Issue 32 O March 2018 - Rolls-Royce

12-13 Ship IntelligenceNew partnerships with Google and the European Space Agency

28-29 NavalInnovative handling system helps solve space problem on Type 26

36-39 TechnologyPropeller combination is a smart solution to a complex problem

Cool runnings Polar research vessels chart new waters in sustainability

Pages 18-21

Issue 32 ● March 2018

Rolls-Royce Indepth magazine 03

ContentsISSUE 32 ● MARCH 2018

© Rolls-Royce plc 2018. The information in this publication is the property of Rolls-Royce plc and may not be copied, communicated to a third party, or used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied, without the express written consent of Rolls-Royce plc. While the information is given in good faith, based upon the latest information available to Rolls-Royce plc, no warranty or representation is given concerning such information, which must not be taken as establishing any contractual or other commitment binding upon Rolls-Royce plc or any of its subsidiary or associated companies. Opinions expressed may not necessarily represent the views of Rolls-Royce or the editorial team. The publishers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All photographs © Rolls-Royce plc unless otherwise stated.

People

Editor: Yrjar GarsholDeputy Editor: Connie HanburyDesign: Ryan SwinneyContributors: Anette Bonnevie Wollebæk, Andrew Rice, Craig Taylor, Frode Vik, Patrik Wheater, Richard White, Dr Ian Whitlegg Production: Connect Publications LtdCover image: Polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough

Ship Intelligence Sustainability Technology

Naval

The Big Picture

10 The bigger picture New Intelligent Awareness system gives crews a clear view of their surroundings

12 Out of this world New working partnerships launched with Google and European Space Agency

14 Testing the water How Rolls-Royce is leading the way with MAXCMAS and AAWA research projects

16 Under the microscope Autonomous ships are put through their paces in test sites in Norway and Finland

18 Going deeper We dive into the design secrets of the world’s greenest research vessels

22 The perfect blend Fuel-saving technology transforms tugboats into hybrid thoroughbreds

24 Green for go Rolls-Royce helps makes the switch to emission-free and sustainable shipping

34 Lean machines Installing Promas system takes efficiency to a whole new level for oil tankers

36 Pitch perfect Our expertise provides a very specific solution to complex operating profiles

40 Making data dynamic How harnessing digital information could mean the end of breakdowns

42 The pioneer trail We take a closer look at the Rolls-Royce Autocrossing system running in Norway

28 Watch this space Handling system innovation gives Royal Navy’s Type 26 plenty of room to breathe

30 Storage power Exploring the technology and solutions for modern electric generation systems

32 Turkish delight How boat builder ARES is exceeding expectations – with help from Rolls-Royce

44 Weathering the storm Our dynamic positioning system in action off Canada

24

32

14

Events

46 Meet the team Where you’ll find Marine Sales & Marketing this year

04 Rolls-Royce Indepth magazine

U P F R O N T

In recent years, the key driver for most ship operators has been reducing their operating costs in the face of extremely tough trading conditions. Other factors,

such as environmental performance have always been present, but not always the key concern.

I sense things are certainly changing, and today, with environmental issues such as climate change, diesel engine emissions and the protection of our oceans all rising up the news agenda, our industry is stepping up its act when it comes to sustainability.

For this new-look issue of Indepth, we thought it was a good opportunity to share with you some of the latest developments that we feel can make a truly significant contribution to the future sustainability of your business.

With the right combination of technology and a willingness to do the right thing, shipping can have a much greener future.

There is real interest in technologies that can reduce or eliminate harmful emissions. Electrification is a rapidly developing area for technology, where the use of hybrid systems can make a quick impact on reduction of emissions, along with the benefits of cost reduction.

Many of our customers have come to us looking for innovative solutions. The addition of batteries into ship systems is delivering impressive results in performance. Pure battery operation is now a serious option

Thought leadership from Mikael Mäkinen, President – Marine

for short-run operations, for example ferries operating fixed point routes, and as owners renew their fleets they’re looking many years ahead to ensure they choose the right technology today that will serve them, and their environment, well in the long term.

The start of 2018 has seen us secure deals to provide innovative systems that utilise battery power to reduce costs and emissions for operators in two distinctly different segments. For the offshore sector, recent years have been tough, so the move to upgrade six PSVs with deck-mounted battery packs is an effective way of getting ships out of layup by using easy-to-install equipment, to bring instant environmental and economic benefit.

We’ve also recently sold our first hybrid solution for a tug; another key market where environmental performance is a key driver. These vessels, operating close to population centres can be viewed as ‘low hanging fruit’ when it comes to addressing emissions.

Our new hybrid battery system allows operators to achieve the same bollard pull with a smaller engine and gives the option of battery-only (emission-free) for transit and loitering. Read more on pages 22&23.

A GREENER FUTURE

ABOVE: The first Rolls-Royce Autocrossing system for ferries is now in operation on the short Anda-Lote route in western Norway

42 - 43

“With the right combination of technology and a willingness to do the right thing, shipping can have a much greener future”

READ MORE


A GREENER FUTURE

www.rolls-royce.com/marine [email protected] www.linkedin.com/company/rolls-royce

BELOW: Our innovative ship designs are bringing

improved performance and greater efficiency to some

of the most challenging environments on earth

While a clear focus on what can be done by ship type is essential, an arguably bigger issue for us all is the long-term future of our oceans and the impact of how they change will have on future generations.

We all know that our oceans carry 90% of world trade, but let’s not ignore the fact that ocean plants produce almost half the oxygen we breathe and contain 80% of living organisms. Our oceans are truly precious and at Rolls-Royce, we’re delighted to be involved in enabling the pioneering research that will help scientists to understand the future.

Our expertise in ship design and the integration of cutting edge technology, are the key factors in why the UK and Norway selected Rolls-Royce for their new polar research ships. We know what it takes to design ships and equipment that can operate reliably in the harshest conditions on earth, and that knowledge has enabled us to produce highly capable ships that will carry

out sensitive monitoring to help us understand better the future of our planet.

The polar environment and its ecology provides us all with a sensitive

indicator of global change, and to know that Rolls-Royce vessels will soon be at sea taking on these pioneering challenges gives us all an enormous sense of pride. To find out more about how we’re meeting the research requirements through innovative ship designs, see pages 18 to 21.

Finally, you will have no doubt seen the recent announcement that Rolls-Royce is to carry out a strategic review of its Commercial Marine business. The company is changing to a new structure focused on three business units – Civil Aerospace, Defence and Power Systems. Our Naval Marine activities have now moved across into our Defence business.

The review will take several months to complete and one potential option is the sale of our Commercial Marine operations.

While the outcome of the review isn’t known, I wanted to reassure you as a loyal and important customer, that we are fully committed to working with you as normal throughout this period, ensuring that you see no impact in delivery and service. As you will see in this magazine, we’re still developing new technologies, just as we have done for more than 150 years.

Periods of change and consolidation are common in our industry, and it’s my job to ensure this business is shipshape for the journey that lies ahead. ●

18 - 21

“We know what it takes to design ships and equipment that can operate reliably

in the harshest conditions on earth”

READ MORE


N E W S

News The latest developments from the wider world of Rolls-Royce Marine

Rolls-Royce has secured an order to deliver a battery-powered energy system for six offshore vessels (PSVs), which have been built by the yard COSCO Guangdong in China.

The ships – of Rolls-Royce UT 771 WP design and featuring the characteristic wave piercing bow – were ordered in 2013 and 2014 and their new owners have now decided to give the vessels an environmental upgrade, with an option for a further two. The ambition is to get them to work, and out of layup, as quickly as possible.

The contract includes: ■ the Energy Storage Container

System (ESSU) ■ an upgrade of the existing

Rolls-Royce ship design engineering package to match the new features

■ an upgrade of the Dynamic Positioning system (DP) and the ACON control system

■ the new Rolls-Royce Energy Management system, which will

provide a complete overview of energy usage onboard.

John Gellert, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, SEACOR, says: “Combining a proven and advanced design, best in category accommodations, and the innovative Rolls-Royce battery system, these vessels will be highly marketable across all major offshore energy regions worldwide.”

“These are extremely advanced and modern ships, and we strongly believe that the new energy system onboard

will really make them stand out from the crowd in today’s marketplace,” adds Asbjørn Skaro, Director of Deck Machinery and Systems, Rolls-Royce.

Upgrade for battery vesselsBELOW: The new offshore vessels will now receive an upgrade

We recently achieved another major milestone in the FFX Batch II programme following formal acceptance of the first Daegu class frigate by the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).

The first of eight ships in the Daegu

class programme features key equipment from Rolls-Royce – one 40MW rated MT30 gas turbine, two controllable pitch propellers and MTU diesel engines.

It’s the first RoKN ship to feature a hybrid propulsion system combining

electric propulsion motors and a single gas turbine.

Ian Parry, Programme Executive for the FFX Batch II programme says: “This is another proud day for the Naval Marine business. It is our equipment that has enabled this historic change through the advances we have made in propulsion

technology. The formal handover represents a significant achievement since contract award back in May 2013 and is a huge testament to the teamwork that has endured throughout the last three years encompassing our teams in Korea, UK and Sweden who have worked with Hyundai Heavy Industries, the shipyard and the RoK Navy to bring about this success.”

The MT30 engine performed excellently during the demanding sea trials which powered the ship to beyond the required design speed, supporting wider sea-trials without fault, including missions that required 20 hours of continuous gas turbine operation.

The Daegu class

First-class results for hybrid Daegu frigate

A new state-of-the-art research facility has opened in Turku, Finland, to develop the innovative technologies that Rolls-Royce and its partners require to shape the future of an increasingly autonomous global shipping industry.

The new Research & Development Centre for Autonomous Ships includes a Remote and Autonomous Experience Space aimed at showcasing the autonomous ship technologies Rolls-Royce has already introduced as well as those in the development stage.

Commenting on how the R&D centre further strengthens Finland’s commitment to developing autonomous transport, Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner, says: “There is great global interest in autonomous vehicles and vessels as a

future means of transport. “The opening of the Rolls-Royce

Research & Development Centre for Autonomous Ships here in Turku, a maritime city with a history of technological innovation,

will help achieve our goal of

digitalising the country’s transport sector.”The new R&D Centre enables

Rolls-Royce and its partners to carry out projects focused on autonomous navigation, the development of land-based control centres, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in future remote and autonomous shipping operations.

The many features in the Experience Space include several interactive tables to showcase existing and future technologies while aiding the development and introduction of new rules and standards for autonomous shipping.

New centre gives a fascinating glimpse into autonomous future

Read more on pages

40-41

Shipping enters the space race Rolls-Royce and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a ground-breaking cooperation agreement aimed at pursuing space activities in support of autonomous, remote-controlled shipping and promoting innovation in European digital logistics.

The Memorandum of Intent (MOI) forms part of ESA’s wider strategy. Jan

Wörner, ESA’s Director General said: “This agreement is another demonstration of the desire for a United Space in Europe.”

Karno Tenovuo, Rolls-Royce, SVP Ship Intelligence, said: “The space industry has been operating assets remotely for many decades.

“The information, software and satellite-based technologies the sector has developed are wholly relevant to the work Rolls-Royce is doing to make the

remote and autonomous ship a reality.”

Read more on pages

12-13


Rolls-Royce is now a partner with the ESA

The new facility in Turku


N E W S

As this edition of Indepth went to press, it was announced that Rolls-Royce has secured an extensive supply order for equipment for tugboats being built by Tuzla-based Sanmar Shipyards for various interests.

