The benefits of fully integrated automation have at last found their way into commercial shipboard applications. Automation in naval vessels, with their complex arrays of sensing and weapons technologies, has been the norm for many decades now, the primary benefit being the substantial reduction in the number of crew required to operate the systems. But, until recently, the high costs involved proved prohibitive in commercial applications, despite the substantial reduction in crew overheads.
However, increased competition and growing demand have brought the costs steadily down. Today, ship automation systems have moved on from the classic bridge control ideas that focused primarily on navigation and manoeuvring. Modern shipboard automation now allows the integration of all the ancillary plants – freshwater, electricity generation, fuel and HVAC – under the same automation umbrella as the navigation and engine control systems. Cargo operations can also be monitored and managed remotely. Start-up and shut-down routines can be linked as well, which is useful when it becomes necessary to undertake plant maintenance at sea. An example would be a critical alarm on a running generator engine requiring changeover to an alternative to allow investigation or repair. This can now be done automatically at a remote screen, reducing manning levels, workload, and the requirement for a more specialised crew member’s presence.
Another benefit is increased safety. Access to full ship data on the bridge enables the provision of displays for smoke, fire and heat detection, in addition to all the propulsion-related alarms. The use of unified databases allows full ship control from the bridge, giving the master access to the ship’s complete operational status at all times.
Offshore vessels, like those operated by Debmarine Namibia in its seabed diamond mining operations, are now also among the beneficiaries of these developments. The company recently chose Yokogawa’s DCS as the core control platform responsible for the control of the mining and other related shipboard equipment.
The mining control comprises a rotating drill six metres in diameter at a depth of one hundred and twenty metres, connected to a series of pipes known as the string. Once the drill is on the seabed it grinds for approximately five minutes and is then lifted while the vessel shifts position. Whilst drilling, the gravel is vacuumed up the string and through a processing plant comprising scrubbers, screens, ball mills, density change circuit, driers and finally X-ray machines.
To meet the challenges of recovering diamonds from the seabed, Yokogawa relies on the latest version of its Centum VP software. Read more about the solution implementation and benefits in 'Yokogawa upgrades Debmarine diamond mining vessels'.
Technews Industry Guide: Wireless 2015
July is the month we publish the annual Technews Industry Guide: Wireless. Modern wireless sensor networks are becoming a critical part of the plant optimisation process as they open up applications that simply were not practical before. Honeywell’s corrosion monitoring solution for transcontinental pipelines and Emerson Process Management’s plant-wide steam trap observation technology are prime examples. We have also heard presentations about the technology being used for monitoring on submerged arc furnaces, where the electromagnetic conditions are just too severe for conventional wire-based solutions. Or how about if you could eliminate the need for slip rings on large rotating equipment?
TIG: Wireless is an exciting new publication designed to help demystify and speed up the adoption of this technology for the benefit of the local manufacturing industry. The standards are now approved and instruments that meet these standards are designed to be easy to implement, maintain and expand to changing needs.
We hope this year’s supplement, with its listing of local vendors accompanied by a set of comprehensive buyers’ guide tables, helps you find the right wireless solution for that application you simply have not been able to implement using cables.
Steven Meyer
Editor: SA Instrumentation & Control
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