The Imtech demonstrator unit
Delegates from home and overseas gather next week in Bristol for the biennial Engine As A Weapon International Symposium (EAAW V) with its highly topical theme ‘Delivering Military Effect: A holistic approach to combat and platform system integration’.
Organised by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), the symposium will be held at Wills Hall, University of Bristol from Tuesday 16 – Wednesday 17 July, and provides a unique opportunity for experts in combat and platform system design to expose and explore the integration challenges faced, from energy management to open systems.
Delegates represent both sides of the ‘buying:selling’ fence and come from navies, ministries of defence and their suppliers, and from Germany, Greece, The Netherlands and the UK. Government attendance is typically drawn from navies and naval procurement officials, at all levels between Lieutenant and Rear Admiral. Commercial attendance includes a range of companies from prime contractors to SMEs.
“EAAW V will be the venue for detailed and stimulating topical discussion, but importantly during networking breaks in the conference delegates will be able to see the exhibits being shown by our three sponsoring organisations, Babcock International Group, Imtech Marine Ltd and GE Power Conversion, and meet the men and women behind some exciting technological developments, ” explains Cdr Matt Bolton RN, EAAW V’s chairman.
About the exhibits
Babcock International Group will demonstrate their capabilities to manufacture and integrate complex systems into new and existing warships and submarines. The display will feature scale models of Babcock designs and equipment in manufacture. They will also provide details of some of the techniques they use for affordable detailed design and integration of new, upgraded and updated capability into complex platforms
Their exhibits will be complementary to the three papers that Babcock staff (including Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd) will be presenting at EAAW V. www.babcockinternational.com/energyandmarinetechnology
Imtech Marine UK Ltd is presenting its Integrated Platform Management System and Navigation Bridge System demonstrator at EAAW V, the first time this has been exhibited in the UK, indeed, central to their display at EAAW V is their exciting demonstrator which, by means of three screens, is used to demonstrate all aspects of their fully Integrated Platform Management System including both platform (power generation, e propulsion, alarm and monitoring, firefighting and damage control etc.) and Integrated Navigation Bridge System (radar, conning, (W)ECDIS, DP auto pilot etc). EAAW V delegates will find themselves invited to take part in different scenarios including looking out of the bridge windows and sailing into the port of Rotterdam; controlling the vessel from an iPad; or in the ship’s operations room after being hit by a missile with the ship on fire and the firefighting and damage control status screens displayed.
“Obviously controlling the vessel from an iPad is not to be recommended, but is technically possible, and we don’t recommend our third scenario either, but through these and other scenarios we will be showing the power of a single networked system, which provides multiple redundancy and consistency of appearance, ” explains Anthony Jones, Head of Sales at Imtech Marine UK Ltd. “We are looking forward to seeing delegates put the system to the test!”
The demonstrator illustrates the latest technology used for the control and monitoring of all platform and navigation related systems on a modern warship. These systems are fully integrated into a single network enabling multiple redundancy and consistency of appearance for all systems and in all locations on the vessel.
Furthermore, for the first time Imtech will present their largest Multi Touch Electronic Incident Board (dimension of 1 by 1 meter). This Electronic Incident Board is presenting in an interactive way a complete overview of all incidents occurred on board and gives the operator the possibility to control the application by touch. This product is developed in close cooperation with the Royal Dutch Navy and will be installed on board of the first ship in the same week as the EAAW conference.
Imtech is presently closely involved in the QE Class Aircraft Carrier programme designing, supplying and installing the complete Heating, Ventilation and Airconditioning system and was the whole ship electrical systems design authority, designing supplying and installing the complete electrical systems solution on the four Bay Class LSD(A) vessels presently in service with the RFA and RAN. www.imtechmarine.com
GE Power Conversion will featuregeneral naval power & propulsion systems and EMCAT: Electromagnetic Launch Catapult – Compact and Efficient Take-off system for UAVs.
Aircraft launch tracks provide a shortened take off run on marine platforms for conventional horizontal take off aircraft. Compared with steam and pneumatic launchers, electromagnetic launch tracks offer through life benefits in marginal cost, controllability, programmability and refinement. The extreme energy demands of electromagnetic launchers require stored energy from either high speed electrical machines or supercapacitors. For marine platforms already deploying extensive electrical systems, electrical integration of an electro-magnetic launch track is relatively straightforward with suitable coordination and optimisation. Naturally this is an exhibit of interest to the Royal Navy particularly, and to other Navies worldwide.
