AMC IS A SPECIALIST INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA
Model of innovation
Learning on the job
Visual systems modeller Lee Coogan harnesses her keen eye for detail to make training simulations come to life
A team effort and hands-on approach is used to build and develop practical engineering skills
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amc.edu.au
A bi-annual publication of the Australian Maritime College
breaking
the ice Simulation technology could help revolutionise Antarctic expedition training
Ground-breaking: Researcher and trainer Paul Brown is developing models of the Antarctic sea ice and the icebreaker Aurora Australis for his PhD project.
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avigating safe passage through the frozen waters of Antarctica is a challenging task for even the most experienced icebreaker pilots. Antarctic ice is often covered with snow which makes it so tacky in consistency it is referred to as “superglue” or “honey ice”. These characteristics mean Antarctic ice is much harder to break through than its Arctic counterpart. The pilots use radar systems to find the best path or “lead” through the ice – but with more than 90 per cent of an iceberg’s mass underwater, looks can be deceiving. To add another layer of difficulty, when ice is broken it refreezes and the break becomes thicker than the surrounding ice. Pilots must try to avoid these areas by identifying
Picture: Scott Gelston
‘The Aurora Australis uses 24,000 litres of fuel a day and that amount doubles to 45,000 litres a day when she is ice breaking’ leads before they freeze over again. Research in progress at the Centre for Maritime Simulations is striving to better prepare icebreaker crews for these conditions by training them in a risk-free virtual environment. In a world first, maritime trainer and researcher Paul Brown will model P&O vessel Aurora Australis and the Antarctic sea ice for his project, “Can maritime simulation capabilities be developed to provide a valid Antarctic ice training environment?” Mr Brown said virtual training provided a
raft of educational, economic and environmental benefits. “It would be too costly for the crew to do their ice training in Antarctica,” he said. “The Aurora Australis uses 24,000 litres of fuel a day and that amount doubles to 45,000 litres a day when she is ice breaking. As well as that cost, there is the wear and tear on the ship and the impact on the environment to take into account.” A key area of focus will be risk management and contingency planning – for example, what to do if the ship gets stuck in ice.
This scenario was all too real for international research vessels Akademik Shokalskiy and Snow Dragon when both became trapped in the Antarctic sea ice in January 2014. The Aurora Australis was diverted to help but was forced to turn back due to the weather conditions, causing delays to its research program and increasing food and fuel costs. The 52 stranded scientists and tourists were evacuated by helicopter a week later. “There’s no risk in programming this sort of training scenario in the
simulator – the hazards are there but the ship doesn’t get damaged and there is no loss of income,” Mr Brown said. Research supervisor Professor Margareta Lutzhoft said the project had four main elements – the ship modelling, ice modelling, land modelling and weather modelling – and how these interacted to make a valid whole. “The novelty lies in the combination of technical and human elements; most of the research being done is of a more technical or environmental type and no one’s really looking at the role of the humans and how we can support them to be safe, to save fuel and, of course, to protect the environment,” Professor Lutzhoft said.
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AMC Alumni Tell us your story to win www.bit.do/amcalumni
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the principal
Professor Bose ‘It is stories like these that inspire our prospective and current students to broaden their horizons’
Past students unite to inspire the next generation
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e would like to locate our alumni with whom we have lost contact, especially our international alumni and those from our early graduating classes. Our first alumni completed their programs in the early ’80s and are now working in more than 50 countries around the globe. We’re aiming to track them down and find out what they are doing now. In Indonesia on a recent trip to form relationships with maritime
academies, I met the President of the Indonesia Transportation Society who told me one of our new PhD graduates was working with him as a senior adviser. We have heard anecdotally that AMC alumni hold senior roles in the Brazilian Navy and in government organisations around the Pacific islands. It is stories like these that inspire our prospective and current students to broaden their horizons and to use the skills and knowledge gained at AMC to pursue rewarding
international maritime careers. To share your story online visit www.amc.edu.au/tell-us-your-story As well as inspiring the next generation of maritime professionals, we believe it’s important to celebrate the achievements of our alumni and we do this via an annual awards program. If you or someone you know has achieved something noteworthy, we would like to hear from you as a potential nominee for our prestigious Peter Morris prize.
This prize is awarded to an AMC alumnus who has made a significant contribution to the enhancement of the maritime industry in safety, environmental responsibility or the development of international merchant shipping operations and standards. International alumni are especially encouraged to nominate. For more information on this award and to submit a nomination visit www.amc.edu.au/peter-morrisprize On a different note, AMC is in
very good shape heading towards the end of the year. We are expecting new academic leaders to arrive and our financial position is improving. We are working with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to expand our mobile maritime training in the Torres Strait region and across northern Australia; and research outputs and income are on an upwards trajectory. We are looking forward to building on these trends in 2015 and beyond.
