the minimum settings for the generation of the mesh.” One of the main goals of Mr Queutey’s research team is the simulation of ship propellers in extreme operating conditions. The Det Norske Veritas-classed. master and offshore manager at NorWind Installer. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). for deepwater offshore developments. such as having the right level of redundancy. delegates were told at the fourth European Dynamic Positioning Conference held in London on 24–25 May. Mr Horan said USCG may require all non-selfpropelled DP mobile drilling units to have a master with authority to affect drilling and maritime operations. creating a need for more operators and training.rivieramm. a serving master with Arctia Offshore. false claims of DP sea time – as a serious issue. Currently. Chairing the opening session. The DP rules state: “Redundant components and systems should be immediately available. pointing out that ice behaviour is extremely complex. but also magnifying the issues ship operators face R apid expansion of demand for and increasing technological complexity of dynamic positioning (DP) vessels is creating tensions over the availability and skills of specialist DP operators. More drillships and rigs are being built with DP3 systems that require redundancy and physical separation of all components – power generators. some without any maritime certification. Peter Aylott. The transfer should be smooth within acceptable limitations of the operation.dynamic positioning Manpower problems and safety are chief concerns Increasing oil exploration and production in deepwater and iceprone areas is raising demand for DP vessels. DP marine engineering manager at Global Maritime. and with such capacity that the DP operation can be continued so the work in progress can be terminated safely. The main demand growth areas are Asia. During the conference’s DP operator forum Regina Bindao (NI): DP certificate fraud is rising debate. Captain Kuldip Singh Sandhu. but the problem is believed to be far bigger. deepwater marine regulatory and compliance manager at US drilling rig owner Rowan. pointed out that 95 per cent of DP business comes from the offshore oil and gas industry. identified the emerging manpower shortage as a critical issue for the industry. A valuable practical insight came from Matti Westerlund. USCG is also looking into ensuring DP operators have mate certification so they are responsible watchkeepers under Standards of Training. automation and controls and thrusters. Michiel van der Geest. Regina Bindao. Brazil. described model testing in support of DP operations in ice. The transfer to redundant component or system should be automatic as far as possible. Ms Bindao revealed that last year the NI suspended or cancelled 10 certificates. Another session at the conference focused on more detailed issues of regulation. Exploration and production in increasingly deeper waters is posing new challenges in terms of station keeping and positioning. highlighted the difference between certification and onboard experience and training. representing the Dynamic Positioning Centre. with the increasing likelihood of drilling operations in polar areas. outlined the likely approach of the US Coast Guard (USCG) to DP. West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico. Jim Millan. ABS’s Sue Wang highlighted the technical requirements for DP drilling units. or through a new US standard. and operator intervention should be kept to a minimum. there are no requirements for these vessels. to have masters. or rigs. said that the recent growth in demand and development of DP technology is putting pressure on the system. There is also increasing demand for ice-class DP offshore support vessels as the offshore industry heads to the Arctic. Ice can easily force vessels off track with limited options for correcting the situation.marinemec. research officer with the Ocean Council and River Emergency Programme of the National Research Council of Canada. in the aftermath of the fatal Deepwater Horizon drilling rig accident in 2010. part of C-Mar Group. Tom Horan. Mr Horan said USCG was looking for recommendations on the best way of credentialing DP operators – either through industry standards such as those set by the NI.com 80 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 . MEC For more information on this event. Captain Slava Zhukalin. She also highlighted the rising number of incidents of fraud in relation to DP certificates – for example. managing director of Kulsan DP Consultants. conference papers and future Riviera conferences please visit www. offshore class product manager at DNV said that DP is now essential in taking the offshore industry further but has also become a critical risk factor.com/events www. but NI accreditation and services manager.” Another conference session concentrated on DP applications in ice. who discussed the difficulties of position keeping in ice and the role of keeping icebergs away from drilling units. An increasing number of DP vessels will be required. At the conference. But they do have offshore installation managers (OIMs). highlighted the role of simulator training and onboard training to allow DP operators to gain practical experience. Joe Farrell-Dillon. certification and inspection with the expectation of new regulation. The problem is exacerbated by the maturing age of the DP operator workforce and the need for innovative solutions. The Nautical Institute (NI) has been running its DP training scheme since 1982. Fugro’s managing director. Indonesia.0 Marinestar can provide precise berthing and trim information www. The use of simulators will also help develop new recommended guidelines for these operations. Fugro