Possibility of Using Flow Cytometry in the Treated Ballast Water Quality Detection

In this article, monitoring of ballast water after its treatment by any of BWTS (Ballast Water Treatment System) on board ships has been analyzed. The efficiency of those systems has shown to be the major problem as there are no systems for tracking ship ballast operations. The overall aim of the study was to emphasize the necessity of monitoring the ballast water treatment on board ships and to propose a solution. The flow cytometry technology and applications of flow cytometers have been analyzed as well. The functionality and possibility of using this technology for detection of the treated ballast water quality has been explained. The results of the flow cytometry detection have been confirmed mathematically. The possibility of finding the remaining microorganisms in the treated ballast water has been calculated and the result was a very high percentage of 82%. The study presented in this paper aids in the understanding of how important it is for results of the ballast water treatment systems operation to be monitored since such monitoring is also in the interest of protecting the environment

ANALYSIS OF LAND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WITH EMPHASIS ON POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN THE MARITIME VHF BAND

Uslijed porasta broja korisnika i intenzivnog korištenja frekvencijskog VHF područja javila se potreba za povećanjem njegova kapaciteta. Također, javljaju se i potrebe za novim vrstama usluga, kao što je prijenos podataka, što postojeći analogni sustavi ne mogu uspješno podržati. Stoga su u ovome radu analizirana obilježja relevantnih kopnenih digitalnih komunikacijskih sustava s ciljem utvrđivanja mogućnosti primjene u pomorstvu. Ključni parametri prema kojima je provedena analiza odabrani su na temelju pretpostavke o važnosti istovremenog postojanja analognog i digitalnog načina rada na susjednim kanalima i mogućnosti postepenog uvođenja novog sustava. Analogni način rada potreban je za obavljanje komunikacija pogibelji, hitnosti i sigurnosti zbog njegove robusnosti i rasprostranjenosti. Za moguću primjenu u pomorskom VHF području predloženi su oni sustavi koji postižu visoku spektralnu učinkovitost i koji se uklapaju u postojeće komunikacijske kanale, čime bi se olakšalo njihovo uvođenje.Due to the increase in the number of users and the intensive usage of maritime VHF band, there has been a need to increase the system capacity. Moreover, there is a need for new types of services, such as data transmission, which cannot be supported efficiently by the existing analog systems. Therefore, in this paper the characteristics of relevant land digital communication systems have been analyzed with the aim of identifying possibilities of maritime applications. The key parameters, under which the analysis was conducted, were selected on the basis of the assumption on the importance of coexistence of analog and digital modes of operation on adjacent channels and the possibility for gradual introduction of a new system. The analog mode of operation should be maintained to perform the distress, urgency and safety communications due to its robustness and distribution/prevalence. The systems that achieve high spectral efficiency and fit into the existing communication channels, which would facilitate their introduction, are proposed for the possible application in the maritime VHF band

Optimal Design of Ship’s Hybrid Power System for Efficient Energy

The International Maritime Organization regulations on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from ships require efficient dealing with this complex techno-economic and highly political problem through joint efforts of all major stakeholders from the shipbuilding industry and ship operations. The key problems of any research in the field of renewable energy, including power generation, storage, transformation and distribution, and the issues associated with limited power generation for specific loads, are the same issues that are experienced in the implementation of electric distribution technologies onboard ships. This paper analyses the effects of efficient shipping using the solar panel system and batteries to ensure continuous power supply, regardless of the weather conditions. The logistics chain of this control architecture is modelled by Colored Petri Nets. The economic analysis examines the annual costs of fuel consumption, the initial capital cost, total net cost and CO2 emissions

