Virtual sensors: AI is revolutionizing measurement_
Innovative design methods for virtual force and torque gauges on a ship's appendages.
When a virtual sensor rhymes with operational efficiency_
Complex physical systems often require precise and comprehensive monitoring of their state to ensure the most efficient operation. This monitoring is typically achieved through physical sensor equipment, but this approach presents several challenges:
These sensors are often very expensive.
They can be intrusive and may hinder the system’s operation.
They require maintenance, and their performance can degrade over time.
Certain physical quantities are difficult to measure directly.
This issue is common across many industrial sectors, including energy, transportation, aerospace, and maritime industries.
The maritime example under the microscope_
In its pursuit of decarbonization, the maritime sector is witnessing the rise of innovative systems, such as wings or foils. To properly size these systems, operate them as efficiently as possible, or ensure their maintenance, it is essential to understand the forces they experience. These forces are complex to measure, which is why OSE has developed a groundbreaking method to create virtual gauges.
This method leverages and combines:
Detailed physical simulations, physical models, and physical relationships between various quantities of interest.
On-site measurements at sea, in different navigation and weather conditions.
Data analysis techniques and artificial intelligence.
The design of virtual sensors is therefore a crucial challenge in the industry. They enable cost reduction and a better understanding of systems. This knowledge is a necessary prerequisite for the creation of digital twins, operational efficiency optimization tools, and control-command algorithms.
The benefit of the OSE solution_
OSE has developed this expertise for two application cases:
Estimating the forces on the foils of offshore racing vessels to enable optimal navigation adjustments and reduce the risk of breakage.
Estimating the forces on wings installed on maritime transport vessels to anticipate their adjustments, ensure optimal operational efficiency, and quantify their energy contributions to the vessel's forward movement.
2 OSE developers mobilised