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breaking the ice From page 1
The ship modelling has been completed and was tested and validated in the main bridge simulator by the Aurora Australis captain and chief mate. The next step is for Mr Brown to head to Antarctica to see first-hand how the vessel handles in different conditions and record this data for input into the simulated model. He is collaborating with other government and research organisations to access as much real data on sea ice, weather patterns and bathymetry to ensure all models and training conditions are as realistic as possible. Both Mawson and Davis ports in Antarctica will also be modelled. Mr Brown’s three-year project is welltimed to meet the future training needs of companies such as P&O, who must comply with a new international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters that is expected to be introduced in 2016. The International Maritime Organisation’s Polar Code has mandatory training requirements including that an experienced ice pilot be on board during all polar voyages. Looking deeper: Jarrod Weaving will study indigenous communities in Canada with a view to enhance training opportunities for indigenous Australian students. Picture: lana best
Update your details Do we have your current email address? Keep us up-to-date with all your contact details and manage your subscriptions online at www.amc.edu.au/sign-up or by email to amc.alumni@utas.edu.au
Above Board is the bi-annual newsletter of the Australian Maritime College, circulated to around 10,000 alumni and other stakeholders worldwide. Contributions are welcome. Contact: media.office@utas.edu.au For course enquiries visit: www.amc.edu.au/enquiries For intending International students, detailed information on the content of these and other University of Tasmania courses, campuses, facilities, fees, refund policy, rules of admission and assessment, the ESOS Framework and an overview of the local Tasmanian environment, please visit the University of Tasmania’s International Students website: www.utas.edu.au/international Please be advised that not all courses offered by the Australian Maritime College and the University of Tasmania are available to Overseas/International Students. CRICOS CODE 00586B
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Scholarship bridges the cultural divide A
Tasmanian vocational education expert has been awarded an international fellowship to investigate the similarities of delivering maritime training to the indigenous people of Australia and the coastal Inuit populations of Canada. Vocational Education and Training Manager Jarrod Weaving received one of two $12,500 scholarships offered annually through the Transport & Logistics Industry Skills Council in partnership with the International Specialised Skills Institute. The fellowships aim to bring international best practice and innovative approaches back to benefit Australian industry. Mr Weaving will spend three weeks in the Nunavut region of Canada investigating barriers to learning including language, literacy and numeracy, cultural differences and remote locations. He will observe a maritime training voyage, exchange information with local providers and record best practice
Overseas study trip to research indigenous communities in Canada methodologies for training and assessment. “Although the indigenous communities of Canada and the Torres Strait are literally on opposite sides of the globe, the safety and training of seafarers from both regions is compromised by a range of almost identical cultural and socio-economic issues. It’s important that training organisations address these common cultural differences,” he said. Over the past year, Mr Weaving has led his team of maritime training staff in delivering navigational, engineering and safety training to indigenous students from the Torres Strait region. While cultural barriers presented challenges to both the trainers and students,
they did not stand in the way of some very successful outcomes, with more than 200 students enrolled and 87 per cent of these students completing their training and receiving nationally recognised qualifications. “Remote geography, a range of languages and dialects and a mixture of cultures are common challenges between Canada and Australia. My goal is to apply what I learn in Canada to enhance the maritime training we deliver to indigenous Australian students, not only in the Torres Strait but elsewhere in remote and regional Australia,” he said. Mr Weaving said the fellowship would provide a range of personal and professional benefits, including the opportunity to develop new skills, pass this knowledge on to his team, and implement a wider range of programs and pathways not currently developed in the Australian maritime sector. He will leave for Canada within 12 months.
