Maritime IT & Electronics (April/May 2011) by Kevin Tester

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CONTENTS

APRIL/MAY 2011

COMMENT

Navigation 21 IMO warning system

NEWS SATCOMS UPDATE MARKETPLACE

OSV focus Beemar buzzes online 8 with broadband Small footprint, high availability and guaranteed data rates were the perfect combination for Beemar when it selected VSAT for its fleet renewal

Satcoms 12 Virtual sea trials for new Ku-band dish A new test and simulation facility could help Thrane &

Thrane始s forthcoming Ku-band antenna deliver the reliability demanded by VSAT users

Crew welfare 16 A mission to relieve the stress of life at sea The conditions under which crew are expected to live and work at sea examined

Radar 18 Breaking cloud-cover The 驶rain-cloaking始 tactic used by modern pirates is not enough to fool contemporary radar systems 22 Racons will continue to shine Fears that solid-state NT radar would make racons redundant are unfounded. Rather, they may grow in importance

reaches Arctic waters Some 30 years after it was first established, the Worldwide Navigational Warning System has finally expanded into Arctic waters

Safety 26 Give officers Facebook and improve safety? Rather than forcing OOWs to act like automatons, new research suggests a certain level of distractions actually improves concentration

28 Coastguards gamble on Monte Carlo tactics SARIS uses innovative techniques to improve the chances of Search and Rescue agencies finding stricken vessels and men overboard 30 GMDSS hardware rewired for networks Ethernet connections are the latest innovation to emerge from GMDSS suppliers in a bid to boost system connectivity

80 Coleman Street, London EC2R 5BJ Tel: +44 (0) 20 7382 2600 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7382 2669 www.imarest.org Editor: Kevin Tester kevin.tester@imarest.org Publisher: John Barnes john.barnes@imarest.org Group Advertising Manager: alwyn.topliss@imarest.org MITE Advertising Manager: john.bodill@imarest.org MITE Senior Sales Executive: susan.glinska@imarest.org Graphic Designer: jo.cooper@imarest.org Publication Sales & Subscriptions: lorraine.jordan@imarest.org

In case of fire, more redundancy needed New guidelines call for passenger vessels to become their own lifeboats in an emergency. Fire safety systems have evolved to meet the challenge

E-commerce 37 Engendering trust Trust is foremost in any business relationship, but communicating it electronically is not easy. ShipServ thinks it has the solution.

漏 Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (2011). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying, storing in any medium by electronic means or transmitting) without the written permission o f the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, England, EC1N 8TS, website: www.cla.co.uk email: licence@cla.co.uk. Applications for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Information published in MARITIME IT & ELECTRONICS does not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Whilst effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate the publisher makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of such information. It accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains.

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COMMENT

Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi Kevin Tester When Inmarsat launched its FleetBroadband service in 2008, it probably anticipated smooth sailing for a good ten years or so. Given the longevity of its earlier Fleet 77 and other legacy narrowband services combined with the renowned conservativeness of the shipping industry, this was probably a fair assumption to make. Yet the reality turned out to be very different. The ubiquity of the Internet in society as a whole accelerated demand for decent connectivity faster than Inmarsat could have anticipated. Despite ostensibly being a pay-as-you-go service, FleetBroadband’s competitive pricing effectively forced down the price of rival all-you-can-eat VSAT services. Unfortunately for Inmarsat, this happened at the same time as Ku-band coverage expanded to cover most of the world’s major sea lanes and the technology and infrastructure underlying VSAT became increasingly robust. In turn, Inmarsat was forced to play VSAT providers at their own game, introducing contracts with bundled data allowances. This also opened up the door for potential shipowner customers to negotiate a better package before signing any contract. MITE understands a certain major Danish ship operator secured a very a good deal on its boxships. The latest new twist from KVH Industries is to offer VSAT capabilities on a pay-as-you-go basis. With affordability a foremost objective, Internet access on its TracPhone V3 service is charged at $0.99/Mb with voice calls at $0.49/min. The company was eager to draw a comparison 2

MITE April/May 2011

with L-band services, such as Inmarsat, with published airtime rates of over $10/Mb. Therefore when Inmarsat announced its decision last summer to launch a super-high-speed Ka-band VSAT service, many existing Ku-band players regarded this as capitulation. From their admittedly biased perspective, Lband Inmarsat was dead in the water. But if it can pull off GlobalXpress, it will be very much resurgent. How does it intend to achieve this with somewhat limited VSAT experience? The answer became clear in February. It has called on the help of two major VSAT players – iDirect and Cobham Sea Tel. The former was awarded a US$60M contract to provide ground network infrastructure and core technology for the shipboard terminals, while the latter has been tasked with developing a new antenna for the Ka-band service. GlobalXpress project manager Leo Mondale says the agreements ‘unite Inmarsat with the strongest suppliers in the maritime VSAT supply chain.’ Having sat through many a presentation on FleetBroadband from the company’s über-enthusiastic sales team, until now, such an utterance was virtually unthinkable. But taking my tongue out of my cheek, getting heavyweights like iDirect and Sea Tel onboard is a very logical move, especially in light of Inmarsat’s ambitious 2013 target launch date. Surprisingly the fact that maritime Ka-band is visible on the horizon has not forestalled activity in the Ku-band arena. On the contrary it seems to be increasing. Already this year three big players have launched or re-

Editor

vamped their Ku-band offerings: Vizada, Stratos Global and Thrane & Thrane. What is immediately noticeable is that all three are leading distributors of Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband and other L-band offerings. Stratos is taking the middle ground by offering a capped VSAT service. That said it is a rather generous 25Gb/month limit. The company has already secured a big contract with containership operator Hapag-Lloyd, which will deploy the system on 40 vessels, approximately a third of its total fleet. What again is interesting is that this a 5-year contract, which, by current forecasts, would take it comfortably into when GlobalXpress is available. Thrane & Thrane’s approach is also notable in that it has ploughed considerable resources into developing and testing its own antenna. This is counter to the more common – and probably less expensive – strategy of sourcing an existing antenna and modem, negotiating some airtime and then selling the integrated package to shipowners and operators – the tactic which seems to have been taken by Vizada. However, Thrane & Thrane’s investment could pay-off if the Sailor 900 lives up to expectations in terms of improved reliability, an issue that has long been held up by detractors of VSAT, though it is more often down to poor installation and setup rather than hardware design (as discussed in MITE Feb/Mar 2011).

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NEWS

Intellian ups its game with Uplogix, then unveils Mediator In a bid to increase uptime and reduce maintenance costs for users, Korean antenna manufacturer Intellian has teamed up with Uplogix, a network technology specialist, to improve the remote access and management of its maritime VSAT antennas The Uplogix platform supports Intellian satellite antenna control units and arbitrators, including the v-Series models. Advanced features include the ability for Uplogix to recognise operational states in an antenna and take pre-determined actions such as notifying service providers with status information, switching to an alternate communication method, or targeting another satellite. Uplogix can also provide remote access to the v-Series PC

Controller application via narrowband, highly-latent networks such as Iridium. This allows troubleshooting and configuration access of the Intellian VSAT that previously could only be attained with a site visit. Separately, the company has the taken the covers off its Dual VSAT Mediator, a new piece of kit designed to monitor and control two VSAT systems simultaneously. The Mediator automatically switches to the secondary antenna if the primary unit goes offline or is blocked in a signal shadow. Intended for redundant antenna environments, switchover can be achieved within 60 milliseconds. Notably, the Mediator also supports iDirectʼs OpenAMIP protocol

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MITE April/May 2011

Inmarsat calls in iDirect and Sea Tel for Ka-band project Inmarsat has awarded iDirect a US$60m contract to provide the ʻground network infrastructureʼ and ʻcore moduleʼ technology for satellite terminals for Inmarsatʼs forthcoming Global Xpress Ka-band VSAT service. iDirect will design, develop, manufacture, test and commission the Global Xpress ground network infrastructure. Meeting the specification of the Inmarsatʼs recently announced new service will require iDirect to utilise advancements in mobility, quality of service and network management. iDirect also plans to produce a range of core modules specifically designed for the maritime, aeronautical and government sectors. Inmarsat states these will be ʻfully consistentʼ with the Global Xpress objective of delivering up to 50Mbps downlink speeds to 60cm aperture terminals. Managing director of the programme Leo Mondale says the agreement allows Inmarsat to ʻdraw on the very best that VSAT technology has to offer and combine it with our longstanding commitment to quality, global coverage and

seamless mobility.ʼ The satcoms incumbent later disclosed its selection of Sea Tel to develop, manufacture, test and distribute terminals for the new service. The Cobham subsidiary will engineer a unit specifically for Kaband operation. Mondale says the agreements unite Inmarsat with the strongest suppliers in the maritime VSAT supply chain. Sea Tel is naturally over the moon with the selection. The company has a long history of designing and building maritime antenna systems and pedestals for L, C, Ku and X band. General manager Rick Pearson says: ʻWe are working closely with Inmarsat on the specifications for the new 60cm Ka-band unit. Global Xpress will use the latest technology across all components of the system.ʼ STOP-PRESS: Inmarsat has further announced that, together with Boeing, it has completed a joint design review for the trio of satellites which will deliver Global Xpress. Moreover this was done three months ahead of schedule.

New Thuraya terminal will get you online, just about The Seagull 5000i has become the latest addition to Thurayaʼs portfolio of maritime satcoms products. The specialised marine terminal manufactured by Singapore-based Addvalue Communications is designed for small vessels or fishing boats and provides voice, data, SMS and fax services. It works exclusively over Thurayaʼs satellite network. A built-in GPS tracking system means the unit can also function as a long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) transponder. It should be stressed that the 5000i is not a ʻbroadbandʼ modem. Packet data connectivity is limited to 60Kbps/15Kbps for downstream/upstream respectively, which is just about faster than a 2G mobile phone delivering Internet over GPRS. Thurayaʼs satellite network covers the ports and harbours in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia, as well as the seas, oceans and international waters in those localities.

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NEWS

Raytheon Anschütz has introduced a new series of radar, ECDIS and conning systems. The new kit is built on the German manufacturerʼs Synapsis architecture, in line with the recently launched Synapsis Bridge Control series. The new generation of wide-screen, task-orientated Synapsis workstations use standard hardware and software to ensure scalability. A standardised PC with solid-state disk and passive cooling instead of fan was designed to increase reliability and lifetime. Possible configurations range from a stand-alone radar or ECDIS to a fully integrated multi-functional workstation. Relevant navigation data such as charts, routes and sensor infor-

Synapsis-generation radar and ECDIS introduced mation are stored independently on each system. Both the new Synapsis (Chart-) Radar and Synapsis ECDIS come with data quality

management that includes a sensor status display as well as manual or automatic sensor selection. This ensures that all workstations consistently use

the best available sensor information. The Synapsis ECDIS can handle weather data and weather forecast symbols for route optimisation and voyage planning. The new system architecture also allows it to interface with a DP system, for example, to share waypoints of a planned route. The Synapsis (Chart-) Radar comes with a video merging mode to improve detection capabilities when using different radar sensors. In combination with the SeaScout collision avoidance function, this contributes to greater situation awareness and increased safety.

Inmarsat profits are up, but challenges lie ahead Inmarsat has reported a healthy set of results for 2010, but it faces a tough year ahead as voice services continue to be substituted for lower cost methods of digital communication and as competition from VSAT services intensifies. Although demand for FleetBroadband terminals remained strong throughout the last twelve months with over 10,000 terminals added, overall maritime revenue growth underperformed expectations.

MITE April/May 2011

Inmarsat chief executive Andrew Sukawaty attributes downward pressure on revenue growth ‒ especially in the last quarter ‒ to the fact that FleetBroadband pricing is typically lower than the legacy services being replaced. He said: ʻOver time we expect to offset this effect as usage grows in response to the increased service capability. In addition to challenging economic conditions in the shipping industry, we are also

seeing contraction in demand for voice services due to email substitution and greater competition from other providers.ʼ Although a lesser factor, he noted that competition from Ku-band VSAT service offerings also increased since the company announced its own Kaband VSAT service. Nonetheless, Sukawaty remains upbeat. He believes that newly introduced pricing packages will help FleetBroadband retain its ʻmarket leadingʼ posi-

tion. He also reasons that strong market awareness of Global Xpress will encourage customers to stay with the company, holding fire on any upgrades (and new contracts) in the period until Global Xpress becomes available. Total revenue for 2010 was up 12.9% year-on-year to $1.17Bn, with $727m derived from its core global mobile satellite services business. Profit before tax was some $333m, up 69.4% on 2009.

