FLAGSHIP iCAS calms emergency warnings
FLAGSHIP, the Pan-European maritime transport project part funded by the EU, has successfully developed software that enables comprehensive suppression of audible warnings.
This is in order to avoid large cascades of alarms on the bridge and in the engine room.
Called iCAS (intelligent Central Alarm System), the system is designed to provide a precise overview of the situation on board as it develops while freeing up staff to address the situation and follow the vessel’s routines without disturbance.
This element of the FLAGSHIP project included both a theoretical analysis and a practical exercise in the development of a new integrated alarm system complete with display. Proven methodology from the offshore industry was used to create an alarm shelving and grouping function. The resulting system was used in a simulation of a real incident on an LNG tanker, where a full blackout generated many thousand alarms over a few minutes and more thousands during the next few days.
The system focuses on alarm grouping in order to give overview and criticality and also uses temporary shelving of spurious alarms to allow much reduced disturbance and more focused operations on board. Tests were made with experienced bridge officers and the system was very well received.
Herman de Meester, coordinator of Flagship commented, “FLAGSHIP has pursued the twin objectives of reducing still further both risk and the environmental impact of the world’s commercial fleet whilst generating the opportunity for real commercial benefits. FLAGSHIP-iCAS is a further example of the maritime industry collaborating to improve performance and efficiency in everyone’s best interest”.
The FLAGSHIP iCAS project was led by Kongsberg Maritime AS in Norway and was supported, delivered and trialed in conjunction with MARINTEK, Teekay and Autronica also of Norway, and ASME and Minoan of Greece.
FLAGSHIP is consortium of more than 40 European maritime organisations taking part in a part EU-funded project the focus of which is on improving safety, environmental friendliness and competitiveness of European maritime transport. The project was designed to further increase the capacity and reliability of freight and passenger services and to further reduce the impact from accidents and emissions.