Better training a touch away Technology upgrade takes Sim Centre into the future
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tudents and maritime industry professionals will have access to the latest in state-of-the-art simulation training technology thanks to a $1 million upgrade at AMC’s Centre for Maritime Simulations. Building works are in progress for the installation of a new engine room simulator featuring a standalone big view engine room display, 16 seats of engine room simulation software and 16 seats of liquid cargo handling software. It is expected to come online in mid-2015. Centre for Maritime Simulations Manager Damien Freeman said the touchscreen technology in the new engine room simulator allowed for a more tailored training experience. “The big view display is essentially four 60-inch touchscreen panels which have all the engine room schematics laid out on them. In the past, we’ve had big green boxes with physical dials and switches, which is fantastic to imitate what’s on a single ship,” he said. “The advantages of having touchscreen and computer displays are that you can load a variety of different engines and bring them up to do type-specific training rather than generic training. So the students will be virtually trained using the engines they will encounter in the real world. The major benefit of using simulators is they allow you to do high-risk and contingency training. If you get something wrong and the engine
Future-bound: Damien Freeman, Manager of the Centre for Maritime Simulations, looks over the upgrade plans. Picture: scott gelston
seizes, we can just reset the exercise. You can’t do that in real life.” The engine room workstations will also be upgraded from a single screen computer to a three-screen unit featuring a 46-inch screen overhead flanked by two 24-inch screens. Meanwhile, the layout of engine room two and the main bridge debrief area will be reconfigured to make way for two new 360-degree simulators, which will be used predominantly for tug and small
craft work. In response to client demand, one of the existing main bridge simulators will have Vessel Traffic System (VTS) software permanently installed. “VTS operators control all port traffic movements in the same way an airport control tower manages airport traffic,” Mr Freeman said. “We can have the VTS operator training in tandem with the tugmaster on the tug simulator and the ship’s captain on the main bridge simulator – so they are all
working together in a training scenario that mirrors the real-world experience. “This training session is recorded for discussion and feedback in our debrief room on completion.” The main bridge simulator and adjacent recreation area will also receive a $10,000 revitalisation comprising new hardware, furniture and computer monitors. There are plans for a second phase upgrade worth $750,000 in late 2015 to update the projectors.
all plugged in The upgrade brings the total number of simulators in the centre to 11: z 2 tug simulators z 2 main bridge simulators z 1 Vessel Traffic System simulator z 6 single operation cubicles Plus a suite of simulators with Polaris simulation software and Dynamic Positioning software.
Lee helps bring vision to life
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n addition to its role training AMC seafaring students and industry personnel, the Centre for Maritime Simulations is booked by corporate clients for port development work, dredging and research projects. The centre’s main point of difference is the ability to generate and modify models of ships, ports and maritime environments to suit each project. That’s where the expertise of Visual Systems Modeller Lee Coogan comes in – she creates the visuals for area and ship models used in all the research and training scenarios loaded into the simulators. Ms Coogan undertakes site visits and references a combination of real data and photographs to produce realistic visuals using various 3D modelling programs. “For area models, I begin by using existing electronic navigational charts from the Australian Hydrographic Office or creating the chart from clientprovided data. I use this as a base layer and build up the database from there,” she said. “We employ many different forms of data to ensure realism –
digital elevation map data, area sourced bathymetry data from hydrographic surveys, CAD drawings, and tidal and current data supplied by the ports. I also cross-reference port models against satellite imagery if necessary.”
‘Visual modelling is one of those jobs where no two projects are the same’ Creating a standard port area model typically takes about 10 to 12 weeks due to the level of detail required, while a ship model can be completed within six to eight weeks. More complex projects, such as the ice research project involving the Aurora Australis and two new area models of Mawson and Davis ports, can take up to one year to produce. One of the major benefits for clients is that Ms Coogan can make live modifications to the visuals while they’re being used in the simulator.
Her visuals are backed up by the hydrodynamic modelling work of colleague Adam Rolls. The ultimate aim is for the ship to look and handle exactly as it does in real life. Ms Coogan has worked in this role for 10 years and has modelled about eight ports and six ships during that time, with ongoing updates to area models as well as port development projects. The centre maintains a database of 70 area models and 150 ship models. One of her most memorable projects has been the modelling of Melbourne port, which is one of the centre’s largest area models. “I went on a number of site visits to ensure enough photographic and pilot data was collected for a model of this size, and was lucky enough to meet the crew and travel aboard Melbourne’s hydrographic survey vessel the John Norgate,” Ms Coogan said. “Because Melbourne is so densely populated, this model is a progressive work and one that I enjoy returning to during quiet periods throughout the year. Visual modelling is one of those jobs where no two projects are the same.”
