Our Software, VESPER supplies the shipping world with performance analysis and operational solutions
VESPER software
Performance analysis & Operational solutions
The software is being continuously developed in close cooperation with our clients, ensuring that their requirements from operational perspective are met. The broad web interface of VESPER provides daily monitoring of individual vessels as well as long-term trends and benchmarking overview among the whole fleet. You can set up your own dashboard on the web tool and track your vessels in your office. Most of the analytical data can also be retrieved through excel and API. Furthermore, selected results are available directly in a (secure access) database from your own Business Intelligence tool.
Running the service requires your vessels’ data feed, either delivered directly from the vessels (e.g. by email), through a data upload (using FTP) or using an API. Input to VESPER can be both daily reports and sensor data, if available.
Performance Tracking of Hull & Propeller
Having a clean hull, with low friction, is the key to having a well performing vessel. Many factors affect the hull condition, but the most important factors are listed below:
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Underwater Paint Type Quality
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Dry Docking Interval
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Dry Docking Treatment (Spot vs Full blast)
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Operational Pattern (idling, 'hot' sea water, etc)
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Paint Thickness (too much or too little is not good...)
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Repeated Hull Cleanings
In our opinion, the only way to ensure a well performing vessel is through condition-based monitoring. Proper analysis of data, combined with inspections (and hull cleanings) ensures a promising propulsion performance. Based on our baselines for a specific vessel-class, VESPER provides different performance indicators using different methods and data sources.
The history of performance indicators is evaluated and visualized based on instantaneous trend calculation of the vessel since the last event. You can also get an overview of the average performance decay of your whole fleet and the performance of individual vessels compared to that average. Moreover, overall performance evaluation can also be assessed from paint types perspective.
Main Engine Performance
A well tuned and balanced engine plays a significant role in efficiency of vessel operation. Having a well functioning calibrated torque meter along with accurate fuel consumption measurement is one of the options for monitoring of engine efficiency through the Specific Fuel Oil Consumption (SFOC).
In addition, many operators use monthly (dedicated) performance tests of the main (and auxiliary) engine(s) to get detailed measurements on compression and combustion pressures, as well as the engine balance.
VESPER has a report for monitoring the daily SFOC of the main engine. The main engine shop test results are used to create proper baselines. Benchmarking of sister vessels which have the same engine installed can be assessed in this report. Basis the principle of a ‘parent’ engine, all engines are expected to be able to perform according to the (best/parent) engine in the group.
Aux Engine (Baseload) & Boiler Performance
Base load (i.e. non propulsion related energy) and boiler consumption can be efficiently monitored and managed through baselines setting and benchmarking. It all relates to energy awareness onboard the vessels. Some crews are very aware of their electrical (and steam) consumption, saving everywhere they see an opportunity. However, for some, it is not part of their daily routine to save where possible. Therefore, there is in some cases a high saving potential in analysing the data from these consumers.
Our approach is to set a (realistic) target for Base Load and Boiler consumption, and then monitor all vessels compared to the target. This approach reveals if the vessels consume as expected, or if there are certain vessels in the fleet that stick out.
Sister vessels with the same generator setup are compared. Getting a sufficient amount of data, the baselines can be readjusted based on the best performing vessel in the class.
Environmental Compliance
The requirements from society on carbon footprint, especially coming from the EU and IMO, has increased the need for transparency and action-taking on energy efficiency and CO2 reduction and is expected to keep increasing going forward.
This creates new reporting requirements that cause extensive workload and difficulties in data processing and validation for many shipping companies.
At VPS we are supporting our clients in this process, by automatically generating required reports. The content of our environmental reports has been monitored and validated throughout the year and mechanisms are in place to prevent data gaps and other common reporting issues.
VESPER’s dedicated Environmental Compliance module is automatically generating IMO DCS, EU MRV and EEOI reports. We are constantly monitoring upcoming regulations and developing the system to accommodate future reporting needs, both for compliance purposes and for other business incentives.
For more information about future CO2 reporting regulations, read our white paper here.
Crew Feedback module
The performance of a vessel is to a high degree dependant on a vessel’s crew, as it is the crew that operates, handles, and maintains the vessel. At VPS we believe that creating effective communication of performance results to the vessels’ operators is key to optimise energy efficiency.
Crew Feedback module is a new application that provides interactive dashboards for on board use, gives the crew visibility of their performance KPIs and allows to self-benchmark against their peers. Below performance elements are available to the crew through this module.
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Vessel Dashboard, that Includes overview of performance parameters for selected periods/voyages.
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Operational Data Quality, that provides warnings and errors for operational data-quality.
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Main Engine, that gives an overview of propulsion consumption, compares actual and expected, shows main engine’s SFOC and operational profile.
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Auxiliary Engines, that creates awareness around electricity consumption on board, and auxiliary engines SFOC.
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Boiler, that compares actual and expected boiler consumption at sea and in port.