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NEWS

Transas brings training home

ABS and Herbert bridge the gap

In a move aimed at overcoming the increasing logistical hurdles of getting officers trained up on ECDIS before the systems start becoming mandatory next summer Transas Marine is establishing a worldwide network of endorsed training providers. The ECDIS manufacturer acknowledges that one of the major bottlenecks in training provision is the lack of local facilities. Ever cost-conscious shipowners are reluctant to spend cash on sending their staff to attend courses at faraway destinations, with all the other costs that incurs. Therefore the main driver behind Transasʼ Global ECDIS Training Network (which the company abbreviates to GETNet) is to ensure high quality and standardised bridge training is available closer to where shipping companies congregate.

Through a new joint venture, Herbert Engineering and class society ABS hope to bridge the gap between design, classification and operational management aspects of vessels and offshore units. The newly created business ‒ Herbert-ABS Software Solutions ‒ will offer loading and salvage analysis software packages as well as software design tools to the maritime and offshore industries. Herbert-ABS will own, market and support the existing suite of Herbert software products including its shipboard loading software (CargoMax), salvage response software (HECSALV), and load management software for offshore structures (LMP). In addition to enhancing existing products, the venture will allow the development of new software on an accelerated schedule. Plans this year include an enhanced containership stowage module, performance

The first training organisations to enter the partnership are Interschalt (in Hamburg and Manila), COSMOS Training Centre (in Athens), eIM Training Centre (in Piraeus) and MSG MarineServe (in Hamburg). Partner organisations receive detailed instructor training and must pass a quality audit. The Germanisher Lloydcertified training courses follow IMO Model Course 1.27 and already take into account the requirements of the Manila Amendments to STCW. Transasʼ manager of training Bjoern Roehlich states that GET-Net is an answer to the increased responsibility for ECDIS training put on the manufacturers by Flag States and marine administrations, as most recently exemplified by MIN 405, the somewhat controversial information notice issued by the UKʼs Maritime & Coastguard Authority.

monitoring and optimisation tools, and a load management, condition monitoring, and emergency response package for offshore vessels and structures. The latter product will be integrated into a Rapid Response and Damage Assessment (RRDA) service to be offered by ABS to the offshore industry. ʻThe integration between HECʼs and ABSʼ software programs bridges the design, classification and operational management aspects of vessels and offshore units,ʼ says ABS chief operating office Christopher Wiernicki. Meanwhile, chairman of Herbert Engineering Keith Michel notes that the two companies have, over the years, enjoyed a ʻrich and successful historyʼ of cooperation on numerous research projects. ʻWe look forward to taking this cooperative spirit to a new level,ʼ he adds.

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OFFSHORE SUPPORT VESSELS

Beemar buzzes online with broadband When the global offshore vessel service provider, Beemar, rolled out a fleet of sophisticated platform supply vessels (PSVs), it knew the ships would need to have broadband access to the outside world. ‘Our vessels support everything from deepwater oil production, deep shelf exploration, offshore and sub-sea construction, to seismic and special well service support. In all cases, fast Internet and reliable phone service are required to coordinate resources and personnel. The connectivity also serves a crew retention role by enabling workers to keep in touch with their families,’ explains Darrel Plaisance, Beemar vice president and chief operating officer. The operator eventually turned to a fully-managed solution from Hughes Network Systems and Environmental Safety Services International (ESSI) that includes high-speed Internet access, voice, and email as well as onboard WiFi. Plaisance notes that because the solution is managed, ‘it’s one less thing for us to worry about.’ The Hughes solution is providing satellite broadband to Beemar’s vessels operating off the coast of Mexico, as well as in the Caribbean. This, for example, allows a PSV supporting an offshore surveying project in the Caribbean 8

MITE April/May 2011

A combination of a small footprint installation, high availability, guaranteed data rates, and maritime expertise was all that Beemar could have asked for when it came to selecting a VSAT broadband service for its fleet renewal

to transmit real-time data to the customer’s headquarters for analysis, greatly reducing remote staffing and travel costs. In addition, the company is able to perform remote diagnostics on critical system electronics that keep the vessels operational at sea. The installation and on ongoing support is carried out by specialist maritime systems integrator, Environmental Safety Systems International (ESSI). To date, it has installed VSAT gyrostabilised satellite antennas on eight vessels in the fleet, with four more ships under construction. According to ESSI president Kim Adams, the vessels are fitted with either 60cm or 1m antennas and different service plans and network designs, depending upon their specific requirements. ESSI also provides 24x7 customer support and online vessel tracking services.

While Hughes is the heavyweight player in the high-speed satellite Internet market in the U.S., it is a relative newcomer to the maritime market, launching its VSAT-based service early in 2009. The company has a close working relationship with ESSI, a partner that deals with installation, ongoing maintenance, and provides tier-1 and tier-2 support and value-added applications such as vessel tracking, customised billing, equipment leasing, and engine monitoring. For this reason, the Beemar project marks an important milestone. ‘They have a very modern fleet with a sophisticated kit onboard and they operate worldwide. It counts for a lot and we are proud to have satisfied their requirements,’ says Vinod Shukla, senior vice president, international division at Hughes. Committed strategy ‘We realised very early on that we would have to differentiate ourselves from the multitude of VSAT

Committed Information Rates act as a guarantee, which eliminate customer uncertainty BT Shyamakrishnan, Hughes Network Systems

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suppliers in the maritime marketplace. Our strategy has been to focus on high availability and reliability with an enterprise-grade solution,’ continues Shukla. ‘Our services are designed to deliver Committed Information Rates (CIR) and not the more commonly quoted best-effort/shared bandwidth rates, thereby assuring the ship owner of reliable communications in critical situations.’ This approach seems to be paying dividends, especially with offshore customers in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, honing in on CIRs avoids the confusion (and dissatisfaction) that can arise with best-effort/shared bandwidth services being used in crowded waters, where ships are fighting to get their share of the available bandwidth. ‘When researching the maritime market, we discovered owners using VSAT in a shared environment never really knew whether they were getting the service they

Hughes is providing broadband to Beemar vessels operating off the coast of Mexico and in the Caribbean

We realised we would have to differentiate ourselves from other VSAT suppliers in the maritime marketplace. Our strategy has been to focus on high availability and reliability Vinod Shukla, Hughes Network Systems

had paid for. Of course, such concerns typically rise to the surface when the link to the satellite seems to be underperforming. In these cases, it is understandable why ship owners can sometimes feel short-changed. CIR acts as a guarantee, which eliminates customer uncertainty,’ says BT Shyamakrishnan, Hughes business development manager for the maritime market segment. To further enhance transparency, ship owners can log into the Hughes network operations centre (NOC) to access usage reports and a host of other metrics detailing service performance, such as ping response time, antenna signal strength, and up/down throughput. This data also allows trend analysis and thus strategic planning. ‘A shore-based manager can quickly see if certain vessels need more – or less – bandwidth to match their typical usage profile,’ suggests Shyamakrishnan. If there are performance issues, Hughes can delve more deeply into this repository in order to identify possible causes and from there suggest solutions. ‘We can determine, for example, if there is a rogue PC onboard a vessel that is hogging the link with Windows updates, etc. By passing this information back, the ship owner can then resolve the problem,’ explains Shyamakrishnan.

Three-axis stabilisation For its services, Hughes has assessed and qualified antennas in various sizes from 60cm to 1.5m from all leading manufacturers. The company also claims to be the first to roll-out a three-axis stabilised 60cm design on the commercial market. Most 60cm antennas designed for the whiteboat market and re-purposed for commercial use have only double-axis stabilisation. The different sizes are necessary to cater to the different geographic locations in which the vessels are working and the different vessel sizes. In the case of Beemar, 60cm units suffice for vessels based in the Gulf of Mexico. ‘To achieve a given performance, the size of antenna required increases according to how far away a vessel is located from the centre of the satellite’s coverage footprint,’ says Shyamakrishnan. Because the service and hardware is supplied on a lease basis, Hughes will swap out an existing antenna for a larger one, if needed, in the event a vessel needs to leave a region for a different project. This approach is well suited to the project-based nature of the offshore business. The communications requirements of individual vessels will vary according to the type of project in which they are inMITE April/May 2011

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volved. As hinted above, one vessel in the Beemar fleet was doing exploration work, which called for intensive video streaming back to the vessel’s customer’s headquarters in Houston. ‘Video is bandwidth hungry, but the lease model allows flexibility in the service plan. The user can adjust it depending on their needs at the time; in this case, upwards,’ stresses Shyamakrishnan. ‘Once the exploration and video streaming had finished, Beemar sent in a request to revert back to the lower rates. There are no hardware changes, as the adjustments are made from our NOC.’ Traffic management Moreover, Hughes recognises that there are two types of people on offshore vessels: personnel employed by the ship owner and a team from the end cus-

tomer, typically a major oil company. To save administrative headaches, the communications bill can be split between the two, thanks to a dual-LAN modem which segregates traffic generated by the owner from that of the end customer. In the example above, the oil major might have agreed to pay the bill for the premium service needed for heavy video streaming. Because it is a fully-managed service, Hughes, in partnership with ESSI, can deliver a whole array of equipment. This ranges from essentials such as the antenna and accompanying belowdeck boxes, to network switches, VoIP handsets, and other telephony solutions, to a heavy-duty

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MITE April/May 2011

The HX200 satellite router provides flexible Quality of Service features

fax, uninterruptible power supply, and even a GPS compass if the ship’s gyrocompass is inaccessible. (Stabilised antennas need to know where the ship is heading to continually track the satellite.) ESSI has developed a rack that brings all these elements together in a compact and organised package. The high-performance Hughes satellite router incorporates a number of troubleshooting mechanisms to facilitate remote maintenance from the NOC. A particular highlight is the so-called Ethernet sniffer, which can be used to monitor and analyse data moving around the onboard network. It is useful in detecting the source of local spikes in traffic, which may be affecting the performance of the satellite link. Finally, the two companies can help fine-tune existing applications for usage in a maritime satcoms environment. ‘Many shipping companies use customdeveloped software for managing their daily reports, personnel, operations, inventory, and other resources, which are not necessarily designed with satcoms in mind,’ says Emil Regard of ESSI. ‘There are many things we can implement to optimise and improve the applications performance over VSAT networks, for example, to reduce the number of handshakes required when talking to a shorebased SAP or SQL database.’ As the demand for alwayson, broadband connections at a fixed monthly rate has increased, more and more commercial shipping companies are looking for services like Hughes Maritime Broadband. While most develop business plans to anticipate the value the service brings, they often find the uses and applications grow significantly once the service is installed. It is common for these companies to participate in month-long pilot programs to explore the applications and uses. More often than not, the service stays onboard as the companies find the price is well worth the additional productivity. MITE October/November 2010

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Virtual sea trials for new Ku-band dish Thrane & Thrane introduced its new entry to the maritime stabilised VSAT antenna market, the Sailor 900 VSAT, at SMM in September last year, and it is expected to start shipping this summer. With a satcoms foundation in the Inmarsat market, where it has sold over 15 000 FleetBroadband systems since the service went live in November 2007, Thrane & Thrane’s desire to make a similar impact on the expanding world of VSAT is now starting to become apparent. Not least in the distinctive approach that its engineers have taken to the development of the new antenna and antenna control unit (ACU), especially in terms of testing. Custom-built facility Having closely followed the gradual growth of maritime VSAT in recent years, Thrane & Thrane was well aware of the current state-of-play in the market when it started developing the Sailor 900 VSAT. It’s not a well kept secret, but those that work with Ku-band VSAT systems at sea daily, know that there are inherent issues with the current state of the technology, with connection and reliability being the major user reported problems. ‘One of our first development steps was to talk to VSAT service providers and end-users and review in detail the issues they faced. This helped us to build a picture on the current state of play,’ says Jens Ewerling, mar12

MITE April/May 2011

A new test and simulation facility combined with a methodical approach to engineering and data could help Thrane & Thraneʼs forthcoming Ku-band antenna offer the reliability that VSAT users have been crying out for itime satcom manager at Thrane & Thrane. ‘With the target in terms of quality and performance set, we were determined to develop an antenna that was 100% suited to the environment it would be used in. This would rely on a new level of testing, involving the extensive use of real vessel data to ensure that the new antenna would perform reliably aboard any ship, regardless of the sea state or weather.’ To accommodate this approach, Thrane & Thrane has built a unique testing and simulation facility. The all new test area is a three storey extension to the Thrane & Thrane HQ building in Lyngby (seven miles north of Copenhagen) and was implemented solely with the purpose of improving development resources for the design of new antenna systems. Critical to the success of the new testing facility and the Sailor 900 VSAT, was obtaining real vessel data that could be used to simulate real-life conditions. Thrane & Thrane deployed special measurement equipment

