Seaware AB has announced a new major upgrade for its Seaware Routing software, introducing cost-based ship route optimisation with the capability of optimising even short sea passages with high accuracy.
The Seaware Routing software is designed to facilitate onboard weather presentation and ship route planning, and is delivered as part of weather routing solutions from Seaware partners.
The company now claims that its software is the most advanced on the market, delivering true fuel and cost savings potential.
Arrive quickly and save fuel
During the development of Seaware Routing version 5, the code for route optimisation and performance predictions have been further refined, among other things by inclusion of a ‘virtual rpm regulator’ emulating the real-world engine control system.
“With the new upgrade our software can find the optimum route that will save you fuel and still take you to your destination within minutes from the preferred arrival time”, states Anders Olander, Executive Director of Seaware.
Systematic simulations using the upgraded software indicate great cost-saving potential. Especially in complex weather situations, in some cases more than 20 per cent fuel could have been saved by adopting the proposed route from the Seaware program instead of using the ‘standard route’.
By including fuel cost, daily cost for ship and crew, and also costs related to not arriving to the destination in due time, the program can be used to find the optimum route based on the user’s specific needs in different situations:
- Lowest cost route arriving at a fixed time
- Route with lowest fuel cost and emissions
- Fastest route
- Lowest overall cost using user’s cost figures, offset from desired arrival time is allowed
“The ‘Fastest route’ is quite easy to identify - most competing software only supply this optimisation alternative. The other priorities require a much more sophisticated or scientific approach”, says Seaware R&D Manager Mikael Palmquist.
A distinctive ‘Seaware feature’ is the use of a physics-based model for the performance calculations. The company claims that this methodology is superior to the commonly used ‘speed down matrix’ concept found in competing software.
The Seaware performance model is developed in-house by Seaware naval architects, and describes the ship’s speed-power relation both in calm seas but also when the ship is exposed to wind and waves. It takes ship specific data including loading condition as input.
