SIM is a technology with the potential to make a significant contribution to maritime decarbonization, writes Patrick Ryan, ABS
One of the biggest problems for shipowners seeking to understand how environmental regulation will impact the performance of their fleets in future is uncertainty. While the regulatory framework is in place, changes that tighten the requirements, or new regional rules have the potential to disrupt investment decisions.

Owners want to know their options, whether for regulatory compliance or conformance with voluntary market measures. And they also need to understand when new fuels or technologies will enable them to safely comply and keep their vessels competitive.

But whereas even a few years ago, the technology needed to make such judgements was incomplete or unreliable, vessel operators these days have much more information at their disposal. What they need is the means to turn data into decisions.

Understanding Simulation

Data’s value is sometimes likened to gold or is described as ‘the new oil’, but we should really think of data as potential energy. The tool that turns it into usable kinetic energy, so it can be put to work on the toughest challenges facing the industry is Simulation.

Simulation technology (SIM) is the application of multi-physics models, in sometimes quite simple form and is a technique already well-established in other industrial applications. It is used in automotive design to create greener vehicles and it offers the potential for new ways of working to advance innovation for cleaner vessels too.

For newbuildings, SIM-based energy efficiency evaluation supports optimization of the propulsion system, provides system level assessment of fuel consumption and supports life-cycle cost analysis as well as detailed design comparison and optimization of equipment parameters. For existing vessels, the service assists with evaluating the retrofitting options and operational changes to reduce fuel consumption and maintain compliance with regulations.

Simulation provides a faster, more efficient and more comprehensive way of performing the calculations necessary to understand EEXI and CII compliance requirements than a traditional spreadsheet-driven approach. SIM can be used to create a library of inputs that can be applied by sustainability professionals to build a complete analysis of vessel performance.

Realizing the Digital Twin

Simulation can also been seen as a means to ‘close the loop’ on the Digital Twin concept. Digital Twins hold out the potential to provide owners with a data-driven view of vessel performance but there is a need to extend the concept to decarbonization.

The data required can be sourced from both the EU/UK MRV and IMO DCS data collection programmes and create an emissions profile, using SIM to validate performance models and explore options for improvement.

The next stage could be to use SIM to tie this emissions data into real time voyage information, making it possible to predict emissions of future voyages and further expand the Digital Twin concept.

The results can be displayed as performance insights within the ABS My Digital FleetTM platform and users don’t have to get involved in the complex calculations behind the scenes since all the information is displayed via an intuitive interface. Variables can easily be introduced into performance models to build scenarios that can provide responsive solutions to changing regulations.

This includes real performance data on engine behaviour or the effectiveness of energy efficiency devices, making it possible to judge their downstream impact on emissions.

Putting it into Practice

ABS has launched a new service using SIM technologies to assess the impact of decarbonization technologies at the newbuilding design stage and for existing vessels. The SIM-based Energy Efficiency Evaluation Service will allow both planned and existing vessels to compare different design and operational options and evaluate the performance impact of adding new fuels and energy efficiency technologies.

As well as enabling ship owners and shipyards to make more informed decisions about their options, the service can support compliance with EEXI and CII regulations and conformance to voluntary market measures. The capability for benchmarking, feeding the SIM software with vessel information and different performance parameters can help owners to understand what changes are needed and when. The SIM tool has been incorporated in the already wide range of services ABS Sustainability Centres have launched to support shipowners in this field.

To provide wider access to the technology, ABS has opened a series of global simulation centres, in Singapore and Houston with another Athens to follow in January 2022, to bring SIM further into shipping. One of the first projects managed from Singapore will see ABS, Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Wärtsilä use advanced multi-physics modelling and simulation to develop a flexible, future ready and modular concept for a future multi-fuel electric Liquefied Natural Gas carrier.

The joint development project will apply various decarbonization technologies and solutions to the vessel design and operation models to investigate its performance against the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator CII up to at least 2050.

Source: www.marinelink.com

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Subsea technology specialist Seatronics has purchased the world’s smallest hybrid acoustic-inertial navigation instrument for its VALOR remotely operated vehicle (ROV), itself designed to be the smallest, most powerful and capable inspection class ROV in its category.

Derek Donaldson, Seatronics’ Group managing director, said: “Specifying payload sensors for a vehicle like VALOR often requires a trade-off between accuracy, performance, price and ownership. SPRINT-Nav Mini offers both the survey positional accuracy our clients are looking for, and a small form factor that we can fit and put straight to work.

“Another key reason for investing in SPRINT-Nav Mini is our ongoing relationship with Sonardyne. We knew that we would be fully supported in our concept to push the boundaries of remote operations from a small ROV solution by the Sonardyne team. This is critical when adopting new technology for a new platform.”

Precise navigation

Launched this month, the SPRINT-Nav Mini navigator will provide VALOR with accurate, precise and robust navigation and control.

