Rafael Pieper

Fault Detection and Diagnosis – what’s up?

Rafael Pieper — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:20:14 +0000

Review on Valesco-Gallegos (2023)

The relationship between ship maintenance and data technology remains foggy, but we hope this will change. While they can work together, it is challenging because new technologies are being adopted slowly—perhaps too slowly—by maritime stakeholders.

I’ve been studying the current state-of-the-art methods of data-driven maintenance applied to ships, and it is interesting how the research is growing in this field. Even class societies are looking at new applications for Fault Detection and Diagnosis Systems (FDD).

Today, I read another paper by Valesco-Gallego et al. (2023). In this paper, the authors conducted a literature review on recent advancements in data-driven methods for FDD, focusing on data preprocessing, fault diagnosis, and prognosis in marine systems from 2016 to 2022.

The idea of applying data-driven methods to maintenance arises because the effectiveness of a Machine Learning algorithm is way higher than that of a human when evaluating a high volume of data and its attributes. The possibility of identifying the initial phase of a failure enables the ship operator to take action, avoiding unexpected breakdowns.

What is being applied for FDD?
Machine Learning methods such as Deep Learning, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Support Vector Machines (SVMs) are among the most commonly applied techniques in many of the papers reviewed by the authors.

For many researchers, however, the lack of labeled data (fault/no fault or fault classification) remains a significant challenge. As a result, many are turning to anomaly detection and unsupervised learning methods to achieve the primary goal: fault detection.

New equipments are being delivered with high-tech sensors, and with possibilities of data collection. With good data analytics and data science, it give the operator good insights into the state of the equipment and opens an opportunity to apply condition-based maintenance and predictive maintenance, which can improve current maintenance strategies.

The image attached is an overall mind map I made connecting the information from Valesco-Gallego’s paper.

Link to the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002980182301661X?via%3Dihub

Research Paper on Brazilian roads accidents

Rafael Pieper — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 22:58:24 +0000

Propostas para tomada de decisão de ações do Plano Nacional de Redução de Mortes e Lesões no Trânsito (PNTRANS) baseado na análise de dados de trânsito dos anos 2020 e 2021 para a região sul do Brasil

Abstract. This article proposes practical solutions for the southern region of Brazil related to 3 actions (A5004, A5006, A6020) of the National Plan for Reducing Traffic Deaths and Injuries (PNATRANS) based on traffic data from the years 2020 and 2021. Using data science techniques, it evaluates locations and segments of federal highways with high accident rates in different years. It was observed locations that stand out in all analyzes, and areas that have higher rates of accident occurrences due to a lack of respect for traffic laws, making it possible to propose resolutions and places of action for PNATRANS actions.

Resumo. Este artigo propõe resoluções práticas para a região sul do Brasil relacionadas a 3 ações (A5004, A5006, A6020) do Plano Nacional de Redução de mortes e lesões no trânsito (PNATRANS) baseado nos dados de trânsito dos anos de 2020 e 2021. Utilizando técnicas de ciência de dados, avaliou-se localidades e trechos de rodovias federais que possuem altos índices de acidentes em anos distintos. Foi observado trechos que se destacam em todas as análises e localidades que tem maiores taxas de ocorrências de acidentes por falta de respeito às leis de trânsito possibilitando propor resoluções e locais de atuação para as ações do PNATRANS.

Machine Learning Basics – Cheat sheet (Portuguese)

Rafael Pieper — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 22:34:04 +0000

Strong Foundation for AI Implementation

Rafael Pieper — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 23:08:00 +0000

The Importance of Data Quality and Business Intelligence

In the current business environment, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the main technological trends. Companies have shown a strong interest in developing internal models and connections with AI technologies, enabling growth and innovation in organizations.

Machine learning (ML) is not new, it has existed since 1950~. However, before moving towards implementing AI, companies must understand the need to have a solid data foundation and have a properly structured Business Intelligence (BI) and data analysis team.

1. Data Structuring and Quality: The First Step Towards AI

AI initiatives depend directly on the quality and availability of data. Before wanting to implement AI models, it is essential that companies carry out careful work of structuring and knowledge of this information.

