Automatic Control System of a Supply Vessel from the Bridge to the Main Engine

List items 1-5 are simply monitoring functions, achievable using transmitters and remote read-outs. Automation involves using comparison and actuation devices to maintain or adjust those parameters without the intervention of a human.

Cooling water temperature is largely a function of the water temperature in which the vessel finds itself, varying from just below zero near the polar ice to the high 30s degC in the tropics and the Mediterranean Sea.

Most modern cruise vessels can navigate themselves automatically to any destination on the planet to within 4m, thanks to the plethora of automation on board and the global positioning systems now available. Now that's pretty impressive.

Industrial control is taught as an optional specialism in (usually) the third year of a degree course in Chemical Engineering, among many other places.

http://www.mtu-online.com/produ/prodelec/prodelecmari/prodelecmarimoni/

Oh I get it! You want us to do your friend's school work for him. How do you or he expect to LEARN anything if you get us to do the work.

You have 4 temperature readings and one speed reading! Look up temperature transducers. #1 and #2 are both is a similar low range. Exhaust gas temps is much higher. Key word here is pyrometer. Look up how to read high temps. (Hint: google for a company called Omega) Study their catalog and their tech notes on how to convert analog readings. That will also get you started on remote data display.

While you are at it, study what OMEGA has to offer for remote data logging. That should give you a clue to how the analog data is processed and sent up to the bridge.

As for engine speed. Think tachometer. Repeat the above steps for RPM gauges. Some other company offes such meters and also remote read outs. Again you need to convert analog data to digital format and then send to a remote display.

Over heating of main engine: Think about it! which element is going to be most critical? WHY?? What sort of temperature might that imvolve? Why is that point in the engine so critical? If you realize it is not easy to measure temps at that point, can you measure some other point and relate that temp to the critical part. How would you correlate the correspondence between the two locations. Is there a themal lag from point A to point B. Does it matter much?

As for importance of controls: What would happen if you didn't have it. Would you need a person as back up if the automation fails? If you can't get a back up person how would you create a secondary control loop. (called feed-back)

As to the "effective use of automatic controls" ask yourself what constitutes "effective"? Is it low cost, or foolproof response no matter what? Can you live with some imperfection? How much imperfection? And if you can live with imperfection why bother with automatic controls in the first place?

If you had a million dollars to spend on the system, it shouldn't be a problem. But you don't so how can you get the desired result for much less? (Hint) think data bus and multiplexing of data. Imagine how many wires would be needed running a long distance from engine room to bridge. Why is that bad? or is it?

Go back to the catalog tech notes. Suppose you have to move a lever to reduce a temperature. How would you move it using electrons? Or would something else be a better way? Pneumatics or hydraulics? Does it matter if you move it all the way or must it be moved only a short controlled distance? Why?

Sorry kid, but you are not going to learn anything if people hand you the solution on a silver platter. I was doing this kind of study when I was 16 in middle school. We didn't have the internet. Computers was barely invented back then and one little 8 bit computer took up a whole building. I think it was the Univac mark 2

But I was actually designing automation systems for factory production lines by the time I was 25. Now I'm a marine electrical design consultant and reaching retirement age. If you are going to cheat and take the easy way out; then look up systems like nView's SIMON or else find out how programmable logic Controllers work. Allan Bradley has some neat stuff. I taught myself how to program ladder logic for them in about 2 weeks. Seen a few on board ships.

Tell your friend that if he can master the above suggestions, then he stands a good chance of actually becoming a good automation engineer designer. But if he waits for links and prepared answer complete with line diagrams he will be just another wannabee.

Good luck!

That's a good answer elnav. If you don't work, you don't learn and once you are at sea there is no one else to hold your hand or to blame.

The links and suggestions that have been given are first rate. The only thing that I could add would be to visit to a few boats and ships to look at what they have installed and talk to the engineers. See how well it works in practice and what they would prefer.

