Focus Area: Smart Shipping
Overview
The Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 7 by MPA highlights the need for future marine fuels such as ammonia, methanol, and LNG, as well as bunkering standards and infrastructure. With the IMO's goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050, the global fleet must transition to diverse fuels and adopt novel propulsion and energy efficiency solutions. Despite the promise of GHG reduction, these alternative fuels pose risks due to toxicity and flammability. Early detection and monitoring are crucial, necessitating enhanced maritime domain awareness and integrated sensor systems with remote monitoring capabilities. How can we develop a multi-sensor kit that enhances remote environmental monitoring and maritime situational awareness?
Importance
- Detection of Leaks: Identifying fuel leaks early is critical for safety.
- Monitoring Extent: Assessing the spread and impact of leaks.
- Decision Support: Providing actionable data for maritime authorities, environmental agencies, and vessel operators.
Conventional marine environment monitoring systems lack a unified platform for data correlation and analysis. Off-the-shelf sensor kits are often standalone with limited interoperability and analytics capabilities.
Market Potential
- Applicable to all harbor craft in Singapore, with approximately 1,600 propelled units operating in 2023.
Current Efforts
- Existing integrated sensors are designed for buoy platforms rather than installation on harbor craft.
Solution Criteria
- Must be cost-effective and easy to install on harbor craft.
Potential Solutions
1. Sensor Capabilities and Accuracy:
- Wind Speed: Range 0 – 60 m/s, accuracy ± 0.3 m/s
- Wind Direction: Range 0-360°, accuracy ± 3°
- Air Temperature: Range -50 to 60°C, accuracy ± 0.3°C
- Relative Humidity: Range 0 to 100%, accuracy ± 3%
- Location Sensor: Accuracy ± 3m, not limited to GPS or GNSS
- Ammonia Gas Detector: Range 0 to 1000 ppm, accuracy ± 15 ppm
- Methane Gas Detector: Range 0-100 %LEL, accuracy ± 3 %LEL
2. Engineering Design:
- Weatherproof Housing: Minimum IP67 and above
- EMC Compliance: Designed for high compliance with Electromagnetic Compatibility specifications
- Vibration Protection: Resistant to excessive vibrations
- Corrosion Resistance: Suitable for salt-water environments
- Mounting System: Quick deployable and versatile for mounting on various surfaces (e.g., pole-mount)
- Compact Footprint: Ideally within 300 mm x 300 mm for deployment on harbor craft
3. Power Considerations:
- Power Supply: Compatible with typical shipboard/harbor craft electrical power connections
- Battery Backup: Equipped with a backup system and charging function
- Solar Integration: Solar power integration if possible
4. Telemetry and Data Integration:
- Modular Datalogger: Capable of integrating with third-party sensors (e.g., subsea and meteorological sensors) via APIs
- Sensor Interface Inputs/Outputs: Including Analog inputs (4-20 mA), Serial Digital Interface at 1200 baud (SDI12), Digital inputs/outputs, RS-232, UART, RS-422, RS-485, Modbus serial interfaces, CANbus protocol (AiCaP) using XML for plug and play capabilities, USB for local PC operations, LAN (RJ-45) for networked operations, Cellular (4G/5G) or Wi-Fi for wireless communications
- Local Display: With inbuilt status LED indicators, externally visible
- Integrated Alarms: Strobe for visual alarm and siren for audible alarm
By addressing these aspects, the multi-sensor kit will enhance the safety, monitoring, and decision-making capabilities of harbor craft, ensuring better environmental and operational management.