Tailored service: Lee Coogan can make live modifications to visuals while they’re being used in the simulator. Picture: scott gelston
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Riding a wave to renewable power Two ocean wave energy research projects have received a national funding injection
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Tech savvy: Vanessa Lucieer, Alex Forrest, Remo Cossu and Justin Hulls get their gear in order before leaving for their Antarctic research trip. Picture: Michael Rayner
Mapping stories from sea floor A
coustic equipment that generates highly detailed maps of the sea floor has been used for the first time in the Antarctic to assess under-ice productivity. Dr Alex Forrest from the Australian Maritime College in collaboration with Dr Vanessa Lucieer from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies led a team of seven scientists and support staff to investigate conditions beneath pack ice and the first stages of marine life – algae – it supports. Algae plays a vital role in the polar ecosystem, forming the basis of the marine food chain that ultimately supports the mega-fauna of whales and seals. The project used the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) UBCGavia and a remotely operated camera to map the underside of sea ice. Dr Forrest has been developing the AUV for the past five years, refining its sensors to deliver increasingly higher resolution maps of sea floor topography. It has previously been used to map the extent of invasive sea urchin barrens off the east coast of Tasmania, examine soft substrates in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and to survey a gas pipeline on
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Pictures have never been clearer thanks to an underwater vehicle upgrade the northern Tasmanian coastline. Dr Forrest said one of the early challenges for the team was deploying the AUV through the ice to begin its survey of the Antarctic coastline, near the New Zealand managed territory at Scott Base. “The instrument has a sophisticated geo-referencing system and is totally autonomous,” he said. “It flies under the sea ice, mapping the underside of the Antarctic ice sheet with a hyperspectral camera to detect algae present in the seawater. “That will give us a clue to productivity under the ice sheet and provide a baseline snapshot for future reference.” The deployment was possible due to a recent $260,000 upgrade that saw the AUV kitted out with a custom-made inertial navigation system (INS). The INS uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously
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calculate the position, orientation and velocity of the AUV without the need for external references. Unlike traditional INS modules, which use the estimate of the speed over the sea floor as additional input, the new operating system can look both down at the sea floor and up to track the ice surface. The early results and interpretation of the Antarctic survey will be published in the next six months and the maps will be promoted as an extension to Dr Lucieer’s Seamap Tasmania project. “There’s so much detail out there on terrestrial maps, and yet until the last decade we were lucky if we could source any accurate underwater data from which to tell stories about the sea floor and related water column,” Dr Lucieer said. “With this technology we are creating history for future marine scientists and resource managers and giving them a legacy of information that people previously wouldn’t have had the opportunity to know about.” The team worked with the New Zealand Antarctic Survey and was accompanied by a crew from TV NZ to capture footage of the expedition.
cean waves are an abundant, inexhaustible and untapped source of renewable energy. AMC research into the growing field of ocean wave energy is gathering momentum with two key projects receiving national funding boosts. The first project, a collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology, has been granted $770,000 from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to develop modelling on the performance of wave energy farms. The research aims to identify the impact of wave energy converters on each other in an array and the impact of current flows around a converter. AMC project lead Dr Irene Penesis said wave energy converters worked by transforming ocean swell into power and were a source of reliable renewable energy with great value to future electricity markets. Many types of converters are being developed and trialled worldwide, including several in Australia. “Wave power is an emerging sector and most technology trials involve individual or few devices. Once proven, more devices could be installed in arrays or farms,” Dr Penesis said. “The nature of the sea means these wave energy devices may have a noticeable effect on each other. For example, an array of devices could act together as one collective machine with significantly different behaviour to a lone device. This collective behaviour is currently not well understood and we are aiming to fill this knowledge gap.” The second project is a partnership with Perth-based
Bombora Wave Power to research the optimal design for their innovative ocean wave energy converters. In conjunction with Bombora’s financial commitment, a $256,000 Australian Research Council Linkage Program funding injection will support a significant increase in research effort, starting with a series of complex physical scale model experiments in AMC’s shallow water model test basin.
‘The nature of the sea means these wave energy devices may have a noticeable effect on each other’ Bombora Director Shawn Ryan said the company had developed a unique system that converts wave energy into cost-effective electricity and has many other addressable markets in food, water, shelter and recreation applications. “Our system features a sturdy, seabed-mounted structure with a flexible membrane that enables it to withstand storms and harness a greater proportion of the available wave energy,” he said. It is expected that the research outcomes will help Bombora to realise and expand upon its existing development, calibrate its computer modelling and further advance the understanding of the technical characteristics of the system.
Surf’s up: Projects have begun to harness energy from the oceans.
Chance to learn on the job Program helps students and industry partners build practical engineering skills
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hands-on approach to engineering studies is paying huge dividends to both students and industry partners of the Australian Maritime College. Co-operative Engineering Program coordinators David Harte and Mark Symes described the course as an integrated model of higher education in which motivated students can combine university studies with practical experience. Students alternate periods of full-time study with periods of paid full-time employment in industry. These work placements, totalling up to 17 months over the course of the five-year degree, are fulfilled under the supervision of professional engineers. The program is available to students undertaking a Bachelor of Engineering in Ocean Engineering, Naval Architecture or Marine and Offshore Engineering who have a minimum ATAR of 85 and maintain a credit average. “The program has wide-ranging benefits to both students and their prospective employers,” Mr Harte said. “It’s an opportunity for industry to trial a student and see if they’re a good fit and the student also gets an understanding of the culture of the company. There is a mutual understanding and it’s a better transition – the company knows the graduate and they know the company.” The Co-op Program, which has been offered since 2011, is continually being improved to
Work perks: Co-operative Engineering Program coordinators Mark Symes and David Harte.
