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voices of the industry
Thought leaders of 2015 Special Advertising supplement
voices of the industry
Transforming class to ensure safety in a more effective way, while improving the marine transportation system
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“At ABS, we are creating a clear path for new technology to the future.” Jim Watson President and COO ABS Americas Division
S2 MARINE LOG December 2015
hile we are seeing vessels that burn Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a marine fuel operating for the first time in the U.S., more work needs to be done to grow shore-side bunkering infrastructure to support the strong interest for cleaner fuels in the marine transportation sector. At ABS, we are creating a clear path for new technology to the future. ABS is working with the U.S. Coast Guard, industry, and with groups within our organization to make sure we get it right. We understand that this development cannot occur in a vacuum, but with full awareness of international standards and best practices. In March 2014, ABS released its Bunkering of Liquefied Natural Gas-fueled Marine Vessels in North Amer ica repor t and prov ided updates in the second edition published earlier this year. The guidance provides an excellent project roadmap outlining the operational, technical and regulatory issues for those considering LNG as a fuel. This past year saw the first three U.S.-flag LNG-fueled vessels enter service—two Platform Supply Vessels owned by Harvey Gulf International Marine and the 3,100-TEU containership Isla Bella, owned by TOTE—all of which are ABS classed. The development of shore-side LNG fueling infrastructure is still
in its earliest stages. Harvey Gulf International Marine is refueling its PSVs at its terminal in Port Fourchon, LA. Next year, TOTE will use the first LNG bunker barge to refuel its containership at the Port of Jacksonville. If LNG as a fuel catches on as we envision, there will be LNG-fueled oceangoing ships calling at U.S. ports that will need to bunker. That whole bunkering infrastructure needs to be built. That’s very exciting, and we are in a great position here in the U.S. to create some of the worldwide standards. When it comes to LNG, there is clearly more interest in the pipeline. ABS has inked several Agreement In Principles with owners, designers and builders for LNG-fueled, LNG transport and LNG bunker vessels. We are in designers’ offices and engaged with them on a variety of concepts for newbuilds—from bunker barges, tugs, and Articulated Tug Barge units to ferries, tankers, and cargo ships. We are currently working with BC Ferries for the conversion of one of their ferries to burn LNG. We also issued the first LNGReady approval in accordance with our Guide for LNG Fuel Ready vessels for the product tanker Ohio. The product tanker, built at Aker Philadelphia, is the first in a series of four for Crowley Maritime Corporation. By achieving compliance with
cLASSIFICATION
ABS will support the inland towboat fleet when Subchapter M comes into effect
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the ABS Guide for LNG Fuel Ready Vessels, Crowley has the option to convert the product tankers to LNG propulsion at a later date having already been granted a conceptual review. The LNG-Ready endorsements provide owners with the flexibility to limit their initial investment while planning for the future conversion to dual fuel or gas-only. SUBCHAPTER M One of the new developments on the inland waterways is the pending requirements for compliance with the Coast Guard’s Subchapter M. The requirements won’t have to change operations significantly. The inland waterways marine transportation system is already very efficient. Rather, it will establish baseline regulations for inspected towing vessels, and it defines the Towing Safety Management System (TSMS). We are encouraging companies to class their inland towboats and adopt the International Safety Management (ISM) standard. We don’t have a final rule yet, but I think it is inevitable. By proactively
demonstrating compliance with Subchapter M requirements, owners and operators can show their commitment to a more comprehensive approach to safety and environmental protection. ABS is ready to help owners and operators interested in differentiating their vessels by surpassing minimum safety standards. We have performed a thorough gap analysis of the pending regulations and the recognized ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels for Service on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways to help vessels comply with both USCG and ABS rules. We’re trying to provide a fairly smooth transition. We have 300 surveyors and auditors, 200 engineers and naval architects in 30 offices across the U.S. ready to help with the process. We’ve also established an ABS Subchapter M Center-of-Excellence in Paducah, KY. Looking to the future, we see an increasing desire in the maritime industr y to become more efficient. This trend is being driven by the demands of modern society.
