VDR made simple

Apart from recording less data items and a reduced final recording medium, there are few major differences between “simplified” Voyage Data Recorders and “full” Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs). Simplified VDRs, however, are intended to be less expensive, easier to fit but still offer the same level of functionality. So, what of the requirement for the simplified version and its intrinsic value?

Simplified VDR performance standards are due for adoption next month and come on the back of regulations for the general carriage of VDRs and simplified VDRs. Under SOLAS regulation V/20, passenger and other ships of 3000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after 1 July 2002 must carry VDRs to assist in accident investigations. A further proposed draft regulation would phase in the same requirement for cargo ships over 20,000 gross tonnage first, possibly by 2007, to be followed by cargo ships above 3,000 gross tonnage, possibly by 2008.

A recent feasibility study carried out by IMO correspondence group, the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV), also recommended the mandatory carriage of a simplified version of VDRs on existing cargo ships to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). Draft performance standards for simplified VDRs have now been agreed (subject to comments by the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications, Search and Rescue) and these will be put before the MSC for adoption in May 2004.

In reviewing performance standards for simplified VDRs, the COMSAR Sub-Committee discussed the possibility of using the EPIRB required by SOLAS chapter IV for the simplified VDR capsule. The Sub-Committee recommended that EPIRBs and float-free simplified VDR capsules including locating device should be considered as separate devices with differing requirements, though the requirements for simplified VDR capsules may include reference to EPIRB Performance Standards and Test Standards where appropriate. This removes any need to revise existing beacon standards and thus minimizes delay in bringing simplified VDRs into service.

Difference

The Motor Ship asked a number of those developing simplified VDR what they had to say about the technology.

“Essentially the only difference between a full VDR and a simplified VDR is interfaces and a choice of reduced specification Final Recording Medium (FRM),” says Ian Bowles, Director Sales and Marketing, Rutter Technologies. “Our IMO compliant full VDR is the same as our simplified VDR but without interfaces, and until there is an approved reduced specification FRM, the full specification FRM is suitable. However, until formal adoption, there is no performance standard to which a simplified VDR can be tested.” He says that the next generation VDR-100G2 offered by Rutter Technologies is designed to comply with any future regulation.

Bowles also points out the important differences in interface requirements between different vessel categories and that the majority of retrofit experience has been on passenger vessels. “A passenger vessel has numerous additional requirements that need to be recorded such as fire doors (as many as 200+), watertight doors, hull openings, other bridge alarms, multiple engines, propellers, azipods, rudders, bow & stern thrusters and manoeuvring consoles on the bridge wings,” he says. “They differ significantly to those of an average cargo vessel with just 1 engine, 1 rudder and usually a bow thruster.”

He explains that in manufacturing its own low-cost type approved interfaces, interfacing to those equally important parameters in most cargo vessel installations will not significantly increase the cost of a Simplified VDR.

The simplified 100G2 model is an extension of the VDR 100 series offered by Hamburg-based SAM Electronics. It is a modular, robust system that is said to simplify cabling as well as general maintenance and serviceability. On why there is a need for simplified VDR technology, SAM Electronics? David Goodfellow says: “There is a perceived requirement for lower-cost units.”

He points out that the first consideration in reducing cost is with data items to be recorded. “If there is no serial signal in the correct format, then items need not be recorded. So, no extra interface is required. The second consideration concerns relaxing of Final Recording Medium specifications such as that for a fixed version there is a reduced requirement for certain survivability criteria and for a float-free version, it is more in line with current GMDSS EPIRB specifications.”

Cost

Greg Woodward of Marconi Selenia Marine, a Marconi Selenia Communications company, which offers the VER3000 ? the world?s first type approved VDR developed by VDR pioneer Broadgate ? agrees that the primary requirement for simplified VDR is down to cost. “It was thought that interfacing with all the data signals onboard existing non-passenger vessels would be prohibitively expensive and technically very difficult. Consequently, the majority of data signals recorded by full VDRs are omitted from the simplified VDR specification (no interfaces are required). Also, costs have been further reduced by removing the penetration test from the type approval process (environmental testing on the protective capsule).” He adds that each manufacturer?s simplified VDR and VDR is expected to be similar in design, though the former will omit some of the more sophisticated requirements of the latter. He also says that demand is likely to be centred on reliable low-cost solutions, with more forward thinking shipowners concerned with value added services such as comprehensive playback facilities.

So what does the future hold for simplified VDR technology?

Woodward says: “As marine technology advances and costs fall, there will undoubtedly be a wider application for VDRs as they become cheaper and easier to install. However, IMO have no plans to further extend simplified VDR legislation after the proposed carriage requirements for existing cargo vessels.”

Bowles thinks the industry is likely to make the most of the technology that is currently available. “For example,” he says, “we are just in the process of introducing our next generation VDR that has more advantageous features compared to the current six-year old model, including reduced size, cost & installation time, and improved optional data recording capabilities that make the VDR a more valuable tool.”