ensure it develops the skillsets required to meet the ever-changing needs of industry. “We’ve refined the structure of the program to include an eightweek engineering practicum in the first year,” Mr Symes said. “This unit will be delivered through TAFE and gives students the opportunity to learn practical engineering skills such as welding, sheet metal work and machining. “This year’s engineering practicum project will see the students design and build a vice. So they’ll be able to work on a project from the concept stage using AMC’s CAD (computer-aided design) software right through to building
the physical model at TAFE. “The aim is to show students the relationship between what they’re learning at university and its practical application. We’re developing their practical skills for their first work placement, which comes a year later.” The program is accredited through Engineers Australia and takes graduates one step further towards achieving chartered status than a standard degree. In addition to the stage one competencies that are automatically achieved upon graduation, students are able to show how they’ve applied their knowledge in the workplace and reflect on what they’ve learnt,
Picture: Scott Gelston
which is a stage two competency. “We’re developing a log book to record the assessment tasks and student reflections, which means that when the students apply to be chartered their log books will demonstrate the reflective practices required to achieve stage two competencies,” Mr Harte said. Looking ahead, there are talks underway to further expand the course by developing a University Co-op Program, whereby a pool of universities that offer workintegrated learning in their engineering degrees share work placements around the country. In the meantime, the chief priority is to continue forging
close ties with the government and private organisations that provide competitive work placement opportunities for the students. “The idea is that the students are starting to hone where they want to go with their career in the final work term. Then they’ll bring their industry clients back to AMC to do their final-year thesis and design project,” Mr Harte said. “So both AMC and the students are building this relationship with industry – it’s a three-way partnership.” For further details or to register your interest to participate in the program, please email mark.symes@utas.edu.au or david.harte@utas.edu.au
Sam gains insight into oil and gas industry
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n international work placement has given maritime engineering student Sam Calvert invaluable exposure to the inner workings of the competitive offshore oil and gas industry. Mr Calvert was in his final year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Ocean Engineering) Co-operative Engineering Program when he travelled to Norway for a sevenmonth placement at Ocean Installer, an international subsea contractor that provides engineering, procurement, construction and installation services for marine and subsea operations. “My pursuit of a work placement with an international firm stemmed from my desire to gain exposure to the international engineering environment where complex projects are the norm,” Mr Calvert said.
‘My primary aspiration is to travel the world while doing a job that I love’ “It also gave me the opportunity to experience new cultures, meet new people and basically go on a new adventure.” While on location in Norway’s oil fields, Mr Calvert gained hands-on experience on a number of complex projects including the replacement of flexible risers for Statoil-operated fields and the commissioning of subsea flowlines for a Shell-operated field.
“My experience was second-tonone and the exposure I received was unquantifiable. I wanted responsibility, with a degree of supervision, of course, and I received it,” Mr Calvert said. “Within a month of starting at Ocean Installer I was assisting in the mobilisation of one of their vessels prior to an offshore campaign. “Within two months I was responsible for the engineering tasks related to the demobilisation of a flexible product carousel from the aft deck of another Ocean Installer vessel.” Thanks to this experience, Mr Calvert graduated this year armed with not only his degree but also a job offer to take up a graduate position with Ocean Installer. “My primary aspiration is to travel the world while doing a job that I love,” he said.
Hands-on: Maritime engineering student Sam Calvert spent seven months in Norway on a work placement at subsea contractor Ocean Installer.
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Candidates float big ideas Offshore warehouse concept could revolutionise the transhipping industry
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esearch underway at AMC could help save billions of dollars in port infrastructure, dredging and transhipping costs. Traditional transhipment involves an export vessel, such as a Capesize bulk carrier, mooring as close to the mining operation as its draught allows and being loaded by smaller feeder vessels. This project looks at using a floating harbour transhipper (FHT) that acts as an ‘offshore warehouse’ to meet the growing demands for coastal transhipment in the mining sector and commercial port operations. PhD candidates Nick Johnson and Lauchlan Clarke are working with industry partner Sea Transport Corporation (STC) to refine and test the FHT concept, which is the first of its kind in the world. The three-year project has received a $420,000 Linkage grant from the Australian Research Council and STC. “Transhipping is about transferring large volumes of cargo as quickly and cheaply as possible from remote areas with limited infrastructure in as wide a range of weather conditions as possible,” Mr Johnson said. “Traditionally, the transfer of bulk ore cargo takes place over a couple of weeks, with the feeder vessels running back and forth between a small port and the moored export vessel. The difference with what we’re looking at is the FHT will act as an offshore warehouse, allowing the feeder vessels and export vessel to work on their own continuous schedules.” The FHT, estimated to be worth around US$90 million, is about 315m long and features an enclosed conveyor system to facilitate the transfer of the bulk product from the feeder vessel into its own stockpile, and from this stockpile to the export vessel. Using an enclosed conveyor system eliminates spillage and allows for dust-free transhipment, reducing impact on the surrounding environment and any nearby residential areas. The system aims to significantly reduce transhipment delays caused by inclement weather by reducing the relative motions between the FHT and the feeder vessel.