The testing facility used two large domes; under one is the multi-axis motion simulator, the other houses facilities for calibration and testing

that records vessel attitude data in regards to heading, roll, pitch, yaw, acceleration, position, temperature, and random vibrations etc, on different kinds of vessels from 20-300m in length. This data is fed into the multi-axis hydraulic motion testing and simulation platform that Thrane & Thrane built to simulate exactly the movement of any vessel. Using real vessel motion and conditions, whilst connected to a live satellite provided a realistic testing ground, on a longterm basis. Any Sailor antenna system can be exposed to these conditions at any time. Simulated antenna testing is a complicated process, not least because pointing at the satellite from inside a building is obviously a challenge. However, the investment and effort in setting up the new test and simulation facility has enabled the team to ‘sea-trial’ the antenna using a different ship profile at will, resulting in months of extended testing, which is an important factor considering the limitations many antenna manufacturers face on carrying out live testing during development. Additional facilities in the new test area include a set of vibration equipment and a special chamber for ‘highly accelerated lifetime testing’ (HALT). ‘We can set the vessel profile

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and condition to whatever is needed and analyse how the antenna would track the satellite using a live connection, which was made possible because of a special building construction using low loss material. This means that we can create test conditions identical to those at sea, because we have the invaluable motion data taken from the various vessels at the start of the project,’ explains Ewerling. ‘Of course, this doesn’t mean that we haven’t carried out rigorous real-life sea trials, but the extra data we have gathered through our on land testing complements this, giving us a huge amount of data to work with.’

unskilled people to simply remove modules, and replace them, therefore, minimising any downtime should an issue occur. ‘We placed a good deal of focus on enabling remote monitoring and maintenance as this is something that the market is requesting,’ continues Ewerling. ‘However, because we understand what is going on in the en-

vironment, in part down to the rigorous testing in our new facility, we are coming to market with an antenna that doesn’t require regular maintenance. From motor design to belt control and mechanical parts, we have designed it for years of 24/7 operating without the need for maintenance. In addition to the operational uptime this enables,

Virtual ships With access to a range of vessels for recording seaway and vibration data and the ability to test and refine based on early advanced simulation, Thrane & Thrane believes it has come up with a stabilised antenna system that addresses the current issues with Ku-band antenna technology. ‘The Sailor 900 is lighter than other systems and therefore faster and less expensive to install. Easy and lower cost installation is also down to the single off-the-shelf 50Ω antenna cable which is the only cable going to the antenna for RF, DC power and data. All of this combined means that you don’t have to take off the radome, which basically saves a whole day of preparation and installation, again saving money for the customer.’ ‘It also has BITE – built-in test equipment . It monitors all the hardware and software systems and data can be accessed by remote connection over Inmarsat FleetBroadband or via the VSAT link directly,’ says Ewerling. The internal monitoring and self diagnostics developed for the Sailor 900 answer a growing need in the market for a more sophisticated approach to fault finding and ensuring antennas are performing correctly. The Thrane & Thrane team has even gone as far as including a special tool in the dome that enables relatively MITE April/May 2011

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management and gateway solutions. And behind all this are the tough Sailor systems, ensuring a reliable connection wherever the vessel is,’ Ewerling concludes. A further development at Thrane & Thrane is that the latest generation Sailor communication and GMDSS products are actually fully IP-enabled offering single point of access for all the Sailor systems on board. Eventually, Sailor 900 with redundancy from FleetBroadband is going to become the gateway for a ThraneLINK integration, which means in the future it will be able to form part of a much larger communications and navigation network using the new Light Ethernet standard with open protocols that Thrane & Thrane engineers helped to define through the development of ThraneLINK.

for these. This according to Ewerling is in part down to the recognised reliability of the hardware and global coverage of the Inmarsat L-band satellite services. ‘The shipping community will further embrace broadband at sea in the coming years. ‘Ku-band coverage at sea has expanded significantly over the last couple of years. But every single satellite beam is an individual business case and therefore there are sea areas with low shipping traffic where there probably will never be any Ku-band coverage. The fact that we can offer a complete maritime communication solution including Sailor FleetBroadband makes us pretty unique in the market place – we can provide the backdoor between VSAT and Inmarsat, but still allowing our partners to create innovative solutions for broadband

it can also be offset against the initial capital expenditure and the lifetime costs of installing and running a Ku-band solution.’ Thrane & Thrane is developing the Sailor 900 as a universal antenna to work on all technology platforms, networks and satellites. It is already prepared to function with the iDirect Infiniti 5100 and Evolution X5 VSAT modems, plus Comtech 570L SCPC modems for starters, with more modem compatibility like STM Satlink 1910 and Hughes HX200 being added prior to launch. The bigger picture Despite a recent development focus on the Sailor 900 antenna, Thrane & Thrane is still enjoying high delivery rates for its Sailorbranded Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminals and continues to develop advanced new features

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2011-03-10 10:57:42

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STRATOS GLOBAL has suddenly gone all VSAT. Intended to be the first step on a migration path towards Inmarsatʼs GlobalXpress Ka-band service, the Stratos team have introduced a Ku-band service to augment their current portfolio of L-band satcoms services. FBBPlus is dual-fuel offering that brings VSAT and Inmarsatʼs FleetBroadband together in a single package. Targeted primarily at global shipping companies seeking to customise their own network environment and require greater data throughput, the new service provides a 25Gb download allowance for a fixed monthly fee. This artificially imposed cap is in contrast to the all-you-can-eat VSAT service offerings, which have been prevalent in the market so far. It is worth noting FBBPlus differs again from Stratosʼ own long-standing OceanVSAT service, which can deliver up to 0.5Mbps to a global footprint. Operating on C-band, OceanVSAT is essentially a re-packaged and re-branded version of Intelsatʼs ʻNetwork Broadband Global Maritime Serviceʼ. Stratos recently began deploying FBBPlus on approximately 40 Hapag-Lloyd vessels, under a five-year contract. In addition to being one of the worldʼs largest container operators, Hapag-Lloyd is recognised as having developed one of the shipping industryʼs most advanced IT systems.

Stratos launches Ku-band, installs on box-ships

Stratos is deploying FBBPlus on the Hapag-Lloyd ships (almost a third of the fleet), together with its AmosConnect application to manage all email, fax, SMS and interoffice communications, and a number of ʻStratos Advantageʼ valueadded services for tweaking performance, security and cost control. According to Stratos, FBBPlus is the only service that delivers a managed MPLS extension network over sepa-

Kyoto Express is one of the first vessels on which FBBPlus has been deployed

rate L-band and Ku-band networks. The MPLS network separates and logically manages business, crew and non-essential traffic ‒ while delivering high-quality voice via Inmarsatʼs circuit-switched network. Stratos president and chief

executive Jim Parm says that as the worldʼs leading FleetBroadband distributor, the company understands the demand for higher volumes of data to support business communications onboard along with the increasing need to support crew with Internet-based services. He adds: ʻFBBPlus is a creative solution for expanding our customersʼ communications capabilities as we prepare for the availability Inmarsatʼs Global Xpress services in 2014.ʼ

KVH bid to undercut Inmarsat with pay-as-you-go V3 KVH Industries took the covers off the newest addition to its TracPhone broadband range against the backdrop of the Miami International Boat Show. The TracPhone V3 is claimed to be the smallest ever maritime antenna, with a radome diameter of 37cm and weighing only 11kg. Data rates remain as fast as before at 2Mbps. With affordability a foremost objective, Internet access is charged on a pay-as-you-go basis at $0.99/Mb with voice calls at $0.49/min. KVH was eager to draw a comparison with L-band

services, such as Inmarsat, with published airtime rates of over $10/Mb. Company president and chief executive Martin Kits van Heyningen said: ʻFor years weʼve heard people complain about the high prices charged for satcoms services. We set out to design a new product that was the size and cost of an Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminal but with faster data speeds and significantly lower airtime rates.ʼ The TracPhone V3 includes a fully stabilised antenna, powered by a ViaSat ArcLight spread spec-

trum modem and a below-decks antenna control unit. ArcLight enables very small antennas like KVHʼs 60cm TracPhone V7 and now, the TracPhone V3 to receive satellite transmissions with the speed and reliability of older 1m VSAT antennas that use TDMA transmission schemes. KVH goes on to state its RingFire antenna design and dielectric feed rod technology mean the TracPhone V3 performs well, even in poor weather, and its rugged design is suitable for use on tuna towers and commercial vessels.

The V3 sits alongside the V7 in KVHʼs mini-VSAT Broadband product line. While the V7 is aimed at heavy data users who want fixed-price airtime plans, the V3 provides the metered rate plans and compact design typical of L-band services but with Ku-band speeds. Both services run over KVHʼs network of 13 satellite transponders and 10 earth stations. In 2010, the company reports these delivered more than 60Tb of data and handled more than 1.5 million voice calls to and from vessels around the globe.

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CREW WELFARE

A mission to relieve the stress of life at sea ‘Working nine to five, what a way to make a living,’ sang Dolly Parton in the 1980s hit movie. The song has become synonymous with those who spend their working week sitting behind a computer screen, deskbound and, dare I say, clockwatching until 5pm when they can make a quick escape home. But spare a thought for the world’s 1.2 million seafarers who crew the merchant fleet. For them, there is no going home when the day is done. And if the ship is at sea, very often there is no ability to telephone the kids to find out about their day, or to read them a bedtime story. Security concerns, additional watches and, increasingly, a range of duties which the crew need to perform when the ship is in port, has meant that seafarers are finding it harder and harder to avail themselves of welfare services and it’s having a negative impact on recruiting and retaining young people to a life on the ocean wave. 16

MITE April/May 2011

Electronic communication is only one aspect of crew welfare. Ben Bailey of the Mission to Seafarers takes a holistic look at the conditions under which crew are expected to work and live while at sea

‘There’s no denying that a career at sea can be a very rewarding and exciting experience,’ says Ken Peters, director of justice and welfare at The Mission to Seafarers. ‘But, just as those of us who work shore side expect a decent work/life balance, the improvement in the quality of life for seafarers is an area which the industry has failed to address for many years.’ A recent study by the Nippon

Quality of life for seafarers is an area which the industry has failed to address for many years

Foundation in Japan predicts that by 2020 an additional 32 153 officers and 46 881 ratings will be needed to meet the future needs of the business. Such high figures have caused some to question how seafarers are treated. Others have alluded to the fact that food onboard is dull and unappetising and living accommodation basic and functional rather than enhancing the onboard environment. When your business is transporting thousands of containers, getting by with the tightest of accommodation blocks allows the bottom line to expand. Deeper problems But, says Peters, the problem is deeper than that. With tighter security, the constant threat of piracy on certain routes and potential criminalisation, coupled with the more traditional problems of loneliness and isolation among multi-national crews, more needs to be done to ensure that the onboard welfare of seafarers is taken into account.