This involves organizing, cleaning, and standardizing data in an appropriate format for analysis. By establishing a solid structure for their data, companies will be building a robust and reliable pillar to start thinking about the application of AI.

2. It’s Not Just About Tools, GPT Chat, and Colorful Dashboards

Data analysis is not just about using Power BI, Tableau, Excel, and Python, it is possible to achieve the same result in all of them. It is much more about human intelligence and knowledge applied to the interpretation and understanding of data. Although tools facilitate the process, it is the ability to extract relevant insights and make strategic decisions that make the difference.

This requires advanced analytical skills, the ability to identify patterns and trends, as well as knowledge of the business context. Not only knowing how to create a bar chart or avoid the pie chart. It is necessary to know how to formulate the right questions, select the appropriate metrics, and interpret the results to generate value.

3. BI and Analytics Team: Empowering Artificial Intelligence

A qualified and well-structured Business Intelligence team is a fundamental asset for the success of artificial intelligence initiatives. This team is responsible for analyzing data, validating the knowledge, and translating this information into strategic insights for the organization.

These professionals will work side by side with data scientists and engineers, ensuring that the analyses are accurate and relevant, and provide accurate data to start train and test of ML models.

With this well-defined structure, companies will be well-positioned to achieve the benefits of artificial intelligence:

Greater efficiency and accuracy in data analysis and utilization, ensuring the reliability and quality of information before applying AI;
Ability to extract valuable insights, identify emerging trends, and produce a solid and reliable foundation for training and testing AI models;
Simplification of the AI deployment process, reducing risks and optimizing resources, with the potential to develop more advanced and sophisticated models, leveraging the full potential of technology.

If you are considering implementing Artificial Intelligence in your organization, make sure to establish a solid foundation through proper data structuring and a qualified team.

These elements are essential to obtain reliable, relevant, and innovative results through AI. It may even be that you don’t need it, just a well-done analysis can be your goal.

Also on MEDIUM

TPC – Tonnes per Centimeter Immersion

Rafael Pieper — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 23:12:24 +0000

How much weight will cause a ship to sink by 1 centimeter?

The importance of knowing ship’s details and accurate port conditions

TPC stands for “Tons per Centimeter” of immersion, which means it is the amount of cargo in tons needed to sink the ship by 1 cm.

This value is important in the design of a cargo ship, because for all those involved in a maritime transport operation, the more cargo, the better the cost-benefit.

To calculate the TPC (tons per centimeter of immersion), we first need to know the waterline area (Aw) of the ship. Aw is calculated by multiplying the length, breadth, and waterline coefficient (Cw) of the ship. Cw is a coefficient calculated during the ship’s design, influenced by the shape of the hull and hydrodynamics.

With the waterline area in hand, the TPC is then calculated by multiplying Aw by the density of water in t/m³ and dividing by 100 to get the result in centimeters.

That’s it, we now have the TPC to load the ship.

It is essential to note that this value can change depending on the ship’s draft, because the geometry of the waterline plan will change according to the hull shape at each draft.

Each centimeter of draft of a ship is important for transporting more cargo. Similarly, it is indispensable to have precise control of the depths of ports in order to optimize operations.

So, if a ship has a TPC of 45t/cm, that means that it will sink by 1 centimeter if you add 45 tons of cargo to it.

A simple example

When a ship with a box-shaped hull sinks, the TPC (tonnes per centimeter) remains constant.

This is because the water plane area does not change as the ship sinks. Therefore, the weight of cargo required to sink the ship by one unit of draft remains constant for all draft (H) values.

A more complex example

In prismatic-shaped ships, as a ship sinks, its TPC increases due to the increased water plane area.

The TPC is dependent on the draft of the ship (designated as H), meaning that as the ship sinks further, more cargo is required to sink each unit of the draft.

Example of hydrostatic information of a ship and how they change in function of Draft.

Source: Tupper.E – Introduction to Naval Architecture 4th Ed

Not-So-New News: Ships + Wind

Rafael Pieper — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 23:37:23 +0000

In recent days, I’ve seen many people talking about Vale’s Sea Zhoushan ore carrier, with the “new” technology that will use wind to reduce its fuel consumption.

