communications systems
Simulated motion allows antenna advances
D
enmark based Thrane & Thrane employed a completely new development strategy to produce its new Sailor 900 Ku-band very
small aperture terminal (VSAT) antenna. In 2011 the satcom antenna manufacturer built a test tower at its Copenhagen headquarters which contains the world’s first Advanced Dynamics Simulator. Housed within three storeys, underneath artificial satellite domes, the multi axis electro-hydraulic simulator allows Thrane & Thrane to simulate ship forces and significantly increase lifetime testing. According to Jens Ewerling, global VSAT business manager, “We put waterproof boxes on board ships, particularly in the North Sea where conditions can be rough, and we collected ship movement data. The sensors detected movement in every direction. We now have two years of information which we can use within the simulator.” Both satellite and TV antennas can be bolted
to the Advanced Dynamics Simulator, and sea state data is then retrieved from the system, which simulates the conditions the antenna will face. “We gain weeks and months of testing time based on real ships’ movements,” said Mr Ewerling. “It lets us identify crucial criteria for designing a robust and stable antenna system at the earliest possible stage.”
Mr Ewerling also reported that using publicly available information, the simulator can demonstrate how competitors’ antennas perform. “We can immediately see if this is different from the real requirements,” he said.
The Sailor 900 is the first to go through this
rigorous testing process. In January Thrane & Thrane signed the biggest maritime VSAT contract to supply service provider Ericsson with 290 of the 1.35m antennas. Suitable for passenger ship application, they are designed to be straightforward to install and commission. “We have reduced the planning and installation time by installing the radio frequency components and rebalancing the antenna ourselves,” said Mr Ewerling. Usually system integrators have to spend a week or two of workshop time preparing a VSAT antenna for installation. “The components are different sizes and weights, so previously the service providers had to use counterweights, which seems very old fashioned,” Mr Ewerling commented. “We do all the live factory testing now, so the antennas are ready to use when we ship them out. We have simplified the whole approach.” The concept is identical to L-band maritime broadband antennas, such as for Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband or Iridium’s OpenPort service, where the systems are ‘plug and play’.
Thrane & Thrane’s antenna testing tower in Copenhagen 48 I Passenger Ship Technology I Spring 2012
Mr Ewerling emphasised that Thrane & Thrane is the only VSAT antenna manufacturer to offer equipment servicing. It currently has 42 service centres around the world. “We have agreements with distribution and servicing companies in major ports which can go on board if maintenance is needed,” he said. “We based this on the model for our ship radios where servicing is necessary. A ship cannot leave a port without a working radio, which is why a service network must be provided.” He concluded, “We supply equipment that owners know doesn’t fail and is robust, and we are able to look after it after purchase.” PST
www.passengership.info
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