For his part, Goodfellow adds: “It should be borne in mind that the most cost-intensive part of any VDR is the interfacing. Significant cost reductions will only be possible by using combined sensor sources – if this can be authorised by IMO and classification societies.” He goes on to say that against this background, there is a tendency by various classification societies to require interfacing of individual sensors – which has the effect of significantly increasing total costs of a VDR installation, since additional converters and interfaces are generally required for older-type sensors.

Newbuildings

“Equally, cabling costs are seldom considered in the case of newbuildings because such costs are absorbed by yards as part of total vessel costs.” he says. “Conversely, for retrofits, all cabling is generally carried out by the VDR supplier and charged for accordingly (as much as, say, 25% of the actual selling price). This said, SAM Electronics foresees a drop in sales prices compared with the last two years, due mainly to improved hard and software enhancements. But because of the earlier-mentioned high retrofit costs, SAM Electronics has hitherto tended to focus its VDR activities on the newbuilding market.”

Expanding on their particular involvement with VDR and simplified VDR, those that spoke to The Motor Ship went on to explain their work in more detail. Woodward says that the VER technology offered by Marconi Selenia Marine is the subject of continuing development for both the VDR and simplified VDR markets. “VER3000 was the first type approved VDR to be awarded the EU Wheelmark and is our third generation VER. Its notable benefits include excellent build quality, reliability and ease of installation, interfacing and maintenance. The standard equipment includes advanced and versatile playback software. This can be run from a basic desktop or laptop PC and has been proven to assist in the investigation of many incidents,” he explains.

On the simplified 100G2 model of the VDR 100 series from SAM Electronics, Goodfellow says that capabilities include up to 185 days of continuous NMEA data recording, automatic data archiving, recording of four displays as well as presentation of them in real-time. “Other main features,” he adds, “include provisions for remote monitoring in addition to audio and radio recording. There is also a facility for immediate high quality video and audio playback for both shipborne and shore use. NMEA data is also available for output to electronic charts, Ecdis or a simulator. Data can also be downloaded to a PC.”

On Rutter Technologies? work in the field of VDR, Bowles says: “On our reference list of over 400 vessels many of the systems installed have additional features such as extending recording and additional inputs (second radar/VHF, ECDIS and on board communications, for example), Graphic Analysis and remote access via satellite.

These features provide the owner/operator with an excellent day-to-day management tool, although passenger ship operators have been keener to embrace these options as they clearly see the advantages. For the general cargo ship operator they tend to have a greater priority on minimum IMO compliance, although we remain convinced that once they start to use the VDR and see it’s benefits, they will be more and more inclined to look further at the possibilities open to them.”

Further developments of the Maritime Black Box

Targeted at newbuildings, Kongsberg Maritime has recently further developed its Maritime Black Box Voyage Data Recorder as an integrated application in its DataChief C20 marine automation system.

Usually regarded as a navigational product, VDR is supplied as a standalone unit or as part of the bridge equipment. However, in view of the number of tags (IMO required Ship parameters) to be interfaced to the VDR, Kongsberg Maritime has taken the logical step of making the VDR part of the automation system. Together with the fact that there are more non-navigational tags than navigational tags, it therefore makes more sense to regard VDR as automation-related rather than navigational.

Integrating the VDR into the automation system, Kongsberg has lessened the complexity of the integration work. Less equipment, cabling and man-hours are required during installation and the cost savings are passed onto the shipyards and ultimately ship owners.

Kongsberg Maritime Automation has also developed a reduced version of the Maritime Black Box, which is designed to meet the new simplified VDR requirement.

The VDR ideal

Transas supplies “out-of-house” VDR technology as part of a navigating bridge order and will soon develop its own solution. The man responsible for this area ? Head of Integrated Navigation Systems division, Vladislav Andreev ? expresses his opinions on both regulatory requirements and what constitutes the “ideal” VDR.

He says that the existing standard on the requirement of radar data recording is les than perfect. “While the radar picture shows what the operator saw on the screen, it does not detect certain changes in the operator?s settings (eg, Gain, Rain Sea, etc,). Grabbing an image is easy but the ideal solution would be if the radar supplier also supplements the playback facility to the ARPA. This would enable the VDR to record the digital radar output in “native” format and considerably improves VDR capability in the investigation process following an incident. As well as supporting the development of new requirements for this technology, Andreev also outlines what he believes constitutes the “ideal” VDR ? as both mandatory navigation equipment and a commercial product:

l With output to the display, the VDR could easily replace commonly used “Conning Display” software (if the latter is not used for the remote control of any ship’s equipment). This would be an “IBS in line ” solution.

l The VDR has a voice and VHF recording module. The mandatory recording is ensured to the FRM only. Continuous recording onto other removable media should be optional.

l The interface with Radar and ECDIS/ECS (optionally) is designed to enable the digital radar information to be recorded through the radar manufacturer’s SDK.

l The VDR has floating FRM.

l The VDR system allows all the data to be “dropped” onto a CD/DVD from both FRM or base media (HDD). This would allow full voyage data recorded by the VDR to be archived and stored.

l The VDR is connected to the “ship-to-shore? communication facility to provide the required data on demand

l All other existing standard requirements for VDRs would obviously have to be met.