Vessel Motion Monitoring Systems

It is very important to have the proper safety measures to ensure personnel and vessel safety. Traveling by water can be unpredictable, but Vessel Motion Monitoring Systems (VMMS) can provide data that can be critical when traveling through rough conditions.

A VMMS would alert the vessel’s personnel when it is operating at dangerous levels. Besides typical water transit, there are a few situations that are critical for a ship crew to monitor. They can occur during usual transit, but also during delivery and freighting. A push or a cargo transfer can cause a vessel to become unstable. A Vessel Motion Monitoring System would alert the crew when a vessel is approaching an unsafe threshold and notify them to take the proper actions to re-stabilize it. The data provided would be valuable insight to prevent future incidents.

CTi’s Dynamic Inclinometers are capable of gauging different ship motions. They are the perfect element to incorporate into a Vessel Motion Monitoring System. Our series of inclinometers have different capabilities. The TILT-5x is equipped with a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope. This sensor would provide precise tilt measurements while a vessel is moving and idle.

Pitch, Roll, Yaw, Heave, Sway and Surge are different ship motions that are essential to monitor to guarantee safe vessel transit. Pitch is the vertical (up/down) rotation of a vessel on it Y-axis. Roll is the tilting rotation of a vessel on its X-axis. Yaw is the turning rotation of a vessel on its Z-axis. Heave is the vessel’s linear vertical (up/down) motion. Excessive downward heave can cause a ship to swamp and submerge. Sway is the motion generated directly from the water and the wind current’s force against the hull or the ship’s own propulsion. Surge is the longitudinal (front/back) motion caused by different naval conditions.

Advantages to using VMMS:

  • Protects vessel and its equipment from harm
  • Presents objective analysis of conditions
  • Provides accurate assessment of vessel’s Pitch, Roll
  • Able to set threshold limits and warnings when limits are reached
  • Measures the vessel’s dynamic motion and optimizes operating window
  • Provides analysis of vessel’s efficiency

CTi’s Dynamic Inclinometers & VRUs are capable of gauging Pitch & Roll with a high accuracy, precision & repeatability.

Dynamic Tilt Sensors / Inclinometers