Smart Systems News

Light Structures’ SENSFIB Hull Stress Monitoring System received the ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 3 Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate.The SENSFIB Tier 3 Smart Structural Health Monitoring system employs an industry-leading, fiber optic, sensor-based approach for structural health assessment and prediction, calibrated and verified using high-fidelity data for improved accuracy and reliability.The system provides information about the stresses on a vessel’s hull from cargo loading…

Hong Kong-based shipping line OOCL announced it has taken delivery of another ultra-large containership The 24,188 TEU vessel OOCL Piraeus is the first in the series of six container vessels to be delivered by Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS).OOCL placed an order for a total of twelve 24,188 TEU container vessels in 2020. Of this set of 12, OOCL Piraeus is the second vessel to be delivered following the delivery of the OOCL Spain earlier in the year."Vessels in this series are equipped with advanced smart systems and green designs to reduce carbon emissions…

Austal Philippines has launched the 115-meter, high speed vehicle-passenger ferry Express 5, for Molslinjen of Denmark, utilizing a new vessel transportation system designed by Austal.The Auto Express 115 high-speed catamaran ferry is the largest ferry (by volume) constructed by an Austal shipyard and was transported onto Austal Philippines’ floating dock by a new, rail-based system called ‘ANTS’, featuring self-drive trollies with variable geometry to suit any hull configuration.Austal…

Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) said it is working with Laskaridis Shipping and smart tool provider METIS Cyberspace Technology on a pilot project to develop and apply a new BV SMART 3 Class notation covering the use of augmented data in ship operations.Modern ships increasingly use smart systems designed to improve their operational efficiency. As part of its strategy to support maritime digitalization, BV has developed a framework of SMART notations for ships which provide consistent and uniform standards for the ‘smart’ techniques used to monitor and improve fleet performance.

Alternatives to fossil fuels are emerging throughout the maritime universe, and vessels working in U.S. rivers, waterways and harbors are at the cusp on this trend. While the alternative fuels spectrum is wide, battery power and electrification—a technology that has seen a decade of shipboard applications already—is particularly suited for smaller vessels.Crowley Maritime Corp will be taking delivery of a completely electric tugboat, dubbed eWolf; the boat- which will include kit for advanced vessel control tied to an electric propulsion system from ABB…

When discussing the arrival of autonomous workboats, many – especially those developing the technologies that enable them – say it’s is not a matter of if, but when. In fact, autonomous harbor tugs are already being put to the test in Singapore, where authorities hope to establish the technological infrastructure to enable fully autonomous ship operations. In the U.S., an autonomous vessel was shown to be able to respond to marine oil spills.But is autonomy really the future?

The provider of smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets Wärtsilä unveils its new Navi-Planner voyage planning and optimisation solution.Developed by Transas, a Wärtsilä company, the new Navi-Planner makes use of the connected ECDIS. The new connectivity allows tedious onboard voyage planning to be cut from 5 hours to 30min, while also providing a minimum navigational safety standard for a less experienced crew.The new Navi-Planner utilises one of the world’s largest navigational databases, as well as artificial intelligence to auto-create a route that is safe to sail. It calculates weather optimisation…

Singapore's port operator PSA Corporation Limited (PSA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to develop a pipeline of talent for the future mega port in Tuas.The MoU is aimed at producing data science, info-communications and engineering professionals for the Tuas port, said a joint statement by PSA and SUTD.The new Tuas Port will harness big data, and leverage automation technologies and smart systems to raise terminal productivity and service quality, it said."To build the competencies required to manage the complex ecosystems in Tuas Port, PSA will contribute port related content to SUTD curriculum, giving students exposure and advancing their knowledge in smart technologies and systems used in port operations.

As the global fleet of offshore renewables fleet increases, ways to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency and safety of operations and maintenance work, using robotics and autonomous systems, will also grow. Elaine Maslin reports.Robotics and autonomous systems are moving into many areas of modern day life. It’s becoming harder to avoid them, from our phones to automotive systems and now offshore energy renewable projects.Both are seen as tools to do otherwise dull, dirty or dangerous work…

Great Intelligence, the first China smart ship, was presented with Lloyd's Register (LR) cyber-enabled ship (CES) descriptive notes. Great Intelligence was designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) and built at Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard Co., Ltd (GWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Along with LR, System Engineering research Institute (SERI) and China Class Society (CCS) were also involved in this project. Great Intelligence, a 38,800 dwt modified version of the Green Dolphin fuel-efficient Bulk Carrier concept, is the pilot smart ship project within China. LR’s latest CES descriptive notes will be assigned to the project and the latest requirements are applied to this ship.