Huge potential: Above, maritime engineering PhD candidates Lauchlan Clarke and Nick Johnson with the model of the floating harbour transhipper; below, an artist’s impression showing the transfer of iron ore from the floating harbour transhipper to the export vessel. Picture: BRET SALINGER
‘the floating harbour transhipper will act as an offshore warehouse, allowing the feeder vessels and export vessel to work on their own continuous schedules’ This is achieved by mooring the feeder vessel inside a well dock at the aft end of the FHT, rather than the side-by-side method used in traditional transhipping. Mr Johnson is researching the
operational limits of the system and quantifying the sea states in which it can operate. “The feeder vessel is sheltered inside the FHT well dock and my job is to calculate the sea states
in which it can dock and leave the dock, and whether there are scenarios where it should stay in dock until it is safe to leave. I’m also looking at the limiting sea states to transfer goods from the FHT to the
export vessel when they’re moored to each other,” he said. This scenario-modelling work will be completed on computer in tandem with rigorous physical experimental testing in AMC’s model test basin. Mr Clarke’s area of research focuses on the water flow that is produced when the feeder vessel enters or exits the FHT well dock. “The well dock is always open to the ocean, and when the feeder vessel enters, the majority of the water in the well dock has to be displaced. I’ll be looking at innovative solutions to minimise any negative effects on the manoeuverability of the feeder vessel, such as using vents to allow the water to escape the well dock as the feeder vessel enters,” Mr Clarke said. The project has huge potential to minimise the environmental impact of bulk product export (such as iron ore, bauxite, coal and grain) and save billions of dollars in onshore infrastructure costs thanks to offshore warehousing. It eliminates the need for major dredging and earthworks to enable access to coastal ports and has generated a great deal of interest among mining companies around the world.
Courses developed to meet new training standards
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ajor changes to international maritime training standards mean it is vital that seafarers update their qualifications, says AMC Search Deputy CEO Cathy Wilson. “It is now mandatory for all Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) certificate holders to have a security awareness endorsement,” Mrs Wilson said.
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“We’ve developed an online security awareness training course to meet industry demand for this endorsement. The course takes seven hours to complete, is AMSAapproved and open for enrolment now.” The new requirements are part of the changes to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention
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introduced by the 2010 Manila amendments. Seafarers will also need to revalidate AMSA-issued certificates, including those issued in perpetuity, before January 2017. “All certificate holders will be required to satisfy continued competence requirements every five years to maintain the validity of their certificate,” Mrs Wilson said.
“Serving seafarers with more than 12 months’ sea time in the past five years will need to demonstrate their continued competence by undertaking refresher training. “Those who do not meet the seatime requirements must undertake the revalidation course relevant to their qualification.” AMC Search will also be offering
Task and Guided Study (TAGs) books for people working in the industry who wish to gain an AMSA Ratings endorsement on their certificate of safety training. Detailed information on the AMSA Ratings endorsement and refresher, revalidation and security awareness training can be found online at www.amcsearch.com.au or by phoning +61 3 6324 9850.