SPRINT-Nav Mini combines an INS, AHRS, pressure sensor and DVL in a single subsea housing depth rated to 300m or 4,000m and weighs as little as 3.6kg in air. The new Navigator variant extends the capability of the Guidance model, introduced in 2020, by calculating and providing the position of a remote, autonomous or piloted underwater vehicle, or uncrewed surface vehicle, in addition to its velocity, depth and attitude.

VALOR already offers an advanced capability for its size, with a 40Gbp MUX capacity allowing it to accommodate the most modern, high bandwidth survey sensors. Equipping it with the SPRINT-Nav Mini navigator further differentiates it from similar-sized platforms, providing a significantly more flexible, configurable inspection platform that can undertake a variety of tasks that would typically be associated with much larger ROV systems.

Source: www.maritimejournal.com

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According to Satcom Global, for the very first time, vessel managers and owners will be empowered to make unlimited changes to their onboard connectivity. ‘They will have the ability to upgrade, downgrade and even suspend their service on-demand via a dedicated and secure customer portal. Unlike existing VSAT services available today, AuraNow customers will not be penalised for lowering their service plan or suspending their service.’

Ian Robinson, CEO at Satcom Global, commented: “AuraNow is a true industry first, designed to support the real needs of the communications user, rather than to capitalise on locking customers into prohibitive lengthy contracts. AuraNow is the only platform optimised to satisfy the connectivity required by the maritime community now, and long into the future. We urge all vessel managers and owners to explore the extensive benefits of AuraNow, before committing to yet another restrictive service plan.”

With bandwidth packages charged via daily increment, AuraNow allows customers to adjust their connectivity and spend, in line with their day to day and emerging requirements.

Bandwidth can be upgraded at any time, at the touch of a button, to support activities such as remote audits, vessel inspections and crew training. Similarly, maritime industries that operate seasonally or on a charter basis, will have the ability to deploy communications only when they are needed, and when vessels are sailing. Vessels will no longer need to overcommit to plans or pay for bandwidth they do not consistently need.

AuraNow is managed by a one-stop, easy to use portal, putting customers in full control of their vessel communications. As well as the ability to make direct changes to vessel bandwidth packages, the portal also provides access to a range of useful network statistics and metrics, live vessel tracking, Ku-band coverage beams, and invoicing and management information.

Source: www.maritimejournal.com

Image: www.pexels.com

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The company, which is developing drones capable of carrying up to 350kg of cargo up to 2,500km, said the latest signatories mean it now has 38 airports in 12 European countries signed up to the scheme. Now, Paderborn-Lippstadt, Weeze and Rostock-Laage airports will be ready to join the drone operations which are scheduled to begin in 2022.

Dronamics co-founder and CEO Svilen Rangelov said: “With the first 3 droneports in Germany, we are unlocking the huge potential of the German market and confirming regional airport partners that can service large metropolitan areas like the Ruhr region or major logistics hubs like the Rostock port.

“In the coming months we’ll further expand our droneports network in Germany and Europe, and to connect more and more communities to our pan-European same-day delivery network for e-commerce, manufacturing, and pharma.”

Airport Weeze managing director Dr Sebastian Papst added: “We see the opportunity with Dronamics to pioneer an entirely new service that can significantly benefit the local economy and tap into the potential of unmanned cargo aviation by hosting one of the first droneports in Germany.”

As part of the agreements, Dronamics will base its standardised droneport equipment, hire and train local staff to operate and handle the unmanned drone flights.

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This provides critical agility as air cargo contends with unexpected shifts due to the global pandemic.As Christian Tesch, director airfreight carrier relations and procurement, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, commented: “Live access to capacity and price supports our ongoing commitment to provide Hellmann customers with outstanding service. We’re delighted to see Turkish Cargo on WebCargo.”

Turkish Cargo will first roll out on WebCargo in Spain and India, and will be quickly followed by roll outs in several more countries. With the airline’s shift to global eBookings, more than 20% of global air cargo capacity will now be digitised, providing more than 2,000 WebCargo forwarders customers across over 10,000 global branches with instant access to capacity and pricing.

Turhan OZEN, chief cargo officer at Turkish Airlines, explained: “Effective leadership is required to handle the customers constantly diversifying demands accurately across the air cargo industry.

“As the air cargo brand with one of the widest networks in the world, we focus on digital solutions. We are pleased to partner with WebCargo to provide digital connectivity for our customers as part of our commitment to constant innovation in offering the best service possible.”

“In the past year, eBookings have increased tenfold on WebCargo, making it clear that the future of air cargo is digital” said Manel Galindo, chief executive officer, WebCargo. “We’re incredibly proud to partner with Turkish Cargo, one of the most impactful and influential global cargo airlines, to launch eBookings for forwarders around the world.”

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The aircraft will be purchased from Beta technologies (BETA) and used to augment UPS’s air service for select small and mid-size markets. The Beta aircraft’s 1,400-pound cargo capacity is ideally suited to more quickly and sustainably transport time-sensitive deliveries that would otherwise fly on small fixed-wing aircraft.

