A new type of vessel performance monitoring system tested by Norden

[Etienne Gernez]

The actual systems are all based on regression models which are later on calibrated to the monitored ship using full scale measurements.
This new system called Greensteam from Decision3 is working the other way round.
1/ 3 months full scale measurements campaign: rudder, wind direction and force, trim, fuel consumption and shaft torque, wave height and direction (radar) are measured. Daily reports sent to Decision3.
2/ building a model using Neuronal Networks:
Neuronal Networks model the way the human brain is working, using artificial neurones. The complex interactions between all the measured parameters are progressively "understood" by the neuronal networks in order to build a model of the vessel performance. At the end of the process, the system can rank the significance of the various inputs in any given condition.

I think this is very interesting and needs to pay attention, at least to understand how it works!

This technique has been applied already for the optimization of auto pilots.
A link on Neuronal Networks to model the ship performance:
http://library.witpress.com/pages/PaperInfo.asp?PaperID=10376
A link on Decision3 and Norden:
http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/norden-trialling-new-monitoring-techniques/1224514683375.htm;jsessionid=D5F3ACC83F633CA808182D0D27894F7F

[Kristinn A. Aspelund]

Using models for improving operation is indeed very interesting approach for improving operation of energy systems. We at Marorka have been using models for onboard decision support for a long time now in many different ships of different types with good results. We have also been working on different research projects in modeling for more than a decade and have been experimenting with black boxes, white boxes and then combination in the form of gray boxes. A paper on gray box modeling can be found on ScienceDirect. This paper shows how this works in theory, and then you have to add several years of practical work to find make this work in practice.