Robots: the next generation Students focus on the limitless potential of autonomous technology
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group of maritime engineering students share a futuristic vision to send robots into outer space to explore planetary lakes. The potential uses for these robots on Earth is also limitless, including sending fleets of drones to provide quick and safe response to natural disasters and creating a “wired ocean” that provides early notice of extraordinary underwater events. The students have formed their own society dedicated to exploring the next generation of autonomous technologies and during the past two years have taken their purposebuilt robots around the world to compete in prestigious events. Australian Maritime College Autonomous Technologies Society (AMCAT) President James Keane said their fleet included a hydrofoil catamaran, seed-planting vehicle, octocopter, hovercraft and autonomous surface vessel. “The next generation of maritime engineers is nerdishly excited about the applications for autonomous robots,” he said. “AMCAT is a testament to what’s achievable when you combine proactive undergraduates with the opportunities presented at a worldclass college and industry experts such as Dr Alexander Forrest as mentors. If this is what we’re doing at an undergraduate level, then it doesn’t take much to realise that what’s going on at a postgraduate research level is pretty amazing. Our long-term goal is to develop a fleet of autonomous surface vessels, aerial drones and underwater vehicles for coastal surveying and other applications.” The team raced its radiocontrolled hydrofoil catamaran in the inaugural HYDROcontest on the banks of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, in July, vying for the title of “fastest and most energy efficient
Innovative: Clockwise from above, AMCAT members James Keane, Jarrah Orphin, Reuben Kent and Fletcher Thompson; team members race their radio-controlled hydrofoil catamaran in the inaugural HYDROcontest on the banks of Lake Geneva, Switzerland; Dr Alex Forrest and Zac Pullen with the octocopter, which is effectively a helicopter with eight arms and multiple rotating propellers. PictureS: SCOTT GELSTON / LANA BEST / AMCAT
hydrofoil boat” against university students from Switzerland, France, Brazil, Colombia, Australia and the Netherlands. Despite a series of setbacks including a fire, lost rudder and puncture-causing collision, they returned home triumphant with two awards – taking out second place in the endurance race category and winning the best technology award in the lightweight boat division. Back in Australia, an AMCAT robot programmed to complete a seed planting mission achieved a top eight finish against competitors from Australian and New Zealand universities at the National
Instruments Autonomous Robotics Competition, held in Sydney in September. Team leader Fletcher Thompson said taking part in the competition enabled the students to build their knowledge in the field of decision making control – a robotics topic not usually covered in their maritime engineering degrees. He said autonomous technologies were set to play a large role in the students’ future careers within the maritime industry. The octocopter, effectively a helicopter with eight arms and multiple rotating propellers, is kitted out with camera capability and a live video feed that can be linked to a computer or screen.
PhD scholarships up for grabs for top engineering graduates
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he ARC Training Centre for Transforming Australia’s Naval Manufacturing Industry is offering 10 PhD scholarship packages to qualified, highlymotivated students to undertake research in the areas of naval design, manufacturing and sustainment. The centre is driven by the University of Tasmania, University of Wollongong and Flinders University in collaboration with industry partners ASC Pty Ltd, Babcock International, PMB Defence Engineering, Thales
Australia, DSTO and DMTC. The successful scholarship applicants are expected to hold an Honours 1 (or equivalent) degree in engineering or science. Postgraduate research experience in engineering fields with specific reference to industry application will be highly regarded but not essential. The first round of scholarships will be open soon. The successful applicants will be eligible to receive a scholarship of $30,746 for three years to complete a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering once enrolled at one of the three
universities. In addition every scholarship recipient will work on a project submitted by industry, have a 12-month internship with an industry partner, and be part of the exciting new training centre focused on producing research solutions to industry. Each project has a generous relocation allowance for the internship placement and project support from multiple participants. For more information, email Dr Jonathan Binns at Jonathan.Binns@utas.edu.au
Designer Zac Pullen said the ultimate goal was to develop a stable and reliable platform for survey work and communication that could be used with the surface vessel developed for the Maritime RobotX Challenge in Singapore. This major competition saw AMCAT join forces with Flinders University to battle it out for $100,000 in prize money against students from the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The teams each received an unpowered version of the 16-foot Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) from the US Office of Naval Research and a grant to build a battery-powered propulsion
system and sensors. The robot was tested on a series of tasks including navigation and control, obstacle avoidance, docking and target identification. Team AMCAT/Flinders went home with the best hydrodynamic testing award. “These competitions are amazing opportunities for us to see what’s happening at the cutting-edge of autonomous surface vessel technology,” Mr Keane said. “They certainly help us toward our long-term goal of developing a multi-platform autonomous fleet capable of adaptive exploration in environments typically hostile to human explorers.”
Bond strengthens with PNG, Norway and China AMC has strengthened its international ties by signing memorandums of understanding with the following institutions: Papua New Guinea Maritime College: To foster greater collaboration in professional development, joint research activities, joint scholarly and teaching activities, and exchange of faculty members. Norwegian University of Science and Technology: To promote student and staff
exchange, joint research activities and publications, participation in seminars and academic meetings, sharing academic materials and publications, and special short-term academic programs. Chongqing Jiaotong University: AMC has established an articulation pathway for Chongqing students into our Bachelor of Applied Science in Nautical Studies or Marine Engineering degree programs.