The scope of supply includes 42 Rolls-Royce US 205/255 azimuth thrusters for 21 escort/harbour tugs in the 60, 70 and 80 tonne bollard pull range and

16 high-pressure hydraulic towing winches for the 80 tonne bollard pull models.

“We have delivered 150 azimuth thrusters to Sanmar in a relationship that spans 15 years,” says Andrea Cerutti, Rolls-Royce Vice-President Sales, Europe. “This includes the supply of equipment to milestone projects such as Borgøy, the world’s first LNG-fuelled tugboat, and the 2017

System turns workhorse into thoroughbred San Francisco-based tug operator Baydelta has ordered the industry’s first hybrid propulsion arrangement for installation to a multi-purpose tractor tug. The 30m-long vessel, in build at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Washington State, will be the first tug to feature proven Rolls-Royce hybrid technology.

It will carry out the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of existing Delta Class harbour tugs, but with greatly improved towing performance.

The hybrid system enhances the vessel’s escort capability, enabling the tug to support the ultra-large container ships that operate from US West Coast ports.

Rolls-Royce will supply all electric motors, shaft generators and a power management and control system. The hybrid arrangement provides power to US255 azimuth thrusters with ducted fixed pitch propellers that can be rotated 360 degrees around the vertical axis.

Erik Larsen, Rolls-Royce, Vice President – Tug and Fish, Americas, said: “Our US 255 azimuth thrusters are ideally suited to provide the manoeuvrability and bollard pull needed for operations in larger harbours, terminals and escort applications.”

Deal strengthens our relationship with Sanmar Read more

on pages

22-23

The Baydelta tug


Sanmar’s order includes 42 azimuth thrusters

delivered Svitzer Hermod, the world’s first remotely-controlled commercial vessel.

“This new contract strengthens that relationship and is indicative of the trust Sanmar continues to place in Rolls-Royce products.”

Sanmar’s new portfolio of tug designs includes a versatile 25m harbour tug design that incorporates a hull that can be outfitted as either a 25m tractor tug with aft working deck or as a 25m Rotortug® with both fore and aft working decks. The tractor tug variants are available with bollard pulls up to 70 tonnes, while the Rotortug® versions are available with bollard pull up to 60 tonnes.

Sanmar is currently building a trio of 70 tonne bollard pull tractor versions of this new series, dubbed the Deliçay Series, all featuring Rolls-Royce US255 azimuth drives.

Recognised for their track record of exceptional performance and commitment to affordability, the Rolls-Royce Naval team was named by Lockheed Martin as the 2017 Team Freedom Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Supplier of the Year.

A long-term supplier to the US Navy’s Freedom-variant LCS, Rolls-Royce supplies MT30 gas turbines and Mk1 waterjets to these highly capable vessels.

“Rolls-Royce has been an excellent partner, repeatedly demonstrating its value to the programme and our US Navy customer,” says Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Small Combatants and Ship Systems.

“As an original member of Team Freedom, Rolls-Royce has played an important role in our programme’s success, and we look forward to continuing our successful

partnership with Rolls-Royce in the years to come.”

Rolls-Royce played a critical role in the acceptance trials of the latest LCS, USS Little Rock, demonstrating reliability and performance improvements on the ship’s propulsion and steering systems.

“It is our privilege to work on the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship programme and we are deeply honoured by this recognition,” said Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President-Naval.

“The combination of the MT30 gas turbine and our latest waterjet technology will ensure these ships are at the cutting edge of global naval capability for many years to come. It’s especially fitting to receive this prestigious award in 2018, ten years after the first MT30-powered ship, USS Freedom, was commissioned.”

Rolls-Royce supplies the LCS

Naval team wins supplier award for LCS success

Read more about our naval work on the Indepth mobile app Indepth for iPhone is on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices

By Patrik Wheater

Rolls-Royce’s pioneering Intelligent Awareness (IA) system represents a major advance in ship safety. The enhanced visibility and greater spatial awareness it offers the bridge is invaluable, particularly at night or in bad weather

S H I P I N T E L L I G E N C E

Sunflower partnership blossoms in busy waters

Rolls-Royce has entered into a cooperation agreement with Japanese multi-modal transport company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to develop its IA system. A system will be installed on board the 165m passenger ferry Sunflower, which operates

between Kobe and Oita in Japan.

MOL Director Kenta Arai says: “Sunflower operates in some of the most congested waters in the world and will provide an opportunity to rigorously test the IA system. We also expect it

to provide our crews with a more informed view of a vessel’s surroundings in an accessible and user-friendly way.

“This can give our crews an enhanced decision support tool, increasing their safety and that of our vessels.”


L aunched in March at the Seatrade Cruise Global Expo in Fort Lauderdale, USA, IA is the first of Rolls-Royce’s many Ship Intelligence,

remote and autonomous solutions for commercial marine application. Combining multiple sensors with intelligent software, IA is designed to mitigate against the risks navigators face, especially in poor weather conditions, congested waters or at night. Essentially, it gives the master and bridge personnel a supreme understanding of the ship’s surroundings.

IA builds on Rolls-Royce’s extensive experience in research into autonomous vessels, gained through participation in

the Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications project (see pages 14&15).

The system builds a 3D map of the vessel based on Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), which uses a pulsed laser beam to measure distances. Already in use in autonomous road vehicles, it links to GPS data to create 3D environments, allowing crews to ‘see’ what the human eye can’t.

LIDAR creates a ‘point cloud,’ firing around 300,000 beams of light from a laser and then measuring the time taken to reflect them back to source to render a 3D map.

Further spatial information is gathered from on-board HD cameras, linked to software which can identify vessels or

objects and apply learning algorithms to determine characteristics, i.e. how fast a vessel travels or stops. This is done through ‘labelling’, which draws imaginary boundaries around vessel pictures, from which IA learns the difference between each boundary field, as well as any associated characteristics for each field/vessel.

Rolls-Royce has amassed a large database of pictures for ‘labelling’ divided into multiple different categories, including dynamic objects – e.g. ships – and static ones e.g. lighthouses. Other inputs can be incorporated for even greater accuracy, e.g. fog horn detection uses acoustic data to track the distance between two vessels.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Intelligent data fusionLIDAR, GPS, camera data, radar and AIS etc combine through what Rolls-Royce refers to as ‘data fusion’ to provide those controlling the ship with a complete overview of its surroundings. So a ship’s crew can switch between a 3D map rendered by LIDAR, a radar overlay or a topographical view of the sea bed.

IA is particularly beneficial for the safe navigation of busy ports or challenging environments, such as dense fog causing poor visibility in busy shipping channels.

Although IA will play a major role in the development of the autonomous ship, it can offer real benefits now. For instance, it makes

better use of existing onboard technology by integrating with LIDAR and cameras, helping to increases the usability of existing data rather than

creating new data sets.Rolls-Royce

has been conducting tests of the sensor

arrays in various operating and

climatic conditions on board Finferries’ 65m

double-ended ferry Stella in Finland’s south west

archipelago. Markus Hirvonen,

“IA is a fantastic product with so much potential...it enables a ship to

be positioned with total accuracy”

Henrik Grönlund


Technical Product Manager – Situational Awareness Systems, Rolls-Royce, says: “We can use IA in any ship type where there’s a need for better situational awareness. The system is the first of its kind to be made commercially available, using data in a clear user interface to enhance safety and efficiency.”

Henrik Grönlund, Sales Manager, Remote & Autonomous Solutions, Rolls-Royce, says the system offers increased safety through enhanced visibility and greater awareness of surroundings, particularly during darkness or in adverse weather.

With the vast majority of maritime incidents taking place under such conditions and/or through human error, IA provides an advisory solution to supplement the basic information available from ECDIS and radar.

“The platform is designed to

ease into new applications such as automatic docking,” Henrik says. “Currently, during port arrival, there are many watchkeepers around the ship, communicating with the bridge by walkie-talkie, each estimating the distance to the quayside. The LIDAR 3D map gives a bird’s-eye view, with distances measured to centimetre accuracy, enabling the ship to be positioned with total accuracy.”

Henrik adds: “IA is a fantastic product with so much potential. It’s being launched at a cruise event, because at present we see IA’s greatest benefits in passenger shipping, but as other sensors and applications are added to the platform other high-value ship types, such as large container ships, will follow.” ●

For further information email [email protected]

Asbjørn Skaro, Director of Deck Machinery and Systems, Rolls-Royce, adds: “Pilot projects such as this allow us to see how they can be best adapted to the needs of the customer and their crews so that our product effectively meets the

needs of both. Successful pilots and product development programmes are important steps in the development of both remote and autonomous vessels.” ●

165m length of Sunflower

300k beams pulsed by LIDAR to build up a 3D map

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A large number of organizations are currently working to improve how information and physical products can be delivered to us.

When these companies continue to search for impactful innovations, new forms of partnerships will become more common, as will probably somewhat surprising business moves.

So is Rolls-Royce aiming for space travel? Not exactly, but Rolls-Royce and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at pursuing space activities in support of autonomous, remote controlled shipping and promoting innovation in European digital logistics.

The space industry has been operating assets remotely for many decades. The information, software and satellite-based technologies the sector has developed are wholly relevant to the work Rolls-Royce is doing to make the remote and autonomous ship a reality.

A statement of intent The Memorandum of Intent (MOI) with Rolls-Royce also forms part of ESA’s wider strategy. Jan Wörner, ESA’s Director General said: “ESA has a long history of working internationally with our partners across Europe. This agreement is another demonstration of the positive application of Space 4.0 and the desire for a United Space in Europe; maximising the integration of space into our economy and society.”

Together, ESA and Rolls-Royce aim to develop and validate new solutions for communication between vessel systems and shore based systems in addition to ship-to-ship communication.

This will enable the operation of commercial remote and autonomous shipping, innovative cargo logistics, smart

OUT OF THIS WORLDports and future commercial marine vessels.

“The current wireless carriers like satellite and associated infrastructure need to be developed to facilitate the development of remote & autonomous ships, as existing configurations were not designed for this purpose,” said Karno Tenovuo, SVP Ship Intelligence with Rolls-Royce. “Rolls-Royce and the ESA will look at developing satellite-based

positioning for ‘smart’ ships, which will be based on its ‘earth observation platform’.

“This could create greater spatial and situational awareness for those operating the vessel remotely. It will also allow satellites to capture and share the data from a number of vessels simultaneously.”

Business as usual? Or a new strategy?

When asked whether partnering up is a novel thought or business as usual, Asbjørn Skaro, Director of Deck Machinery and Systems,

Rolls-Royce, says: “A company is not an island on its own. The

obvious relationships we have are to our customers and suppliers, but there are many more, and with an ongoing digital makeshift we now look to new forms of

New times call for new working relationships in shipping, not just in ownership, but also in innovation. Marine has duly announced exciting new partnerships with both Google and the European Space Agency. How many of us saw that coming?

We are now using Google Cloud’s

software for machine learning

Deal signed with satellite provider

Inmarsat



OUT OF THIS WORLDpartnerships to move our business fast forward. So the answer is yes, we do think of research networks and business partnerships as a very important part of our strategy.”

To prove his point, Rolls-Royce has signed other partnership agreements over the last year, such as with the satellite provider Inmarsat, and with several shipowners to test and develop technology for situational awareness in a live environment.