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Falmouth Chairman Penny Phillips assists a seafarer at a Mission centre

‘That’s why ship visiting by Mission chaplains is so important,’ says Peters. ‘The chaplain is usually the only person to visit the ship who has no interest in its logistical operation. They visit to enquire about the crew, to make sure that they are working to international conventions and that they are taking care of themselves. If there is a problem, very often it is our representatives who are able to sort them out.’ The sight of a yellow-jacketed Mission ship visitor is a familiar sight in some 230 ports around the world. As is the Flying Angel seafarers’ centres which are vital in offering services to seafarers who would otherwise dock in a port, on a short turnaround, with no access to transportation, communication facilities or practical assistance. There aren’t many home comforts in the modern 21st Century port. In these days of heightened security and Port State Control, the Mission has often heard of ‘security’ being the reason that seafarers are unable to leave their ship. Imagine the relief, therefore, when they catch sight of a Mission flag waving in the sea breeze – they know that here they can find access to a range of facilities and services which will enable them to bridge the thousands of miles that separate them from their loved ones back home. ‘We recognise that a seafarer’s time ashore is very precious and can often be only a few hours,’ says Peters. ‘That’s why we aim to provide a home-from-home experience so that they can maximise their time ashore and get what they need. The biggest service we provide is the opportunity for them to contact home via email or telephone. Video-link birth ‘Increasingly, we are seeing seafarers with their own laptops

The entry into force of the MLC means that for the first time a wider view will be taken when inspecting the ship

More seafarers own laptops and mobile phones, so we offer telephone cards and WiFi access and mobile phones and so we offer telephone cards and WiFi access, as well as the more traditional forms of communication. Many a seafarer has seen his firstborn child for the first time because of the ability to contact home via a video link up from one of our centres.’ The Mission to Seafarers has been at the forefront of developing successful comms products for many years. Working with various companies it has given input into producing reasonably priced telephone cards and a universal SIM card which allows seafarers to have one dedicated landline-based number so that family members can make contact without having to pay excessive roaming charges. In the future the organisation says that it will continue to work with the communications industry to ensure that products are created for seafarers that are suitable, affordable and effective in helping to make their life more bearable. But as well as the tech support, seafarers’ centres the world over are known for their friendly welcome and access to support. Each of the Mission’s 100-plus centres have shops where seafarers can pick up essential items for the onward journey, exchange books and DVDs as well as seek spiritual support or advice from the port chaplain. Some of the larger centres also offer recreational facilities so that a seafarer returns to his ship refreshed and rejuvenated. ‘Caring for seafarers’ wellbeing goes to the heart of our organisation,’ says Peters. ‘Therefore we recognise that sometimes they need more than just access to communication and a shop where they can buy a different brand of toothpaste. Our centre in Mombasa, for example, has a swimming pool, sports hall and facilities for football and basketball. Here, seafarers hold competitions between

ships and crewing agents, so that for those few hours of shoreAlexandre Arnodin ̶ Anevia leave there is time to let off steam and reconnect with the types of facilities that we take for granted.’ Improved legislation But the Mission also knows that adopting new technologies and services is not enough to combat the stresses and strains associated with a seafaring. Governments, Flag states and shipowners must all play their part. Currently, the industry is preparing for the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC). This important piece of legislation consolidates many existing rules and regulations to ensure that seafarers have proper access healthcare, employment opportunities, decent food and catering, accommodation and accident protection. For Peters, this is seen as a vital tool in keeping crew welfare at the heart of the agenda. ‘The entry into force of the MLC means that for the first time a wider view will be taken when inspecting the ship,’ he says. ‘So not only will they check to make sure that the vessel is seaworthy, but they will also look at the dietary content of the food onboard and that the crew are getting the required hours of rest.’ It is very easy for people who are desk-bound and who have not been to sea to romanticise about what it is like. The feeling of freedom and being ‘at one’ with nature may seem like an ideal alternative to the humdrum of the office, but a life at sea is anything but easy. As one seafarer said to me recently when we were comparing working on land versus at sea: ‘Everything I have given to my family is from my work as a seafarer. And even though it’s tough, I will keep coming back – because this is my life.’ MITE April/May 2011

RADAR

Breaking cloud-cover Following the invention and early deployment of radar on warships in WWII, it wasn’t long before switched-on naval officers discovered a simple hack to circumvent this new detection tool. As readers of MITE will wellknow, radar works by transmitting pulses of radio waves which bounce off any object in their path. The reflections received by the antenna are then processed to form an image. What those officers realised is that these radio waves also bounce off rain, resulting in image clutter making it harder to detect real obstacles – or targets. To become invisible, all they needed to do was move in concert with rain clouds. Of course, in the decades since, engineers have had time to devise techniques aimed at neutralising clutter and reducing the impact of precipitation. Many of these methods rely on the fact that clutter tends to appear static between radar scans. Therefore, when comparing subsequent scans echoes, desirable targets will appear to move and all stationary echoes can be elim18

MITE April/May 2011

Modern pirates operating from small skiffs have cottoned on to the fact that conventional radar offers limited foresight in wet weather. However, ʻrain cloakingʼ is not enough to fool contemporary solid-state systems inated. Sea clutter can be reduced by using horizontal polarisation, while rain is reduced with circular polarisation. (Meteorological radars do the opposite and use linear polarisation the better to detect precipitation). To provide optimum target detection, advanced systems use Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) processing – a form of automatic gain control (AGC). This is a technique relying on the fact that clutter returns far outnumber echoes from targets of interest. To achieve this, the receiver’s gain is automatically adjusted to maintain a constant

Thick low clouds and rain may provide a hiding place for pirates CHIRP Maritime Feedback

Solid-state architecture improves reliability and reduces maintenance

level of overall visible clutter. While this does not help detect targets masked by stronger surrounding clutter, it does help to distinguish strong target sources from the background clutter. In the past, radar gain was electronically controlled and affected all the received information. In some more advanced radars this AGC has became software controlled, and generates a map to set the detection sensitivity of specific cells in the radar returns. Pirate activity Despite these significant improvements, it can still be possible to lose a small target in heavy rain. And, unfortunately, today it is pirates operating from small skiffs that are taking advantage of ‘rain cloaking’. It is maybe not a coincidence then that the areas of the world where pirates are most rampant correlate with tropical weather systems: Indonesia, the Phillipines and West Africa. The value of being able to detect small vessels approaching in

RADAR

R Anschütz Please visit us at any weather conditions, and automatically identify potentially hostile behaviour, was recently highlighted by the UK’s Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP), in its most recent Maritime Feedback bulletin (No. 28). ‘Thick low clouds and rain may provide a hiding place for pirate craft,’ warns CHIRP in a report on an incident in the South China Sea. ‘While passing the Anamabas Archipeligo in the middle of the night, an officer of the watch noticed two small unidentified targets on the radar, and thick low clouds forming and developing in their direction. The targets became lost in rain clutter. Some time later he received a distress call from a tanker in the vicinity advising that it had been boarded by pirates.’ The ‘lesson learned’ was that a careful radar watch should be kept on areas of thick low clouds and rain, adjusting range and rain clutter accordingly, the watchkeeper concluded. But, Kelvin Hughes’ commercial business director Spike Hughes contends this may not be enough: ‘While it is good advice, the truth is that, in these conditions, most commercial marine radars will struggle to detect the type of small craft favoured by pirates.’ Hughes is keen to stress that not all radars are created equal. ‘Our SharpEye solid-state technology is particularly effective in detecting small targets, especially in high levels of rain and sea clutter and can prove invaluable in the early detection of pirates. It can help take the strain off radar watchkeepers by automatically alerting them to craft displaying hostile behaviour patterns. Pirates typically use boats with very small radar cross-sections and approach their intended victims on a direct track, most often from astern and frequently at night.’

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MITE April/May 2011

RADAR

Doppler detection ‘SharpEye’s optional Doppler processing means it can extract targets showing certain velocity characteristics. The detection process is completely autonomous of the display system and can be used to drive a second PPI. All targets meeting the velocity filter characteristics will be displayed, with a warning/alarm if required.’ ‘The Doppler processed Enhanced Target Detection (ETD) mode was originally developed for detecting ice but we’ve found it is equally useful for detecting small targets, such as buoys, which might otherwise have only be seen intermittently or not at all,’ says Hughes. ‘Navigators appreciate the clarity provided by removing unwanted clutter and by painting moving targets in a different colour. The overall effect on the screen is almost a 3D or embossed view of details such as waves, vessel wakes and coastlines while still maintaining an exceptionally clear picture. One customer, a barge operator on the Rhine, was amazed that he could even spot dogs running on the river banks!’ Controls are provided to enable the operator to change the weightings between fixed and moving targets to achieve the best possible display in varying conditions. ETD mode is available as a software upgrade to the standard MantaDigital Radar or Chart Radar products. No additional hardware is required. When SharpEye is used in combination with ETD, small target detection performance approaches that of multi-milliondollar military systems, asserts Hughes. ‘More importantly, as part of anti-piracy strategy, is it gives a ship time to take appropriate countermeasures.’ Reliability bonus The use of the enhanced ice-detection capabilities of ETD, together with SharpEye made Manta Digital an appealing option for British Antarctic Survey 20

MITE April/May 2011

Returns from conventional and SharpEye radar showing the difference in clutter

when it came to replacing their existing radar hardware on their research vessel RRS Ernest Shackleton. The organisation was also attracted by the promise of reduced maintenance. Unlike conventional radar, SharpEye does not operate with a magnetron and so does not incur the cost of parts and the need to call in an engineer every 8-10,000 hours to replace it. ‘These costs can quickly add up and the replacement can be a great inconvenience if the vessel is in a remote location when

the magnetron does fail,’ Hughes explains. In this respect, the BAS is the perfect reference client. ‘If something goes wrong when you’re operating in the Antarctic, you can't just snap your fingers and magic up a replacement.’ Since its commercial launch three and half yeas ago, Kelvin Hughes has installed almost 300 SharpEye units in a surprisingly diverse range of vessels – from cruise ships and luxury yachts to tankers and container ships – as well as in ports for vessel traffic management.

Independent PC Radar Kit certified MARIS HAS secured what is believed to be the worldʼs first type approval certification for an independent PC-based radar kit to meet IMOʼs new Radar Performance Standard MSC.192(79) and IECʼs Radar Test Standard (IEC 62388). These two standards encompass rigorous performance requirements for marine radar, particularly in terms of target detection in adverse weather conditions where small targets are often barely visible to the radar system. The advanced digital processing found in modern radar systems has provided superior performance and comprehensive functionality to benefit the mariner and enhance safety at sea, and a number of major manufacturers already offer approved complete radar systems. However, as the new standards were initiated by Norway (supported by Germany and the UK), it is fitting that Maris ‒ a Norwegian company ‒ has designed the first radar kit for third parties to adopt as part of an integrated navigation system. Deputy chief executive Steinar Gundersen reports that the company worked with some of the worldʼs most experienced marine radar experts to develop its new PC Radar Kit. Already deployed by system integrators in Europe, the Americas and Asia, certification marks a milestone for the ability of independent companies to compete on performance with complete radar system suppliers. ʻOur PC Radar Kit has already been selected for both commercial and naval applications, but this certification means that a wider pool of users can consider it as an OEM product.ʼ The kit includes a radar interface PCI card and the necessary radar software (for Microsoft XP) to connect most leading radar and navigation sensors allowing images to be displayed on a PC terminal as a traditional radar, chart radar or radar overlay on electronic charts. The system can continuously process up to 4000 targets to provide almost instant radar target data and efficient local networking. It also has optional vector char and active route functions. Gundersen adds that the new standards stipulate any approved radar to be tested as a system and therefore where appropriate, it is also necessary for equipment integrating with the radar kit to be tested and certified by an approved test authority. ʻWe can advise on achieving this approval status. Furthermore, our Radar Kit has been specifically designed to offer a degree of flexibility for custom requirements, for such elements as the human machine interface, recognising the need for diverse yet compliant products.ʼ

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NAVIGATION

IMO warning system reaches Arctic waters Some thirty years after it was first established, the WorldWide Navigational Warning System (WWNWS) has finally expanded into Arctic waters, the IMO announced on the first day of the 15th session of the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications, Search and Rescue (COMSAR). The expansion means that ships operating in the Arctic can automatically receive updates on impending navigational and meteorological hazards and other safety bulletins via five new navigational areas (NAVAREAs) and meteorological areas (METAREAs), as delineated by IMO and WMO (World Meteorological Organization) respectively. Following their establishment in June 2010, these five new zones are currently in an ‘Initial Operational Capability’ phase with a transition to ‘Full Operational Capability’ expected June this year. IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos heralded the expansion as a major milestone in addressing the risks to ships from a combination of expanding business activity in the region and less predictable, more extreme, weather conditions. ‘The potential for accidents and for causing environmental harm through operational mishaps in the Arctic is rising, while the effectiveness of search and rescue services and clean-up resources is inevitably stretched to the limit,’ he said.

The WWNWS was established by IMO – in collaboration with the International Hydrographic Organization – in the late 1970s. The world’s oceans were divided into l6 NAVAREAs, with one designated country in each area responsible for disseminating navigational information. METAREAs, with identical limits, were also subsequently established. The need to expand this service into the Arctic area was brought to the attention of IMO in 2005, as Arctic waters were becoming increasingly accessible with less predictable, more extreme weather, adding up to increased risk and potential for accidents and environmental harm, thereby requiring accurate early warning systems in place to maximise operational safety and minimise environmental damage. In 2006, the COMSAR SubCommittee established the joint IMO/IHO/WMO correspondence group on Arctic Maritime Safety Information services to take up this work in detail. COMSAR 12, in 2008, agreed that a common broadcast system for Maritime Safety Information (MSI) was required for the Arctic region. It also agreed that, until an Arctic satellite service provider under GMDSS was available, high-frequency narrow-band direct printing was a viable alternative means of promulgation of MSI above the high latitude limits of Inmarsat coverage.

In 2009, the COMSAR SubCommittee endorsed the recommendation of the correspondence group for live testing of the Arctic NAVAREA/METAREA operations to be held in 2009 and 2010, with a milestone goal of ‘Full Operational Status’ being declared at COMSAR 15 in 2011, which has now been met.

