SDES

PINFABB  FUEL SAVING APPLICATION

 

SDES, MINI-SDES  systems

DYNAMIC TRIM OPTIMIZER

 

TARGET of the mission:

with the oil prices growing more and more, ship owners and ship operators are more and more interested in the saving of fuel consumption.

Between all the fuel saving practices, the optimization of dynamic trim must be highly considered due to its low cost, and, thanks to system as SDES, one of the more efficient and operative in the short terms.

Optimization of Dynamic Trim consists in the optimization of the angular position of the ship undersea,  made through the movement of ballast water, increasing stern draft  or bow draft of the ship.

 A non-optimal trim, also few  centimeters far away from the optimal dynamic trim, can afford a considerable waste of energy, resulting in a consequently more consumption of fuel respect the vessel performance.  The below example, obtained on a 39000T vessel equipped with SDES, explain very well how a little adjustment can bring concrete results: 

	Power  (kW)	Trim  (mm)	Speed  (kn)
Non-Optimal TRIM	25300	+0,168	18,3
Optimal Trim	24550	-0,028	19,9

 Optimum Dynamic Trim changes  in relation to  the dynamic conditions of vessel (i.e. power, speed, drafts, displacement, …) and of external factors (i.e. wind, sea conditions, etc..), moreover, as experienced by our tests, dynamic trim can be more than 0.57 meter different from the static trim measured in port.

For this reasons to determine the real-time dynamic trim and optimal trim for every conditions is quite an impossible task without a specific tool.

 SOLUTION:

SDES (Ship Dynamic Efficiency System) produced by PINFABB srl., not only is an electronic equipment capable to determine the dynamic trim, but, thanks to its technology can determine with empirically and with accuracy the real OPTIMUM DYNAMIC TRIM.

Methods to calculate optimum dynamic trim are multiple: as tank tests, simulation , mathematic calculations,… that sometimes can mean high costs, or long projecting time and moreover, they cannot always take in consideration all the variables that really a vessel can find when at sea. For this reason, PINFABB successfully  decides to base SDES on an artificial intelligence capable to understand  the vessel attitude, and so, suggest the corrective operation to perform to the officer.

In this document it’s described the Ship Dynamic Efficiency System produced by PINFABB and how it works.

 The graphic below describes the curve of specific optimum dynamic trim at each specific displacement obtained by the SDES system installed on board a RoPax vessel:

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Ship Dynamic Efficiency System (SDES©) is a new and revolutionary system, Dynamic Trim Optimization based, studied to improve the saving of fuel of any type of ship.

The main scopes of a Trim Optimization are two: 1-to improve the ship speed maintaining the same power to the axes, 2-allows a lower power to the axes maintaining the same speed. It’s calculated that this type of optimization could afford a saving of fuel up to 5%.

 

The main information given by SDES is the Optimal Trim Indication “OTRIM”: this is the ideal trim that should be adopted to the ship to improve the hydrodynamic of the vessel undersea, and so improve the fuel saving during the navigation, it’s calculated by the SDES algorithm. The assigned officer then could improve the ship performance, adopting, in accord with the ship safety/stability, the optimum trim suggested. Operator can immediately and intuitively observe if the trim and the different conditions imposed to the vessel are optimizing ship performance due to the color indication of the vessel                (green=optimizing, red=degrading). Moreover the Dynamic Trim goodness is intuitively indicated by a traffic light coloration.

 

In other pages, Operator can also monitor the status of singular engine power and the calculated fuel (tons/h) consummate, and, in the same moment, he can monitor the situation of ship performance shown by the Performance graphic.

PERFORMANCE GRAPHIC

The performance graphic© is a special feature of SDES, very useful for the operator to simply have under eye the real time performance of the ship: with the possibility to interlay the diagram of power, speed, trim.  It is clearly visible how  the best ship performance can be reached.

 

INSTALLATION AND WORKING OF SDES

 

INSTALLATION

SDES system includes one main processor, one touch screen monitor, one draft sensor, one trim sensor and an optional trim sensor that it’s useful to calculate the hull deflection of the vessel at sea.

SDES processor, draft sensor and trim sensor will be easy installed in the wheelhouse without the needing of big carpentry works, SDES monitor can be installed in wheelhouse, in cargo room or in both.

SDES is able to be connected and record the following equipment signals: GPS, SPEEDLOG,ECHOSOUNDER, WIND SENSOR, ENGINE DATA (analogue or NMEA),..

 

 

WORKING 

The system of determination of real time dynamic trim of the vessel is based on the interlay of the two sensors used to determine ship position at sea and ship angle position. 