GE delivers flexible and reliable solutions in integrated full electric propulsion and hybrid auxiliary propulsion systems for a wide range of naval ships. GE’s naval expertise encompasses systems including prime movers, power generation, electrical distribution, variable speed drives and propulsion motors, vessel automation, dynamic positioning (DP), and damage control. www.gepowerconversion.com
About the symposium
In addition to the welcome from Cdr Bolton and a keynote address delivered by Dr Mark Townley, Combat Systems Director, BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships, UK on the symposium’s theme on the opening morning of EAAW V, Cdr Neil Gibbs and Cdr Jeremy Bailey, Ministry of Defence will respond to the question ‘The Ministry of Defence Marine Systems Development Strategy: A vehicle for fully harnessing the resources we have?’
Following that session, Dr Graham Wallis, MBDA will chair the ‘Future Platform Systems’ session before the networking lunch on the first day, after which Lt Cdr Ian Hassall RN, Ministry of Defence takes the chair for the afternoon session on ‘Military Effect’. At the end of the first day a reception and symposium dinner will take place in the magnificent Dining Hall at Wills Hall.
The second day of EAAW V sees Lt Stefan van Osch RNIN, Ministry of Defence, UK chair the session devoted to ‘Complex System Integration’ throughout the morning; and after the networking lunch ‘Future Combat Systems’ come under the symposium spotlight in a session chaired by Oliver Simmonds, GE Power Conversion. The symposium ends with the Symposium Summary by Rear Admiral Nigel Guild CB FREng, Chairman of the Engineering Council and a Past President of IMarEST.
Distinguished patrons
EAAW V is held under the patronage of:
- Rear Admiral Ian Jess, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Support, Ministry of Defence, UK
- Rear Admiral Henry Parker, Director (Carrier Strike), Ministry of Defence, UK
- Cdre (WE) Ir Jan Vos RNlN, Programme Manager SPEER, Support Command, The Netherlands
- Cdre (ME) Dr Ir Arie Jan de Waard RNlN, Deputy Director of Operational Readiness, Ministry of Defence, The Netherlands
The symposium is sponsored by Babcock International Group, Imtech Marine Ltd and GE Power Conversion and supported by the IET, ONR, SNAME and SUT.
Further information and registration
Further information on all aspects of EAAW V, including sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities is available from www.imarest.org/eaaw. Registration is still open and there are special rates for IMarEST members, Marine Partners and supporting organisations as well as students.
About the Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)
The IMarEST is an international membership body and learned society for all marine professionals. The IMarEST (a registered charity) is the first Institute to bring together marine engineers, scientists and technologists into one international multi-disciplinary professional body. It is the largest marine organisation of its kind with a worldwide membership of around 15, 000 based in over 100 countries.
Working with the global marine community, the IMarEST promotes the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology, providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices and upholding the status, standards and expertise of marine professionals worldwide.
The IMarEST has a growing network of Corporate Marine Partners who benefit from a tailored programme to support each global organisation’s specific requirements. Packages provide companies with a competitive edge by investing in staff and supporting Initial and Continuous Professional Development, supporting local, national, or international promotional programmes, providing specialised recruitment solutions, accrediting training courses, creating bespoke networking events and providing company employees with access to one of the largest online knowledge resources – the IMarEST Virtual Library.
The IMarEST is a respected authority in every maritime country. It is a Non-Governmental Organisation with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), observer status at the International Oceanographic Commission, and it has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), which facilitates its access to other international intergovernmental meetings where its specialized marine expertise is of particular use, e.g., the United Nations meetings on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and the work of the International Seabed Authority on marine mining. It is a nominated and licensed body of the Engineering Council (UK), a member of the Science Council and has significant links with many other maritime organisations worldwide.
IMarEST runs a series of industry leading and technically excellent events and conferences as well as publishing internationally recognised publications: Marine Engineers Review (MER); Shipping World and Shipbuilder; Maritime IT and Electronics; Marine Scientist; and Offshore Technology. www.imarest.org
