Installed as part of a major refit of the crude oil tanker Cactus, Scanjet PSM’s new Connect Monitoring System provided the vessel owner with a cost- effective flexible solution which enabled the reuse of the ship’s existing cabling. The significant cost and time savings this offered was a key consideration in final system selection.
Comprising a modular family of tank monitoring and flood detection systems, Connect exploits the advantages of digital technology to provide accurate real-time display of tank status. The Connect system is built around an enhanced central processing module that interfaces directly with intelligent tank level and pressure sensors via a multidrop network, as well being capable of receiving a wide range of other input signals via smart interface cards for complete vessel monitoring. All signal processing and data calculations are undertaken within the central processing unit.
Built in 2002 and currently operating under the Panamanian flag, the Cactus has a carrying capacity of over 164,000 tonnes DWT and measures 274.2 metres in length.
As part of the refit, Scanjet PSM supplied replacement APT1000 transmitters in titanium construction for all of the vessels ballast tanks and 4-point draught measurement. By configuring these transmitters to operate in analogue 4-20mA mode, the cabling from the existing system could be reused, which reduced the cost and complexity of the upgrade.
The custom built central Connect acquisition panel contains signal converters and safety barriers, which deliver all tank level data as an RS485 Modbus signal into the main processing unit. The display is a remote 22” touchscreen connected to the Connect cabinet via a single ethernet cable. Display formatting is completely flexible depending on the specific application needs.
As well as presenting the current tank volumes and any alarm states to the remote display, the Connect cabinet also communicates with the existing Kongsberg AMS via a separate RS485 connection, delivering the same tank volume and alarm status data.
A further advantage of the Connect System is that Scanjet PSM was able to ship the system and equipment already preconfigured and customised for immediate installation, thus saving time and ensuring a custom-fit to suit the vessel’s operational requirements.