ECDIS Doctor Today, all shipowners know that mandatory carriage of ECDIS is being phased in from next summer, but many have only just started considering the practical implications. One of the first questions to arise concerns hardware. Whatever system is chosen, it has to be type-approved and have either a duplicate ECDIS or appropriate paper charts as a backup. As the mandation date approaches, a number of newcomer suppliers have appeared in the marketplace. But it would be prudent to choose a vendor that can provide a full range of services and that can provide the level of support in the field that any complex electronic product needs. The practical matter of installation also needs to be kept in mind. Kelvin Hughes has eight subsidiaries and over 100 service agents worldwide who are all certified to provide both equipment installation and through life support. For ECDIS mandation to be successful, it also needs to drive down through life cost. With the complexities of regulation, varying chart licensing schemes and remote updating systems, the only real way of achieving this is to work with a supplier that has sufficient expertise and services to cope. A complete package, such as ECDISPLUS from Kelvin Hughes, provides all these services, together with global backup. The company will manage both equipment and data to ensure that vessels are kept safe and compliant.

MITE April/May 2011

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RADAR

Racons continue to shine Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) – and in particular GPS – have become the primary means of navigation in many maritime applications. However, their vulnerability to accidental or deliberate interference is well known and the need for more than one position input to eNavigation is widely recognised. Radar aids to navigation, in particular radar beacons or ‘racons’, provide an independent means of positioning fixing, situational awareness and collision avoidance. They are highly valued by mariners, but changes in radar technology may limit their effectiveness. S-Band radar (3 GHz) is normally the preferred choice by users when operating in adverse conditions, particularly in open waters, when the extra angular resolution of X-band radar (9 GHz) is not so important. S-band offers marked improvement in precipitation clutter compared to X-band. IMO recognised that the potential radar performance improvements obtained using so-called ‘new technology’ (NT) would be particularly beneficial at S-band. And in July 1998, the requirement to trigger racons 22

MITE April/May 2011

Fears that solid-state ʻNTʼ radar would make racons redundant are misplaced. On the contrary, their ability to provide information independent of GNSS will see them grow in importance, argue Nick Ward* and Martin Bransby** of the General Lighthouse Authority

was dropped (MSC79 Resolution 192(79)) so as not to constrain the development of improved radar performance in clutter. Nevertheless, IMO continues to recognise the importance of racons as an aid to navigation, since they provide a means of identifying and locating navigation marks in poor visibility without reliance on GNSS or other electronic position fixing systems. For this reason, the requirement at X-band for racon compatibility has not been altered. Prior to IMO’s decision, the Nautical Institute carried out a survey of bridge officers and established that there was a consensus for an approach that effectively trades S-band racon

compatibility for improved radar detection in conditions of heavy clutter. New systems and services provide an ever-increasing array of options through which to optimise service levels and reduce risk and cost. NT radar It is likely that a number of Sband NT radar solutions will emerge over the next few years. If these fulfil their promise of improving target detection, particularly in clutter, they will quickly become the preferred option for both users and manufacturers. As well as the use of target and clutter Doppler information to enhance target visibility, there are several other benefits. In particular, the low peak powers obtainable from pulse compression techniques enable solid-state transmitters to be used. The required technology has become increasingly affordable because of the escalating market for mid-power microwave digital communication systems. Although this technology transfer applies only to Sband at present, it could eventually become available at X-band as well, as has been shown for military radar applications. Solid-state transmitters also

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RADAR

allow the easy use of frequency diversity techniques, giving a further significant boost to target detectability. They offer benefits in improving the reliability of radar systems compared to resonant cavity based systems. For example, magnetrons have a limited in-service life (c10 000 hours) and require very high voltage power supplies that limit reliability. AtoN provision Over the next twenty years the environment for AtoN service provision is going to change significantly. Changes in the operational environment could include growth of marine leisure activities, the proliferation of high-speed and larger vessels and changes in traffic patterns; adoption of new technology (widespread reliance on GNSS, NT radars, IBS, etc) that may in itself encourage a level of false confidence; the growth of offshore and coastal industries; and even the effects of climate change. But for the foreseeable future, radar will continue to be the primary tool for collision avoidance and will continue to have an important role in hazard warning, spatial awareness and confirmation of position. So there will be a continu-

New radars will not trigger existing racons, or will do so at significantly reduced range

ing requirement for racons in the e-Navigation era, with a need to respond to the proliferation of other radar targets, such as wind farms, as well as increasing congestion in some areas, making greater demands on AtoNs Adoption of NT radar initially at S-band, eventually at X-band, with increased traffic and more varied capability among users will necessitate a risk based approach to deployment of radar AtoNs. Support for international standards, particularly in the transition to e-Navigation (implementation of which is expected to begin in approximately 2018) will require continued use of racons for signposting, confirmation of position, hazard warning and potentially for absolute positioning. However, radars will be introduced over the next decade that will not trigger existing racons, or will do so at significantly reduced range. Continued significance Mariners have access to a rapidly increasing amount of information, bringing with it a risk of information overload. This necessitates an ability to interpret and discriminate between individual aids to navigation in an environment with an increasing amount of radar clutter. There is a potential single point of failure with both the navigation and surveillance functions of future systems relying solely on GNSS. Radar aids to navigation will be a key element of future operational strategy to mitigate risks, since they are in-

Characteristics of NT and conventional radar compared CONVENTIONAL RADAR non-coherent pulsed high-peak power (3-30kW) resonant cavity (typically magnetrons)

NEW TECHNOLOGY (NT) RADAR coherent CW/FM Low-peak power (10-500W) solid-state

dependent of GNSS. The removal of the requirement to trigger racons does not necessarily mean that racons will not work with NT Radars. They may work at a reduced, but acceptable range. NT Radars could be designed to trigger racons, whilst retaining their other performance advantages; alternatively, existing racons could be modified to work with NT Radars, or new racons designed to do so. Calculations of performance with the first of the NT Radars (Kelvin Hughes SharpEye) indicate that existing racons will perform, but with reduced range. GLA trials The GLAs have conducted racon trials with an NT Radar fitted to Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) vessel Granuaile. The trials were conducted in the the Irish Sea, where there are a number of fixed and floating AtoNs fitted with different types of racon. Results showed that the NT radar tested did trigger racons, but at a significantly reduced range. However, the trials also demonstrated that a relatively simple modification â&#x20AC;&#x201C; increasing receiver sensitivity, enabled a production racon to respond adequately to an NT radar. It needs to be confirmed whether this result can be extended to all NT radars. NT radars are only being introduced in the S-band at present, for SOLAS vessels, although there is are X-band NT radars available for non-SOLAS vessels. If they are effective in achieving their aim of improving small target detection in clutter, it is likely that demand will grow for development of NT radars at Xband and their application to SOLAS vessels. Therefore, the important role of racons could be challenged in the medium term at S-band and in the longer term at X-band, but initial results indicate that relatively simple solutions may be possible (see box on p25). MITE April/May 2011

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Future options for racons: Additional functionality If a new generation of racons is to be designed, they could be provided with an information channel, in addition to – or instead of – the conventional response. This could most easily be done by frequency modulation, as envisaged many years ago for user-selectable racons. Providing a position would be straightforward for racons mounted on fixed platforms, as the surveyed location of the AtoN could be used. The position for a floating AtoN would have to be derived from an onboard position-fixing system, which would negate the advantage of independence. The identification could be by name, number or both. It would also be possible to provide sufficient clear radar responses from AtoNs all round the coasts to enable radars with suitable processing software to provide an absolute position, as an alternative to GNSS. The technical feasibility of this idea would require investigation, in particular the number of sites where an enhanced response would be needed. It might be possible to use simple corner reflectors, at locations where the return is not sufficiently strong. However, this would have to be combined with some form of map-matching – not technically difficult, but requiring some modification to existing software, with the need for standardisation. Alternatively, identification and position transmitted from the racons could be used, which would still need some additional processing, but again should not present any technical difficulties. The cost of such proposal would need to compared with other options, such as alternative electronic position-fixing systems. Assuming existing AtoN sites could be used, then the additional cost of passive reflectors should not be very great, although mounting any sizeable structure on existing buildings, many with the planning restric-

Use existing racons: In principle, existing racons can respond to pulsed NT radars, if certain constraints are placed on the radar design. However, these constraints may be unacceptable to the radar manufacturers. The distance at which such radars can potentially trigger a racon depends on the peak power of the pulse. Therefore, an NT radar could be designed that would properly process and display the received pulse from the racon, even though the raconʼs response would not reflect the modulation on the radar transmitted pulse. This is a low cost and apparently low risk option for the racon provider and it would be compatible with a large range of possible NT radar solutions, but only if the radar generates a racon interrogation signal and has racon detection algorithms within its digital signal processing (DSP). Modify existing racons: The second option is to examine the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of racons with future coherent radars, with various levels of changes to the present racon requirement specification. This might provide an acceptable way forward, assuming costs are acceptable ‒ all existing racons would have to be modified or replaced. Unchanged compatibility with existing conventional radars would also be essential. Universal radar beacon: The third option is to consider the design of a racon that would be compatible with all types of coherent and non-coherent radars. In principle, this is possible using mainstream advances in digital microwave techniques, digital RF memory and fast DSP. Although it stretches todayʼs technology, it is likely that future advances will make this approach affordable. Its main advantage is that it is potentially compatible with all present and future radars. Beacon power consumption would be a major consideration. Secondary radar: There is also the possibility of using non-primary radar techniques in order to determine a shipʼs relative position to one or more navigation marks. This can be readily performed with todayʼs technology, using transponders in another band, but requires extra shipborne equipment, new standards and a racon replacement programme. Although this technology is currently utilised in the aviation sector, it would be costly and politically very difficult to implement for maritime. Non-radar technology: If the preceding options prove technically, politically or economically too difficult, then non-radar alternatives would have to be considered as a replacement for racons. AIS is the obvious choice, although it has two major drawbacks: first it is dependent on GPS and therefore does not provide redundancy of position-fixing; second, few vessels have onboard equipment that can display AIS AtoNs. Until both these problems are resolved ‒ by an alternative position sensor and by modernised display equipment ‒ AIS will not provide an adequate replacement for racons.

tions imposed by their historic nature, could be costly. Active reflectors – or radar target enhancers – could reduce installation costs, but are not currently available in the S-band and would require a power supply, likely to involve solar modules and batteries on isolated sites. Providing racons would greatly increase the cost and would also require power supplies. In summary, there is potential to provide enhanced functionality from radar aids to navigation, possibly leading to an alternative position-fixing system, but a significant amount of

research and development would be needed to establish the technical feasibility and especially the costs. * Dr Nick Ward is Research Director of the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA). He is currently vice chairman of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) eNavigation committee. ** Martin Bransby is the Manager of the Research and Radionavigation Directorate of the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA). He is responsible for the delivery of its project portfolio in research and development in such areas as AIS, eLoran, eNavigation, GNSS, racons and lights.

MITE April/May 2011

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Give officers Facebook and improve safety? In conversation with one ECDIS training provider, MITE learnt that young officers fortunate enough to be sailing on vessels equipped with broadband connections sometimes while away their hours on watch updating their social networking sites. This might not be as irresponsible and dangerous as it first sounds. Indeed, it chimes with the findings of new research on driver safety, emanating from the States. From this July, Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm Systems (BNWAS) will start to become mandatory, under IMO regulations, implemented through its Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). Under the terms of the amendments to SOLAS Chapter V, Reg 19, new cargo ships over 150gt and all new passenger ships of any size built after 1 July will have to be equipped with a BNWAS. Implementation will then be phased in on existing tonnage over the following three years. BNWAS are designed to monitor bridge activity and detect lapses in attention that could lead to an accident. The performance 26

MITE April/May 2011

Rather than forcing Officers of the Watch (OOWs) to act like dumb automatons in responding to the BNWAS every 30 minutes, would letting them indulge in their own distractions enhance vessel safety?

standards state that the BNWAS should monitor the awareness of the OOW and automatically alert the master (or another qualified OOW) if for any reason the OOW becomes incapacitated. Under BNWAS, this should be achieved through a series of indications and alarms. It should also provide the OOW with a means of calling for assistance if required, and should be operational whenever the ship’s heading or track control system is engaged, unless inhibited by the Master. But are BNWAS really an effective solution to deck officer inattention? These alarm systems differ little from the Dead Man’s Handle introduced on locomotives and urban mass transit systems early last century.