says it can also function as an alternative to a gyro compass as a more accurate source of heading N W 81-6˚ S E UTC 12:21:32 Data GNSS Berthing Trim Alarms Speed Made Good 10.0 Distance Run2 37. Coastal and River Engineering facilities in St John’s. “DP systems on the market today are not optimised to fully account for the forces and movements that exist in ice environments and it is these input variables that need to be understood for effective and reliable arctic DP operations. to supply facilities and equipment aboard two of its new multipurpose vessels. “Controlled movement is vital for the safety of personnel and the environment. allowing any number of calculation permutations to be configured.8 Speed Over Ground 1. Although the system has been in use at sea for two years as a berthing system. claims. The government cash came from the Atlantic Innovation Fund. They entered into service in May 2012. the Philippines and Australia. users can now benefit from installation to meet Solas requirements. CMS will also be able to produce a full suite of ‘DP-in-Ice’ simulation training courses through this research. S3 is the survey. “It has taken us four years from original concept to reach system type approval. measuring both speed over the ground.” Reef ships supplied with Veripos services Veripos has gained a contract from Aberdeen-based Specialist Subsea Services (S3).Simulation will help develop DP for ice operations Research has begun into developing DP systems for ice operations after the Canadian Government agreed to provide C$3. The technology enables CMS to analyse vessel capabilities and the limitations associated with positioning in ice environments. He adds. administered by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Simulation testing will help Canadian researchers to assess the limiting weather criteria for safe DP operations in ice. Marinestar MS was approved as both speed and distance measuring equipment (SDME) and transmitting heading device (THD). Christopher Hearn. including permanent installation of proprietary LD2-GGT2 integrated mobile units incorporating demodulators and multifrequency receivers.” says CMS director. developed as a result of ice tank testing. The new office will take care of the sales and support operations in Singapore. When used in conjunction with optimum trim calculations this leads to significant savings in bunker fuel costs.2 million of funding. Simulation testing is central to the research. Marinestar MS can be used as an aid to berthing. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 81 Navis opens Singapore office Navis Engineering has opened a regional sales hub in Singapore to increase its commitment to South East Asian shipowners. fore and aft. positioning and ROV subsidiary of the Reef Subsea group of companies. which is part of the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in Canada. and ship motions. Newfoundland. When these uses are coupled with the trim-based fuel efficiencies we expect to see a significant increase in demand.” (L–R) Kongsberg’s Clayton Burry with CMS’s manager Maria Halfyard and director Christopher Hearn at the new training facility Marinestar gains German approval Fugro has gained approval for its Marinestar manoeuvring system (MS) from the German maritime and hydrographic agency – Bundesamt for Seeschifffaht and Hydrographie (BSH). maintenance and repair activities.5 0.marinemec. Under the long-term agreement both 98m vessels are being provided with Veripos’s ultra-precise point positioning service. Malaysia. 10. Vietnam. The ships are designed to operator in 2.000gt. Veripos will also provide associated facilities for each of the Ulstein-designed vessels.com . Veripos said that the service can realise continuous decimetre-level accuracies globally with a typical correction update rate of 30 seconds. We have worked with the knowledgeable test house BSH. which has conducted rigorous tests both ashore in the laboratory and at sea. providing quay distance and approach speed. The service enables all GPS system errors to be removed or minimised by direct calculation. The ships have been chartered by Reef Subsea for offshore construction support. Recent contracts won by Navis include four DP2 systems for fast supply vessels under construction in Vietnam for Bourbon Offshore. The system is based upon dual system (GPS and GLONASS) differential position receivers and the Fugro navigation satellite augmentation broadcast. It can also measure and display vessel trim dynamically whilst at sea. precise modelling or estimation. Marinestar MS can be installed as an alternative to a doppler speed log in order to meet the Solas requirements for ships over 50. Reef Despina and Reef Larissa. CMS is working with the National Research Council of Canada’s Ocean. New algorithms. Kongsberg Maritime is providing the DP systems to CMS. will be first tested in Kongsberg’s DP simulator at CMS.000m of water with remotely operated vehicles and 150 tonne cranes for underwater construction work.6 information. The Centre of Marine Simulation (CMS) has commenced a five-year project to improve the safety and efficiency of oil and gas operations in ice environments by developing DP for Arctic conditions.1 Distance Run1 37. Arne Norum. Thailand. They will be supported by purpose-designed Verify QC software for realtime position and quality control information. CMS is a Nautical Institute-certified DP training site currently equipped with Kongsberg K-Pos DP systems. inspection. The recorded information can be played back on other computers. All files are saved at one minute intervals. . compared to the time spent on the previous systems. the two companies have designed a ship bridge with more space. “The concept