It would also be worth asking them what is the worst engineering design feature that they have on their boat and what they have to put the majority of their time into maintaining.

BAB.

Being a school assignment there may not be any time to do the field work. However it is an excellent suggestion. I remember riding a bulker up the St. Lawrence system where half the automation equipment had stopped functioning. It was so sophisticated that no one understood it well enough to fix what was wrong. The original distributor who installed the equipment had gone out of business and the German parent company did not have anyone available to send and do a repair. It would be cheaper to install new equipment.

You are right about the time constraints, but it is still a good exercise for any young marine engineer to visit other boats and chat to other engineers about what is good and what is bad.

A case of I will show you mine if you show me yours.

Some of the best stories I have ever heard have come from engineers explaining the genealogy of the designer of their engine room or what the Captain expects of them. (The Captain's parent's marital status is known absolutely.)

BAB.

MOST DEFINITELY. But isn't that what the practicum is for?

In canada we also have Colleges and even some university engineering courses done as co-operative work / study courses. In other words their semesters in class alternate with work semesters in their related fields. The Waterloo Engineering course was one of the first to do so. I had the pleasure of working with one of these students at one company.

Its my impression Practicum is European teminology.

We have a cadet engineer scheme that is similar.

BAB

blueaussieboy why did you not help me discribe this your cardet scheme that you said is similar or help me in any other way please.

Gee - how much more help do you need? Or are you still expecting us to do the school work for you? you have been told where to find the systems, the measuring methods and even some product brand names.

What exactly are your expectations? Since you have already stated this is a school project why is your instructor not guiding you?

Are you asking what is automation?

Guest in reply #3 gave you a link to MTU which shows you software complete with single line diagrams. Which is what you asked for. PW slack told you exactly what automation was about.

I gave you the name (OMEGA) of a company that make pressure and temp sensors to do exactly what you asked for. In addition that company includes in their catalog a number of technical descriptions of data collection ( first part of automation).

Several companies that make PLC have useful user guides to show how their product is used to implement automated responses to specfic input or data conditions. Thre are too many companies to name all. Allan Bradley is my favourite but I will bet other list members wil give other brand names as their favourites.

What part of the answers do you find difficulty with?

elnav the omega link is ok but since they used a language different from English i couldn't read some of the things on the sight. thank you for the attention you gave to me. i want you to tell me the relationship of the dead-weight with this topic because one of the member of the club also asked me this question when i sent him a mail based on this topic. the person i question is from Panama. he posted the question in the education section with the topic "automatic control system of a marine engine from the bridge to the engine room".

Omega offers several languages. You have to select it from the tool bar at top of their website. Three versions of English, French German as well as Chinese plus a couple of others is available.

So why are you all of a sudden changing the thread topic. And what's with this "club"? Why are you forwarding this discussion thread instead of them looking at it themselves as registered subscribers.

"deadweight" is a nautical term used to define ship size but has no specific or direct relationship to automation. Sounds more like another school homework question. Why are you not more forth coming with us and telling us exactly what you are doing?

It sounds to me like your instructor has now asked you to define some level of automation in terms of class size of specified ship. That is something defined either by IMO or by class rules. Each country having its own set of standards.

DNV for example once formulated a standard for a one man bridge and there is also a minimum manning level standard being formulated by IMO. Both these standards require some level of automation. Since control of the engine and rudder becomes a safety issue, it now falls under the section of IMO standards dealing with safety and redundancy of equipment. Have a look at the SOLAS regs to see what part is relevant.

I don't know if you are just too lazy to look it up yourself in your school's technical reference library or if you really don't understand the subject. If you really do no tunderstand the subject, you probably should not be in that course. Getting someone else to do your homework for you is not going to teach you anything

Have you determined the power requirements of the main drive engine(s) yet? If so have you determined an engine manufacturer yet?

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The same questions I posed last thread still apply. The engine manufacturer has done your homework for you already. Did you try the MTU site?