“I believe that by finding innovative ways to partner, Rolls-Royce will develop

better and more innovative technology.” says Asbjørn. “By drawing on our existing capabilities in our Marine business, together with the global expertise we have across the Rolls-Royce Group and our relationships with key partners, we can secure significant resource and financial investments to revolutionise shipping together.” ●


Deal will spot any clouds on horizonRolls-Royce also signed a deal with Google in October 2017 to develop intelligent awareness (IA) systems to make existing vessels safer and autonomous ships a reality.

The agreement allows us to use Google’s Cloud Machine Learning Engine to train our artificial intelligence (AI) based object classification system for detecting, identifying and tracking obstacles.

“While IA systems will help build an autonomous future, they benefit maritime businesses now, making vessels and crews safer and more efficient,” says Karno. “By working with Google we can make these systems better faster, saving lives.”

Rolls-Royce is now using Google Cloud’s software to create bespoke machine learning models which can interpret large and diverse marine data sets created by Rolls-Royce.

Our expertise in the maritime sector is used to prepare the data to train models, ensuring it’s relevant and in sufficient quantity to create statistical significance. The models’ predictions are also evaluated in practical marine applications, allowing them to be further refined.

By accessing this software through the Cloud, the models can be developed from anywhere and are instantly accessible to thousands of users globally. So models can be trained on huge amounts (terabytes) of data, essential as autonomous ships become the norm. ●

“It could create greater spatial and situational awareness...and allow

satellites to capture and share data”Karno Tenovuo

By Anette Bonnevie Wollebæk

By Patrik Wheater

The completion of the £1.3 million MAXCMAS project successfully demonstrated that operation of

autonomous vessels remains safe and meets – if not exceeds – regulatory requirements. It also suggested that developing new COLREGs specifically for autonomous vessels is unnecessary.

Eshan Rajabally of Rolls-Royce Future Technologies Group launched MAXCMAS after recognising that acceptance of autonomous ships among conventionally crewed vessels hinges upon their navigation being indistinguishable from today’s master mariners.

The project partners (see box right) found that use of newly-developed algorithms allowed COLREGs to remain relevant in a crewless environment, with AI-based navigation systems able to better interpret rules to avoid collision, even when approaching manned vessels where such rules may be interpreted differently.

Terry Mills, WMA Senior Technician, says: “The importance of MAXCMAS should not be undervalued; it’s the heart of an autonomous vessel navigation system, particularly collision avoidance, as it allows autonomous ships to behave in a way expected by humans.

“We’ve even included non-compliance scenarios to take human error into account.”

Project partners were able to: ■ ADAPT a commercial-specification

bridge simulator as a testbed for autonomous navigation capable of adapting to multiple vessel types in any conditions anywhere in the world

■ PARTAKE in distributed exercises

ABOVE: The ARCIM USV


■ AAWA – Advanced Autonomous Waterborne Applications Initiative

■ AI – artificial intelligence ■ AIS – automatic identification

system ■ ARPA – automatic radar

plotting aid ■ COLREG – Collision Avoidance

Regulations ■ MARPOL – Marine Pollution

Convention

■ MAXCMAS – Machine executable collision regulations for Marine Autonomous systems

■ MLC – Maritime Labour Convention

■ SOLAS – Safety Of Life at Sea ■ STCW – standards of training,

certification and watchkeeping ■ TEKES – Finnish Funding Agency

for Technology and Innovation ■ USV – unmanned surface vessel

collision regulations and the diverse ways seafarers take to avoid collision in various situations.

Another hurdle was to offset the operational difficulties of multiple ships, sea states and environmental conditions, and also when situation assessments are impaired, e.g. degraded or malfunctioning sensors.

To address this, a variety of simulator-based scenarios were designed and the algorithms installed in a conventional WMA bridge simulator. This also included Atlas Elektronik UK’s ARCIMS mission manager ‘Autonomy Engine’, Queen’s University Belfast’s Collision Avoidance algorithms and a Rolls-Royce interface all working together in real time.

During sea trials aboard AEUK’s ARCIMS USV, the CAM was successfully demonstrated in a real environment under true platform motion, sensor performance and environmental conditions.

“The trials showed that an unmanned vessel is capable of

with other crewed bridge simulators for immersive human-in-the-loop testing

■ VALIDATE autonomous seafarer-like collision avoidance in likely real-world scenarios, using professional instructors as they would assess human navigators.

During the initial algorithm validation stage, it became obvious the main challenge was to overcome the variety and subjectivity of



GLOSSARY OF TERMS

making a collision avoidance judgment call even when the give-way vessel isn’t taking appropriate action,” said Ralph Dodds, Innovation & Autonomous Systems Programme Manager, AEUK.

“What MAXCMAS does is make the collision avoidance regulations applicable to the unmanned ship.”

With its completion, MAXCMAS delivers state-of-the-art regulation-compliant collision avoidance. The technology and system has been thoroughly tested both at sea and in the classroom, and under a multitude of scenarios using desktop and bridge simulators, to demonstrate its robustness, and prove that autonomous navigation can meet existing COLREG requirements. ●


With its comprehensive two research projects,

MAXCMAS and AAWA, Rolls-Royce is leading the investigation into the many challenges

of unmanned vessels – with the encouraging results underpinning

our autonomous future

TESTING THE WATER

THE MAXCMAS PROJECT PARTNERS

■ Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) ■ Lloyd’s Register ■ Queen’s University Belfast ■ Southampton Solent

University ■ Warsash Maritime Academy

(WMA)

Just as MAXCMAS brings autonomous ship navigation closer to reality,

so does another Rolls-Royce-led research project – AAWA. This £5.8million TEKES-funded project aimed to produce the specification and preliminary designs for the next generation of advanced ship solutions

Its second phase, completed at the end of 2017, explored a range of factors to make autonomous ships viable, including technological, regulatory, economic, social and legal considerations.

The technology is relatively simple, with the main systems already existing in collision-avoidance radar, ARPA, AIS and long-range satellite communication and data transfer systems. The challenge is to translate data from these systems and sensors to the autonomous ship concept and make them work together consistently and reliably, in line with maritime regulations and practices.

While basic threats faced by an autonomous ship will be the same as for a conventional vessel, the AAWA partners recognised that the autonomous ship is also likely to introduce new risks, mostly linked to the reliability of the sensors, onboard systems and data communication. As a scarcity of studies covers these potential new risks, AAWA sees this as a key area for investigation, particularly in areas such as security, cargo management and emergency response.

The legal question was found the most vexing, suggests Karno Tenovuo, SVP for Ship Intelligence: “The various international rules and conventions were formed before the idea of autonomous ships. As long as it can be established that an autonomous vessel comes within the definition of a ‘ship’, then it should have identical rights and obligations under maritime law to any other vessel.”

According to project partners, conventions such as STCW and MLC will most likely prove an obstacle to unmanned vessel recognition. Others like SOLAS and MARPOL, may also need rewriting.

So in conclusion, the technology mostly exists, safety and business cases can be made, and if the legal hurdles can be overcome, there is no reason why autonomous ships can’t be an important part of our future. ●

THE AAWA PROJECT PARTNERS

■ Aalto University ■ Åbo Akademi ■ Brighthouse

Intelligence ■ Deltamarin ■ DNV GL ■ ESL Shipping ■ Fin Ferries ■ Immarsat ■ NAPA ■ Tampere University

of Technology ■ University of Turku ■ VTT

“The trials showed that an unmanned vessel can make a collision avoidance judgment call even when the give-way vessel isn’t taking appropriate action”Ralph Dodds

AAWA IN ACTION




By Patrik Wheater

Rolls-Royce is playing a central role in new test areas in Norway and Finland, where autonomous ships are rigorously tested to ensure ultimate safety and performance

“...the question is, how far we can go in the direction of unmanned vessels?”Jann Peter Strand

Under the microscope

110 km long

14 shipyards

nearby

MAP KEY

Wind measurement

Oceanographic measurement throughout the water column

Noise measurement

Navigation sensors for autonomous underwater vehicles

Fish farms

STORFJORDEN TEST AREAThe technology for

unmanned autonomous ships already exists. But before they become part of

everyday maritime operations, the systems need to be tested at length in an authentic marine environment, and in a variety of sea conditions.

To ensure systems function correctly and reliably, and that required safety standards can be met, test areas for autonomous commercial vessel trials have now been established in Norway and Finland.

The Finnish test area – named Jaakonmeri after the late Dr Jaakko Talvitie, one of the pioneers of open marine test areas – is managed and controlled by Digital, Internet, Materials & Engineering Co-Creation (DIMECC), which is behind the One Sea Autonomous Maritime Ecosystem.

Founded in 2016, One Sea is a consortium of industry partners, all working in the field of autonomous marine traffic. As a founding partner, Rolls-Royce is joined by ABB,

Cargotec, Ericsson, Meyer Turku, Tieto and Wärtsilä, with the project supported by the Association of Finnish Marine Industries and Finnish funding agency TEKES.

The Jaakonmeri test area, on the Finnish west coast off the municipality of Eurajoki, is open to all companies, research institutes and others wishing to test autonomous technology.

According to DIMECC, it will have excellent data connectivity, and offers open water test conditions, with opportunities for ice testing during the winter. It expects the first test programme to begin in spring 2018.

Rolls-Royce also intends to carry out autonomous ship trials in the Norwegian fjords. The test area in Trondheim Fjord is about 150 miles south-east of our new remote fleet management centre in Ålesund.

The fjord offers wide, open waters similar to a small sea, but with relatively low shipping traffic, so

there is little risk of accident. Already opened officially, other companies with Norwegian bases have used it to test new robotic and autonomous technologies, including Kongsberg Seatex and Maritime Robotics.

“Technology for remote-controlled solutions on shipping already exists, the question is how far we can go in the direction of unmanned vessels, and the types of ships it is most suitable for,” says Jann Peter Strand, Product Manager for Automation and Control, Rolls-Royce Marine.

“We gather knowledge in many areas. While the technology is developed largely in Norway, it is gratifying to see the Norwegian research, and the authorities are hopeful we can test our solutions in Norwegian waters.”

The Trondheim test site, which includes part of Trondheim Harbour, is a partnership between the Norwegian University of Science and

20 shipping

companies nearby

LEFT: The world’s first remotely operated vessel was unveiled in Copenhagen last year


17.85 km long

7.10 km wide

JAAKONMERI TEST AREA

unmanned ships on the market, and Rolls-Royce has been among the driving forces for the new agreement.

“Trondheimsfjorden and Storfjorden are both well located near important technology lakes,” says Asbjørn Skaro, Director of Deck Machinery and Systems, Rolls-Royce.

“In Trondheim, we work closely with NTNU and other companies on research and development. In Ålesund, we have a lot of simulators for new technology, with the Storfjord area located just outside the window,”

In the UK, part of the Solent area is being developed by BAE Systems to provide the UK’s first dedicated test service. Although concentrating on military applications, testing and demonstrating air vehicles and unmanned boats, this is a notable development. The Solent area is a heavily-trafficked waterway, used by pleasure boats as well as warships, ferries, cruise and cargo vessels. ●

are taking the lead,” said Kongsberg Seatex President Gard Ueland. “We will see technology that has the potential to enable fully autonomous cargo vessels. Much will come from Trondheim, thanks to the unmatched maritime expertise here and our autonomous vehicle testbed.”

The Norwegian Maritime Directorate has recently nominated a second area for testing autonomous ships, signing a deal with the Coastal Administration and an industry consortium (left) enabling Storfjorden and several side harbours to be used.