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Honorary degree for DSTO maritime chief Dr Janis Cocking recognised for her outstanding contribution to undersea research
Captain Dan Waters
Farewell to a visionary
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efence Science and Technology Organisation Maritime Division Chief Janis Cocking’s outstanding contribution to the field of maritime engineering has been recognised with an honorary degree from the University of Tasmania at its midyear graduation ceremony. The University Council confers honorary degrees on people who are distinguished scholars and have given exemplary service to the Commonwealth, the state or the University. Dr Cocking accepted her degree at a graduation ceremony held at Albert Hall, Launceston, on Saturday, August 23. “Conferral of the degree of Doctor of Engineering honoris causa is a well-deserved and fitting acknowledgment of Janis Cocking’s outstanding contributions to the University and to the State of Tasmania,” University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen said. “Dr Cocking has played a substantial and active role in enhancing the interests, capabilities and international connections of the Australian Maritime College and the University. She has been the champion and major driver behind much of the extensive interaction between DSTO and AMC for many years. Her high-level support has culminated in important, strategic outcomes including Commonwealth Government support for major AMC facility upgrades and collaborative research projects. This has enhanced the reputations of both AMC and the University within the international defence community.”
Ocean expert: Dr Janis Cocking accepted her honorary degree at a graduation ceremony held at Albert Hall, Launceston.
Dr Cocking is an acknowledged international expert in the field of undersea technology and has more than 30 years’ experience managing science and technology research projects. In her current role as DSTO Maritime Division Chief, she has led the scientific and technological support program for the Collins Class submarines and demonstrated
how unmanned underwater systems can complement manned submarines in delivering enhanced defence capability. The honorary degree conferral follows the signing of a five-year Defence Science Partnering Deed between DSTO and the University designed to establish a collaborative alliance for mutually beneficial activities.
The objectives of the partnership are many but include improving mutual access to world-class research infrastructure and programs, developing capabilities and technologies, collaboration in niche areas of expertise and contributing to the promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools and the tertiary sector.
e were saddened to learn of the death on June 3 of Captain Dan Waters, the foundation principal of the Australian Maritime College from 1977- 1990. Born in Scotland, Captain Waters went to sea in 1944 as a cadet with Anchor Line and worked with several shipping companies before reaching the rank of Master. After 14 years at sea, he came ashore and took up a maritime teaching role at Plymouth Technical College and the University of Strathclyde. In 1966, he came to Australia where he joined the Department of Shipping and Transport in Melbourne as a marine surveyor and was appointed an examiner for the certification of shipmasters and mates. At this time, plans were being developed for the training of merchant navy officers in Australia. Captain Waters was involved in these discussions and was awarded a Commonwealth postgraduate scholarship to research marine education and training at the University of Wales. His Master’s thesis proposed that marine education and training in Australia should be centralised in one institution and should be part of the national system of education. Eventually, that institution would be established as the Australian Maritime College. Captain Waters was appointed foundation principal in 1977 and held that position until 1990, when he moved to Sweden to become rector of the World Maritime University in Malmo. AMC owes a debt of gratitude to the foresight, vision and hard work of Captain Waters.
Trio leadS by example on world stage I t’s been a productive year on the award front with several staff members and researchers being recognised for outstanding achievements in their respective fields. Engineering lecturer Dr Jessica Walker was one of two recipients of the prestigious 2014 Tasmanian Young Tall Poppy Science Awards, which aim to recognise the achievements of Australia’s outstanding young scientific researchers and communicators. Selection criteria for the awards include outstanding research and academic achievement, as well as excellence in communication and community engagement to promote
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Dr Jessica Walker
Dr Quazi Sakalayen
an understanding of science. The winners participate in education and community outreach programs in which they become role models to inspire school students and the broader community about the possibilities of science. PhD graduate Dr Quazi
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Tom Mitchell Ferguson
Sakalayen’s regional ports research has been recognised on the international stage, taking out the best paper prize at the International Association of Maritime Economists conference in Virginia, United States. The paper, an extract of his thesis “The Strategic Role of Australian
Regional Ports in Regional Development”, topped the field of 179 peer-reviewed papers. Dr Sakalayen surveyed industry and developed a conceptual model that identified three major themes: port sustainability, building on collaborative advantages and active participation of ports in a regional innovation system. PhD candidate Tom Mitchell Ferguson won the best presentation award for his paper, “Phaseaveraging of PIV Flow Fields of an Oscillating Water Column in Polychromatic Waves”, at the Asian Wave and Tidal Energy conference in Tokyo, Japan. Mr Mitchell Ferguson’s research
focuses on improving scale model testing procedures for oscillating water columns using particle image velocimetry. “When analysing wave energy devices many simplifications are made to make the analysis easier to perform,” he said. “The wave energy industry is currently transitioning from device evaluation to having full scale prototypes in the water. My research investigates some of simplifications which have previously been applied to the operation of wave energy devices and evaluates whether they hold up in real world conditions.” His project is on track for completion in 2015.