The proposal for this system, the Flettner rotor, dates back to the 1920s, with engineer Anton Flettner, who was the first to install such technology on cargo ships.

But what is the principle of this system, if it is not actually sails?

Well, these large rotating cylinders use the phenomenon known as the “Magnus effect”. And they need a robust mechanism to make the large cylinders rotate to cause this effect.

The Magnus effect is caused by the difference in air pressure in different areas of the cylinder. When the cylinder rotates and moves in a fluid, it creates areas of high and low pressure around it.

On the side where the cylinder is rotating towards the air (wind direction), it is pushed back, creating an area of high pressure.

On the opposite side, where the cylinder is rotating away from the fluid, the fluid is pulled towards the object, creating an area of low pressure (similar to a wing or foil).

The image can help you understand this better.

This effect is also used in sports such as baseball, soccer, and basketball, where athletes use it to make the ball curve in its trajectory.

However, to make the most of this phenomenon in navigation, the wind must always be perpendicular to the ship’s trajectory, in other words, abeam. In this position, the Magnus effect will always push the ship forward.

After analyzes at the time, in certain voyages this system did not prove to be as efficient as expected and there were also difficulties in the progress of projects with the Flettner rotor.

After assessments at the time, in certain voyages this system did not prove to be as efficient as expected and there were also difficulties in the progress of projects with the Flettner rotor.

This is not seen as a great solution for efficiency, due to the mechanical losses in the transmission that makes the system rotate, as well as the need for the wind direction to be favorable.

However, many studies and companies have been trying to use the Flettner rotor to increase the efficiency of their fleets.

Not only should wind conditions be studied, but also the structural part, as not just any structure can withstand a tall cylinder rotating at speed, right?

We hope that this 100-year-old solution will really bring the expected benefits to companies!

Bollard Pull

Rafael Pieper — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:05:02 +0000

To berth and unberth large ships, it is necessary to have the assistance
of high-powered tugboats to maneuver them with ease. Also, they are
amazing players when some emergency assistance is required on
ports. These port tugboats are the strong guys of the ports and are
characterized by their Bollard Pull capability.

Bollard Pull: It is the measure of the traction in a cable, generated by the tug when it is at maximum power in its engines when connected to the tug’s winch or towing hook, a load cell, and a large, sturdy bollard on a pier. Its unit of measurement is usually in tons (t).

In other words, the vessel exerts its maximum force while being stationary, connected to the pier by a cable, like in a tug-of-war.

The Brazilian rule NORMAM02-ANEXO3-I specifies all the necessary conditions for conducting a static traction test. As well, classification societies have their specs for the Bollard Pull trial.

Modeling a Bollard Pull estimator

There are some Bollard Pull estimation formulas in the literature, and many of them use only Break Horse Power BHP as the variable to determine BP. But it is known that BP is a result of BHP, Propeller geometry, and other tug characteristics.

See bellow examples, given:

Comparison tugboat BP=60t
D=2.3m

Pe=4000kW

no kort nozzle

Researching some specifications, and results of bollard pulls, I decided to use some simple data modeling and analytics to develop this article to propose an equation to determine the Bollard Pull of tug boats in the function of its propulsion diameter and total power of the engines.

The data collected to develop the study and the regression were found from Kongsberg and Caterpillar catalog of products, generating a total 84 observations.

After evaluating the values and performing data analysis with MS. Excel, it was noticed that values of diameter and max. Power provide a high correlation with Bollard Pull. Diameter and Power to Bollard Pull, 94% and 99% respectively.

;As the chart shows, the outcome of the linear regression aligns with the values within the database range for propeller diameters between 1 and 4 meters.

Given that Total Power for harbor tugs usually does not exceed 8000 kW, this equation could provide an exciting outlook for the initial design stage.

Nevertheless, it is possible to observe that as the Total Power grows, the results of Bollard Pull are more accurate as the diameter is raised.
In real design, It is expected to happen, due to high-power equipment will not use a small propeller as well a low power will not use a big propeller.

This can be associated with the fact of propeller geometry, performance, and cavitation issues which need to be considered when developing a new tug design.