Unlike the steam trains they superseded (when there was invariably a second person aboard who could most likely bring the train to a stop in an emergency), the driver on the newer locomotives is typically alone in the cab so failsafe automatic brakes were deemed desirable. A similar mechanism was also employed on the nuclear bomb release system built into bombers such as the B-52 Stratofortress. It would ensure that the aircraft’s payload of nuclear weapons would detonate in the event of the crew becoming debilitated by enemy missiles or other defences. Once armed, the system would ensure that the onboard nuclear weapons detonated if the aircraft dropped below a predetermined altitude. It is from this application where the term Dead Man’s Handle was originally coined. Arguably BNWAS addresses the symptom, not the cause. Would it not be better to stop officer’s losing concentration in the first place? Recent research on road safety undertaken at Kansas University (and published in The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics

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Maris zeroes in on redundancy fears A certain level of voluntary distraction ‒ such as checking social networking websites ‒ may be a good thing for OOWs

Society) suggests that a certain level of driver induced voluntary distraction may be a good thing. Researchers Paul Atchley and Mark Chan found drivers who talk on the phone, change CDs or switch from one radio station to the next, might actually be safer behind the wheel than those who don’t. This may seem counter-intuitive and is certainly contrary to mainstream thinking on road safety, where the focus is on ‘prohibiting’ distractions so that the driver is compelled to concentrate solely on driving. But it is recognised that especially in the case of long motorway journeys when the scenery is largely unchanging, monotony itself can be dangerous. So drivers who engage in secondary tasks actually pay more attention to the road and the job in hand. To reach their conclusions, the researchers used a car simulator and got 45 volunteers to drive for 30 minutes while talking on a phone. They then tested participants’ attentiveness with challenges such as another vehicle suddenly pulling in front of them, or driving past a big advertising

WHEN MANDATORY carriage of ECDIS is phased in from next July, some shipowners intend to use traditional paper charts as a back up, but others have accepted that it will be necessary to install dual systems to provide redundancy in the event that the primary system falls over. But this latter approach could prove inadequate, according to at least one ECDIS supplier. Norwegian navigation systems provider Maris contends that sailing on the reserve system until the broken unit can be repaired means the ship is then sailing without a back-up. In such circumstances a dual ECDIS ship would still need a set of paper charts onboard. Ultimately, this comes down to how the relevant SOLAS requirements are interpreted. According to SOLAS V/22, 16.2, while malfunctions will not necessarily make the ship unseaworthy or provide sufficient cause for delaying the ship in ports where repair facilities are not readily available, suitable arrangements must be ʻmade by the Master to take the inoperative equipment or unavailable information into account in planning and executing a safe voyage to a port where repairs can take place.ʼ In such cases, a Master may request class or Flag state for permission to sail, say, to the next port for repair. However, the Flag is perfectly within its rights to request the vessel to carry paper charts for that voyage. An undisclosed member of IACS (International Association of Classification Societies) has observed that there is inconsistency in how different Flag States handle such requests. To address this scenario and avoid potential delays, Maris has introduced what it calls the Zero Downtime ECDIS concept. It comprises a ʻhot or cold spareʼ third ECDIS delivered direct to the ship so that it can always proceed to the next port of call, even if up-to-date paper charts are unavailable. The defective unit can then be shipped to the manufacturer at the ship ownerʼs convenience for repair. Marisʼ deputy chief executive Steinar Gundersen said that the new subscription service was part of its philosophy of supporting ship owners and operators during their transition to electronic charts. The third ECDIS can either be installed as a ʻhot spareʼ online with the dual ECDIS systems or as a ʻcold spareʼ supplied as a plug-in unit, which the crew can install. In the case of a cold spare, Gundersen explains, it will come complete with application software, updating all application software, settings and electronic charts and will be self-configured to the exact settings of the ship, drawing on the shipʼs remaining ECDIS. Gundersen says the Zero Downtime ECDIS service will obviate the need for service engineers to fly all over the world to rendezvous with vessels in port. Moreover, it will eliminate the risk of unplanned delays.

hoarding for a fast food restaurant. The attention levels of the drivers was measured by monitoring their ability to stay in lane, avoid over-correcting the steering during manoeuvres, reacting to obstacles in time and remembering those fast food signs. The result was that those who were asked to perform a concur-

rent task towards the end of their journey were more likely to stay in lane and less likely to make errors, compared with drivers who had either a continuous distraction or no task. The big rider, however, was that the researchers agreed there was still ‘a degree of risk involved’ when drivers perform a secondary task. MITE April/May 2011

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Coastguards gamble on Monte Carlo tactics One of the biggest challenges facing search and rescue (SAR) authorities after an incident at sea is working out where the stricken vessel is and more importantly where crew or passengers thrown overboard have been swept between the time the SOS alert was received and the response team reaching the target area. For the past 15 years, BMT has worked closely with coastguard agencies around the world to develop cutting edge technology to improve the accuracy with which the position of anybody or anything can be pinpointed. Now entering its fourth iteration, BMT’s Search and Rescue Information System (SARIS) offers more sophistication and greater range of functionalities than ever before, and continues to serve its core purpose. SARIS was originally developed for the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency in 1996 bringing together the Agency’s years of experience with BMT’s expertise in marine environmental software systems. This early version consisted primarily of the so-called ‘Search Area Determination’ (SAD) functionality, which helps to predict the movement of a target under the combined action of winds, tides and tidal currents. In order to address the needs of the wider international SAR 28

MITE April/May 2011

Ian Fraser* charts the development of SARIS, a sophisticated information system designed to improve the chances Search and Rescue authorities have of finding victims caught up in incidents at sea

market, SARIS 2 came to fruition five years later. This version introduced ‘Search Area Coverage’ (SAC) capabilities whereby users were presented with a suite of tools for configuring and deploying SAR units in order to search for the lost targets. To continue meeting the customer’s requirements, BMT worked in partnership with a number of navies and coastguards to further develop the system, presenting an enhanced interface for users through the introduction of version 3 in 2005. Performance upgrades and improved modelling processes followed and so SARIS 4MC was born in 2010. Using in-built databases of oceanography and Admiralty standard electronic charts, SARIS can be applied by any search and rescue authority in the world. Currently used by the Royal Danish Navy, The Netherlands Coastguard and Guernsey Harbour Authority to name a few, the software is flexible enough to

Colour coding indicates where SAR targets are most likely to be found, taking into consideration tide and other factors

integrate with any required third party technology such as AIS and EPIRBs. Rather than provide an off-the-shelf solution, BMT prefers to work with individual authorities to modify and tailor the system so it aligns with their specific needs and requirements. Such customisation is evident in the various modelling methodologies that are available for SAR operations. SARIS 3 for example, which is still widely used, takes an initial location of the search target and uses divergence (up and down wind) and produces error circles to create a search rectangle. SARIS v4MC, which includes a logging system, takes the existing capability of SARIS v3.6 and introduces additional functions to optimise search patterns, coordinate rescue assets and potentially reduce time to target discovery. Through an extensive development programme new modelling techniques were introduced, whilst making full use of state of the art hardware technology to provide greater response speed and additional predictive options to the user. Monte Carlo simulation techniques (see box) including the beaching of objects, re-deployable

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What are Monte Carlo simulations?

rescue units and simultaneous scenario assessments allow for a much more sophisticated approach to be taken. This means that the search target is represented not by three ‘particles’ but by thousands (the standard is 10 000 but can be increased). The floating particles appear as a probabilistic cloud and the system displays the possibilities of where the search target could have gone. Therefore, the larger the clump of particles, the greater the likelihood of the search target being in this area. The software also considers the coastline as a possible search area as the target could have reached the shoreline. Captain Rick Masterman, Coastguard and VTS Manager in Jersey, the first organisation to implement SARIS 4 comments: ‘This will be a significant addition to the tools we use when we launch a SAR operation in the territorial waters of Jersey. Traditionally, we have used nautical

MONTE CARLO simulations rely on repeated random sampling to compute their results. They are often used in simulating physical systems when it is unfeasible to compute an exact result with a deterministic algorithm. As such, they are especially useful for simulating systems with many coupled degrees of freedom. They have also proved helpful in modelling phenomena with significant uncertainty in inputs, such as the calculation of risk in business and the impact of pollution. The name was coined in the 1940s by scientists working on nuclear weapon projects. Physicists at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory were investigating radiation shielding and the distance that neutrons would likely travel through various materials. Despite having most of the necessary data, such as the average distance a neutron would travel in a substance before it collided with an atomic nucleus or how much energy the neutron was likely to give off following a collision, the problem could not be solved with analytical calculations. Today, with more computing power available, the technique is used in a wide number of applications, ranging from physical chemistry and computational biology to microelectronics engineering and oil exploration.

charts and careful statistical calculations to help pinpoint the predicted movement of somebody or something lost overboard, which when coupled with the knowledge of the local tides is a very precise and skilled technique. This will now be augmented by SARIS 4.’ Partnering with Jersey Coastguard to develop this latest version of SARIS helped

BMT to better understand their requirements and those of the wider SAR community. A new electronic logging system allows the Coastguard to keep track of all incidents at sea such as body recovery, vessel breakdowns and reports of pollution or flare sightings. * Ian Fraser is operations director at BMT ARGOSS, a subsidiary of BMT Group

MITE April/May 2011

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GMDSS hardware rewired for networks When it came to revitalising its range of GMDSS hardware, Thrane & Thrane decided that individual components should be able to fit and work together in much more seamless fashion than the existing models in order to simplify both day-to-day usage and periodic maintenance. It is from this idea that the ThraneLINK concept was born. Based on the open and ubiquitous Ethernet LAN standard, ThraneLINK enables different products in the series to communicate with one another. And, apart from adding flexibility, it also helps future-proof the equipment: Ethernet isn’t going to go away any time soon. Through ThraneLINK, a service technician can access all products from a single point, which will make diagnostics and any updates considerably more straightforward. This, says Thrane & Thrane, results in ‘optimised maintenance and lower cost of ownership’ because less time is needed for troubleshooting and general service. Remote diagnostics enables the service technician to plan more effectively. By logging in remotely from the shore, he can 30

MITE April/May 2011

The latest generation of GMDSS products to emerge from Thrane & Thrane were designed with Ethernet connections to make them easier and more flexible to join together

identify the problems and prepare solutions, so that when he arrives at the vessel, he already knows what action is required. In some cases, the maintenance and software updates can be remotely performed entirely, eliminating the financial and time costs of visiting the vessel altogether. New protocols ThraneLINK will automatically identify any new products added to the system, making installation easier. The network allows devices to obtain their IP addresses automatically – and therefore be recognised on the

The Sailor 6000 GMDSS series comprises five main products, supported by a collection of accessories including alarm panels, switches, printers and keyboards

network – via two methods (in addition to manual address configuration). The first is the wellestablished DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol), which requires a properly configured DHCP server, while the second is via the lesser known IPv4 Link Local (IP4LL) protocol. IP4LL address allocation works as follows: Upon the first power on, a device selects a ‘random’ IP address from the reserved ‘link local’ address range. Next it announces its intent on using this address, and if there are no conflicts, saves it in nonvolatile memory as the starting address on subsequent boots. If the announced address is already in use, a new random IP address is chosen until the conflict is resolved. The risk of duplicate addresses is low – calculated less than 0.08% for a network of 50 devices – and network convergence is very fast. Since addresses are saved for reuse, the network will retain this address configuration permanently.

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A ThraneLINK network can be viewed as a cloud of interconnected products each offering one or more services, for example positioning data, printer services, AIS data, DSC communications, data connections, etc. The device discovery protocol may ask for all devices providing eg, position information, and the application requesting the data, then decides which device to use. The new Sailor 6000 GMDSS series comprises five main products, supported by a collection of accessories including alarm panels, switches, printers and keyboards. Which of these are actually used will depend on the specific GMDSS regulations that apply to (and operational requirements of) individual vessels. The core products are the Sailor 6000 Console; the Sailor 6110 mini-C with Sailor 6006 Message Terminal; the Sailor 6222 VHF radio; and the Sailor 6300 MF/HF radio. Radio progression The VHF and MF/HF radios have been completely revamped to be used in a GMDSS role and as standalone communication tools. In conversation with MITE, Thrane’s chief executive Walther Thygesen explained that the re-engineering was precipitated in part by the manufacturing cycle: ‘Gradually components become out-of-date and hence difficult to source. This process continues until it makes more sense simply to start over.’ The Sailor 6222 VHF has improved replay functionality and a

MF/HF radio with a 240-second recording facility. And, instead of relying on an external GPS, it can take a position input from the Sailor 6110 mini-C GMDSS via ThraneLINK, obviating the need for additional wiring.