UPS’s use of the aircraft will benefit healthcare providers, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, and other companies in smaller communities. With a 250-mile range and cruising speed of up to 170 miles per hour, UPS will be able to plan a series of short routes, or one long route, on a single charge to meet customers’ needs.

“This is all about innovation with a focus on returns for our business, our customers, and the environment,” said UPS chief information and engineering officer Juan Perez. “These new aircraft will create operational efficiencies in our business, open possibilities for new services, and serve as a foundation for future solutions to reduce the emissions profile of our air and ground operation.”

The aviation industry is focusing on small aircraft, which UPS uses to serve many small and medium-sized communities, to develop groundbreaking, sustainable electric-powered aircraft. BETA’s aircraft has four fixed vertical lift propellers and one pusher propeller for forward flight. It can charge in an hour or less, and produces zero operational emissions.

“We’re combining simple, elegant design and advanced technology to create a reliable aircraft with zero operational emissions that will revolutionise how cargo moves,” said BETA founder and chief executive officer Kyle Clark. “By utilising vertical takeoffs and landings, we can turn relatively small spaces at existing UPS facilities into a micro air feeder network without the noise or operating emissions of traditional aircraft.”

UPS has also reserved BETA’s recharging station for a seamless and fully integrated electric aviation system. The BETA charging station helps ensure safe and rapid charging of the aircraft in under one hour, and facilitates a quick turn for the loading and unloading of cargo. The charging station also offers the aircraft’s batteries a second life cycle.

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As part of its ramp-up for commercial operations, the company appoints the seasoned aviation executive Sergio Oliveira e Silva as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO), a new senior management team position.

Sergio joins the organisation from his former position of Managing Director, Asia of a Global aviation services public listed company.

The three newly founded subsidiaries are incorporated in the respective countries as they are leaders in drone regulations, but also are the regions of the first customer cases that will be serviced in e-commerce, pharma and spare parts logistics which will be revealed later this year.

Svilen Rangelov, co-founder & ceo at Dronamics said: “This is an important milestone for us, and we are thrilled by the talent we are attracting to our organisation that is embracing our vision to democratise airfreight. We will continue enhancing our experienced management team who will provide additional expertise to deliver our first commercial flight in a near future.”

Sergio Oliveira e Silva, COO at Dronamics, said: “I’m very much looking forward to being part of the team that will bring into the market the next-generation logistics networks for e-commerce, pharma, agriculture shipments, special cargo, and spare parts. I am excited to be again involved in another successful pioneer venture within the aviation logistics industry”.

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IATA, the International Air Transport Association, has released a new digital platform called EPIC (Enhanced Partner Identification and Connectivity). It will be used as a database with tools that centralizes connection information for stakeholders, reducing the cycle time to determine communication channels with each other to minutes, according to IATA.

There are over 40,000 freight forwarders exchanging messages with over 450 airlines through various third-party messaging service providers. EPIC’s digitisation of this communication process will accelerate the speed in which information is sent along the supply chain as well as make any information delivered more accessible. EPIC has already attracted the participation of 32 airlines, 900 freight forwarders, 10 government authorities, 5 international organizations and 13 third-party messaging providers.

EPIC does not stop there. It aims toward becoming a one-stop-shop in the global supply chain space. Not only will it help business-to-business communication, but it will also support digital customs clearance process. Advance cargo information (ACI) requirements rollouts and preloading ACI programs (PLACI) will receive a boost.

IATA has rolled out their new digital platform under a subscription model that will allow users to realise quick revenue and cut direct costs by as much as 40%.

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The acquisition will enable the Brazilian port and maritime logistics operator, with the digital twin technology developed by Docktech and through the data collected by its fleet of 80 tugs, to understand silting behaviour in port areas, predicting how certain factors affect navigation conditions and security.

“The worldwide port infrastructure still does not offer instruments capable of accurately determining the real depth of the access channels to the ports and the berths,” said Márcio Castro, Executive Director of Wilson Sons’ tugboats business unit. “With the Docktech solution, it is possible to make this measurement more precisely and, thus, avoid underutilising the cargo capacity of the ships, in addition to the waste of dredging resources.”

The technology is already running in the ports of Santos and Rio Grande, while the plan is to implement the solution in the coming weeks in the ports of Rio de Janeiro, Açu and Vitória before expanding it to all the locations where Wilson Sons operates.

Under the system, the tugs will collect and process bathymetric data (depth measurement) of the ports where they are operating and, using the Docktech algorithm, monitor the depth of the berths and waterways access in real time.

Last year, the company also acquired a stake in AIDrivers, which specialises in the development of autonomous mobility systems for heavy port equipment.

Eduardo Valença, commercial manager of Wilson Sons’ tugboats division, said: “This milestone is another step for the company to become a reference in providing solutions for the optimisation of local maritime and port infrastructure. And other startups remain on our radar.”

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