Category Archives: GDS Products
GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator (ERS) Brochure for Reading or Downloading
Read or Download GDS Engine Room Simulator (ERS) Brochure:
Read or download GDS ERS Brochure.
Effect of Weather on the Marine Propulsion Engine Performance Onboard a Ship
IMO Model Course Exercise recommends students learn the weather change effect on engine performance.
GDS Engineering R&D developed a modern Engine Room Simulator (ERS) and it is in use by various research and training institutions. GDS ERS, called SERS, includes all engine room, ship, and environmental paramaters to demonstrate the weather effect to engine performance while onboard systems are maintaining their status with the displayed parameters. This scenario study is a predefined and set in the ERS for instructors to directly apply in their STCW Management Level Exercises. Student Workbooks accomodate this exercise with specficic forms to fill by the trainees.
A Study of the Main Propulsion Engine Performance with Ship’s Draft Change
Purpose: Exercise the weather effect to engine performance using the Ship ERS. Generate a report with capturing the images using SERS GUI panels and tools provided. Note that this exercise is generated as part of the IMO Model Course 2.07 (2017 Edition) exercises. This training exercise was developed as part of the IMO STCW 2010 Management Level objectives using the Model Course 2.07 guidelines ans steps.
Note: This classroom exercise was provided in this page as an example. Click here to visit the Ship Engine Room Simulator product to read more.
Step 1: ERS is operated in Navigation Mode and Ballast Transfer System is lined up for ballast operations. Draft is Low (i.e. d=9 m.)
Step 2: ME Processes GUI Panel displays the ME Parameters while the draft is increasing. Check Figure 2 for that the the baseline (sea test) data/graphs are displayed. Being able to understand the ME performance graphs are important in this exercise.
Step 3: Ensure the control of the main engine is set to “RPM”.
Step 4: Graphs and Plots GUI Panel displays the trend data for the selected parameters. In this exercise, it is important to plot the draft and ME Power. Additionally, it is important to select the ME Power versus ME RPM in the X-Y plot area to see the ME Power change while the RPM is controlled.
Step 5: Status of the Ballast Tanks and Levels are important to observe.
Step 6: Students should be able to interpret time (trend) and X-Y graphs for this operation, as part of the MANAGEMENT LEVEL exercise objectives.
Step 7: Complete the exercise with noting the ME parameter changes.
Capture GDS Vision in the Engine Room Simulator Development
In recent years, the maritime industry has seen a significant push towards technological advancement and stricter safety and operational standards. As vessels become more sophisticated and regulations evolve, the role of well-trained onboard maritime personnel becomes increasingly essential. In this context, the SIRE 2.0 program and GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator represent pioneering tools designed to equip maritime crews with deep technical skills necessary to meet new demands and improve the safety and efficiency of maritime operations.
Understanding SIRE 2.0 and Its Impact on Maritime Training
The Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE) has long been a fundamental tool in maintaining safety and operational standards across the maritime industry, particularly for tanker operations. Launched by the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the program provides a comprehensive inspection system that evaluates the condition and operations of vessels. However, with the growing complexity of modern vessels and stricter environmental and safety regulations, the traditional SIRE program required enhancements to address these evolving needs. This led to the development of SIRE 2.0, an upgraded version that integrates data-centric inspection methodologies with a stronger focus on crew competency, operational excellence, and technical skills.
One of the key features of SIRE 2.0 is its focus on assessing the competency of crew members in handling complex equipment and operations. Rather than focusing solely on vessel condition, SIRE 2.0 evaluates the practical skills, knowledge, and decision-making abilities of onboard personnel. This ensures that crew members are not only familiar with equipment and operational standards but are also capable of responding effectively to critical situations.
The emphasis on crew competency in SIRE 2.0 aligns with the industry’s shift toward a human-centered approach in safety and operational excellence. This paradigm shift means that training programs must go beyond traditional instruction and delve into more practical, technology-driven skills, which is where simulators like the GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator come into play.
The Role of the GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator in Skill Development
The GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator is an advanced training tool that replicates the engine room environment of modern vessels, providing maritime personnel with hands-on experience in a controlled setting. This simulator covers a wide range of critical systems found in ship engine rooms, including propulsion, auxiliary machinery, electrical systems, and emergency protocols. By using the simulator, crew members can practice their skills, refine their decision-making processes, and gain confidence in handling complex systems without the risks associated with real-world errors.