is all about a more open. The R5 family of AIS products are available with ports for Ethernet and USB interfaces. It integrates a two-channel parallel AIS receiver. The capsule is downgraded compared to the full VDR capsule. stability and signal processing compared to our already exceptional R4 platform. Admiralty’s overlay service automatically displays the information from these notices directly over the ENC.equipment & services Havyard produces bridge concept Norwegian companies Havyard Power & Systems and Nomek have designed a new navigation bridge concept for offshore vessels. while keyboards and flash drives can be connected through USB ports. tugs and pilot boats in response to calls for more information about their movements from accident investigators. and coastal surveillance. This means sensor information available to R5 transponders can be relayed on the Ethernet interface to an additional control and display unit (CDU). because users get a seamlessly updated view of AIS equipped vessels in the surrounding area at all times. after accidents in Haifa and Ashqelon. Stefan Karlsson. He added. AMI designs new VHF recorder for workboats AMI has introduced a new VHF recorder for use on small vessels that do not have voyage data recorders (VDR). ››› www. which enables it to perform a constant watch of both AIS channels. New generation of AIS transponder developed Saab TransponderTech has unveiled the fifthgeneration maritime Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) with additional features for better signal processing and operation. said Totem Plus. Mr Tørresdal said the new concept requires less time both in production and installation. A micro computer stores one year of navigational information and internal logs. Dual channel Sailor AIS receiver introduced Thrane & Thrane has expanded its range of workboat and fishing vessel VHF radios by introducing the Sailor 6217 VHF DSC Class D AIS receiver. “The new R5 AIS products are the first to incorporate softwaredefined radio (SDR) transceivers together with newly developed high speed analog-todigital converters in a type approved Class A system. It includes the results of the Admiralty assurance programme that reviewed global ENCs to identify and resolve navigationally significant differences with existing paper charts. more secure and more functional bridge where you have everything within reach. Up-to-date information can be overlaid on electronic navigational charts (ENCs). Two axes inclinometers and battery support can be added. The information includes Admiralty’s new ENC temporary and preliminary notices to mariners. said Havyard’s project manager. without having to move around much at all in order to go from one operation to the next. which identify navigationally significant differences between ENCs and Admiralty paper charts. and one month of audio on the dedicated flash disk.” he continued. Data can be easily downloaded to USB media or via Ethernet cables directly to an investigator’s laptop. there are some space limitations on these vessels. After one year of development. The radio has two additional handsets and control speakers that are connected front or back. rather than switching between them.” It can be easily connected to chart plotters so all signals can be viewed and plotted on a vessel’s existing equipment.” Havyard’s bridge concept will be standard for all future offshore vessels the company designs and builds.marinemec. and the display has a red The 6217 VHF Class D AIS receiver can be connected to a chart plotter backlight and a dimming feature. but it is more suitable to port and harbour operations. For example. It is equipped with a mini capsule having a 12-hour recording capacity. 8GB or 16GB memory cards that can be accessed on a PC with Microsoft Windows applications. The electronics cabinet was also downsized and can fit easily on a tug.000m required for a full VDR capsule. “Installation of the new system is far easier than previously as the new concept is constructed by different modules. Admiralty overlays available on JRC ecdis Japan Radio Co has issued a software update to its ecdis models to enable Admiralty information overlays. Thrane & Thrane said. For example. said Saab’s vice president for sales and marketing. “This provides greater safety through better situational awareness. “In addition to VHF ship-to-ship and shore-to-ship AIS messages. A spate of accidents involving pilot boats and fishing vessels has led to maritime authorities calling for all harbour craft to carry VDRs. The result is a dramatic improvement in receiver sensitivity. the Israeli authorities (IMOT) made it mandatory for all small vessels in its waters and not on international trade to install recording systems. Totem M-VDR comes with a built-in replay program. cargo and passenger ships. Svein Olav Tørresdal. including inland waterways. It can replay 90 seconds of previous messages.com VDR produced for harbour vessels Totem Plus has introduced a mini voyage data recorder (VDR) for harbour vessels. greater safety and security. The Totem M-VDR was developed for tug and pilot boats. the R5 could also process other signals and future additional AIS messages and e-navigation radio channels. “The SDR technology provides unlimited flexibility in adding new radio channels with software upgrades in the future. the military. It records VHF communications and positioning data from GPS.” Saab has developed two types of R5 to meet various market requirements. seismic survey. coastal fishing. The VR973 can interface with older VHF equipment.” he said. The M-VDR is designed to record up to four audio channels and four serial inputs. 