That means companies are more and more interested in the collection and analysis of big data. Class societies have to be a part of that. We have a means to measure just about anything as it relates to a vessel’s performance—from fuel efficiency to vessel maintenance to turnaround times in port. More and more of our clients are interested in big data and how they can use it to make their operations more efficient. IT can be of great value when you are trying to provide that type of service in measuring efficiency. Going hand in hand with data collection and IT is cyber security. We are finding that our clients want their IT systems and software certified. We are not going to shy away from cyber security problems. Just like any other engineering problem, we can deal with that. We are in a unique situation because about 25% of new ships being ordered will be classed by ABS. In the next few years, that is going to be data that is going to be of tremendous value to our clients. ABS is going to have the advantage of comparing across a broad section of the world fleet, from different flags, markets and operating conditions. We will, of course, maintain proprietary information, but that data will be aggregated. When you think about it, that’s how we have always done it. That’s how we make ABS rules—based on the performance and design of a broad range of vessels. Now we can aggregate that data and analyze it. We are creating a future state for class that ensures safety in a more effective way while improving the marine transportation system. December 2015 MARINE LOG S3
voices of the industry
Finding new solutions to increase power and operator efficiency
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“Nautican continues to invest in R&D, finding new solutions for vessel owners to increase power and maneuverability, and reduce fuel use.� ELIZABETH BOYD President
The Nautican team engineers high-performance integrated propulsion units and hydralift skegs
S4 MARINE LOG December 2015
autican has been investing in groundbreaking research and development for more than 40 years, from our pioneering use of hydrofoils to increase barge efficiency, to the development of advanced nozzle profiles, and the integration of propulsion and maneuvering systems for increased hydrodynamic efficiency and responsiveness. Nautican continues to invest in research and development, finding new solutions for vessel owners to increase power and maneuverability, and reduce fuel use. A significant change has occurred over the years in the maritime industry, which has led to the ability for Nautican to manufacture higher precision products. It is now increasingly easy and economical to
collect operating data from vessels in service and relay that information to engineers on shore. This empirical data opens up valuable new opportunities to more deeply understand the real operating environment of a vessel and the demands on the vessel equipment. Using this data in innovative ways has allowed Nautican to engineer systems that meet specific vessel demands with greater efficiency. Vessel designers may now work with vessel operators to gather large sets of operational data, instead of relying on a limited set of sea trial data or those rare, published fullscale trials. These data sets allow for more sophisticated analysis of a vessel’s operating needs, and provide a solid basis from which to engineer improvements and quantify results.
PROPULSION
Nautican Triple Rudders greatly improve the maneuverability of vessels with nozzles Recognizing the need for vessel operating companies to be able to realistically assign financial values to proposed fleet improvement projects to determine the return on investment, Nautican has recently worked with industry leading software developer HydroComp to develop a tool within their popular NavCad software package to meet this need. This tool, originally presented at the International Tug & Salvage conference in Hamburg, Germany in 2014, is a practical way for operating data from a vessel to be used to calculate the changes in total fuel consumption resulting from changes in propeller or nozzle type. This software can evaluate other proposed modifications, such as a re-engining, and it provides fuel savings calculations that fully reflect the vessels actual operating profile. In addition to the HydroComp software tool, Nautican is working on other higher-level performance pre dic t ion to ols. These to ols incorporate next-generation developments in CFD software and integrate these software applications in a loop of performance predictions and full-scale testing to further improve the speed and accuracy of predictions, as well as refine the integration of various components of the system: propellers, nozzles, rudders, stator and hull. There is tremendous potential to deliver tailored design solutions
that help vessel owners maximize efficiency and performance, while improving operating performance and reducing fuel costs, in both the increased computational power of these new CFD tools, and in the ability to use detailed real-life data in the fast and reliable NavCad analysis framework. Nautican partners with designers, manufacturers and vessel owners to consistently refine and improve upon this data to bring high-efficiency quality products to the market that uniquely match the needs of each vessel. Nautican is a marine propulsion