The simulator allows trainees to engage in realistic scenarios, such as equipment failures, power management issues, and environmental challenges. This training is invaluable in helping them develop deep technical skills needed to respond effectively under pressure. Given the increasing complexity of ship machinery, which often integrates digital and automated controls, such simulator-based training ensures that personnel are well-prepared for both routine and emergency operations.
Developing Deep Technical Skills with SIRE 2.0 and the GDS Simulator
By integrating SIRE 2.0’s competency standards with the practical capabilities of the GDS Ship Engine Room Simulator, maritime training institutions can foster deep tech skills that are essential in today’s high-stakes maritime environment. Training programs using these tools can address various aspects, including:
Operational Readiness: By simulating real-life engine room conditions, the GDS simulator enables personnel to develop an intuitive understanding of systems and processes, which aligns with SIRE 2.0’s focus on crew readiness and situational awareness.
Crisis Management and Decision-Making: The simulator provides scenarios that replicate emergency situations, allowing trainees to practice crisis response, prioritize actions, and make critical decisions under pressure.
Technical Proficiency: The GDS simulator helps personnel develop advanced skills in troubleshooting and maintaining complex machinery, which is crucial for achieving SIRE 2.0’s standards for operational excellence.
Environmental Compliance: With a growing emphasis on environmental regulations, the simulator enables crew members to familiarize themselves with compliance standards and practice procedures that reduce environmental impact, such as optimizing fuel usage and managing waste effectively.
Safety Protocols: Through realistic training scenarios, the simulator reinforces safety protocols, ensuring that personnel can identify and mitigate risks, which is a core component of the SIRE 2.0 inspection program.
Enhancing the Future of Maritime Training
As the maritime industry continues
Do you need to perform acceleration testing of your military products or systems for specific platforms?
Acceleration, as addressed in MIL-STD-810G Method 513.6 (Department of Defense, 2009), is a load factor (inertial load or “g” load) that is applied slowly enough and held steady for a period of time such that the materiel has sufficient time to fully distribute the resulting internal loads to all critical joints and components.
The common methods used to expose equipment to a sustained acceleration load are centrifuge and track/rocket-powered-sled testing.
However, both methods impose limitations on AE equipment testing. For example, the costs required and the scheduling, planning, and coordination phases associated with the use of these types of test
facilities are often prohibitive. In some cases, centrifuges and track/rocket sleds may limit the orientations at which the test article can be mounted for testing. To maintain validity, all AE devices are tested under the same mounting configuration as intended for operational use. Finally, due to the often expensive and delicate nature of medical devices, insufficient inventories often prevent the use of these tests due to their somewhat destructive nature.
Because of the difficulties associated with physical dynamic testing, the ATB team initially turned to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as the method of choice for meeting acceleration test requirements.
Recent technological advances in microcomputing and higher resolution graphics capabilities allowed complex systems to be modeled and simulated for both static and dynamic tests.
The FEA techniques were already used by others for various aircraft structures and devices. For example, Foster and Sarwade (2005) performed an FEA of a structure that attached medical devices to a litter. This structure was later approved as STF. Continuing on the same theme, Lawrence, Fasanella, Tabiei, Brinkley, and Shemwell (2008) studied a crash test dummy model for NASA’s Orion
crew module landings using FEA. Viisoreanu, Rutman, and Cassatt (1999) reported their findings for the analysis of the aircraft cargo net barrier using FEA. Furthermore, Motevalli and Noureddine (1998)
used an FEA model of a fuselage section to simulate the aircraft cabin environment in air turbulence. These and similar studies demonstrated the successful use of the FEA method to verify requirements
by analysis for an acceleration test.
Given the costs associated with dynamic testing, the ATB originally envisioned using the FEA method to alleviate budget and inventory concerns. To test this theory, the ATB employed FEA for testing various AE structures to meet the acceleration requirements and found some aspects of this method to be cost- and time-prohibitive.
Lessons learned from these studies are provided in the case-studies section. The various types of analysis and test methods raise questions as to what the correct decision process is for selecting the most appropriate method for STF testing of AE equipment.
The authors of this article describe the process developed and employed by the ATB for the acceleration testing of AE equipment since June 2008.
The ATB’s process has proven to be well suited for identifying the most appropriate test method—one that not only represents the most appropriate and effective test method, but also minimizes the use of available resources. This process includes testing both structurally simple and complex equipment and successfully introducing the use of the Equivalent Load Testing (ELT) method, which permits
the use of alternative testing approaches, such as pull testing and tensile testing.
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