82 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 Audio can be saved on 4GB. the M-VDR capsule was tested to a depth of 200m compared with the 6. deepsea shipping. However. This is a free service to Admiralty vector chart service customers. The vessel operator can pick exactly which modules he wishes to include in this concept. Fleet tracking for smartphones PortVision has made its AIS vessel-tracking. no matter where they are. • AtoBviaC has launched a port-toport online version of BP Shipping’s marine distance tables for ports in European and North American sulphur emission control areas. OSV-approved interswitches and digital repeaters. SAM Electronics. interfaces and alerts. Alphatron unveils new gyro compass Alphatron Marine has introduced a fibre optic heading sensor for workboats and offshore support vessels (OSV). The J1939 interface is optically isolated to prevent ground loop problems and is read-only to avoid interference with existing engine controls. security and navigation assistance. SES is also the sole onboard service centre for Thrane & Thrane’s Sailor range of GMDSS products. • Martek has been appointed as a distributor in Ireland for Ocean Signal’s SafeSea range of EPIRBs and GMDSS handheld radios. Its mobile platform is available for BlackBerry. The Alphafibercourse fibre optic gyro compass is a small lightweight fast-settling device. The R5 Supreme AIS is a two-unit system with a separate CDU and transponder. anchor handlers. Danilec. It contains a fibre optic and 1Xblue core as a sensor reference. oil pressure and temperature. terminal and fleet management dashboards available for smartphone devices. It provides real-time features from the web-based solutions from the PortVision Mobile 2. There are integrated terminal and fleet dashboards. The Liverpool docks base is a service depot for Raytheon Anschütz. rpm. Naval. Kelvin Hughes. approved by class and the Marine Equipment Directive. make it visible from greater distances. Rutter. • Vesper Marine has won a safety at sea award for its virtual AIS beacon. less capable units.” in brief • Imtra has unveiled a new engineroom light combining 14 high brightness wide-angle LEDs that provides optimal flood illumination for low clearance areas. PortVision said it gives users all the information they need to manage their maritime domain. which enables critical engine and transmission messages to be sent to NMEA 2000 compatible display units. Due to its size.and S-band.com Tideland to supply GLA racons Tideland Signal will be supplying seven of its -50dBm SeaBeacon dual-band radar beacons (racons) to the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA). “One common control and display unit for all AIS and navigation systems simplifies operations. • For onboard entertainment Plextor has devised PlexTV with a feature to enable users to browse and play back DVDs on media devices. Alphatron said the new gyro compass is ideal for applications Alphatron will be exhibiting its tug control systems at SMM such as fast crew supply vessels. • Aveva has upgraded its instrumentation and control engineering software so it can integrate with its electrical system design program. Adaptor enables engine data to be displayed Offshore Systems has introduced its J1939 adaptor. Netwave.0 platform.marinemec. The new compass can be connected to a variety of ancillaries via a galvanically isolated docking station. • Active Research has introduced new interfaces. and output. MEC Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 I 83 . It is a UK dealer and service partner for Furuno. iPhone and Android phones. These ancillaries include bearing repeaters. The adaptor enables skippers and engineers to monitor engine performance data such as fuel consumption. J1939 adaptor enables engine data to be displayed SES acquires Liverpool base Ships Electronic Services (SES) has acquired Liverpool-based distributor TSA Communications to create a national network of UK maritime electronics service centres. The virtual markers do not require a physical presence at the hazard location. “The new navigation systems feature additional R5 CDUs for redundant or slave navigation display configuration using Ethernet. and the redundancy provides a larger measure of safety. Transas and Vingtor. chemical tankers and fast ferries. This is type approved Class A AIS that can be incorporated into a ship’s integrated bridge system. supply ships. The device was designed as a mobile computer for operation under extreme conditions. Jotron. gateways and cables that connect to maritime electrical products that are NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 compliant. The racon trace remains clearly visible on radar displays regardless of the range scale selected. www. power output and transmission temperature. SES already has seven other service bases. real-time mapping and fleet traffic reporting. robustness and the output of roll and pitch information. dredgers. • Raymarine and Actisense have launched the SeaTalk gateway for data handling and conversion from NMEA compliant products so vessel operators can link old and new data networks together. Tideland’s racons will replace older. • Varlink has been appointed as a distributor of the new Getac E110 fully rugged tablet. KVH. • Eurotask has introduced three versions of digital night vision binoculars for detection. patrol vessels.text ››› The single-box R5 Solid AIS provides a minimal AIS solution for Solas compliance and was primarily designed for fishing and inland waterways vessels. the company said. The company said SeaBeacon’s sensitivity of -50dBm for both X.” said Mr Karlsson. flexible search capabilities. DP-classed vessels. surveillance. A shoal of robotic fish was demonstrated in Gijon harbour on 21 May. The Shoal consortium will analyse the information from