Storfjorden is close to 14 shipyards and 20 shipping companies, several of which already carry out sea trials. The trials will use data from a range of sensors for measuring wind and power conditions, set up in connection with planning for a new bridge between Sulesund and Hareid.

The Directorate says it wants Norway to be the first flag state with

Technology’s Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations (NTNU AMOS) and the Norwegian government. “As far as we know, there are no other test sites of this kind in the world, so the Norwegian coastal authorities

■ Ålesund Region Port Authority ■ Fiskerstrand Verft ■ Fjord1 ■ Havila Shipping ■ Havyard Group ■ Inmarsat Solutions ■ Kleven Maritime ■ NTNU in Ålesund ■ Offshore Simulator Centre ■ Rolls-Royce ■ Skipsteknisk ■ Stranda Hamnevesen KF ■ Ulstein Group ■ Vard Group

NORWEGIAN CONSORTIUM

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y


By Connie Hanbury

How do you build the toughest and greenest vessels in the world? We take a deep dive with our talented design team to discover how their vital and highly complex work is helping to create the next generation of marine research vessels


Blue whales can communicate across thousands of kilometres of ocean. Sound travels five times faster underwater and consequently marine

life critically depend on their hearing abilities. Therefore, it’s not surprising that vessel noise has a huge impact on our ability to monitor marine life in an unbiased way.

With ocean temperatures rising, many of our marine species, plants and reefs are finding themselves in danger. Marine conservation and research have never been so important to understand our rapidly changing planet.

Vessels must operate discreetly, admitting near to no sound radiation while breaking ice and large ocean waves to achieve their missions. And they must do it all while having little environmental impact.

As we get closer to the handing over of the RRS Kronprins Haakon, the Rolls-Royce-designed polar research vessel, we asked our design team to give us an insight into creating a new generation of highly capable silent vessels.

Over the past couple of years, the team has become pioneers in research enabling technology, as Head of Design Einar Vegsund proudly reveals.

He says: “Our journey to achieving what’s likely to be one of the world’s most silent hulls on the RRS Sir David Attenborough for example, started long before our first tender with Kronprins Haakon five years ago.

“With approximately 1,000 Rolls-Royce-designed vessels at sea, our team has a strong history of developing highly efficient solutions.

“Icebreaking requires a relatively flat bow that breaks the ice and pushes it down and to the sides”

PAGE

21


The Sir David Attenborough

Experience gained from fishing, seismic research, offshore and ice-breaking vessels, perhaps most notably the UT 758 ICE offshore design, laid an essential foundation to being able to approach these challenging tenders.

“This experience was the starting point in a process which then requires incredibly close collaboration with the end customer to ensure we provide the best and most efficient solutions to achieve their highly specialised missions.”

Tomorrow’s technology is already at work todayMany of the world’s research vessels are old and no longer meet today’s stringent standards. Our new Rolls-Royce-designed craft are not only capable oceanographic research vessels, but also logistic cargo vessels and ice breakers.

This new combination will put Rolls-Royce in a good position to fit the needs of other nations with an interest in polar operations.

With long transits at different speeds and a complex operational profile, our experience with low noise, DP and diesel electric ships is extremely valuable, requiring more complex propulsion installation and significant integration of systems.

Our expertise also transcends to smaller research vessels where there’s a larger and more constant market.

With imminent projects in the pipeline for smaller vessels, the Rolls-Royce design team now look forward to utilising their experience and world-class solutions to further enable essential oceanographic research. ●


5x how much faster

sound travels underwater

>1m ice thickness to be broken by

Kronprins Haakon

4.2m pool diameter

on RRS Sir David Attenborough

Since the Industrial Revolution our oceans have become around 100 times louder. To effectively monitor them and have minimal further impact the RRS Sir David Attenborough will comply with most strict underwater radiated noise (URN) requirements of DNVGL SILENT(R) class. To meet this, the hulls also have an extreme requirement for smoothness and welded connections to avoid vortexes.

Adding to the challenge, the hulls are also fitted with a number of scientific transducers and sensors which need bubble-free zones.

Our designers have to create a very smooth flow to any sensors and avoid bubbles that may be in the water and get drawn down over them. Specially- developed bow and bottom shapes were designed by the team that prove to lead bubbles away from the sensors.

Einar Vegsund adds: “Air bubble sweepdown and noise signature are challenging tasks for the design team. It’s even more challenging

for ice-going vessels, since the hull and propulsion systems must also be designed to meet the extreme environmental conditions found in polar areas.”

The main source of URN is normally propellers. The Kronprins Haakon, for example, has an azimuthing propulsion system which can deal with large pieces of ice. A huge effort has therefore been made by the product and design team to optimise the system and make it compliant to the vessel’s noise budget, redesigning the steering gear and adding a cavitation-freepropeller and electric motors.●

NO BUBBLE TROUBLE


The Kronprins Haakon has a specially-developed bow

One key design challenge to overcome is the ambidextrous nature of the research vessels.

On one hand, there’s the demand for a silent vessel with minimum underwater radiated noise (URN).

On the other, there’s a need for extreme force when breaking ice with

the ability to carry supplies and sail through large ocean waves.

The Kronprins Haakon’s number one requirement is icebreaking. It’s classed as a PC3 Icebreaker and will be able to break through ice more than 1m

thick with snow cover.

Good icebreaking generally requires a relatively flat bow that breaks the ice and pushes it down and to the sides, making a clear path.

However, the flatter the bow, the higher the risk of ‘slamming’, which occurs when heavy waves hit the hull, resulting in noise, vibration, speed loss and possible damage to the structure.

Einar Vegsund explains that finding the ultimate bow shape for performance in all conditions “takes years of design experience, advanced computer modelling techniques, and multiple model tests”. ●


EXPERTISE, TAKE A BOW

As the British public know, the name Boaty McBoatface lives on in the form of one of the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that will operate from the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

AUVs can analyse anything from bottom water temperatures to inaccessible areas under heavy ice sheets. To be able to safely launch and retrieve AUVs while sometimes surrounded by ice, both of our

polar vessels have scientific ‘moon pools’ – i.e. a hole in the centre of the ship.

The RRS Sir David Attenborough has a large moon pool that measures 4.2m in diameter. Unlike many other vessels, it has a specially-dimensioned bottom hatch that can be closed watertight, ensuring essential reduction to resistance, noise and URN radiation when in transit conditions. This also enables the crew to

pump it empty for in-water maintenance and preparing experiments.

To safely launch AUVs, the pools are also equipped with a Rolls-Royce designed Moon Pool Handling Unit. Controlled from one of the science hangars on board, it guides AUVs and other scientific equipment through the moon pool before releasing them under the vessel. ●

1 current AUV called Boaty McBoatface

3 vessel roles –

research, cargo and icebreaking

MOON POOLS’ WATERTIGHT SOLUTION

5 years since first tender,

Kronprins Haakon

100 times louder in today’s oceans than in 1800s

ROLLS-ROYCE IN ACTION

Location: Polar regions

Rolls-Royce has two new tug thruster alternatives – Dual Input and Twin Input

– that allow vessels to operate solely on electric motors, boost engine power, act as generators for hotel load or charge batteries while in medium-power operation.

The compact Dual Input includes two input flanges, side by side, where the electric motor is parallel with the main shaft line. The Twin Input incorporates two input flanges (through shaft), with one on the main engine side and the other located 180 degrees on the auxiliary.

Jouni Ruohonen, Manager,

Sales Support – Propulsion, Azimuth Thrusters, Rolls-Royce, says: “Essentially, Twin Input enables power from both sides of the thruster, while Dual Input is a side shaft input via the gearbox for limited spaces that provides freedom of choice for power take-in/out speed. Both solutions can be incorporated in the Rolls-Royce SAVe hybrid concept.

“The technology in the development of a range of battery and electric hybrid propulsion systems is at the heart of these new products.”

Baydelta’s new class of hybrid tug will be the first reference for the Twin Input solution. The 100ft Z-Drive

hybrid multi-purpose azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug will be set to sea early 2019 by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.

At 90 short tonnes bollard pull, the vessel will feature the same ship assist and tanker escort capabilities of Baydelta’s existing Valor class harbour tugs, but with multiple operational modes. The vessels will also receive Rolls-Royce 424kW electric motors, shaft generators, power management control system and Twin Input US255 azimuth thrusters.

The arrangement provides electric power to two US255 azimuth thrusters with ducted fixed pitch propellers that can be rotated 360 degrees around the vertical axis. This arrangement optimises omni-directional thrust and manoeuvrability as well as

providing improved crash stop capability.

Erik Larsen, Rolls-Royce, Vice President – Tug and

Fish Americas, says: “Baydelta Maritime is a long-standing customer and this order is of particular significance because it marks our first hybrid system for a tug. The tug will provide improved fuel efficiency and emissions for Baydelta. It shows



THE PERFECT

Baydelta tugs operate in the misty San Francisco bay

Tugboats, long the workhorses of the maritime industry, are set to become more efficient, cleaner and, indeed, electric, following the introduction of new state-of-the-art fuel-saving technology for hybrid applications

the market that the Rolls-Royce portfolio extends way beyond our US-type azimuth thrusters – the propulsion system of choice for this segment.

“Our US255 azimuth thrusters are ideally suited to provide the manoeuvrability and bollard pull needed for operations in larger harbours, terminals and escort applications. One of the reasons for success is the product’s ability to provide bollard pull of 90 short tonnes-plus.”

Erik adds: “The key benefit of operating these thrusters in a hybrid configuration is that it provides significantly greater operational flexibility. Typically, a tug of this size needs a power output of 2,500kW per thruster. The hybrid arrangement allows operators to achieve the same required bollard pull from a combination of smaller engine

By Patrik Wheater

BLEND

Hybrid System for Baydelta 100ft Z drive

and electric motor, saving on fuel in the process.”

Our hybrid system allows for the vessel to operate using full diesel, or diesel-electric. They can still achieve a bollard pull of 90 short tonnes in combined diesel-electric mode while assisting the large container ships and tankers that operate in US West Coast ports.

While in transit or loitering, the vessels can then choose to

operate diesel-electric or full electric, achieving around 7-8 knots in electric-only mode.

The flexibility provided by these types of drive systems significantly reduces Baydelta’s fuel costs and emissions, while being supplied with the same power and vessel characteristics needed for their operations – taking big steps towards a sustainable and green future for tugs. ●

To find out more about our SAVe range

of electric and hybrid propulsion systems, go to www.rolls-royce.com/electric-hybrid-propulsion


100 length in feet

90 short tonnes bollard pull

BAYDELTA TUG FACTS

Read more about hybrid technology on the Indepth mobile app Indepth for iPhone is on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices

“Twin Input enables power from both sides of the thruster...Dual Input provides freedom of choice for power take-in/out speed” Jouni Ruohonen

Battery electric and battery hybrid systems for marine propulsion are today’s solution for reducing or eliminating

emissions from vessels. Batteries are far from new, and at the beginning of the 20th century there were many pleasure craft using them, with extensive charging facilities on popular waterways.

The main types of diesel engine and battery hybrids were quickly developed for naval submarine propulsion as they met the extreme multimode requirement of a safe fuel and long range on the surface and an air-independent propulsion system when submerged.

The limiting factor was the



GREEN FOR GO

By Richard White

The technology for zero emissions is being developed for cargo vessels linking the near continent and UK. Rolls-Royce has developed a concept for a 1,200 TEU container ship under the title Electric Green – a zero emissions version of the Electric Blue design – and also studied the case of an operation between Rotterdam and London.

