Smart Marine Technology

  • Uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), automated vessels, maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), remote controlled vessels, and the employment of artificial intelligence and smart marine technology to navigate and operate civilian and military vessels have created a lively debate over utilizing and regulating such technology. Recent articles addressing artificial intelligence (AI) have questioned the value of experience and intuition versus computed logic based upon data and logarithmic differentiations. What would have happened to flight 1549 if Captain Sully had not used his experience and the plane had been guided purely by AI?

    In the 1950s, the authors Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury pondered AI. Bradbury, in The Martian Chronicles, described a planet where daily life continued without humans in an AI world. Asimov, in iRobot, confronted the problems and challenges of creating robots to perform dangerous tasks while safely interacting with humans. What, then, are the role and future of USV and MASS? Technology is not new in assisting humans. Artificial intelligence in completely supplanting human judgment is new. However, we are not there, yet.

    What is an “autonomous vessel”? 1 U.S.C. 3 describes vessels as “anything that floats.” Autonomous can mean “on its own” or “semi-autonomous” with assistance. This includes everything from drones to vessels with autopilot and critical warning systems. We are an automated society seeking to fully automate vessels, while maintaining ultimate control and determining how to regulate fully automated and/or remote-controlled vessels. Regulatory change and guidelines are being discussed.

    Military applications are here
    Autonomous vessels are in use by various militaries. On May 25, 2023, the Israeli Aerospace Industries launched The Blue Whale, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). It will be used for naval intelligence and to identify the presence of mines at sea.

    Australia has recently announced that it has budgeted $700 million in high-tech naval sea mines and other smart weapons at sea.

    For years, the U.S. Navy has been testing drone vessels under its drone boat evaluation program, Ghost Fleet Overlord. The U.S. Navy is focusing on autonomous vessels for use above and below the surface. In February 2023, the USNS. Apalachicola was delivered measuring 337 feet in length with autonomous capabilities to transport troops and to serve as a platform for Osprey aircraft. It can operate autonomously for up to 30 days at sea.

    All naval nations have and/or are developing drones and automated vessels. How will the development of AUV and military MASS affect the traditional rules of engagement? On the military side, there is little public discussion. On the commercial side of the development of USV and MASS, the scoping process is well underway.

    Commercial use in development
    Commercially, automated vessels, fully automated vessels, and remote-controlled vessels are in development. Yahoo Finance reported that in 2022 there was an investment of $3.9 billion in the autonomous ship business. The projected investment by 2030 is $8.2 billion. The emergence of USV and MASS challenges the concepts of marine insurance, limitation of liability statutes, and the Rules of the Road. In March 2023, the USCG released its Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan (USSP) to implement a risk-based approach to develop manning expertise and to collaborate internationally to apply lessons learned. A Maritime Workforce Guidebook was recently introduced during the 2023 Singapore Maritime Week to recognize maritime job redesign to account for the changing needs of automated and remote-controlled vessels.

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed a multinational working group to address safety, legal, and port issues affecting MASS. The IMO has already engaged in scoping exercises to consider how COLREGs may be adapted to MASS. In April, the Joint Working Group met in London. They considered the continuing need for a human Master either onboard or at a remote operations center (ROC). Among continuing discussion is how to license and certify an ROC as Master. Their next meeting is in September, and will include a discussion of port operations.

    Every nation is racing toward the world of autonomous shipping. Autonomous shipping is no longer a fictional topic, but a reality. As with any change in technology, the goals are safety and efficiency. The challenge is adapting existing maritime principles where relevant and mutually recognizing and agreeing on new laws and regulations.

    As a maritime society, we have progressed from sails to engines, from sextants to satellites, and from parallel rulers to GPS networks setting courses. As technology has advanced, the maritime industry has collaborated and met the challenges of a continuously evolving technological world. The future is here and more is yet to come.