Development of a Fuzzy Model for Prediction of Elastomer Properties

Elastomers are amorphous polymers widely used in many applications. Degradability and durability of elastomers are very important properties, which can be strongly influenced by several types of physical and chemical processes such as impact of weather conditions, aging etc. These processes can cause structural changes, which may lead to the destruction of the quality of elastomer materials, like a deterioration of their mechanical and electrical properties, and ultimately a total loss of material functionality. A large number of investigations with various experimental procedures were carried out in order to provide a better understanding of the relationship between the structure of material and its mechanical properties. This paper presents a Fuzzy model, which was constructed for anticipation of elastomers behavior based on experimental research data. In addition, a linear model was made, based on the measured and literature data, for assessing the effect of radiation and deformation on properties of elastomer specimens. The Normalized Roth Mean Square Error (NRMSE) and the Roth Mean Square Error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the results of the Fuzzy model

THE IMPLEMETATION OF CLOUD COMPUTING IN SHIPPING COMPANIES

New information technologies are progressively being used to increase the efficiency, security and reliability of maritime processes and to reduce the costs of their execution. The latest technology that has come into wide use in maritime organizations, especially on board ships and in shipping companies is cloud computing. For the above mentioned reasons, more and more shipping companies use the services provided by this technology. Cloud computing enables optimized utilization of information resources, ultimately reducing the costs for shipping companies and giving operators the possibility to render services at lower prices and an ensured level of quality. This paper provides for an overview of the cloud computing technology and its application in business processes on board ships and in shipping companies

NEXT GENERATION CONTROL ARCHITECTURES

Sadašnji sustavi upravljanja, uključujući i one na “pametnim brodovima” najčešće operateru daju veliku količinu informacija putem senzora i općenito zahtijevaju znatnu ručnu manipulaciju u slučaju neispravnosti sustava. S druge strane stalno se zahtijeva smanjivanje broja članova posade tako da se projektanti sustava upravljanja suočavaju s projektom robusnog sustava upravljanja koji će se moći nadograđivati i koji će imati mogućnosti održavanja od strane srednje sposobnog prosječnog mornara. Istraživanja sugeriraju da se ovi izazovi mogu postići korištenjem troslojne upravljačko-nadzorne (TUN) arhitekture. Na osnovnoj razini je izvedbeni dio koji je odgovoran za izvođenje upravljačkih zadataka i sadrži razne autonomne podsustave. Na srednjoj razini donose se taktičke odluke i koordinacija autonomnih podsustava i ova razina je zadužena za implementaciju upravljačkih scenarija. Na gornjoj razini imamo razinu planiranja i donošenja odluka, kako dodjeljivati resurse, prioritete i zadatke, odnosno kako određivati slijed izvođenja upravljačkog scenarija. TUN arhitektura se može ostvariti pobolj¬šanjem karakteristika sustava koji su sada na raspolaganju i koji imaju mogućnost izravnog adresiranje bilo koje komponente sustava, osjetnika ili aktuatora iz bilo kojeg mjesta na brodu. Ovo će omogućiti samorekonfiguraciju sustava nakon greške ili u slučaju oštećenja dijela sustava. Budući potpuno integrirani sustavi upravljanja i nadzora imat će visoku razinu distribuiranosti kombiniranu s novim upravljačkim algoritmima koji su sposobni obavljati inteligentnu obradu u odsutnosti dijela informacija. Nadalje, pristup otvorene konstrukcije dozvolit će da se koristi oprema od drugog dobavljača gdje je potrebno primijeniti standard otvorne konstrukcije, sa svrhom da se tako smanje efekti zastarijevanja. Općenito, tehnologija za postizanje naprednog potpuno integriranog sustava upravljanja i nadzora je na raspolaganju u današnje vrijeme.Current generation control systems, including those aboard the “Smart Ships”, place an ever-increasing amount of sensory information in front of the operator, and generally require sharply increased manning in case of control system malfunctions. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for reduction of the number of crewmembers on board a ship. The control system designer faces the challenge of designing a robust and increasingly autonomous automation system that is scalable and affordable. Research suggests these challenges will be met by three - tiered control architecture – a strategic layer that focuses on setting resource goals and priorities for machinery systems based on the ship’s current mission. This will enhance the features of currently available systems by allowing direct addressing of any system component, sensor or actuator from anywhere in a vessel. This permits a system self-reconfiguration on failure or in case of damages to the segments of the system. Future full integrated control and monitoring systems (FICMS) will be distributed systems that combine control and information functions under the umbrella of one overall management system. An open architecture with backward and forward compatibility provides improved through life support and reduces the risk of obsolescence. Generally, the technology to achieve the vision of an advanced FICMS is available today

