Raytheon Anschütz introduces new Intelligent Bridge System

2010-06-17

In navigation, greater efficiency, ease of operation and economical ship operation are more important than ever before. These demands are fulfilled when all necessary functions can be integrated intelligently and flexibly into one bridge system. Raytheon Anschütz is therefore bringing a new, more intelligent generation of an Integrated Bridge System on the market. A new integration platform and intelligent multifunction displays increase both ease of operation and the degree of integration on the bridge.

Today multifunction displays already combine the nautical functions of Radar, Chart Radar, ECDIS and Conning on one workstation. All functions use uniform operator interfaces; change-over of color palettes and dimming of all screens on the bridge can be carried out centrally from every multifunction display.

For the new bridge, Raytheon Anschütz has now developed a modern integration platform which further improves both the nautical and the economical operation of the ship through intelligent integration of functions. The new platform makes possible not only the integration of additional applications such as automation data indication, CCTV, DP system or load- and ballast calculator, but also the full scalability and future expandability of the bridge system. Intelligent multifunction displays provide the ship’s command with the optimal nautical task at the right time as well as other ship control functions, at any desired workplace.

With the integration platform Raytheon Anschütz can offer solutions incorporating equipment from the most varied partners flexibly and with a high degree of integration. The use of standardized hardware and software simplifies the design of individual bridge systems and reduces the costs of installation and spare parts logistics. Based on this concept, modular system solutions are possible, from the tanker or containership, the offshore supply ship and the mega yacht on up to the aircraft carrier and cruise ship.

Operating safety is considerably increased by a newly developed distribution of the navigation data and system configuration within the bridge system. The new "Consistent Common Reference System" (CCRS) continuously monitors the sensor data available on board with regard to validity, consistency and accuracy and rates the data with a quality indicator. From this information a set of the best sensor data is compiled, which is then distributed in the Integrated Bridge. In addition, the new "Health Monitoring" system checks the status of each individual console and regulates, if necessary, take-over of the navigational task at another workplace on the Integrated Bridge or restarting of the console itself. In this way the highest possible availability of data and functions is guaranteed on the bridge.

In order to counteract the high stress on board, Raytheon Anschütz has outfitted the Integrated Bridge with an intelligent Alarm Management system. Under the auspices of a German research project a concept was advanced which is based on the classification of alarms with respect to their relevance in the whole system. This study was further refined, optimized and now forms the core of an intelligent Alarm Management system in the new bridge generation.

On the basis of the system configuration and the status of the attached sensors, the system checks whether the error of an individual sensor is sufficiently critical to set off an alarm, or whether the error only needs to be indicated to the watch officer for information. The ship’s command is thus relieved by having fewer blinking displays or continuous beeping to attend to and concentration on really important alarms is increased.

Raytheon Anschütz integrates the operator interface of the Alarm Management in the new and expanded Conning. It can be operated from any workplace using the multifunction displays. The Conning also provides the operator interface for the new CCRS and shows the quality of the sensors as well as the active set of sensor data. Alternatively to automatic sensor selection, manual sensor selection remains possible to enable the navigator to choose the sensors himself. The central presentation of the alarms, the sensor quality and having all navigation data available on every multifunction display make the Integrated Navigation easy to see at a glance and simplify operation and monitoring.

The new bridge system builds on the proven product line of Anschütz BridgeControl®. Besides the intelligent multifunction displays, which are expanded by additional functions for Radar and ECDIS, a new bus control and the new adaptive Trackpilot NP5000 belong to the new generation. Raytheon Anschütz thus presents a concept which combines the know-how from a broad palette of individual navigation products in one cohesively developed bridge system. Raytheon Anschütz will introduce the new generation of the Integrated Bridge to the public for the first time at the SMM 2010 in Hamburg.

Picture: The Intelligent Bridge System features a newly developed Bridge Integration Platform and uses standardised hardware and software

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