the trial and consider ways to commercialise the technology. but BMT expects costs will fall if a batch is ordered. More or less neutral buoyancy allows the fish to dive. BMT created a real-time navigation and control system for a team of three robotic fish. rather than the current method of sample collection and dispatch to a shore-based laboratory. The 35kg fish would learn where to monitor pollution.foresight Fish will provide realtime pollutant data Artificial intelligence and underwater communications are two key components in the development of pollution-sampling robotic fish T he commercial development of robotic fish that can be used for environmental or security operations in the world’s oceans moved a step closer when prototypes were demonstrated recently in Spain. To do this the consortium had to overcome five key challenges: developing the in-built processors. providing rapid chemical analysis and underwater communications. BMT Group is the project leader and was responsible for developing the artificial A robotic fish with artificial intelligence for navigation is tested in Gijon harbour intelligence. plus providing the hydrodynamics.” The chemical sensors provide electrolytic analysis of seawater so the internal processor can calculate the concentration of a selection of contaminants.” says Mr Speller. The fish could be used in search and rescue operations or securing harbours from the threat of mines or divers. Each individual robotic fish – 150cm long and 35cm wide – has an array of sensors and uses acoustics to navigate. Autonomously exploring and investigating the harbour. The sensors analyse oxygen levels and salinity in water. For example. The robotic fish communicates the position and chemical composition of samples it has taken by acoustic waves through shallow water to its base station. They would return to a host after eight hours to be recharged. Each individual robot has an array of sensors that identify and process external information and allow it to navigate. The University of Strathclyde did the hydrodynamic research. BMT’s project leader. The fish worked together to find. Thales developed the underwater communication and location technology. The robotic fish work alongside a network of underwater devices that continuously ‘ping’. allowing for prompt action to stop the pollution. “Shoal has introduced the capability of cutting the time for detection and analysis of pollutants in sea water from weeks to just a few seconds. or in other maritime electronics applications. the fish can work together to monitor and track down sources of pollution. the technology to provide autonomous navigation and underwater communications would be useful in developing unmanned ships (MEC June/July 2012). such as copper and lead.marinemec. and to the other fish in the shoal. All this information was reported back. The fish would cost around US$30. additional sensors can be added to identify other pollutants. Although the range of chemicals that can be detected is limited. Artificial intelligence has been developed to enable the fish to manage multiple problems and avoid obstacles. the artificial intelligence that has been introduced means that the fish can identify the source of pollution enabling prompt and more effective remedial action. have the ability to find the source. a consortium of six organisations has created a robot that can detect pollution and transmit data back to shore. These developments have the potential to be used for other research projects. in real-time. The robots can identify heavy metals. Luke Speller.000 each to manufacture. says the fish can map pollution and communicate its chemical composition. Thales provided the communication network and the Port Authority of Gijon hosted the testing facilities. to the port authority. Each has a jointed tail and uses an oscillatory fishlike motion to propel itself. Furthermore. 84 I Marine Electronics & Communications I August/September 2012 www. and maintain a communication distance from the other robotic fish in the shoal. The University of Essex developed the robotic technology and the Tyndall National Institute in Ireland was responsible for the chemical sensors. dynamic conditions of the sea. This team co-operated to build a 3D map of the pollution. so it could report its precise location. At present the operational limit of the acoustics is 1km. Thales developed the underwater acoustic system that enables robotic fish communication. map and predict the movement of pollutants.com . The fish are designed to blend into the marine environment and not disrupt marine life. “One of the greatest achievements is getting robots running outside the lab and in the harsh. This allows each one to be able to manage multiple obstacles and find the source of the pollutant. He explains. Chemical sensors fitted to the fish permit real-time in situ analysis. identify. as well as phenols. allowing the fish to calculate their location. MEC Artificial intelligence and acoustics introduced BMT developed artificial intelligence so each robotic fish could operate independently and as part of a shoal. Under the European IT project Shoal. designing the robots. 405 & Outdoor Stand #B5. one end-to-end solution with 99. Inc.com +45 45 160 180 Asia-Pacific HQ: Singapore | info@apac. and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of KVH Industries.5") www.minivsat.017 .com +1 401. one network.5% uptime Offering versatile airtime options with metered rate plans at 1/10th the cost If you’re tired of rising SATCOM costs.3327 ©2012 KVH Industries.kvh.847. Versatile one-dome hardware solutions for any vessel or application KVH INDUSTRIES WORLDWIDE EMEA HQ: Denmark |
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