company that engineers and manufactures hydrodynamic solutions, including patented Integrated Propulsion Units, High Efficiency Nozzles and Propellers, high aspect ratio Triple Rudders, Pre-Swirl Stators, and also Hydralift Skegs for barges. Our independently tested systems have been shown to increase power and maneuverability, while significantly reducing fuel use and maintenance needs. To find out more about Nautican, our research and products, please scan the accompanying QR code. December 2015 MARINE LOG S5
voices of the industry
MSI: helping customers reach compliance and meet equipment needs
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“From the outset our approach has been to use our collective experience for the purpose of shifting as much complexity from the owner so that all parties can remain focused on their core competencies.� Kevin Oakley Product Support Manager, TFS Group
S6 MARINE LOG December 2015
arine Systems Inc. was established in 1966 and today operates 12 service centers in key maritime markets across the US. We have wide distribution. We have a highly skilled and competent technical workforce onboard vessels everywhere in our diesel engine business. Those facts made for a strong expansion opportunity into other shipboard machinery spaces. In 2011 MSI launched our Ther mal, Fluid and Separation business unit and entered into distribution and service center agreements with several leading manufacturers of ancillary equipment systems. My role as Product Support Manager of the TFS group is to find and maximize opportunities with these products across the country. With few exceptions nationally Marine Systems Inc. and our TFS group is the factory authorized marine distributor for Alfa Laval, Denora Water Technologies, US Watermaker, and Ampco Pumps. In select markets we also handle Atlas Incinerators, Nijhuis Wastewater Systems, Rivertrace Engineering as well as Compactors Inc. Our locations in Houma, Seattle, Paducah, Chesapeake and Thorofare are TFS centers with stock and technical support for those product lines. That diverse range allows our existing customer base to consolidate many of their technical equipment
needs with MSI. Additionally our product portfolio is improving our exposure to new industrial markets and into equipment categories that make literally every commercial vessel afloat a potential client. Reflecting on the past year and looking ahead in the ballast water treatment space our principle approach of future proof solutions comes to mind. It has taken tremendous flexibility to move from concept to successful delivery of our modular PureBallast TM platform. The most critical element of that success has been the composition of our manufacturing and design partnership with Alfa Laval and Glosten. From the outset our approach has been to use our collective experience for the purpose of shifting as much complexity away from the owner/ operator and shipyard as possible so that all parties can remain focused on their core competencies. A few examples will underscore the point. One of the complexities we saw that Alfa Laval took the lead on handling was the conversion of their explosion proof equipment from the European standard to the American electrical standard to the satisfaction of class and flag. I can assure you that this was no trivial undertaking and to be candid was something the team had to react to swiftly. To have a manufacturer supporting this challenge to resolution in a matter of days not weeks
Ballast Water Treatment Systems
As the industry adapts to ballast water treatment requirements, MSI will continue to be a supplier and service center
is something less seasoned vendors would not have risen to the occasion on. This effort became vital in achieving our USCG hazardous zone acceptance and ABS certification of the module. Kevin Reynolds and the team at Glosten have been in a leadership position on understanding ballast treatment regulations and design development from the beginning. Just one of the ongoing challenges Glosten offers key support for is retrofit applications. The real constraints of space, interferences, and in service operations are individually daunting and collectively difficult circumstances to design into. The application of state of the art 3D mapping combined with the deck template/module interface design concept Glosten developed
Customers and their crews benefit from a very uniform ballast treatment platform to train on and work with
allows for a consistent approach and result. Customers and their crews benefit from a very uniform ballast treatment platform to train on and work with. This serves to minimize the amount of customization required into a variety of retrofit applications and saves tremendously on time and effort involved. What we do at Marine Systems Inc. is well summarized by saying that we do sales and very complex service work everywhere our customer’s need it performed. We have done so for a long history with the factory training and backing of the
very best vendors and partners in the marine business. As the industry adapts to ballast treatment requirements, MSI will continue to be a supplier and service center that our customers can count on every time. Nothing is as future proof as quality people. It takes a very diverse team effort to complete a successful ballast treatment system installation project. You can take your chances on assembling that team or work with those of us that are committed to letting you do what you already do best. December 2015 MARINE LOG S7
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