Norwegian shipowner Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi (KGJS) is to install Kongsberg Maritime’s Bearing Wear Monitoring (BWM) system aboard eight 120,000 dwt product tankers presently under construction at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Mokpo, South Korea.
The BWM system is designed to monitor wear down of bearings in large two stroke diesel engines, to provide an alarm if any of the three crank-train bearings (crosshead, crank and main bearings) suffer unexpected wear problems during operation and enable the crew to carry out preventative maintenance.
The system will be delivered connected to the ships’ AutoChief C20 automation system, via the common network, over the rest of this year and in 2010.
In other news, Kongsberg reports that its K-Bridge and K-Chief 700 training courses have become the first manufacturer navigation and automation system courses to receive type approval from DNV SeaSkill.
Oil major Shell in the UK, a Kongsberg customer, has been a prime mover behind this certification, because of its requirement to send 650 employees on courses within a 13-month period. These crew members will be serving on board a group of LNG vessels that will be operating out of Qatar.
Kongsberg has also expanded its training capabilities by introducing a new version of its ‘portable classroom’ system, based on its K-Chief 500 automation system.
The portable classroom concept was first introduced by Kongsberg during 2006, and allows shipping companies to host training courses at their own premises or onboard vessels, reducing the need for travel.
