HSMS (HULL STRESS MONITORING SYSTEM)

Recently, the concern in the safe operation of ships has increased with respect to the safety and the life of ships and the prevention of marine pollution at the sea.

The frequent loss of bulk carriers and tankers during the late 1980’s have brought about taking of strategic steps to improve the safety of such ship.

Under the circumstances of these heavy losses, the IMO (International Maritime Organization) approved the recommendation for fitting the hull stress monitoring systems for the improvement of the safety of ships of 20,000 dwt and above, carrying dry cargo in bulk.

HSMS has been developed for maximum efficiency of vessel operation and safety and provides the real-time information to the ship's master on the ship during navigating, loading and unloading operation, and also provides an alarm indication as necessary, indicating excessive stress on the hull.

BENEFITS

· Prolonged vessel life by reductions of structural damages and fatigue cracking
· Early warning to avoid non-recoverable structural damage
· Cost reduction for repair and maintenance
· Improvement in ship scheduling and optimization of voyage times
· Reduced insurance premiums during vessel’s entire life time

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

HSMS is a sophisticated tool that provides the ship's master with the real-time information on the status of the ship's structure during cargo operation in harbour as well as during voyage.

The system monitors the stresses at four locations using specially designed strain gauges, and a bow acceleration and bow slamming pressure. In addition, the information on the navigational condition and environments are provided from the GPS, and a wind indicator etc.

This monitored information is displayed on computer screen. Also, the appropriate alarm signs are provided when the hull conditions exceed the prescribed criteria.