Energy for propulsion and ship services is provided by a combination of hydrogen in liquid or compressed storage and batteries charged from land power, supplemented by solar panels.

The operating profile is an interesting

one: 162 nautical miles berth to berth, partly in the southern North Sea where the design speed of 12 knots can be maintained, but with a significant low speed sector at each end.

At the Dutch end, there is the Maasvlakte channel approach to Rotterdam: 3.7 nautical miles with a speed limit of 7 knots.

At the English end, the Thames Estuary approach to Thames Haven is 9.6 nautical miles with a speed limit of 8 knots.

Hydrogen storage would be exchanged

in Rotterdam only, while batteries would be charged when in port in both London and Rotterdam, but there would be no charging on board. The role of the batteries would be to balance loading, peak shaving and power when manoeuvring.

The ship has twin-screw electric propulsion in a Promas arrangement. Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells containerised at a density of 500kW per TEU of space and fed with hydrogen from containerised storage would have

We help cargo vessels make the switch to electric power

The Electric Green concept

CASE STUDY No1

An end result can also be engines of high performance benefitting from a narrower range of dynamic load change.

Alternatively, where a vessel operates in several different modes at different times, the battery can cover all power requirements in some of the modes, and supplement the engines in others.

Harbour tugs, for example, spend little of their lives pushing or pulling at full power, and more in transit or standing by and waiting for a ship. They are good candidates for hybrid solutions.

Likewise, ferries spending part of their time in transit at high power and the rest manoeuvring at low speed, or stationary at the quay with the hotel load to be covered, are candidates for hybrid.

The possibilities are endless and Rolls-Royce has the knowledge, practical experience, products, advanced controls


The road to emission-free and sustainable shipping is a long and challenging one, but thanks to exciting innovation and strong partnerships, Rolls-Royce is well prepared for the journey. We look at some of the challenges and solutions involved – and how we’re facing them

restricted energy storage capacity of batteries, both in terms of kilowatt hours per kilogram of battery and per cubic metre of battery volume, plus slow rates of charge and discharge if damage to the battery was to be avoided.

In recent years, the main disadvantages have been overcome with lithium chemistry, and development proceeds at speed, in the direction of higher energy density, rapid charge/discharge and lower cost per kWh, with safety in marine applications a major consideration.

This has brought pure battery

propulsion within reach for a variety of vessels, short-run cross-fjord ferries for example.

With current technology and prices, hybrids of diesel or LNG-fuelled engines combined with batteries make sense at several levels for a much wider spectrum of vessels.

At a system level, the battery can absorb rapid changes in load and allow the power management system to run the optimum number of engines at more constant higher load, with resulting reduction in emissions.

an output of 4,000kW. Battery packs give about 1MWh per TEU of space.

Solar cell array positioned along the sides of the freight container stacks are expected to provide a further 600-2100kWh of electrical energy per day depending on weather and season.

For this route, the fuel cells will supply most of the energy for propulsion in transit at service speed, the batteries taking over in the channel sectors and when manoeuvring, with a small supplement of solar power. In

port, the ship will connect to the shore grids for battery charging and services.

As with most feasible low/no emission solutions for ships, this fuel cell and battery hybrid concept offers a way towards zero local emissions, but of course, total emissions of greenhouse gases depend on the electricity generation profiles of the two countries and how the hydrogen is manufactured.

On selected other routes, the total emissions might also be zero. ●

We help cargo vessels make the switch to electric power

162 nautical miles

0 emissions

12 knots design

speed




Rolls-Royce is the technology partner in a new R&D project, along with Color Line, Norled and Kystverket, with the work supported by Forskningsrådet’s ENERGIX programme.

The aim of the Zero Emission Ferry project is new electrical systems that are cheaper, give better use of energy, stable operation and simpler integration in the vessel.

This work is wide-ranging, covering systems for energy storage, energy management, distribution on board and charging.

All the partners have expertise to contribute – and definite goals they want to achieve. “We are in process of reducing

and deep integration systems. Correctly applied, these types of solution can reduce or eliminate emissions from the vessel itself, in terms of troublesome local emissions of NOx, particulates and SOx, and also global warming gases like CO2. Zero local emissions can be claimed for pure battery systems, often trumpeted as clean and green, but the picture can change radically if the source of the electricity for charging the battery is taken into account.

When the question of sustainable energy sources is raised, the picture becomes more complex. Fossil fuels are falling out of favour politically and environmentally. The challenge is the rate at which the products of combustion are being dumped into the atmosphere.

A few countries can generate electricity for all purposes from hydropower, almost emission-free at the end user. Norway is a fortunate example. Some have only brown coal as fuel for power stations, so current comes with a substantial environmental load. Many have a mix of fossil and renewable sources, such as the UK.

For the future, if fossil fuel use is limited, the original energy sources come down to renewables, primarily hydro, solar (photovoltaic or thermal), wind and, in the

longer term, wave, tide and current, plus geothermal at certain locations.

Of course, marine propulsion also needs the energy to be stored and transported.

Hydrogen is seen as a promising future marine fuel for certain applications. The attraction is that its combustion product in principle is only water. It can be used in piston engines or fuel cells. The problem is that hydrogen has to be manufactured; it is an energy carrier and not a fuel as such.

Hydrogen is made in industrial quantities and defined systems exist for transporting it in cylinders as gas at high pressure, usually 350bar or 700bar, or

in more energy-dense liquid form which involves more technical

challenges as storage is at very low temperature – only about 20 degrees above absolute zero – or adsorbed in metals.

Making hydrogen is an energy-intensive process,

and widespread use of hydrogen for marine propulsion

can probably only be justified if the process uses energy from renewable sources. This may be hydrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen electrically based on solar, hydro or wind power. ●


CASE STUDY No2


Hybrid yacht concept Crystal Blue

Smart container ship design, Electric Blue

Water is Hydrogen’s principle combustion

product

Watch more on the Rolls-Royce

channel

ZERO HOUR

emissions from our fleet of ferries, both fast ferries and vehicle/passenger vessels, with the aim of becoming the first Norwegian operator with zero emissions”, says Lars Jacob Engelsen, Vice-MD of Norled.

“We are well under way with electrification on the short routes.

“We are happy to participate in this project as we are keen to do the same on our longer routes when

the technology is ready.”For Rolls-Royce, the

aim is to develop systems that are both commercially attractive to vessel operators and, at the same time, environmentally friendly.

“The complete systems and individual components should be applicable to both car ferries and cruise ferries,” says Sigurd Øvrebø, Product Manager for Electrical and Energy

Systems, Rolls-Royce. “Norway is well ahead with work on green shipping, and we see good export potential in these kinds of systems in the future.”

“This project is in line with Color Line’s strategy,” says Electrical Inspector Johann Martinussen. “Electrification of the fleet is a central part of it. We want to make better use of energy on board

and reduce running hours on the machinery. Not least we are trying to obtain more of our energy from renewable shore supplies instead of from fossil fuels.”

Kystverket brings practical operating experience with battery hybrid systems. Its first multipurpose vessel has been operating very successfully, a second with a larger battery pack is currently being built, and a third is being planned.

This project is not just talk. The ENERGIX zero emission ship project demands practical results, with the goal of following up the two-year research programme with three full-scale installations. ●


A 3D sketch of a greener multipurpose vessel to be delivered to the Norwegian

Coastal Authority by the end of 2018

“Norway is well ahead with work on green shipping, and we see good export potential in these systems in the future”

Sigurd Øvrebø


N A V A L

The Royal Navy’s Type 26 City Class of cutting-edge, anti-submarine warfare frigates will be a globally

deployable fleet of multi-mission warships capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high-intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either independently or as part of a task group.

The ship takes full advantage of modular design and open systems architecture, ensuring it can be easily upgraded as new technology develops, and can accommodate different sub-systems and equipment suited to bespoke customer needs.

Under current planning assumptions, eight Type 26 ships will be delivered to the Royal Navy in both anti-submarine warfare and general-purpose variants. Operational displacement is around 6,000 tonnes with a range of some 7,000 nautical miles, and includes a helicopter landing deck.

The first vessel is due to enter service in the early 2020s, with the class forecast to remain in service until the middle of the century, and possibly beyond.

The advanced power system is a combination of diesel-electric or gas turbine mechanical propulsion drive known as CODLOG. Central to the system is a single Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine that produces 36MW of power at 38⁰C. This allows the frigate to reach full power in a matter of minutes and releases the entire ship’s electrical generation system capacity to the on-board hotel load and weapons systems.

At cruising speed, or when engaged in anti-submarine operations, the ship will operate four Rolls-Royce MTU diesel generators, producing a total of 11.6MW to power its shaft-wound main motors, eliminating main gearbox noise.

In this ultra-quiet diesel-electric propulsion configuration, the Type 26 – already dubbed the ‘ghost ship’ – will rival the noise signature of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, widely recognised as the benchmark for anti-submarine warfare and low underwater radiated noise signature.

Rolls-Royce was recently awarded a contract by BAE Systems to supply the mission bay handling system (MBHS) and replenishment equipment for the first three ships of the class.

The Canadian designed MBHS will also be built in Canada, at the Rolls-Royce Peterborough facility, the centre of excellence for launch and recovery systems design and manufacture.

Invaluable experienceRolls-Royce has many

years of experience in designing launch and recovery

By Andrew Rice

Watch this space...

Like most warships, space is at a premium in the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Onboard systems and stores must use the limited area efficiently – but luckily our latest thinking in handling systems design is making a big difference in operating flexibility

BELOW: Small craft can launch from the boom

8 Type 26 vessels will be delivered to the

Royal Navy

Read more about our naval work on the Indepth mobile app Indepth for iPhone is on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices


Watch this

systems (LARS) for anchor handlers and construction vessels. This experience has been brought to bear in designing the innovative MBHS tailored to the unique requirements of the Type 26 platform.

Resembling its forerunner – the commercial rail-mounted LARS, capable of launching and recovering equipment from a ship’s side in severe weather – the naval variant is a telescopic luffing boom unit. It is mounted on twin rails that run across the width of the Type 26 and its open mission bay, and is designed to be truly multi-purpose.

The boom is equipped with a slew drive and is designed to take attachments that can move ISO containers or launch small

craft. It can reach inside adjacent spaces and, with the ISO container spreader attached, extend its reach to 4m. This means lighter parts or boxes can be easily handled, making operations in this confined space

safer, simpler and more efficient. When launching and

recovering small boats, unmanned surface vessels (USV) or unmanned underwater vessels (UUV), a constant tension winch – also part of the system – is used.

Active heave compensation (AHC) can be incorporated into

the control system to extend vessel operations in severe weather conditions.

This uses vessel motion data and feedback from sensors in the handling system that monitor the handling units overboard

position to automatically compensate for most of the vessel motion by rapidly adjusting winch speed and direction, facilitating boat recovery.

Future flexibilityAs naval requirements continue to evolve, the Rolls-Royce MBHS is designed to accommodate future upgrades like iWinch and FutureWave, so that future needs and interoperability with other navies can be maintained.

“We know requirements change rapidly,” says Brian Morrow, Business Development Manager for Naval Handling Systems. “As naval vessels have long service lives, our system will continue to develop and will be adaptable to handle the different payloads we have yet to think of and design. The system will be capable of handling the integrated portable solutions that are now being developed.”

