Electronic Systems and Computer Technology - Decreasing Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Gas Emissions in Transportation - page 102

Table 6.1 Available elements of ship electronic systems

Electronic
elements

Operation

Autopilot system Autopilot collects all signals to coordinate data from many devices on the

ship, engine, and propulsion system with a common interface to keep the
vessel on a predetermined course with the optimal velocity [ 31 ]

Chart plotter Chart plotter is a high capacity electronic device for the combination of GPS

data with an Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) to display the position
and the speed of a vessel [ 32 ]. GPS is a radio navigation system based on
space satellites that broadcast highly accurate navigation pulses to users
on the Earth

Compass Compass determines the direction of a ship relative to the Earth's magnetic

pole [ 33 ]. Modern electronic and computer supported compasses use a
series of electronic and fiber optic gyroscope sensors and connections to
GPS to locate the North

Sonar Sonar uses the movement of acoustic waves in water [ 34 ]. Electronic devices

emit pulses of sound to locate underwater objects. Reflected waves are
received and analyzed by acoustic detectors. Sonar is widely used in
military technology, in fishing, in underwater construction, and in
research field

Marine radio
system

Marine radio system usually consists of a transmitter and a receiver, and uses
Very High Frequencies (VHF) for communication [ 35 ]. It summons
rescue services to all large ships and most small sea-going craft and
communicates with harbors, locks, and bridges on standard frequencies.
International frequencies between 156 and 174 MHz are specified for
marine applications to avoid collisions. There are two channels. The first
channel is used for emergency calls; the second channel is used for two-
way wireless communication

Digital selective
calling

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) automatically sends distress alerts without
satellites using VHF in the range from 30 to 300 MHz, High Frequency
(HF) from 3 to 30 MHz or 3,000 kHz, Medium Frequency (MF) from
300 to 3,000 kHz, and Low Frequency (LF) from 30 to 300 kHz [ 36 ]

Radar Radar is an object detection system that emits electromagnetic waves and

analyzes their interaction with objects [ 37 ]. It is able to identify the
range, the altitude, and the velocity of moving and stationary objects
such as aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles

6.4.2 Elements of Ship Electronics

There are a wide variety of marine electronics on the market (see Table 6.1 ).

6.4.3 Vessel Traffic Service and Automatic Identification System

The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a system for identifying and locating vessels
by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships and other VTS stations