Chinese smart ship earns LR cyber notations

Great Intelligence vessel is a modified version of the Green Dolphin fuel-efficient bulk carrier concept

DECEMBER 8, 2017 — China’s first smart ship, the 38,000 dwt bulker Great Intelligence, has received cyber-enabled ship (CES) descriptive notes from classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR).

The vessel is a modified version of the Green Dolphin fuel-efficient bulk carrier concept.

Designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) and built at CSSC’s Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard Co., Ltd (GWS), Great Intelligence is China’s pilot smart ship project. Along with LR, System Engineering research Institute (SERI) and China Class Society (CCS) were also involved in this project.

LR’s latest CES descriptive notes will be assigned to the project and the latest requirements are applied to this ship. The vessel achieved LR’s CES descriptive notes – Cyber AL2 Safe (Navigation, Propulsion, Steering), Cyber AL2 Maintain (M/E, A/E, Boiler, Shaft) and Cyber AL2 Perform (Energy Management).

Factory acceptance and sea trial tests for the Great Intelligence’s smart system took place last month and LR is satisfied that the smart system meets requirements.

The following functions are included within the smart system onboard the Great Intelligence:

Ship Operation and Maintenance System (SOMS) Health Management – The SOMS Health Management System monitors the ship’s main equipment operational parameters. This information can then be used to support decisions on the actions to be taken.

Ship Operation and Maintenance System (SOMS) Energy Efficiency Management – The SOMS Energy Efficiency Management System provides energy efficiency monitoring, analytics and optimization (for example energy consumption during the voyage, voyage parameters and ship condition for energy optimization), energy efficiency historical data analysis, energy efficiency management (for example fuel and emissions control) and decision-making support.

Ship Operation and Maintenance System (SOMS) Intelligent Integration Platform – The Intelligent Integration Platform (IIP) is the core of the smart ship intelligence, integrating the data from the Energy efficiency management system and the Health management system. This platform provides the functions of data management, analysis and forecasting. The IIP integrates data from the different systems to provide end-user support.

Intelligent Navigation System – The Intelligent Navigation System is intended to augment existing vessel’s systems and not to replace or impact existing vessel safety systems. Data from ship and shore-based service stations is collected and analysed against baseline ship’s route information in order to identify opportunities for route optimization, for example the alteration of the ship’s route to avoid adverse meteorological conditions, such as crossing typhoon; or the modification of the route to avoid identified obstacles. The Intelligent Navigation System also provides smart functions such as ship route optimization to reach the destination in shortest time, with minimal fuel consumption, with the most comfortable or most economic voyage. It should be noted that actions taken in response to any information provided by the Intelligent Navigation System shall be by human.