  • MR Feb-24#48 Index page MR Feb2024:MN INDEX PAGE  2/8/2024  11:05 AM)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 48

    Index page MR Feb2024:MN INDEX PAGE 2/8/2024 11:05 AM Page 1 ANCHORS & CHAINS MILITARY SONAR SYSTEMS tel:+44 (0) 1752 723330, [email protected] , www.siliconsensing.com Anchor Marine & Supply, INC., 6545 Lindbergh Houston, Massa Products Corporation, 280 Lincoln Street, SONAR TRANSDUCERS

  • MR Feb-24#46 MARKETPLACE
Professional)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 46

    MARKETPLACE Professional www.MaritimeProfessional.com GILBERT ASSOCIATES, INC.GILBERT ASSOCIATES, INC. Naval Architects and Marine Engineers SHIP DESIGN & ENGINEERING SERVICES )NNOVATION

  • MR Feb-24#44 Tech Files
Latest Products & Technologies
MarineShaft)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 44

    Tech Files Latest Products & Technologies MarineShaft Yanmar Hydrogen MarineShaft specializes in urgent re- Fuel Cell AIP pair/replacement of damaged rudder and Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. propeller equipment along with many (Yanmar PT), a subsidiary of Yanmar on-site repair services. MarineShaft

  • MR Feb-24#42 OPINION: The Final Word
GAO: USCG Should Address 
Workforce)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 42

    OPINION: The Final Word GAO: USCG Should Address Workforce Recruitment and Retention Challenges By Heather MacLeod, Director, GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team he Coast Guard has strug- Coast Guard established cyberspace as vessels to determine whether they meet gled for years to recruit an

  • MR Feb-24#40 Images Seaspan Corporation/Foreship
With plans to have a)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 40

    Images Seaspan Corporation/Foreship With plans to have a full-scale test engine running on am- age it'll be similar to LNG.” Looking at the engine makers and monia in early 2024, the company said it expects to hold its de- their progress, Brindley is diplomatic in saying that there is no livery timeline

  • MR Feb-24#39 15,000 TEU AMMONIA CONTAINERSHIP
000 TEU Containership
the)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 39

    15,000 TEU AMMONIA CONTAINERSHIP 000 TEU Containership the problematic area of adding carbon like you have with other alternative fu- “Safety has been at the els. When you start to add components center of the design, and into that, carbon is one of the most dif- it will continue to be so ? cult ones

  • MR Feb-24#37 PTI/PTO
"In a typical LNG carrier, permanent 
magnet)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 37

    PTI/PTO "In a typical LNG carrier, permanent magnet technology improves ef? ciency by 2-4% compared to synchronous machines." – Dr. Jussi Puranen, Head of Product Line, Electric Machines, at Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch The Switch’s shaft generators start from <1MW and range up to 12MW+.

  • MR Feb-24#36 HYBRID 
2-stroke controllable pitch 
propeller PTO powertrai)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 36

    HYBRID 2-stroke controllable pitch propeller PTO powertrain Source: MAN Energy Solutions how the system is intended to operate, says Oskar Levander, VP Strategy & Business Development, Kongsberg Maritime. For example, a primary shaft-driven PTO rotates whenever the engine is running; a secondary one

  • MR Feb-24#35 PTI/PTO
30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 35

    PTI/PTO 30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability kept container ships sailing at top speed. That purpose gone, PTI/PTO is making a new comeback in more cargo shipping segments, this time for reducing emissions. By Wendy Laursen etro? tting a shaft generator is not an insigni? - the ef? ciency

  • MR Feb-24#33 EAL  AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES
STACKING 
not forget any oil)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 33

    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES STACKING not forget any oil leak, big or small, can be catastrophic to the marine environment and marine life, with some EALs found to THE DECKS be only slightly less damaging than the phased-out traditional WITH BEST-IN-CLASS MARINE oils,” said VP of Business Development

  • MR Feb-24#32 REPAIR
Photo Courtesy Marine and Industrial Transmissions
in)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 32

    REPAIR Photo Courtesy Marine and Industrial Transmissions ings to optimize load distribution. A large number of the incidents analyzed by Gard were attributed to ghost ? shing gear that enter the stern tube seal area causing seawater to contaminate the lubrication oil. A 2022 study by CSIRO scientists

  • MR Feb-24#31 EAL  AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES
“Our recommendations 
“A good)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 31

    EAL AND STERN TUBE DAMAGES “Our recommendations “A good bearing are simple. Please design is have good control over important.” your oil quality in the primary barrier, the aft – Øystein Åsheim Alnes sealing system,” Head of section for Propulsion and Steering, – Arun Sethumadhavan DNV