THE INFLUENCE OF DIAGNOSTICS ON THE RELIABILITY AND SAFETY OF THE CONTROL EQUIPMENT

U ovome radu analizira se utjecaj dijagnostike i redundancije za poboljšanje pouzdanosti i sigurnosti upravljačkih uređaja na brodskim električnim strojevima. Pri projektiranju upravljačkog uređaja važni zahtjevi su sigurnost, pouzdanost i raspoloživost sustava. Ako sustav nema ugrađenu dijagnostiku i redundanciju svaki kvar može dovesti do smanjivanja sigurnosti sustava. Analiziraju se koncepcije samodijagnostike i dijagnostike, mogućnosti primjene samodijagnostike i dijagnostike na različite strukture sistema, te utjecaj na pouzdanost i sigurnost sistema upravljanja, a time i na pouzdanost i sigurnost brodskog elektroenergetskog sistema u cjelini. Problem se analizira s dva aspekta. Prvo, koriste se kombinirane tehnike modeliranja za procjenu poboljšanja pouzdanosti i sigurnosti kada se uključuje redundancija u sustav. Drugo, koristi se Markovljev model u istraživanju sigurnosnog aspekta određene arhitekture za projektiranje redundantnog dijagnostičkog sustava. Na taj način vrši se vrednovanje mogućih rješenja kojima se brodska elektroenergetska postrojenja mogu voditi uz znatno povoljniju bezotkaznost (toleriranje grešaka), i analizira se utjecaj kvalitete dijagnostike na ta rješenja.The paper aims at analyzing the influence of diagnostics and redundancy on the improvement of reliability and safety of the control equipment of the ship electrical engines. Safety, reliability and availability of the system are important requirements when designing the control equipment. If diagnostics and redundancy are not built in the system, any engine failure may lead to a gradual decrease of the system safety. The conception of self diagnostics and diagnostics, possibilities of its application on different system structures, as well as its influence on the reliability and safety of the control system, and consequently on the overall ship’s electric power plant reliability and safety are analyzed. The analysis is carried out from two aspects: first, we have used the combined modelling techniques to estimate the improvement of reliability and safety when redundancy is included in the system; and, secondly, we have used the Markov’s model to research into the safety aspect of two architectures for the design of a redundant diagnostic system. The procedure enables the evaluation of potential solutions by means of which the ship’s electric power plant can operate with more suitable fault tolerance. The influence of the quality of diagnostics on these solutions has been also analyzed