Rolls-Royce has also designed and developed a semi-automatic LARS system in Canada to launch and recover 9m USVs and manned rigid inflatable boats. It is currently fitted to a frigate. ●


TYPE 26 MBHS FUNCTIONS

■ Deploy and recover boats and unmanned vessels (UxVs) from both sides of the ship while keeping them under positive control

■ Reach all areas of the mission bay so boats, UxVs, large components or large boxes can be handled safely at sea

■ Load and offload containers and containerised mission packages from either side without the aid of a dockside crane

Range of each Type 26 vessel

in nautical miles

7,000

Watch more on the Rolls-Royce

channel

N A V A L


The likely introduction of more high-powered electromagnetic systems on future naval platforms will place greater demands on the ships’

electric power generation system. Dr Ian Whitlegg of the Rolls-Royce Strategic Research Centre explains some of the engineering solutions and the technology involved

T he move to significantly more on-board electrical power is being pioneered by the US Navy’s new Zumwalt-class destroyers, which

have gas turbine generation systems capable of providing up to 78MW of power.

The electrical system is configured as an integrated power system, which enables the power generated to be used for propulsion as well as the ship’s weapons, sensors and on-board systems.

Although not totally new, the system is an important factor for the future, as new technologies that need vast amounts of power to operate continue to evolve, are tested and enter service.

Looking to the future, a greater proportion of naval platforms are likely to have high-powered electromagnetic or directed energy weapons, which could provide advantages in terms of operational effectiveness and cost.

However, power-hungry electric weapons will have a real impact on the platforms’ electrical power system. This is because very high amounts of energy are demanded for just short periods of time. This creates an intermittent pulsed power demand characteristic, placing a significant burden on the ship’s electric power generation system.

Pulsed loadsIndustry experts draw attention to the potential impact on quality of power supply (QPS) the intermittent, high power loads but short pulses will have, especially to other electrical power consumers on-board.

As a naval platform’s electric power system is governed by QPS standards, a complete understanding of pulsed loads is necessary to ensure the correct and reliable operation of the electrical equipment.

Pulsed loads can be characterised by the magnitude of the pulses and the associated rate of change, normally referred to as the gradient of the rising and falling edges.

Conventional naval platform electric power system design states that sufficient generation capacity should be installed so that the peak magnitude of any load can be safely accommodated.

However, dependent on type, the peak magnitude of these anticipated pulsed loads is likely to be in terms of gig joules at a rate of change well outside the performance capability of any generator, placing unacceptable transient loads on the power system.

These constraints mean it is impractical

to draw these pulses of energy direct from the generators.

There are likely to be many different types of pulsed loads, not just from weapons but also high power radars, which presents the platform’s power system with a complex load demand to manage.

Trying to meet the load demand with conventional generators will result in the rapid deceleration and acceleration of the prime movers, and potentially the violation of the QPS and greater engine wear, with an impact on through-life costs.

Energy storageA possible solution to these issues being considered by Rolls-Royce is the incorporation of energy storage that is more able to respond to loads with fast rise times, thereby leaving the platform’s gas turbine generators (GTA) providing a continuous, near steady-state load.

Energy storage can respond to the changes in load demand in the sub-second timeframe, and is therefore capable of responding to these fast rise time loads.

Current energy storage systems vary. Some are able to provide high power density, while others provide high energy density, but essentially the characteristics

STORAGE POWER

of the energy storage need to complement the dynamic behaviour of the GTA, and thereby a fully optimised system solution is achieved.

In this way, the concept of a centralised power station, comprising GTAs and energy storage is developed.

Alternatively, the pulsed load demand could be considered at the point of consumption. A distributed system raises the need to match the energy storage performance to the load characteristics of each consumer, exactly. As this is distributed throughout the platform, this solution is a resilient one, although there is a greater volume of the ship used by energy storage, which increases the challenge for the designer.

Therefore, systems designers have a choice. A centralised system, consisting of energy storage solutions optimised with the GTA, able to provide the necessary power

and energy compensation to the aggregate power demand at the main switchboard; or a distributed system, comprising matched energy storage solutions capable of providing the power or energy compensation to specific loads, at the point of connection to the electric power system.

Energy storage is also a key factor in other naval application, like autonomous vessels. It will provide the platform with a cost-effective and reliable means of propulsion at lower speeds and without running engines – also a key requirement for stealth.

Today, as the load demands of

possible high-powered electric systems are evolving, the naval industry continues to assess the possible solutions.

Rolls-Royce firmly believes that when the impact of life on the GTAs and performance on the platform’s electric power generation system are fully considered, then the best position for the energy storage closely coupled the GTA is the optimum solution. Ultimately, naval platform electric power generation system design is changing. ●



STORAGE POWER


2 Rolls-Royce MT30 gas

turbines on each Zumwalt

2 RR4500 turbines

also fitted

THE DESIGNER’S CHOICE

■ Centralised System Multiple energy storage, providing power and energy to aggregate power demand at main switchboard

■ Distributed System Matched energy storage providing power or energy to specific loads at point of connection to electric power system

The US Navy’s new Zumwalt class benefits from a range of advances in electric systems design

78MW maximum power

generated by Zumwalt class gas turbines

A Rolls-Royce energy storage solution concept for an autonomous naval platform

By Connie Hanbury

In 2006, when Kerim Kalafatoğlu founded ARES, he breathed new life into his family’s long boatbuilding history. While the

naysayers advised against it, calling it an exercise in romanticism, Mr Kalafatoğlu was adamant the new shipyard in the Antalya Free Zone on the south coast of Turkey would be a success. He was right.

Twelve years on and ARES is one of the world’s fastest-growing shipyards and an industry leader in military and governmental craft. ARES began its new journey with the successful deliveries of pleasure craft, fishing and leisure boats. Over the past 12 years, the yard has expanded exponentially, taking on new personnel and developing new

products, particularly aluminium, steel and composite-hulled vessels, perfecting a unique system of automated vacuum fusion.

“We brought this in to the military craft building industry for the first time with epoxy resin,” says Mr Kalafatoğlu. These new composite boatbuilding materials, used in ARES’s Hercules series, can help vessels achieve higher speeds and increased manoeuvrability due to the reduction in weight and increase in strength.

ARES, the only shipyard in Turkey with these specialised skills, is expected to be a major player in future composite designs, especially military and governmental craft.

It is certainly building up an impressive customer list having

delivered sophisticated tonnage to naval forces, coast guards, maritime police, port security and customs-enforcement directorates in the likes of Qatar, Bahrain and Nigeria.

Having worked closely with ARES for a number of years, Rolls-Royce has delivered a number of advanced solutions to help satisfy their customers. Mr Kalafatoğlu says: “We have gone from a buyer-seller relationship to a level of strategic partnership. We’ve worked closely on some important projects and they’ve brought a lot of support.”

To mark 12 years of innovation, ARES handed over the flagship vessel for the Qatari Coast Guard. The ARES 150 Hercules, a 48m Offshore Patrol Vessel, is the largest

delight

Turkish boat builder ARES has exceeded expectations by delivering a record-breaking contract for the Qatari Coast Guard ahead of schedule. In just 12 years, its vessels’ higher speeds and increased manoeuvrability have led to an impressive global customer list – with Rolls-Royce as a vital strategic partner


N A V A L / C U S T O M E R

Turkish


46 engines and

waterjets being supplied to ARES

3 different

sizes of craft fitted with

Rolls-Royce solutions


of a fleet of 17 craft being built for the Coast Guard and features our MTU Series 4000 diesel engines and twin 71S4 waterjets.

Rolls-Royce is supplying 46 engines and waterjets for ARES, across three different sizes of craft. The MTU 12V 2000M84 diesel engines and Kamewa 50A3 series waterjets are being supplied for the 24m ARES 75 Hercules and ARES 110 Hercules craft – awarded the World’s Best Patrol Boat in 2016.

Mr Kalafatoğlu explains how this vessel “broke records and is the largest contract ever signed for composite fast patrol boats and the Turkish Republic’s largest-ever naval export programme”.

Commissioned to protect Qatar’s vital industries, seven 34m ARES 110 Hercules Fast Patrol Craft and five 24m ARES 75 Hercules Fast Patrol Craft have already been delivered.

During the handing-over ceremony, Qatari Commander Brigadier General Ali Al Badeed Al Mannai told us he was, “very happy with the ships’ performance,” and is,

“looking forward to having the 150 Hercules in Doha to begin exercises with allies’ forces”.

The ARES 150 Hercules boasts the largest composite hull ever built in Turkey, and at up to 40 knots, the world’s fastest Offshore Patrol Vessel.

While ARES might be coming to the end of this recording-breaking contract an impressive 18 months ahead of schedule, it marks the turning of a corner for the shipyard. ARES was awarded Turkey’s fastest-growing company of the year in 2016 and new orders are already being made for the Hercules series. Taking on new manufacturing facilities,

expanding its footprint from 15,000 to 25,000m2 in the next year, the yard will reach is largest capacity in 2018.

Rolls-Royce is proud to be working with ARES on a number of new projects which will see more innovation brought to life.

An energetic company on the cusp of much bigger things. Not many yards can deliver 48m vessels in just 10 months – an achievement Mr Kalafatoğlu puts down to “a talented and experienced workforce”. ●

For more information email [email protected]

“The Qatari contract is the largest contract ever signed for composite fast patrol boats and the Turkish Republic’s largest-ever naval export programme”

Kerim KalafatoğluTurkish

Read more about our partnerships on the Indepth mobile app Indepth for iPhone is on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices

When the shipping arm of Glencore Oil ordered two ECO product tankers

from South Korean shipbuilder SPP in 2011, they insisted that a Rolls-Royce Promas propeller and rudder package was installed to help improve fuel efficiency further.

To measure performance improvements against the shipyard’s standard equipment, classification society Lloyd’s Register of Shipping was appointed to oversee model tests conducted at the independent national model basin in Bulgaria.

Although the 53,000 deadweight tonne vessels – delivered in 2014 as Alpine Maria and Alpine Mary – were designed for optimum energy and environmental efficiencies, the model tests verified the efficiency gains of the Promas equipment.

These improvements were significantly better than the shipyard’s standard offering and consistent with Glencore’s commitment to reducing emissions. In addition, when in operation, the efficiency gain was further improved and an increase on that recorded during the model tests.

Indeed, after two years of operation, Glencore has noticed that each vessel achieved efficiency improvements in the region of 23 per cent, resulting in a daily reduction in fuel consumption of 5.5 tonnes compared to other similar sized tankers in the company’s 41-vessel fleet.

Based on service speeds of 13 knots, Alpine Mary and Alpine Maria typically burn 17.5 tonnes of fuel a day as opposed to the 23 tonnes burned by other non-Promas MR

T E C H N O L O G Y

Installing our Promas propeller and rudder package in its tankers has taken efficiency to a whole new level for Glencore Oil – and it has the test results to prove it Lean


tankers. This has resulted in annual savings for Glencore of roughly US$ 700,000 per ship, based on $350 tonne/IFO380.

While this enviable fuel saving – and consequent reduction in emissions – has resulted from a combination of improved hull form, new electronically-controlled MAN main engine, hull coating and Promas, Glencore also said the installation of the Rolls-Royce propeller-rudder combination also helped to reduce operational costs elsewhere.

Cavitation erosion has decreased and recent underwater inspections have revealed no pitting or cavitation damage to the propellers. This is likely to reduce Glencore’s dry-docking costs as they anticipate no major repairs to the propeller or rudder.