It seems like a lifetime coming, but the IMO International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) has been approved and will enter into force on September 8, 2017. Deemed as an environmental necessity, it creates an enormous operational challenge for the maritime industry. As ship owners, system installers and BWM system manufacturers alike prepare for the many challenges associated with implementation, it would be wise to more closely evaluate the real (and sometimes hidden) risks to system operators and manufacturers.

Shipping companies are increasingly gathering information from the fleet in order to improve their operations and safety performance. Without easy–to-use and data smart systems potential insights and improvements may be lost. Time-consuming reporting to various stakeholders may reduce focus on other important tasks. The latest release of ShipManager includes the Safety Management Reporting module with a new and flexible user interface, increasing efficiency and optimizing processes to improve safety at sea. “Many shipping companies are using one standard form for all types of safety management reporting, which usually does not provide optimal flexibility, oversight and efficiency,” says Rune Lyngaas, Head of Product Management, Maritime Software.

In his first-ever State of the Port address, Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup on Thursday unveiled plans for congestion-beating smart systems for cargo movement and an all-out push to achieve energy resilience for port operations with wind turbines, solar cells and other clean technologies. Speaking to an audience of nearly 900 at the Long Beach Convention Center’s Pacific Ballroom, Slangerup summed up the Port of Long Beach’s achievements in 2014 then gave his expectations for 2015 and beyond, setting high goals for himself and the port.

Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup on Thursday unveiled ambitious plans for congestion-beating smart systems for cargo movement and an all-out push to achieve energy resilience for port operations with wind turbines, solar cells and other clean technologies, in his first-ever “State of the Port” address. Speaking to a record audience of nearly 900 at the Long Beach Convention Center’s Pacific Ballroom, Slangerup summed up the Port of Long Beach’s achievements in 2014 then gave his expectations for 2015 and beyond, setting high goals for himself and the Port. Slangerup’s address followed welcoming comments by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond and Harbor Commission Vice President Rich Dines.

DP World has yesterday welcomed the first scheduled vessel to call at its new Container Terminal 3 in Jebel Ali, Dubai, as it gears up to serve customers at the state-of-the-art facility. The ‘APL Phoenix’ was welcomed by DP World Chairman, His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Vice Chairman HE Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Group CEO Mohammed Sharaf, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, UAE Region, Mohammed Al Muallem, and Prabhu G.K.N., Head of Operations and Network Management, Middle East and Africa Region at APL, and Capt Moses Dogbeda Kodzitse, Master of APL Phoenix, together with senior representatives of other DP World customers.

So what’s keeping ship operators awake at night these days? Plenty, it seems. Sluggish recovery from a lingering worldwide recession, unsustainable debt loads, endemic overcapacity in most shipping trades, punishing freight rates, rising costs of fuel and regulatory compliance and a lingering sense that ships are not running as efficiently as they could. The last two topics – reducing fuel costs while complying with emission regulations and improving ship operating efficiency – will take center stage at SHIPPINGInsight 2014, scheduled for Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 in Stamford, Conn.

It all started back in the mid 1990’s when the seemingly new fangled internet became a tangible information portal for home computer users. As the prohibitive costs started to dissipate, the so called ‘e’-volution took off, thus making access to email, blogs, and personalized web pages more tangible and popular, even to the point of being expected. Today, the internet has nearly become lifeblood and people are all but helpless without some form of streaming connection to the information superhighway.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a new ship design concept being considered to combat emerging threats in the littoral. It will be a relatively small, focused-mission combat ship that will revolutionize the way the U.S. Navy builds and fights ships. LCS, with its high speed, shallow draft, and maneuverability, will be optimized to serve as a force-multiplier for other larger, multi-mission ships. The U.S. Navy in the first years of the 21st century faces a similar problem that confronted naval powers at the turn of the last century. The capital ship then was the Dreadnought. Its mere presence could have an impact on events at sea and ashore.