Optimum speed profile for each voyage
The optimum speed assistant (OSA) is an onboard decision support tool that has been developed to enable a ship’s crew to attain the optimum speed profile for each voyage, allowing vessels to maintain a constant performance and arrive into ports just in time.
The software, which builds on Eniram’s existing Dynamic Trimming Assistant, combines real-time information about prevailing sea conditions with historical data, allowing operators to sail constantly at the optimum speed profile. This reduces the need for a crew to build in ‘buffer’ time and vary engine speed to ensure on-time arrival in port, a practice that Eniram said is not fuel-efficient.
Calculations are served up to the crew via an easy-to-use dashboard and colour-coded ‘traffic light’ system. This coordinates all of the information in one place, in a form that can be readily interpreted without the need for any manual input.
Eniram said it had developed and tested the OSA in close cooperation with its cruise customers. It draws on data collected from 100 vessels; 200 billion signals were collected and analysed from over 60,000 sea days. This demonstrated the potential for a 2% saving by adjusting speed alone; by adding propulsion and trim adjustments, operators can expect to achieve annual fuel-related savings of 3%.