THE INFLUENCE OF DIAGNOSTICS ON THE RELIABILITY AND SAFETY OF THE CONTROL EQUIPMENT

U ovome radu analizira se utjecaj dijagnostike i redundancije za poboljšanje pouzdanosti i sigurnosti upravljačkih uređaja na brodskim električnim strojevima. Pri projektiranju upravljačkog uređaja važni zahtjevi su sigurnost, pouzdanost i raspoloživost sustava. Ako sustav nema ugrađenu dijagnostiku i redundanciju svaki kvar može dovesti do smanjivanja sigurnosti sustava. Analiziraju se koncepcije samodijagnostike i dijagnostike, mogućnosti primjene samodijagnostike i dijagnostike na različite strukture sistema, te utjecaj na pouzdanost i sigurnost sistema upravljanja, a time i na pouzdanost i sigurnost brodskog elektroenergetskog sistema u cjelini. Problem se analizira s dva aspekta. Prvo, koriste se kombinirane tehnike modeliranja za procjenu poboljšanja pouzdanosti i sigurnosti kada se uključuje redundancija u sustav. Drugo, koristi se Markovljev model u istraživanju sigurnosnog aspekta određene arhitekture za projektiranje redundantnog dijagnostičkog sustava. Na taj način vrši se vrednovanje mogućih rješenja kojima se brodska elektroenergetska postrojenja mogu voditi uz znatno povoljniju bezotkaznost (toleriranje grešaka), i analizira se utjecaj kvalitete dijagnostike na ta rješenja.The paper aims at analyzing the influence of diagnostics and redundancy on the improvement of reliability and safety of the control equipment of the ship electrical engines. Safety, reliability and availability of the system are important requirements when designing the control equipment. If diagnostics and redundancy are not built in the system, any engine failure may lead to a gradual decrease of the system safety. The conception of self diagnostics and diagnostics, possibilities of its application on different system structures, as well as its influence on the reliability and safety of the control system, and consequently on the overall ship’s electric power plant reliability and safety are analyzed. The analysis is carried out from two aspects: first, we have used the combined modelling techniques to estimate the improvement of reliability and safety when redundancy is included in the system; and, secondly, we have used the Markov’s model to research into the safety aspect of two architectures for the design of a redundant diagnostic system. The procedure enables the evaluation of potential solutions by means of which the ship’s electric power plant can operate with more suitable fault tolerance. The influence of the quality of diagnostics on these solutions has been also analyzed

Application of New Techniques and Information Technology for Early Fire Detection on Ships

Damages and losses caused by fire on ships, in the last decade, have accelerated the development of new techniques, technologies and innovation, in order to increase the safety and reliability of the fire detection system. At the same time, by increasing the demand for enhanced technology for early fire detection and its prevention, advanced detection systems are being developed, whose control algorithms have the task of intelligently processing and distinguishing the real smoke or flames signals from the false ones, or real alert from the false one. By using the service that new technology provides, ship owner aims to better protect the crew, ship’s inventory, and to reduce the potential costs, that may occur due to accidents caused by fire. With an overview of the latest techniques and technologies for early fire detection on ships, this paper presents improvement of characteristics of the new systems and components of detection systems, and their abilities, benefits, and applications are being analysed

ANALYSIS OF LAND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WITH EMPHASIS ON POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN THE MARITIME VHF BAND

Uslijed porasta broja korisnika i intenzivnog korištenja frekvencijskog VHF područja javila se potreba za povećanjem njegova kapaciteta. Također, javljaju se i potrebe za novim vrstama usluga, kao što je prijenos podataka, što postojeći analogni sustavi ne mogu uspješno podržati. Stoga su u ovome radu analizirana obilježja relevantnih kopnenih digitalnih komunikacijskih sustava s ciljem utvrđivanja mogućnosti primjene u pomorstvu. Ključni parametri prema kojima je provedena analiza odabrani su na temelju pretpostavke o važnosti istovremenog postojanja analognog i digitalnog načina rada na susjednim kanalima i mogućnosti postepenog uvođenja novog sustava. Analogni način rada potreban je za obavljanje komunikacija pogibelji, hitnosti i sigurnosti zbog njegove robusnosti i rasprostranjenosti. Za moguću primjenu u pomorskom VHF području predloženi su oni sustavi koji postižu visoku spektralnu učinkovitost i koji se uklapaju u postojeće komunikacijske kanale, čime bi se olakšalo njihovo uvođenje.Due to the increase in the number of users and the intensive usage of maritime VHF band, there has been a need to increase the system capacity. Moreover, there is a need for new types of services, such as data transmission, which cannot be supported efficiently by the existing analog systems. Therefore, in this paper the characteristics of relevant land digital communication systems have been analyzed with the aim of identifying possibilities of maritime applications. The key parameters, under which the analysis was conducted, were selected on the basis of the assumption on the importance of coexistence of analog and digital modes of operation on adjacent channels and the possibility for gradual introduction of a new system. The analog mode of operation should be maintained to perform the distress, urgency and safety communications due to its robustness and distribution/prevalence. The systems that achieve high spectral efficiency and fit into the existing communication channels, which would facilitate their introduction, are proposed for the possible application in the maritime VHF band