NYK and DNV GL in engine data pilot

The two companies, with the support of engine designer MAN Diesel & Turbo, have using DNV GL’s big data platform Veracity to store engine sensor data from four NYK ships over the past 18 months. The data will be used for vessel performance analysis as well as for a condition-based maintenance and survey scheme.

The partners are currently in the second phase of a three-part programme. Under the first phase, completed last year, the project concept was defined. In the second stage the big data platform and content are being tested in key areas including data quality, security and access. In the third phase, the companies will explore ways to use the data in more detail.

Hideyuki Ando, senior general manager, NYK Line, outlined the safety focus of the operator’s data projects. In one example, the company is working with a Japanese shipyard and propeller manufacturer to explore the impact of water flow into propeller blades. NYK Line is storing the data and will decide how it is shared at a later stage, said Hideyuki.

Trond Hodne, sales and marketing director, DNV GL, explained that the companies have already created a data quality dashboard, allowing NYK to see the overview of six quality indicators – including accuracy and completeness. The ship owner can then drill down into each of those factors to the individual sensor level.

“This project will also help us learn how to change in response to digitalisation,” he said. “We call it ‘sensor-based’ class and this pilot is helping us to develop the future of classification.”

As part of the project, a digital twin of the pilot vessels will be created linking sensor signals from equipment onboard. Machine learning algorithms will be used to assess data quality.