With this view, it may be an interesting option to segment the BP result between Total Power values accordingly to propeller diameters, as it is shown below, where the BP was segmented for D= 1 , 2, 3 and 4 meters, between a range of total Power.

Below is an interactive dashboard where the user can play with the data

Shipbuilding – Power BI Report

Rafael Pieper — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 21:14:02 +0000

Shipbuilding - Progress Report

When I was a shipbuilding surveyor intern, I understood that the site Superintendent plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and compliance of ships under construction. They must guarantee that every step is in accordance with the rules, drawings, and safety. And one important tool that can aid in this process is a dashboard for tracking and following up on inspections.

A dashboard allows the site superintendent and their manager to have a clear overview of the inspections that have been conducted, the results of those inspections, and any outstanding issues that need to be addressed. This allows the site Sup. to prioritize their workload and ensure that all critical tasks and issues are dealt with in a timely manner.

Additionally, a dashboard can help streamline communication between the inspector and other stakeholders involved in the shipbuilding process, such as the shipyard, the shipowner, and regulatory authorities. For example, if the superintendent needs to present and discuss the progress of a specific hull, they can quickly and easily inform the relevant parties and track the progress and provide corrective actions to be taken.

Another important aspect of the dashboard is the ability to store and archive all inspection reports, which can be submitted by a simple mobile or browse application.

Further, it can help make it easier for the responsible to access historical data. This would be useful when tracking trends and patterns in shipbuilding and identifying areas that may require further attention in the future.

Overall, a dashboard can significantly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a shipbuilding project. It allows them to manage their workload more effectively, communicate more easily with other stakeholders, and ensure the safe and compliant construction of ships.

**NOTE: These tasks, blocks, and information are summarized. For real shipbuilding, there is a lot more information to input. Although the data structure is basically the same.
Live Report here

A full executive report can help the project manager to track the progress of the construction. Some of the insights that can be seen are, if the project is on schedule, time spent by the Site Superintendents per inspection, the progress of each block/hull, and several others depending on the data that are submitted.

On this page, for example, I separated into sections, Hull – Schedule – Task – People.

Hull, you can view the overall progress for each hull and open by block progress.

Schedule, you can track if the project is in accordance with what was planned

Tasks, you can view the average time spent per inspection and the total time of inspection open by hull.

On the people section, you can check the time and total inspection per Superintendent, as well the evolution over time of the workload.

The last table is an overview of the last 10 inspections performed.

Al this can be considered within a timeline, weekly, monthly…

On the hull progress page, I bring the user a full overview of the tasks for the specific selected hull ID.

At first, an overall task progress and block progress, which the user can hover the mouse to see the task status.

Then it shows the schedule vs. planned, start/end date for each block and the duration to complete the block.

The table at the bottom is the full list of inspections performed for this selected hull

How to enter the data?

An easy way to submit the data for this report is a simple PowerApps application, with a few pages to enter the data of a new inspection and view past inspections.

This app then is connected tho the same Database of the dashboard, automatically updating this.

Fleet management APP – Video

Rafael Pieper — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 21:24:36 +0000

Engine Room – Basics

Rafael Pieper — Sat, 01 May 2021 21:27:03 +0000

Some say that the engine room is the heart of a ship, it has the main components to provide ship energy and power

Here is what you can observe in an engine room:

Main combustion engine: The main equipment that makes the ship sail, provides power to the propulsion
Genset: It can be attached to an aux Combustion engine to provide all electrical energy to the ship’s needs
Main Switchboard: The main electricity distribution component, has all switches, components, and automation to provide electricity to the ship
Batteries: Batteries are essential to maintain emergency systems and start up the combustion engines
Rudder machinery: Be azimuth or conventional, these types of equipment are the heart of the steering

Pumps: Pumps are common, it can be to transfer water, fuel oil, gray waters, from one tank to another, also to flow coolant water in the heat exchanger, and even to firefighting equipment
Air vessels: Compressed air to run cleaning, and support in some equipment’s functioning
HVAC: Ventilation system and air conditioning to provide comfort and airflow through the accommodations

Remember, those are basics in an engine room, it has much more equipment depending on the ship application and category