Feature 2 | GERMANY Catching the wind


German maritime kite manufacturer SkySails has taken it product development a step further by introducing its Skysails Performance Monitor as a standalone product


waves, wind and load. As these conditions change dynamically during sailing, fi nding the optimal settings for operational parameters such as speed and trim without a proper tool is a fairly complex task for captains and fl eet owners. “When we developed the kite we


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realised that you need information about the waves, ship motion, etc. We developed a programme that could take this data and helped optimise the vessels’ performance along with the kite,” says Stefan Wrage, managing director, SkySails. “T e development of a separate performance monitoring product came as a natural step forward.” The performance monitoring tool


constantly collects data about the operating conditions and analyses this information in real-time in order to deliver a meaningful description of the reality, making transparent the interrelations between the various factors that determine which settings are optimal for operating a vessel.


vessel’s fuel consumption and profi tability heavily depends on operating conditions such as


By providing real-time onboard and


onshore data and decision support the performance monitor off ers the ease of use required to improve a ship’s operational effi ciency and also substantially reduces both fuel consumption and emissions, says SkySails. The performance monitor displays


relevant data for operational optimisation on the bridge, which includes recommendations about the optimal ship speed based on ambient conditions and economic data such as fuel price and charter rate. T e master can also read off the display; the most profitable speed (highest time charter equivalent), the most economical speed (lowest fuel use per nautical mile) and the ETA speed (optimal ship speed for just-in-time arrival). T e monitor shows real-time display of the ship’s resistance curve (fuel consumption over speed) and information for empirical trim optimisation. Data required for preparing position


and voyage reports is compiled and communicated to shore automatically by the performance monitor. Using the performance monitor as a centralised reporting tool, the crew has to enter much less information. “T e information that is provided tells you what you need to know, from this the ships master can optimise the performance of the vessel,” says Wrage. “T e interface has been developed with the masters of SkySails customers.” Additional recordings can be added


as an option for any existing or future equipment


such as rudder position,


torque, data from the main engine and generators, ballast water treatment systems and fuel switches. All data is displayed onboard and automatically sent to shore on demand or in regular intervals and is included in respective reports. “A year’s average savings is around 10-15%, on a medium sized ship we


The Skysails Performance Monitor 94


Stefan Wrage, managing director of Skysails


expect around 10%, but for larger vessels this could be around 4% as the larger a vessel gets the less effi cient in waves it becomes. We have conducted a study of a 90m vessel that made a saving of 300kg per day of energy, with a base line of 6tonnes”, says Wrage. The performance monitor provides


vessel performance data analysis as a report after every voyage, including benchmarking and display of key performance indicators and increasing transparency for complete operational overview. Position and voyage report data is imported automatically into existing report formats hence reducing workload onshore. The data provided by the SkySails


Performance Monitor creates the basis for joint decision making between ship management, chartering, operations and the crew onboard, allowing for operational optimisation such as improved voyage planning. Voyage instructions can be sent onboard via the performance monitor. By including economic data into its analysis the performance monitor provides


The Naval Architect September 2012


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