The green wave: Sustainable into the future
The maritime industry faces numerous challenges, such as environmental regulations, emission controls or the protection of the marine environment. Compliance with environmental regulations requires careful planning and implementation of environmental protection measures. The transition to sustainable and smart shipping is being driven by the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) 2050 Net-Zero GHG Initiative.
B&R is a leader in automation for the maritime industry and views ships as a grouping of machines with automation, control and monitoring being the core technologies. In particular, strong growth of electric marine propulsion in the small and mid-size vessel market requires integrated solutions, and B&R offers modularity, scalability and connectivity for this area.
Hybrid/electric propulsion
Hybrid and electric propulsion systems are helping to steer the maritime industry towards a more sustainable future by reducing environmental impact, increasing efficiency and driving innovation. B&R offers control and automation systems for hybrid and all-electric marine propulsion with a wide range of PLC, PC and HMI products. Most products have been certified by leading classification societies.
Energy efficiency and CO2 emissions
By integrating electric motors, ships can improve their energy efficiency by optimizing energy consumption and reducing energy loss. Hybrid drives use a combination of different energy sources to optimize operation and extend range. In order to achieve climate targets such as the IMO 2050 Net-Zero GHG, all opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions must be utilized.
Integrated automation systems
Integrated automation systems offer a number of benefits, including increased efficiency, more precise control and monitoring and a reduction in the need for human intervention. With the increasing complexity of ship systems and the need for efficiency and safety, the demand for integrated automation in ship operations is expected to continue to grow.
B&R as driver for green transformation in the maritime industry
Marine engine control
In the maritime industry, the engine control system plays a crucial role by controlling and monitoring marine engines. These systems are responsible for precise control of various engine parameters to ensure the optimal performance, efficiency and safety of ship operations. B&R's control systems enable controlling and monitoring of engines in real time to ensure optimal performance and efficiency. This includes controlling engine speed, fuel injection, valve timing and other key parameters. By using B&R technologies, ship operators can lower operating costs, reduce environmental impact and increase the reliability of their engines.
Alternative marine fuel
Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS) and Low-flashpoint Fuel Supply System (LFSS) are systems that supply ships with alternative fuel gas. These systems can include different types of fuel gases such as LNG (liquefied natural gas), ammonia, methanol or hydrogen. Through integration and connectivity of the systems, B&R contributes to seamless fuel gas and marine engine control by ensuring easy networking with other systems on board. This includes integrating FGSS/LFSS into the automation system as well as integrating monitoring and diagnostic systems. In addition, B&R supplies robust and scalable hardware such as safe I/O modules, controllers and safe drive technology that meet the highest safety standards.
Marine cyber security
Marine cyber security refers to the security measures implemented in the maritime industry to protect operation technology systems, networks and data from cyber threats. This includes ships, maritime communication systems, automation systems and other computer-based digitally networked equipment. Secure automation solutions with integrated security functions from B&R have been specially developed for use in demanding industrial environments. Certified hardware components can help improve the security of marine systems and equipment by supporting secure communication protocols, access controls and encryption technologies.
Emission control
The reduction of SOx and NOx emissions is of great importance in the maritime industry. Compliance with emission regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) therefore requires the use of technologies such as SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). As a solution provider, B&R supplies a wide range of I/O modules that can be used to collect and monitor sensor data and process parameters related to the SCR system. These modules enable real-time data to be recorded and forwarded to the control systems. This significantly improves the efficiency, maintainability and safety of the systems on board.
Smart shipyard
In the maritime world, a "smart shipyard" refers to a modern and technologically advanced shipyard that utilizes digital solutions and automation technologies to make shipbuilding and maintenance processes more efficient and environmentally friendly. By using B&R's solutions for factory automation and edge-control technology, shipyards can operate safely with less personnel while improving the precision of manufacturing. This enables efficient and high-quality production of ship structures and marine equipment. In addition, B&R offers industrial communication solutions that enable networking of various devices and systems in a smart shipyard, such as Ethernet-based network solutions, fieldbuses and other communication technologies.
Connectivity, modularity and certification are key factors in the maritime industry
Why are class certificates important for maritime applications?
Why are class certificates important for maritime applications?
In the maritime industry, classification certificates are crucial to ensure that standards and regulations are transparent and accessible to all stakeholders. This certifies qualification to fulfill the technical standards required by various players in the maritime industry, including ship operators, manufacturers, regulatory authorities and financial companies.
B&R strives to obtain type approval certificates from the leading classification societies for important standard products.
- Safety: Certifications ensure that ships and maritime facilities meet certain safety standards. These include accident prevention measures, fire safety, rescue equipment, stability, structural integrity and much more. Compliance with these standards is crucial for the safety of crew, passengers, cargo and the environment.
- Compliance with regulations: Certifications are often required by law and help ship operators ensure compliance with national and international rules and regulations. These include International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations, flag state regulations, classification society requirements and other industry-specific standards.
- Reputation and competitiveness: Certifications can also help to strengthen a ship operator's reputation and improve its competitiveness in the market. Customers, shippers and charterers often prefer certified vessels as they have confidence in their safety and environmental performance.
Connectivity for third-party systems - What does B&R offer?
Connectivity for third-party systems - What does B&R offer?
Connectivity secures the future! It offers the opportunity to work with familiar tools, allows systems to communicate with other external systems without effort and saves valuable time by using existing software for specific parts of solutions. B&R offers openness at all levels and in all products.
- Simulation – MATLAB, MapleSim, Modelica, Catia, WinMOD
- ECAD systems – round-trip engineering with EPLAN Electric P8
- Seamlessly integrated – IEC 61131, C, C++, CFC
- PLCopen – safety technology, OPC UA
- openSAFETY – fieldbus-independent safety protocol
- Operating systems – Linux, Windows, VX Works
- IoT / control system / SCADA – OPC UA, web server, HTTP(s) client, TLS, html5, CSS, Javascript
- Remote control technology – IEC 60870-5-101, -104 IEC 61850, IEC 61400-25
- General fieldbuses – CANopen, POWERLINK, Modbus, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP, PROFIBUS, Profinet
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