Propeller-induced lower noise and vibration are other discernible benefits. Following a series of vibration measurements aboard both vessels, Glencore noted that the readings were very good – in fact better than they had ever seen for this class of ship.

The ships’ crews agree. According to Keith Tyler, Sales Manager, Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine: “The crews are very pleased. They tell me they are the quietest tankers

they have been on.” One of the reasons for

this, explains Joakim H. Grytzelius, at Rolls-Royce

AB, Kristinehamn, Sweden, is that the

Promas integrated propulsion and manoeuvring system can

accommodate greater loads on the propeller blades.

He says: “This is because the load is more evenly distributed across the entire blade, resulting in substantially lower cavitation compared to other fixed pitch propellers. We can achieve a reduction in ship hull vibrations

due to lower propeller induced hull pressures pulses and a similar reduction in ship machinery vibration levels.”

Promas integrates the propeller, a hubcap, rudder bulb and the rudder itself into a single hydrodynamic efficient unit. A tapered hubcap fitted to the propeller hub leads the water flow onto a bulb which forms part of the spade rudder. The rudder has a twisted leading edge, optimised for the flow from the propeller, which converts the swirl energy in the slipstreams, which is normally lost, into additional forward thrust.

“The four-bladed propeller which we matched to the Glencore vessels’

machines


By Patrik Wheater

hull and operating profile also incorporates a SKF propeller sleeve, which is designed to simplify the process of removing the screw,” says Joakim.

“Not only does this afford full inter-changeability, it reduces the need for a spare propeller shaft and also offers considerable cost savings in terms of downtime, maintenance and repairs.”

While the operational benefits of the Promas system have been verified by Glencore, the installations to Alpine Mary and Alpine Maria were not without their challenges. The rudder of the Promas system gave Glencore problems during sea trials, as steering gear

torque calculations had been underestimated and therefore failed to meet SOLAS requirements. But Glencore was able to work with Rolls-Royce to address the issue.

Keith Tyler, Sales Manager, Rolls-Royce, Commercial Marine, takes up the story: “We updated the rudder torque predictions, based on measured rudder performance in full scale, and increased the size of the steering gear accordingly.

“This upgrading involved replacing the bronze rudder bearing with a self-lubricating polymer bearing.”

He adds: “We learned a lot from this project. We found greater rudder performance in full scale

compared to model scale results for this vessel type.

“This particular configuration also benefits from using synthetic rudder bearings which significantly reduce friction losses, compared to typical bronze bushings.”

Glencore will now continue to monitor the efficiency gains it has achieved with these two ships as part of the company’s much wider commitment to reducing its environmental footprint across all its divisions. ●


“Not only does this afford full inter-changeability, it reduces the need for a spare propeller shaft and also offers considerable cost savings in terms of downtime, maintenance and repairs”Joakim H. Grytzelius

T E C H N O L O G Y


By Richard White

Vessels with complex operating profiles need a very specific solution to achieve efficient propulsion. Luckily, Rolls-Royce has found the perfect answer for a border patrol vessel and two busy passenger ferries – a controllable pitch propeller flanked by two Azipull thrusters

Pitch PERFECT


“It’s ideal where a vessel has an operational profile demanding a variety of speeds and hence power inputs to the propulsion system”

When it comes to propelling a ship there are many possible solutions,

from conventional twin screws to azimuth thrusters and combinations of propellers and azimuth thrusters.

A Rolls-Royce flexible solution that has been applied successfully to ships with different operating profiles combines a controllable pitch propeller (CPP) on the centreline with Azipull thrusters either side.

It’s ideal where a vessel has an operational profile demanding a variety of speeds and hence power inputs to the propulsion system. The resulting propulsion efficiency is high across the various operating modes and manoeuvrability is also good.

This system can be configured in several ways. Azipull thrusters with their pulling propellers not only provide vectored thrust for agile manoeuvring, but because their streamlined underwater bodies provide a large rudder effect under normal straight-ahead sailing, no separate rudders are required. The centreline propeller can also concentrate on supplying thrust.

A rudder behind the centre CPP might be required depending on the size of the vessel and the overall dynamic course characteristics resulting from the properties of the hull and its steering devices.

For one type of application, such as ropax vessels, the Azipulls provide all propulsion and manoeuvring in port and harbour approaches up to a given speed.

From there up to cruising speed, the centreline Kamewa CPP can either take over or supplement the thrusters.

In another class of application, such as patrol craft, the Azipull thruster provides both propulsion and

manoeuvring under normal cruising conditions. The centreline CPP is brought into action purely for boost power when high speed is required.

Rolls-Royce AZP thrusters and propellers are both available with a feathering position for their propeller blades in addition to the controllable pitch function, which means that drag is minimised.

For ferries working from shallow harbours, the smaller propellers and accurately-vectored thrust of the Azipull units reduce the risk of sea bed erosion and the stirring up of old polluted sediment.

Apart from offering propulsion efficiency in multiple operating modes, the system allows maximum flexibility in the power train. Typically, the Azipulls are electrically driven, while the centre CPP may have electrical or mechanical drive. In addition, the power plant can be optimised for each operating condition, giving a high level of propulsion redundancy to meet safe return-to-port rules.

The vessels on the following pages show how this Rolls-Royce propulsion system has been successfully applied to very different types of vessel...

“The two-wing Azipull azimuth thrusters... enable large turning forces to be exerted”

PAGE

38


When sister vessels Copenhagen and Berlin entered service at the beginning of 2017 on the Gedser-Rostock route between Denmark and Germany, the two new ferries, together with associated improvements at the terminals, doubled the transport capacity on this vital route between Scandinavia and Europe.

Berlin and its sister can carry 1,300 passengers in considerable comfort and the equivalent of 460 cars or 96 trucks. Both were designed specifically for the route and feature a centreline CP Promas propeller/rudder and two

wing Azipull thrusters. The vessel length of 169.5m with a design draught of 5.5m is optimised for Gedser harbour at the Danish end of the route, and the design of the hull took into account the shallow water on the entire 26 nautical mile run.

Within Gedser harbour, the water depth is only about

7.5m, and the depth varies between 14m and 21m over the rest of the route. Another complicating factor is the strong cross-current at the opening between the piers at Gedser.

The operating strategy is therefore to accelerate rapidly to eight knots astern when leaving Gedser, then turn the vessel once outside the port, proceed to Rostock, and turn again before entering berth stern first.

On the return trip, the ferries go ahead from berth to berth. Transit speeds that give optimum fuel economy were selected for the given departure frequency, which is 20 departures per day in a fixed two-hour cycle, which means around 20 knots for a 105-minute passage time.

This way of operating puts the focus on manoeuvrability and speed, and hence the design of Rolls-Royce propulsion solution.

The two-wing Azipull azimuth thrusters are in operation at all stages of the voyage, each driven by a 3,500kW electric motor. They enable large turning forces to be exerted on the vessel, whether it’s stationary or moving.

When reversing off the berth and out between the harbour piers at

T E C H N O L O G Y

The Finnish border guard vessel Turva was built to undertake a variety of tasks, each of which puts different demands on the 17m-wide vessel and its propulsion system.

Among its roles are border security, search and rescue, pollution response, emergency towing and fire fighting. For year-round operation, it also needs to break ice up to 0.8m thick at three knots.

These tasks involve very different speeds and powers. Therefore Rolls-Royce devised a propeller and thruster combination plus a multifunctional propulsion control system that caters for the load change response of the dual-fuel engines, which normally operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Various options were considered, but the final choice was a Rolls-Royce system combining electrical and mechanical transmissions for greatest efficiency.

The centreline propeller is flanked by two Azipull 120 steerable thrusters with pulling propellers, with all rudder effect provided by the foil-shaped Azipull legs. For most lower speed work and manoeuvring, only the electrically-driven Azipull units are in action, each transmitting up to 2,400kW to their 2.85m diameter CPPs, with the centreline propeller fully feathered for minimum drag. In situations calling for full speed, or for icebreaking, the centreline propeller is brought into service. It is a CP

unit 3.4m in diameter rated for 5,400kW, mechanically coupled through a reduction gearbox also driving a shaft generator.

The control system regulates power to both the propeller and Azipull thrusters. A tunnel and a retractable thruster at the bow work with the main propulsion system to meet DP2 dynamic positioning requirements. ●

Putting innovation to workCASE STUDY No1

CASE STUDY No2

96 metres long

18 knots full speed

The centreline propellor is flanked by two steerable Azipull thrusters

Gedser and dealing with the cross-currents, the Azipulls are rotated for full astern thrust to give precise course-keeping and will accelerate the ferry from standstill to eight knots in less than three ship lengths. In transit, the thrusters deliver efficient forward thrust.

For manoeuvring, and at lower speeds, the centreline CPP in a Promas system is feathered. After manoeuvring, the propeller is set to the freewheeling pitch and clutched in. The centre shaftline then efficiently supplies the additional propulsion thrust needed for full transit speed, driven through a combining reduction gearbox.

Two generator sets, two main engines and a battery pack provide a total of 18MW to the propellers and the hotel load.

The Helicon X3 control system adjusts propeller pitch and revolution speed, and determines the power fed to the azimuth thrusters. New propeller curves have been made for optimised operation with one or two gensets.

To maximise propulsive efficiency and reduce cavitation-induced pressure pulses, the Promas system has a five-bladed propeller. The

rudder with a Costa bulb and a twisted leading edge recovers swirl energy in the propeller slipstream that would otherwise be lost, converting it into additional

forward thrust. The Promas is also a low-drag solution in the feathered position. The five-bladed monoblock propellers on the Azipull units are designed to provide high propulsive efficiency up to 17.5 knots.

This innovative solution was designed after extensive CFD analysis, manoeuvring simulations and test tank work, with involvement from Scandlines, Rolls-Royce and HSVA, the test tank establishment in Hamburg.

Model testing was also carried out in Duisburg, where the tank could be configured to evaluate performance in shallow waters.

Small underkeel clearance can give rise to propeller wear or damage. To minimise this, the thrusters are positioned close up under the hull, the CPP diameter is limited to 4.6m, and the bottom of the hull is dished to give more clearance over the propeller.

As the ships run at speed in shallow waters, cavitation and pressure pulse excitation on the hull were analysed in detail to ensure they met passenger vessel vibration criteria.

The propulsion system complies with Lloyd’s Register Ice Class 1C rules. Finite element method (FEM) analysis was also used in propeller design, to meet the new Finnish/Swedish rules which require blade strength to be calculated against a set of stated ice load conditions.

Power for propulsion and hotel load is provided by four diesel engines with combined scrubbers, integrated with a 1.5MWh battery. ●



Putting innovation to work

Berlin and sister vessel Copenhagen both benefit from the Rolls-Royce system

One of several power options – electric Azipulls and electrical/mechanical

drive to centerline propeller

“This way of operating puts the focus on manoeuvrability and speed, and hence the design of Rolls-Royce propulsion solution”

1,300 passenger capacity

460 car capacity

18MW of power

20 knots full

speed


T E C H N O L O G Y


By Anette Bonnevie Wollebæk

Rolls-Royce is now working with customers to develop sensible management systems that can harness the real power of available digital data. The end goal? To make machinery breakdown a thing of the past

Having lots of performance data from a ship is not necessarily a great thing – it’s how you turn the

data into valuable knowledge that will make the difference. That’s why, in November 2017, we opened the first in a series of Ship Intelligence experience spaces to show customers, suppliers and partners how the latest digital solutions can transform the marine industry.

