Page 67: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2001)

Keeping an Eye on Fuel Costs

As fuel prices will seemingly continue to rise, owner/operators will increas- ingly turn to systems such as the Digital Torque Meter to help with energy conservation. The system measures horsepower, rpm and torque on rotating shafts by using fiber optic sensors, making the system accurate and reliable.

The system is designed to be flexible, and allows for installation on shafts as small as two in. and as large as 24 in. in diameter. In upgrading the sys- tem over the years, Instruments, Computers & Controls has kept evolving customer needs as its guiding force. The standard Digital Torque Meter

System typically has a NEMA 4 enclosure up to 30 ft. from the shaft, dis- playing rpm, shaft horsepower and torque. Inputs and outputs can be con- figured to interface to other onboard instrumentation. A portable system is also available, and can be used from ship to ship. The fiber optic technolo- gy allows nearly all electronics, except for the sensor LEDs, to be housed within the NEMA 4 enclosure.

A temporary power cord is connected to the box for quick installation until permanent power can be had. The sensors typically mount across a bearing housing or mounting brackets. Once the system has been installed and ini- tially calibrated, there is no need for recalibration as the system does not drift. The customer is able to recheck calibration at any time.

Installation of the Digital Torque Meter System is performed by the cus- tomer, which helps make the unit competitively priced. While a precise, step-by-step manual allows customers to install the system without any training, the company maintains its New Hampshire facility with a simulat- ed shaft that allows customers hands-on training if required.

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Intelligent Software Agents for

Machinery Diagnostics

Companies using process control soft- ware can integrate intelligent software agents for machinery diagnostics and prognostics using MACSEA Ltd.'s DEX-

TER™ system. The artificially intelligent agents use probabilistic neural networks to detect patterns of alarm conditions associ- ated with specific machinery faults. The agents acquire real-time machinery sensor data, monitor alarms, detect trends, diag- nose equipment faults, and predict impending problems. DEXTER is designed to "plug-and-play" with existing process control software, thereby adding value to a company's automation invest- ment. Animated characters with speech synthesis and recognition capabilities appear on the user's screen whenever an agent detects a problem, no matter what other software the user happens to be run- ning at the time. Software tools are pro- vided to easily create and deploy teams of real-time agents in a distributed configura- tion across computer networks.

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Wartsila NSD: Extending the Life

Cycle of Marine Diesel Engine

Wartsila NSD, long a provider of advanced diesel engine technology, has steadily evolved through natural growth and acquisition into a whole propulsion system provider. The company, maintain- ing its high standard of research and development, has worked to steadily refine the process of monitoring and ana- lyzing propulsion system performance.

On a tanker, for example, an engine breakdown can be catastrophic. Rapid response at the first sign of trouble is the first line of defense in avoiding a potential catastrophe, not to mention major costs.

The problem today, with the considerable drawdown in the number of crew required to operate today's ships, is that qualified technicians are not always readily avail-

Damen Workboats aLTIlulO

Azimuth Stern Drive Tug 3110 :imuth Stern Drive Tug 3111

Industrieterrein AveliaaanfeWest 20 • P.O. Box 1 • 4200 AA Gorinchem/HOLLAND

Telephone: +3S llWlWte 11 • Telefax: +31 183 63 21 S9L

E-mail: [email protected] • Internet: http://www.damen.nl '..:.jajE^SSMBw1

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November, 2001 67