Start-up air compressors are a critical component on board large ships. Thanks to the efforts of a Datawerf expert, Deno Compressors has made the monitoring and control of their start-air compressor digital in a way that fits well into the shipboard network.
“Monitoring and controlling the compressors we supply to ships we make digital. Thanks to the help of Datawerf, we now do that in a way that matches the data protocols of the other installations on board.” Deno Compressors’ Project Manager & Mechanical Design Engineer Enzo Legierse explains how the expert who came to advise on that digitization allowed Deno to take a broader view of how the company can properly align with customer needs across the maritime industry.
Integration with on-board systems
“In the process of choosing the right hardware and software for that digital control, we got help from expert Mariano Otheguy. We worked intensively together and he did a very good job. Thanks to him, we took a much more comprehensive approach to digitalization.”
The expert was able to be engaged through Datawerf, Digitalzh’s marine industry division. He came to think and develop with Deno compressors for six weeks during the pilot phase of the project. Legierse: “We have frequent and frequent contact with industry organization NMT (Netherlands Maritime Technology); that’s how we heard about Datawerf. Since we had already started developing digital monitoring ourselves, we thought that it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have an expert look along to assess whether we were on the right track with our choice of a PLC (programmable logic controller). That’s why we initially thought it would be a short process. But the expert taught us to look at our project with completely different eyes. Thanks to his advice, we started to develop the digital monitoring and control in such a way that it was in line with the data protocols used on board by the system integrators. As a result, the data from our compressors can also be read on the onboard integrated system screens. This will allow us to meet the needs of our customers much better.”
Crucial
Deno Compressors develops and builds start-air & work-air compressors for use in the maritime industry. The work-air compressors were already equipped with digital monitoring, but the start-air compressors were not yet. These are crucial aboard large ships. The engines of large ships are huge, with piston diameters of 50 centimeters or more. When such an engine is started, it is not done with an electric starter motor. Because of the size of such an engine, that would require a lot of battery capacity. Therefore, the pistons are first set in motion with compressed air, 30 to 40 bar air pressure. After the initial movement of the pistons, the fuel takes over.
“In the future, it will be mandatory to provide data from all systems on board,” Legierse explains the need for digitization. “In addition, collecting data gives us the advantage that we can quickly see if and when maintenance has been performed on the compressor. The digital monitoring system also signals to the crew when it is time for maintenance. A well-maintained compressor can easily last 30 years. Inadequate maintenance can cause problems and shorten the lifespan.” Deno Compressors’ customers are shipyards, shipowners and ship suppliers.
“By using Mariano Otheguy, we can better serve the maritime sector. We came out of our narrow perspective to digitize the compressors with a proprietary system. Now we make them so that they are integrated into the ship system. That’s a big advantage for the shipyards and the companies that build the systems in.”