Then, to determine the dynamic optimum trim, as previously described, PINFABB adopted a revolutionary system, based on the artificial intelligence of SDES. 

SDES functioning is mainly based on 2 operative stage: 

1^st STAGE: LEARNING STAGE

 After the installation on board, SDES will work as a performance and conditions recorder for about 1/2 months (this period should be calculated for every ship depending on its schedule). After this period the system creates a virtual model of the vessel that is necessary for the system to start its normal work to calculate the Optimal Trim to suggest to the operator to improve the ship hydrodynamic performance.  

2^nd STAGE: OPERATIVE STAGE

 Operative stage starts suddenly after the accomplishment of the 1^st stage, since this moment SDES will ever shows the OPTIMUM DYNAMIC TRIM to adopt to have the best hydrodynamic performance of the vessel. Also with the course of the time it automatically adapts itself at any ship changes (i.e. change of operating area, hull/propeller maintenance, etc..)

The big step ahead performed by SDES in this field,  is the fact to realize a software able to use the ship as a sensor in the sea and detect all the particular moments of the vessel.

 

GRAPH FEATURES

Graph Features are useful tools for the operator, specially developed by the SDES builder. By the GRAPH page operator can have under control a total interlaced and customizable graphic, comparing: TRIM, SPEED, POWER, SHIP ROLL (optional) in a real time vision, or for the last 12h, 24h, 48h.

Moreover, operator can save interesting and main Trips of ship and record them from point A to point B. After the finish of the trip (reaching of point B) pushing a single button (“elaborate Trip”) all the interesting data and graphics of the selected trip are quickly calculated and displayed on the screen: time of start, time of stop, average speed, average power, average trim, fuel consumption per hour, total fuel consumption, average displacement, Best Performance information (where is displayed the best performance moment of the ship during the specific trip navigation).

With this features operator can have under control all the ship consumption, performance details and graphics for every specific trip he would like to save, review and analyze.

All the data relative to the saved and selected trips and also all the data in real time (average speed, power, trim, displacement, consumption fuel tons/h, total consumption, external conditions) can be  forwarded to the technical office and/or owner office in email format, simply providing an internet connection to the SDES. There are two different ways to forward this data: automatically whenever the internet connection is available, manually pushing the related button when relevant data should be provided to the company."

MINI-SDES: the revolution

   

As  the high sophisticate system of SDES needs a very accurate drafts sensor, and as PINFABB wants to give the opportunity to every of its customer to test the goodness of the SDES system, it has decided to produce an economic version of SDES with the same functionality: it's the MINI-SDES.  Its monitor communicates to the operator the real time trim, saving info data, and an intuitively traffic light graphic to determine quickly if the dynamic trim is  an optimum one.

It receives the drafts and cargo values manually by the officers at the departures from port, this avoids the use of an expensive sensor. Anyway, MINI-SDES can be upgraded in a full SDES in any time just with the purchasing of the sensor and the software upgrade.

 To receive a comprehansive SDES brochure via email please click here CONTACT US  inserting all the details as requested. 

 An useful virtual touch keyboard will appear on the display in order to insert the value.

 

On the MINI-SDES main screen it is showed:  ship position, SOG speed, underwater speed for detection of currents, wind data, engine power, dynamic trim given to the ship at the actual moment, the optimal trim that should be adopted, achievable speed and the power that, at the actual moment, could be saved trimming optimally the ship.

The friendly and intuitively graphic interface of MINI-SDES permits to everybody to have a panoramic situation of the hydrodynamic data of the vessel also with just a look. 

 

BE ON BOARD FROM YOUR DESK:  R-SDES

R-SDES (Remote SDES) is the particular function that both,  SDES and MINI-SDES, have if they will be connected to the onboard internet connection.

With a sophisticate technology, all the data relative to the ship efficiency (i.e. Fuel consumption, engine data, dynamic trim, optimum trim, speed, ship position, weather conditions,..) are stored in an ultra-slim format that is sent to the technical office via very light email, and there can be analyzed by the operators or superintendents for their purpose (i.e. Improving of vessel performance, efficiency monitoring, understanding of vessel attitude, etc..)

 

WHERE SDES / MINISDES CAN BE INSTALLED? 

Actually SDES or MINI-SDES system can be installed on every type of ships, including:

-CONTAINER VESSELS

-TANKERS

-CRUISE VESSELS

-RORO & ROPAX VESSELS

 

 To receive a comprehansive SDES brochure via email please click here CONTACT US  inserting all the details as requested. 

PINFABB srl. Stabilisers technology and fuel saving applications  HEAD OFFICE: Via Fiumara 11,24 GENOA 16149, ITALY  Tel: 0039 010 881 426 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Web: www.pinfabb.com