  • MR Feb-24#30 REPAIR
Photo courtesy Marine and Industrial Transmissions
ST)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 30

    REPAIR Photo courtesy Marine and Industrial Transmissions STERN TUBE DAMAGE DECLINING? It might be easy to blame EALs, but the ongoing causes of stern tube damage are varied, and possibly declining. By Wendy Laursen nvironmentally Acceptable lubricants (EALs) gained market traction with the introduction

  • MR Feb-24#29  guidance to  we can make the smart capital invest-
sen Group)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 29

    not going to do that uniform, consistent regulation so that As a part of the Wallenius Wilhelm- alone. We need clear policy guidance to we can make the smart capital invest- sen Group ASA, ARC is able to tap a guide our strategic decisions, whether ments and decisions to continue to shipping, port and

  • MR Feb-24#27 AMERICAN ROLL-ON ROLL-OFF CARRIER (ARC)
“MSP really only)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 27

    AMERICAN ROLL-ON ROLL-OFF CARRIER (ARC) “MSP really only works when it’s hand in glove with the cargo preference laws. Those are the laws that generate the cargo that moves on US ? ag vessels. Really, it’s cargo – those preference cargoes – that’s the key incentive for US ? ag operators in internatio

  • MR Feb-24#25 MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 25

    MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY POWER SYSTEMS, WABTEC fuel blends up to 100% are in operation maintenance intervals to make sure that What’s the biggest challenge today, running on both biodiesel and re- our engines don’t have to be touched in your job? newable diesel blends.

  • MR Feb-24#24 R&D
marinized version of the V228 product from 8 to 16)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 24

    R&D marinized version of the V228 product from 8 to 16 cylinders. through improved lifecycle cost, trade-offs, it also allows us That engine is called the V228 for the bore size in millimeters. to do concurrent design and reliability demonstrations. We’re With the advent of emissions regulations for EPA

  • MR Feb-24#23 MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 23

    MATTHEW HART, MANAGER & PLATFORM LEADER, MARINE & STATIONARY POWER SYSTEMS, WABTEC “Wabtec achieved Tier 4 NOx and PM without the use of aftertreatment, which sets our product apart from the competition in unlocking logistical ? exibility and life-cycle cost savings for the owner.” Photo Wabtec Matthew

  • MR Feb-24#22 R&D
MATT HART 
Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 22

    R&D MATT HART Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader, Marine & Stationary Power Systems, Wabtec, offers insights on how the megatrends of decarbonization, energy transition and autonomy all inspire Image courtesy Wabtec and impact the marine power solutions from Wabtec. By Greg Trauthwein Matt, to start

  • MR Feb-24#20 MARKETS
FPSO technology dominates the region’s FPS demand.)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 20

    MARKETS FPSO technology dominates the region’s FPS demand. duction and storage of low and zero emission energy carriers, In all, 18 countries in West and East Africa are expected such as methanol and ammonia. One exciting development to receive new FPSOs, FLNGs and FPUs between 2024 and leverages

  • MR Feb-24#17 METHANOL STORAGE
provals from other classi?  cation)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 17

    METHANOL STORAGE provals from other classi? cation societies are ongoing, said Lilp, – including accommodation.” although he acknowledges that journey from AiP to full class ap- As of September 2023, methanol had been speci? ed for 216 proval is substantive. In an area where the regulations underlying

  • MR Feb-24#16 THE PATH TO ZERO
Methanol’s Superstorage Solution  
Technica)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 16

    THE PATH TO ZERO Methanol’s Superstorage Solution Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions

  • MR Feb-24#14 The Path to Zero – Sponsored
EverClean
The always clean)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 14

    The Path to Zero – Sponsored EverClean The always clean performance solution • • • • Save fuel Reduce carbon Minimize downtime Maintain biosecurity Improve performance T e Four E’s of Marine Sustainability: EverClean’s Solution to Biofouling t is a new year, but the age-old problem of biofouling per-

  • MR Feb-24#13 motion, strikes, riots, and looting, is a new top ?  ve)
    February 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 13

    motion, strikes, riots, and looting, is a new top ? ve risk for the marine and shipping industry this year at 23%. Businesses and their supply chains face considerable geo- political risks with war in Ukraine, con? ict in the Middle East, and ongoing tensions around the world. Political risk in 2023