The demonstrators show how Ship Intelligence systems can harness the power of data to offer a whole host of benefits, such as optimised fleet operations, reduced operating costs, improved maintenance procedures and enhanced safety.

Demonstrates real benefitsThe first Intelligent Asset Management (IAM) space opened late last year in Ålesund, Norway, as part of the Rolls-Royce Technology and Training Centre. The second space, which focuses on Remote and Autonomous Systems, opened in Finland in January and is part of the Rolls-Royce Research & Development Centre in the city of Turku.

The IAM experience space provides an area for Rolls-Royce customers to physically enter the heart of their ship’s data. Here they can validate the advantages of using systems such as Energy Management MAKING DATA

DYNAMIC

The first Ship Intelligence experience space in Ålesund opened in November 2017. Here, customers are able to see first hand how

digital tools can help them manage their assets at sea


(EM) and Equipment Health Management (EHM) in real-time, operational environments.

Marine President Mikael Mäkinen says: “It is often difficult to convey the many commercial and operational benefits of new cloud-based digital technologies. But now, with the opening of these centres, we can fully demonstrate for our customers the very tangible benefits of what is often considered an intangible technology.”

Rolls-Royce is also increasing the size of its team in the Marine Intelligent Analytics Centre in Ålesund, headed by Jan Chirkowski. He says: “Essentially it’s a ‘digital factory’ where data is transformed into insights that help and support more informed decision-making.”

The experience space in Ålesund is developed and operated in close proximity to the analytics team, and typically has two distinct areas – an Intelligent Analytics Centre Collaborative Canvas area and a Fleet Management Command Centre.

Jan says: “The collaborative canvas space allows us to visualise this data, co-develop product features with our customers to make

better use of that data and give them a complete digital picture of the current and potential operational performance of their fleet.”

The facilities also provide a workspace in which Rolls-Royce and customers alike can hone existing digital solutions and collaborate on the development of new ones.

The Fleet Management Command Centre area, meanwhile, is a proof-of-concept for a future product that puts all the information a fleet manager needs at their fingertips.

The command centre has an intuitive touch interface and a 6m-wide curved screen to display ship data via systems such as the portals for Energy Management and Health Management.

Jan says: “The Energy Management display gives a complete overview of the fleet’s energy footprint, providing the information needed to optimise or adjust operating parameters to achieve better energy and environmental efficiencies.”

The Health Management portal uses machine-learning algorithms to flag up anomalies in the sensor data

from machinery and systems. This can then be used to take more effective and pre-emptive action.

Detects failure early“This data is invaluable if you know how to access and use it,” says Jan. “For example, it can inform managers of any material degradation or likely component failure before it happens, so replacements can be ordered before any operational disturbance.

“Reducing the frequency of unplanned maintenance events will result in a fleet that always runs to optimum commercial and environmental efficiency.”

The concept of real-time machinery data is common in the aviation industry, where aero-engine performance information is critical. However, bandwidth availability and cost have been barriers to it rolling out in the marine industry – until now.

Mikael adds: “This information is crucial for performance. It can be used to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, extend overhaul intervals and increase system availability. Machinery breakdowns could indeed be a thing of the past.” ●

ABOVE: Mikael Mäkinen cuts the ribbon at the opening of the Rolls-Royce Research and Development Centre in Turku in January, where the company’s second Ship Intelligence experience space is located

“We can fully demonstrate for our customers the very tangible benefits of what is often considered an intangible technology”Mikael Mäkinen

A ferry crossing involves automating a distinct series of operations: departure from the linkspan,

acceleration to transit speed, transit at constant speed, deceleration on approach to the terminal, and manoeuvring prior to connecting to linkspan.

At present, the Rolls-Royce Autocrossing system is configured to cover the middle three elements, leaving the docking manoeuvring to the captain.

Shortly after leaving the dock, at

a designated point the operator can engage the Autocrossing system. At the other end, in the predetermined arrival zone, the captain disengages the system and takes manual control for the docking manoeuvres.

If they are incapacitated or forget, the system brings the ferry to a safe stop in the arrival zone, keeping it automatically in a fixed position instead of continuing into the terminal. The captain can also disengage the system and resume command any time during crossing.

Acceleration, transit and deceleration are the phases where most of the energy is consumed in ferries of this type. Fig.1 (bottom right) shows the five phases, the area under the time/speed curve being the distance


covered. Faster acceleration and slowing down gives more transit time, which can be at a lower speed. So that total energy used per trip is a balance between the phases, as shown in Fig.2.

Autocrossing optimises this for different vessel loads and weather conditions while keeping to agreed departure times and crossing durations. Drawing on the extensive experience and know-how of the Rolls-Royce hydrodynamics team, advanced optimisation methods were developed. Combined with the efficient Azipull thrusters, one at each end, this ensures the highest possible energy efficiency.

The smoothest savingsPropulsion motors are the largest energy consumers, so savings come from providing only enough power to smoothly accelerate the ferry to the required cruising speed in the available time. Leaving

By Richard White

The first Rolls-Royce Autocrossing system for ferries is now in operation. Fjord1’s full-electric double-ended car ferry Gloppefjord now uses Autocrossing on the short Anda-Lote link on the E39 highway in western Norway. A sister ship, Eidesfjord, has also joined the pioneer on the same route. We take a closer look…

THE PIONEER TRAIL

Read more about ferry technology on the Indepth mobile app Indepth for iPhone is on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices

The Gloppefjord ferry

T E C H N O L O G Y

SPEED/TIME PROFILE AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Spee

d (k

nots

)

TIME

1

2

3

4

5

area = distance

1 Low speed manoeuvring departing from pier • 2 Acceleration • 3 Steady speed • 4 Retardation

• 5 Manoeuvring towards destination pier

kWh

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Fig 1

Fig 2this to the Autocrossing system also takes away variations in manual operation.

The Autocrossing continuously optimises the relationship between propeller pitch and rotational speed, the use of steering angle and power distribution between aft and forward thruster(s).

Activation and deactivation of a feathering function of the forward thruster is also handled automatically. In addition to minimising energy use, it helps to protect the battery of these all-electric ferries and to manage the logistics of the charging process at the terminals.

The system takes data from the gyrocompass, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), speed log and wind sensor. The outputs control the propulsion thrusters and propeller pitch/rpm to give the required acceleration and speed with optimised use of power, while keeping the ferry on the chosen track.


349 passengers

2km crossing

120 car capacity

12 trailers

“Our Autocrossing system simplifies the ferry crossing operation and cuts the energy consumption per trip to the minimum,” says Jann Peter Strand, Product Manager for Automation and Control, Rolls-Royce. “At the same time it documents both performance and energy consumption, and also helps to improve operating safety. The system is delivered as an integrated solution with propellers and control systems from Rolls-Royce, both for newbuilds and retrofit projects.”

Gloppefjord and Eidesfjord were designed by Multi Maritime, who worked with Rolls-Royce to ensure the Azipull thruster propulsion system and hullform work together to cut the energy requirement to a

minimum and to ensure sufficient low speed thrust or manoeuvring power during adverse weather conditions, reducing the battery size needed.

The battery-only vessels replace diesel-powered ferries, and the lithium ion batteries are charged from shore connections to the local power grid at each terminal.

Azipull AZP 85CP-F thrusters are located one at each end of a ferry. Both will be powered when manoeuvring and accelerating away. In transit, power is proportioned between the fore and aft thrusters to give the highest propulsive efficiency. ●


“It documents both performance and energy consumption, and helps to improve operating safety” Jann Peter Strand


T H E B I G P I C T U R E


Our user-friendly dynamic positioning system has quickly helped the crew of the Skandi Vinland cope

with harsh conditions off the shore of Canada

By Frode Vik and Anette Bonnevie Wollebæk

Weatherıng the

storm


Delivered from the Vard Langsten yard in Norway in May 2017, the 93m-long Skandi Vinland is a Vard 3-08 Subsea Construction Vessel, equipped with a 100 tonne knuckle

boom crane. The Skandi Vinland has a 10-year contract with

Husky Energy, operating on the White Rose Oilfield, which is located 195 nautical miles from the coast of Newfoundland in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin on the Grand Banks. The operation is led from DOF Subsea Canada in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland.

Superintendent Leon Roebotham notes the vessel has a full diesel electrical (DE) system including Rolls-Royce propulsion and engines.

The advantages of a DE system are mainly lower fuel consumption and flexibility in power management, which is important for both safety and the environment.

Oilfield conditions are harsh and demanding for both crew and vessel, with severe weather for much of the year. Hurricane force winds during the autumn and winter are common, with sea states to match, and fog is also present for much of the year.

During the spring, crews must also contend with the many challenges that pack ice brings, with an average of 400 icebergs monitored in the area annually.

Captain Bryan Riggs says the multipurpose vessel performs various operations such as inspection, installation, maintenance and repair of subsea assets such as manifolds, templates and pipelines. It can also handle towing, offshore supply, ice management and safety stand by duties.

An important tool for these operations is its two Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV), which act as both eyes and toolbox. Also important is the Rolls-Royce Icon Dynamic Positioning (DP) System, which has more than met crew expectations.

Even though they hadn’t used it before, the crew say its intuitive control made it simple for the Dynamic Positioning Operator (DPO) to quickly become familiar with the system.

When asked for highlights, Chief Officer Steve Walsh says: “The training we received from Rolls-Royce and overall user-friendliness and clear information presentation on the user interface makes the system easy to operate.” ●


THE SKANDI VINLAND

93 metres long

100tonne knuckle boom crane

400 icebergs monitored

(annual average)

Location: Newfoundland, Canada


E V E N T S

MEET THE TEAM

Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, USA

(runs until 3 May)● 2018.otcnet.org

Pacific Marine Expo Seattle, USA (runs until 18 November)● pacificmarineexpo.com

Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CANSEC) Ottawa, Canada (runs until 31 May)● defenceandsecurity.ca/CANSEC

International WorkBoat Show New Orleans, USA (runs until 30 November)● workboatshow.com

Seatrade Cruise Global Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (runs until 8 March)● seatradecruiseglobal.com

Sea-Air-Space Navy League Maryland, USA (runs until 12 April)● seaairspace.org30

Apr

16Nov

30May

28Nov

5Mar

9Apr


2018 will be a busy year for the Rolls-Royce Marine Sales & Marketing

team. Here’s where you’ll find us in the months ahead – so come and say hello and

discover the latest in marine innovation

Asia Pacific Maritime Singapore (runs until 16 March)● apmaritime.com

Korean Ocean Expo Songdo, South Korea (runs until 22 June)● koreaoceanexpo.co.kr

DEFEXPO Chennai, India (runs until 14 April)● defexpoindia.in

Balt Military Expo Gdansk, Poland (runs until 27 June)● baltmilitary.amberexpo.pl

Nor-Fishing Trondheim, Norway (runs until 24 August)● nor-fishing.no

ONS Stavanger, Norway (runs until 30 August)● ons.no

SMM Hamburg, Germany (runs until 8 September)● smm-hamburg.com

Posidonia Athens, Greece

(runs until 8 June)● posidonia-events.com

14Mar

20Jun

11 Apr

25 Jun

21 Aug

27 Aug

4 Sept

4 Jun


rolls-royce.com

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Documents

Issue 32 O March 2018 - Rolls-Royce