The Sailor 6006 touch screen message terminal is the most visible aspect of ThraneLINK

Thrane & Thrane has completely revamped its VHF and MF/HF (pictured) radios

new menu system to easily access the recorded previous 240 seconds of a message. The 3.2” graphical display is said to be readable in all light conditions, day and night, while an integrated 6W loudspeaker boasts improved sound quality. It complies with the new DSC 493-13 for VHF DSC Class A, which is part of the mandatory requirements for SOLAS vessels, and many national GMDSS requirements. Because it is the first ever DSC Class A to be rated waterproof to IPx6 and IPx8, it is possible to install on open workboats or outside deck areas without any modifications. Meanwhile, the new Sailor 6300 MF/HF radio has an efficient power amplifier for reliable communication in the marine bands from 1.6 to 30 MHz in TX mode, while ensuring constant and full output power on all ITU channels. It is available in 150W, 250W and 500W versions. In common with the VHF unit, it features a 3.2” display and multi-lingual user interface and a 6W internal loudspeaker. More significantly, however, the 6300 is said to be the first ever

Ethernet ease The 6110 mini-C was itself redesigned from the ground up to form an integral part of the new GMDSS series. Thrane & Thrane has introduced NMEA2000 cabling, which is a notable departure from the proprietary cables used in the previous generation unit. By adhering to this industry standard, shipowners are able to choose from a bigger range of (often cheaper) cables and connectors when joining the unit to other components. This is not the only cable innovation however: sub-systems, such as alarm panels are can be connected using bog-standard RJ45 Ethernet cables. The 6110 is operated via the Sailor 6006 touch screen message terminal, which, to end-users, is the most visible manifestation of ThraneLINK in its current form. The contemporary interface design is however more than just a matter of being trendy. Thrane & Thrane states easier access to and control of GMDSS functions will make the system more intuitive for operators to use, and thus ultimately contribute to vessel safety. While the Sailor 6000 GMDSS series is the launch platform for ThraneLINK, it will be incorporated in future radio and satcom products. Further, the company has engaged with other electronic systems manufacturers to develop ways of expanding its use beyond emergency communications. As hinted above, it could be applied in countless ships’ equipment networking scenarios, not least bridge and automation systems. And though it’s early days yet, the evolution of ThraneLINK could become significant to vessel designers and systems integrators in the not too distant future. MITE April/May 2011

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ProTECTS progresses The ProTECTS Alliance was established in September 2009 as a forum to promote the adoption of portable two-way satellite location, tracking and messaging technologies. Although spearheaded by Iridium, the forum quickly gained the support of many wellknown mobile satellite service (MSS) providers, including Inmarsat and GlobalStar among others. Since its formation, membership has grown to include 65 commercial and governmental organisations, which benefit from its interface to the global search and rescue (SAR) community. Moreover, the Alliance has become a working group of the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) in the US. ‘A major goal,’ says Patrick Shay, Alliance chairman (and vice president and general manager of Iridium’s data division), ‘is to work in a collaborative atmosphere to develop broad-based industry standards that will ensure interoperability with SAR organisations, with systems and response procedures. We believe there is strong need for a standard based on two-way (duplex) data as opposed to one-way (simplex) data links.’ If there is an interactive, twoway data link, first responders can send a return message to the transmitting beacon to ascertain whether it is a bona-fide distress situation and determine the nature of the emergency before deploying resources in response. In 18-months a great deal has been accomplished and it is likely the first ProTECTS-compliant devices will reach the market before 2011 is out. Members have recently finalised details on a specification for the content of 32

MITE April/May 2011

Since its formation 18-months ago, the ProTECTS Alliance has made considerable progress in developing standards for portable, two-way satellite-based location, tracking and messaging technologies

the over-the-air data packets. Taking the EPIRB registration form as a starting point, these packets will include the position, speed, heading, and where applicable contact info and description of asset (ie, vessel). The draft document is now in circulation and being reviewed by bodies such as the US National SAR Committee (NSARC). Shay is optimistic it will be approved. In terms of privacy, the Alliance identified there was sometimes a data protection conflict. In many location related subscription services even though the provider can determine the subscriber’s position, they are not at liberty to pass this on to a third-party, namely the SAR

Iridiumʼs 9602 modem (right) is more compact than its predecessor the 9601, making it ideal for portable devices

agency, without breaking the privacy agreement they have with the subscriber. To overcome this, the Alliance has worked on formulating a get-out clause service providers can incorporate into the subscribe agreement in the event of emergency situations. It is worth noting that emergency notification is normally only one element of the service the subscriber is paying for. The third major task has been developing a database for routeing emergency alerts from ProTECTscompliant devices. The latitude and longitude information contained in the alert has to be decoded to ascertain which SAR agency within the area of jurisdiction has to respond to the call. This will depend not only on the reported location but also the type of incident. Significant updates on all three issues are expected at the upcoming RTCM Conference in May. But Shay is nonetheless very happy to see such progress made in the short time since the Alliance was formed. In contrast to EPIRBs, PLBs and SARTs which are mandatory in various guises under SOLAS and IMO regulations, the first wave of ProTECTS-enabled devices will be commercially driven. Most likely, they will be multi-functional offering followme tracking and two-way messaging (typically via a web-site set up by the provider) as well as

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serve as emergency beacons. To get the full value from them, users will pay some kind of subscription fee. While the emergency notification feature on first-generation devices reassures their owners that help is only a push button away, their proliferation has caused headaches among the global SAR community. The reason is the high frequency of false alarms. Sometimes this is due to poor product design, other times due to user error. Regardless of why or how the alarm was triggered, the result is the same: limited SAR resources diverted away from real emergencies. Two-way communication can help filter falsealarms by making SOS activation a two-stage process requiring acknowledgement from the device holder. Indeed, this forms a key element of the Satellite Emergency Notification Devices (SEND) standard being written by a special committee of RTCM, with supporting participation from the ProTECTS Alliance. However, in order to be viable two-way communication requires low latency. That is to say information has to be transmitted and received in the shortest possible time-frame. With Iridium, latency tends to be quite predictable: information from the device is received by the closest satellite overhead and then bounced across other satellites in the constellation until it reaches the one in closest proximity to the terrestrial gateway in Arizona. A two-way data packet is typically delivered in less than 60 seconds anywhere in the world. For satellites not in low-earth orbit, latency is a function of the devices location, the satellite’s position in orbit and the location of the ground station. In ideal conditions the signal may reach its destination in a few minutes, but would likely be longer depending on relative positions: Any requirement for acknowledgement would double the time before SAR initiate a rescue attempt. Also, because they are further away, devices designed to talk to geo-stationary satellites generally need more power and a bigger antenna. Until quite recently, two-way communication was also held back by the lack of suitable technology for use in emergency transponders. Iridium’s first short-burst data modem – the 9601 – is by today’s standards relatively expensive and bulky (the size of a pack of playing cards). As such, it was mostly deployed in government-funded applications. It was superseded in June last year by the 9602, which was much lower-cost and more compact, being the size of a match-book. Iridium is optimistic the first batch of ProTECTs-enabled devices will reach the market before year end. Indeed, MITE understands ACR Electronics is already working on a product that should be delivered in this time-frame. However, Shay stresses that these devices are not being developed as a direct competitor to IMO-approved EPIRBs or similar. MITE April/May 2011

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In case of fire, more redundancy needed The SOLAS Safe Return to Port (SRTP) guidelines have been introduced to improve preparation for emergency, system redundancy and evacuation processes in order that passenger vessels may reach the closest port following an incident, without the inherently dangerous task of evacuating passengers and crew to the lifeboats. If implemented correctly, seven short blasts followed by one long blast to abandon ship should never be heard again. Ship designers, builders, classification societies and equipment manufacturers have all had to adapt to the new guidelines with back-up systems, especially in regards to fire safety and emergency management being highlighted as vital to the safety of the passengers and the ability to reach port following an incident. A focus on system communication and redundancy has always been important to manufacturers of fire safety systems, but Norway based Autronica Fire & Security set about redeveloping its flagship AutroSafe fire detection system, to enable cruise ship owners to meet the new guidelines. ‘SRTP is a really good idea, especially with the size of cruise vessels these days. Evacuating 6500 passengers and 2500 crew 34

MITE April/May 2011

New guidelines that came into effect July 2010 basically call for passenger vessels to become their own lifeboats in the case of emergencies. This has seen a surge in new development, especially in the area of fire safety systems onto lifeboats on a still and sunny day is an acceptable risk. But if it’s night time, there’s a little bit of wind and a few waves, then the lifeboats start to swing, people make mistakes and panic, then it becomes an incredibly risky operation,’ explains Jon Arne Simonsen, a cruise ship fire safety system specialist from Autronica. ‘That’s why they came up with this idea. The cruise ships are so big now that evacuation could be just as dangerous as the incident, so let’s build ships and systems that can continue to operate, at least until the nearest port should there be an incident.’ Zoning considered ‘SRTP influences almost every system on board and with the fire detection system, redundancy is everything. If you have a fire in a zone with a central panel, then it’s vital that the rest of the system works. If the room with the central fire panel for the zone burns down, we need to be

The custom fire management system aboard Oasis and Allure gathers information from distributed sources and presents it using GA-drawings

able to switch the systems automatically and quickly, to ensure continuous operation, which is vital in an on-going emergency. That means we need to have a backup central for all the sensors in that zone.’ In the case of Autronica’s new detection system, AutroSafe 4, the central fire detection panel doesn’t just control the various sensors and suppression systems. It is also interfaced with fire doors, low location lights and other safety features not directly associated with the system. This means that a central panel damaged by fire or flooding has to be able to handover a large number of interfaces to the back-up central, meaning that the two separate systems need to communicate. It’s in this communication that Autronica believes it has made a truly redundant system. ‘The key difference between the new generation AutroSafe and our previous systems is that the redundant part of the network can talk with the active part of the network, which is something we call AutroSafe Dual Safety’, says Simonsen. ‘This was no easy task, but we

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found a solution and now have a patented system that can offer the levels of redundancy required of SRTP. Whilst designing the system, we also went for compliance with new DNV rules called R0, which are designed to ensure that there is no downtime in a system. Now if one system goes down the other takes over in milliseconds.’ Emergency planning As demonstrated with the extensive redesign of AutroSafe 4 to enable more redundancy, fire detection system technology doesn’t stand still. Just twenty years ago, the fire alarm system could only tell you that there was a fire within its zone or deck. Then addressable sensors were mandated as a result of Scandinavian Star disaster. ‘We had actually just developed an addressable system as the new IMO rules came in,’ says Jon Arne; ‘so we were able to help owners to improve their fire detection systems at the time. Sometimes technology advances come through regulations and sometimes not. We developed our own SelfVerify solution nearly a decade ago because two of our offshore energy customers wanted to make system maintenance more accurate and cost effective, so we came up with a system that would test the panel, loop and sensors without the need for human interaction. Likewise, we developed an integrated safety and emergency management system (ISEMS) as part of Autromaster, because of a direct request from a customer.’ The customer in question is Royal Caribbean International (RCI), the company behind the world’s two largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. After ordering the fire detection and Autromaster for Oasis, RCI expressed an interest in expanding the presentation system to cover objects not directly related to the fire detection system, while also adding further functionality to the presentation system.

