Page 39: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2002)

Marine Electronics j Integrated Bridge Systems

Integrated Bridge Allows Cutting Edge Design

The integrated bridge system concept has steadily gained speed over the last decade, as much the result as a market driven phenomena with owners and regu- lators demanding safe, efficient and labor-saving bridge design, as the result of the tremendous level of consolidation among marine electronics and software providers. Because of its diversity of vessel builders and owners spread around the world, it is foolhardy to believe that the marine business will, in this genera- tion, approach the standardization inherent in the air- line industry, for example. However, a number of high- profile accidents and navigation mishaps, combined with owners that increasingly demand more efficiency from less crew, has helped to advance the IBS concept very rapidly.

STN Atlas Marine Electronics recently received orders worth $10 million from South Korean yards for 23 NACOS integrated navigation command systems incorporating Atlas Radarpilot 1000 radars, ECDIS and other proprietary sensors. Worldwide sales of sys- tems for installation aboard commercial vessels and new-generation cruise liners as well as retrofits now exceed 700 configurations. The new commissionings include 35-4 systems for a series of LNG carriers and oil tankers being built by Daewoo on behalf of Exmar,

Golar LNG and Chandris for delivery in 2002-3; the systems will form part of Atlas Ship Control Centers (SCCOs) also featuring integrated bridge automation and communication functions. Similar 35-4 assemblies have also been commissioned for installation aboard 13 container and crude oil tanker newbuildings under construction by Hyundai Heavy Industries for delivery to Costamare Shipping, MSC Mediterranean Shipping and the National Iranian Tanker Co. Meanwhile, four new 50,800 gt container vessels ordered by NSB from

Hanjin's Busan yard for completion in 2003 are to be equipped with NACOS 55-4 systems which additional- ly feature Atlas Multipilot multi-functional navigation workstations combining ARPA, ECDIS, conning and steering control functions.

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) reported recent success in selling its Bridgeline, Inte- grated Navigation System in Korea, as the system is to be fitted to seven of the new LNG tankers, with options for further deliveries in the future. The orders have been placed by the three major Korean shipyards;

Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo for tanker operators;

Shell Tankers (U.K.); BP Amoco (U.K.); ALSOC (Australia); Bergesen (Norway); Osprey x 2 (Singa- pore); and SK Shipping (Korea).

KMSS will provide Radar/ARPA, ECDIS- electronic chart display system, MBB- voyage data recorder,

UAIS- universal automatic identification system with full integration of the navigation instruments.

The Bridgeline assembly will be carried out in Korea.

In addition to these key LNG tanker orders, KMSS also received contracts for BridgeLine to two other large

LPG tankers from Hyundai, to be operated by CMM (Greece) in addition to two shuttle tankers from Sam- sung for Interocean Ugland Management.

Ever the innovator, Kelvin Hughes Ltd. introduced its new bridge design concept at the recent Europort 2001 exhibition in Amsterdam. "The new bridge sys- tem represents a radical departure for Kelvin Hughes and for the shipping industry," said Ron Nailer, man- aging director. A radical departure from traditional bridge design, the new Kelvin Hughes offering employs only flat panel displays and a new, complete- ly independent control unit. Patent is pending.

The new unit effectively ditches the preconceived "T" bridge design, as operators can now move freely between displays and controls. A pair of high chairs at either side of the control unit enable operators to have a maximum head-height vision while using ergopods to control displays. Five 23-in. flat screen panel

KHOR (Kelvin Hughes Optimum Resources) 2300 displays are aesthetically placed on a base console.

The new layout is deigned to make maneuvering around the bridge easier for operators and to signifi- cantly improve access to displays and controls.

Kelvin Hughes recently was the recipient of a major contract to have its fully integrated bridge system installed onboard the new flagship Queen Mary 2, a record-setting ship that was a hotly contested refer- ence. Measuring more than 1,131 ft. (345 m) the ship will be the largest passenger liner ever built, and is due to be launched in 2003 from the Alstom-owned

Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France.

Transas launched two new products of its own in

Amsterdam, the Navi-Radar and Navi-Conning prod- ucts. The company, which is a confirmed leader in the production and delivery of advanced, integrated bridge concepts, shares its vision of the future of the integrat- ed bridge in an article by Andrey Vorobiev, manager of the Navigation Product Unit, starting on page 41 of this edition. Transas' Navi-Radar is an advanced sys- tem combining a variety of functions, including video signal processing, displaying radar and auxiliary infor- mation, ARPA tasks, displaying SENC data, the con- trol of radar operations, interfacing with external sys- tems and documenting information.

Navi-Conning presents information from a variety of external sensors on a single display. The standard panel layout of Navi-Conning permits indicators for such vital systems and parameters as wind, depth, anchor, navigational lights; course, speed ai d rudder state; route, time, position, rpm and engines.

Furuno's integrated bridge system is dubbed voyager,

Kelvin Hughes has been a true innovator in advanced IBS design, leading the way with the inclusion of flat screen tech- nology. Transas new pedestal mount

The Haustrum, an H-class product tanker to be fitted with a Kelvin Hughes

Nucleaus 3 radar ship set. 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News