Aboard Oasis, ISEMS offers a huge amount of control for fire safety officers

Subsequent to this work with RCI for Oasis, Autronica is now able to offer the new ISEMS functionality as a commercial product. A similar system is already installed on other vessels and most recently on Allure of the Seas. A high-profile new build cruise vessel in production is also having a version installed. The custom fire management system aboard Oasis and Allure represents Autronica’s largest ever deliveries and provide a two-fold benefit for fire-safety; it gathers information from distributed sources and presents it in a clear and logical way using GAdrawings, icons and text, giving complete control of fire-safety systems, which cover: 9300 addresses (fire detectors and manual call points) 1030 fire doors 300 sprinkler areas/valves 300 low emergency lights 1000 CCTV cameras 830 fire dampers. The Autromaster and ISEMS system uses four projectors and eight LCD screens. There are also ISEMS stations at the conning station, then several in the safety centre and two in the engine control room. There is also a station in the hotel manager’s office as ISEMS plays an important role in the safe evacuation and movement of passengers during an emergency. When passengers are evacuated they go to their muster stations. On a vessel as large as Oasis, you can have up to 600-700 passengers at each muster station, but if there is a fire at a muster station then a quick, safe alternative is needed. Route finding solution Which is where ISEMS comes in according Simonsen: ‘We have a layer on ISEMS that shows the

main routes to use during an emergency. Safety officers would of course prefer to use main routes but if there is an obstruction, they simply click on the secondary route layer for another way that they can communicate to the teams on deck via UHF radio or the deck telephone system. ‘Aboard Oasis, ISEMS offers a huge amount of control for fire safety officers. You can choose any doors you like and hit the switch to close them and if there is a problem, the operator will get an alarm. Doors can also be closed automatically and opened from the system (unless they are on magnets).’ In regards to CCTV, the operator looks at the ISEMS plan and chooses the required camera to view the live feed. The system indicates the status of sprinklers, hifog or water mist system and controls low location lights. ISEMS also features a replay and evaluation system: If a fire alarm has been active or a training session for the handling of the fire alarms has been completed, the whole operation from alarm handling, mustering of the fire teams, fire door operation, CCTV footage etc can then be replayed and the whole operation can be evaluated. Fire safety systems aboard passenger vessels and especially the current generation of mega cruise vessels are inherently complex and the SRTP guidelines have only added to this. However, with fully redundant fire detection systems, and total control and monitoring of the safety systems through ISEMS, the lofty goals of making a vessel its own lifeboat are attainable. For now this is the state-of-the-art in fire safety, and cruise ship passengers are much safer for it. MITE April/May 2011

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E-COMMERCE

Engendering trust in electronic commerce By letting buyers review and rate sellers, ShipServ hopes to engender a greater degree of trust throughout its maritime e-commerce marketplace. Moreover, it has added a facility to let brand owners confirm the validity of companies purporting to be their approved resellers or agents. The overriding concept is to give the buyers and sellers using e-commerce service more influence in policing the virtual marketplace. Trust always has been and always will be at the core of business relationships, whether online or offline. Arguably it becomes more prominent in the online environment, especially if a transaction is carried out without any prior face-to-face contact. ‘In the maritime market, buyers are reliant upon their suppliers,’ states Stephen Alexander, chief operating officer of the International Marine Purchasing Association (IMPA). ‘The complexity of modern ships together with the regulatory framework which envelopes them means that buyers must be able to rely on sellers fulfilling their part of the deal.’ Alexander recalls conversations when buyers have told him that price is sometimes a secondary consideration: ‘It is easy to conjure up images of buyers as hard-nosed negotiators constantly driving for the best price. But in shipping, price is not the be all and end all. Many buyers are often more concerned about quality and whether the delivery is made when the seller says it will.’ This makes sense: ship turn-

Trust is foremost in any business relationship, but demonstrating this quality electronically is difficult. ShipServ hopes its latest round of enhancements will let buyers and sellers decide for themselves

around times are getting shorter and shorter. If a part does not arrive on time, it can severely impact on a vessel’s schedule. And once at sea, the ship has to be self-sufficient. There is no room for a replaced part to fail within days of setting sail. How does this all relate back to e-commerce? ‘The issue is some buyers are wary of electronic transactions because they feel there’s a breakdown or disconnect in building relationships with sellers – often a critical element in engendering trust, especially in new partnerships,’ explains Alexander. To date, IMPA has found that the companies who have gained the most from e-commerce solutions have been the ones that already had well-established business relationships. ‘It provides extra operational efficiency by removing much of the paperwork and day-to-day admin overheads. The important thing to remember is that ecommerce does not set out to replace traditional ways of trading. It is there as a tool to speed up and make the transactional element more efficient,’ says Alexander. ShipServ believes that the best way to establish trust online is to inform buyers with a combination of impartial data and peer-to-peer recommendations. This effectively puts the community itself in charge by enabling it to validate and verify information in one of three ways: Actual transactions indicate OEMs can manage their authorised agents on ʻPagesʼ ‒ ShipServʼs Googlelike spare parts search engine

MITE April/May 2011

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ILS upgrades its e-marketplace which suppliers are most bought from; Customers rate and review their suppliers; Brand owners can verify their authorised agents. All of these factors come together to define a supplier’s ‘TradeRank’, a measure of the supplier’s popularity in the industry. TradeRank has been available for the last 18 months or so and was originally based on a supplier’s trading activity on ShipServ TradeNet, the ecommerce trading platform. ShipServ then looked to the best of the consumer internet – sites such as Amazon, eBay and Facebook – and decided that the industry should be able to indicate which suppliers are most appropriate, introducing ratings and reviews in late 2010. Positive feedback of this kind is now taken into account and can boost a supplier’s TradeRank. New this year is the ability for brand owners to manage their authorised agents on ‘Pages’ – ShipServ’s Google-like spare parts search engine. This not only allows brand owners to set up all their agents on Pages but also means suppliers joining the platform cannot claim authorised status unless approved by the brand owner. Verified suppliers will get a further boost to their TradeRank. ShipServ is already working with some major component suppliers and OEMs who are eager to manage their reputations online by verifying which suppliers are their authorised agents. IMPA also stands to benefit from this functionality. ‘It gives us the ability to verify who’s using our badge,’ says Alexander. ‘When buyers and sellers join an organisation like ours, they have certain expectations about the quality of other members. Buyers will trust suppliers who are IMPA members and vice-versa. In this sense, our role is all about building trust. Therefore it is vital that we ensure there is no misrepre38

MITE April/May 2011

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE-BASED ILS has unveiled an improved version of its marine marketplace ‒ ILSmart ‒ to provide increased functionality and more business opportunities for its global customer base. ILSmart allows users to search three unique data sets with one click, providing a consolidated view of all the relevant information on the searched item. The data sets include: the complete list of inventory on ILSmart, all suppliers listed in the marketplace, and all messages sent on the ILSmart worldwide system. ILS is continually working to simplify the purchase and sale of marine spares. Subscribers to ILSmart will have the ability to immediately send request for quotes (RFQs) to suppliers, eliminating time consuming processes such as phone calls and faxing. Suppliers will also be able to respond instantly with a quote through the new marketplace. The company hasnʼt forgotten about suppliers either. They can now list their inventory on ILSmart more frequently through a more efficient process. Listings can be updated directly through the website on a daily basis, making sure potential buyers have access to the most current inventory available. ʻSince our company began, ILS has worked to develop the best forum possible for companies to buy and sell marine parts,ʼ says ILSʼ sales VP Don Wilson. ʻThis new site will provide some much anticipated functionality that we believe will greatly benefit our customers.ʼ

ShipServ doesnʼt decide who are the best suppliers and because of that, it is not itself influenced by buyers, agents or manufacturers

Paul Ostergaard, ShipServ

sentation.’ In the past, IMPA has come across suppliers who use its logo on their letterheads etc without having any official affiliation with the organisation. ‘In some instances, members have informed us about illegitimate use. But policing such fraudulent practices has always been a challenge,’ says Alexander. His enthusiasm for ShipServ’s brand management features is therefore quite understandable. ‘The ShipServ community comprises a network of thousands of businesses around the world,’ states founder and chief executive Paul Ostergaard. ‘With our suite of verification tools, it is this community who determines the best suppliers to do business with – be that through authorisations, reviews or actual orders. It’s an incredibly powerful thing. It means buyers know they can trust the information being provided.’ With the community in charge of these three verification elements, Ostergaard is keen to stress ShipServ’s role as a neutral facilitator. ‘Allowing users to effectively ‘vote’ through their actions means ShipServ doesn’t decide who are the best suppliers and because of that, it is not itself influenced by buyers, agents or manufacturers.’ It is self-regulating mechanism. Buyers know that very active trading suppliers are effectively being trusted by the community with many repeat orders. ShipServ prompts buyers to review their suppliers and collects opinions so that other buyers can make decisions on where to buy. ShipServ publishes all the reviews it can, good and bad. Poor performers get the incentive to improve, good performers can use the results in their marketing and buyers are able to make better choices. But ShipServ remains neutral throughout, making it the most transparent forum for marine procurement data available to marine buyers.

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Trials of a web-based online catalogue, which its creators claim transforms the way ship owners, ship managers and ship suppliers will select and order their onboard and onshore stores, are proving a great success with more than 3000 vessels already taking part. One Maritime co-founder and chief executive Torben Brammer is understandably happy that so many companies and vessels have joined the trial. ‘Our technology allows us to think of data sources and its application in a completely new way. With our unique search engines and data migration technology, we have delivered a system that gives its users access to a mix of data from multiple data sources at the same time. It changes the way that catalogues, for example, will be used by suppliers, manufacturers and purchasers in the future, resulting in effi-

One Maritime trial run on 3000 ships ciency and time saving benefits.’ The One Maritime portal provides access online or by CD to many of the industry most established ship stores catalogues – including the ISSA catalogue – allowing purchasing managers to secure quality and cost effective provisions, deck and engine parts. Buyers can issue requests for quotes (RFQs), order goods and deal with invoices, all from their Internet browser. Special plug-ins also enable them to track owners’ goods, draw up supply contracts and, if necessary, return items. Significantly, they can search by vessel name or position gathered via AIS. The catalogues can be searched generically or by product

type or through the individual port of delivery. One Maritime also provides e-commerce connectivity, allowing transactions to be processed via systems such as MarineLink from EDB ErgoGroup. Suppliers, on the other hand, will have an overview of ships in their own ports with estimated times of arrival and departure; search for owners, vessels and vessel positions; search for items in a large variety of catalogues; upload their own catalogues; service items on certain vessels and customers; prioritise equipment due for survey; and process RFQs in addition to order confirmation and e-invoicing.

MITE April/May 2011

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MARKET PLACE

DOF expands satcoms links with Marlink Marlink has secured a new three year contract with DOF ASA, the Norwegian based operator of offshore and subsea vessels. As part of the new contract Marlink will supply its Sealink VSAT services to an additional 20 vessels, increasing the total number of DOF vessels sailing with Marlink VSAT to 52. ʻDOF heavily relies upon high-speed connectivity for an extensive range of applications including efficient transfer of data ashore and crew welfare needs. Marlinkʼs VSAT systems have proven to provide reliable con-

nectivity as well as flexible services, which can be customised to meet specific requirements,ʼ comments Tor Skeie, manager of Marin IT, the offshore operatorʼs subsidiary IT company. The renewed contract will include the delivery of the Sealink C-band and Ku-band systems to provide dedicated bandwidth onboard 29 of its vessels and shared bandwidth on 23 of its vessels. Marlink anticipates that the scope of its supply will expand further to include several new builds planned for 2011.

DOF will roll-out VSAT on an additional 20 vessels

Globe iFusion lands on ER Schiffahrt containerships Hamburg-based ER Schiffahrt ‒ part of Rickmers Group ‒ is going to install the iFusion system from Globe Wireless on nearly 90 of its vessels in an effort to use onboard resources more efficicently. The German container operatorʼs nautical senior superintendent Roland Felbinger pointed to an emphasis on leveraging IPbased satcoms to improve remote support of onboard IT systems and a need to reduce the cost of growing traffic as the two main factors driving the decision. ʻWith most standalone terminals it would be necessary to install several other IT components. This meant complex, high maintenance systems aboard ships, which would also be difficult to install and support,ʼ he said. Acting in its simplest form as a least-cost router, iFusion is designed to eliminate such complexity (see MITE Oct/Nov 2010). Felbinger added: ʻGlobe iFusion meets our requirements and also provides a GSM-based crew communications solution, dual level firewall controls, and the ability to use and control any other IP satellite system we may choose in the future.ʼ

Korean Telecom and SpeedCast tie the knot on maritime routes Korean Telecom (KT) has reached an agreement with SpeedCast enabling it to deliver global maritime network services for its international maritime customers via SpeedCastʼs global Ku-band network. In return, KT will provide SpeedCast with access to its own Ku-band coverage (on the Koreasat 5 satellite) along the Korean coastline and beyond. The two companies will also link their teleports and satellite hubs to offer their customers a more resilient and robust service. It is anticipated that coordinating technically will lead to operational efficiencies, while also delivering expanded coverage and reach for their end-user maritime customers.

MITE April/May 2011

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Fuel costs have became the dominant component of ship operating costs since OPEC’s swingeing oil price increases in the 1970s, and they continue to increase remorselessly. This has led to intensive development programmes by engine builders to improve efficiency, resulting in the current high levels. Now efforts are being made to minimise a ship’s overall fuel consumption by integrating the production of main propulsive power with the generation of its electricity requirements. This book describes two types of turbine which are used to drive a generator in various recovery systems – firstly the wellestablished combination of a turbine running on steam from a recovery boiler which extracts heat from the engine exhaust gases; the other type is termed a ‘power turbine’ and is operated by main-engine exhaust gas

by Don Nicholas

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BSc, MIMechE, FIMarEST

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which is surplus to that required for the turbochargers. When both types are used in a comprehensive heat recovery system an additional 9.9% of main-engine power can be achieved without burning any additional fuel, with obvious cost savings per annum. Various arrangements for this are described in the book as are aspects of steam turbine construction and operations, a necessity now that there is a general lack of knowledge in this area since diesels for main propulsion have become the norm.

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