JP2024050245A - Management device and management program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To efficiently respond to an abnormality or failure in a ship's main engine. [Solution] In an embodiment, a management server has an acquisition unit and a provision unit. The acquisition unit acquires, from a ship equipped with a main engine, information on spare parts for the main engine that are loaded on the ship, and information on the operation of the main engine. The provision unit provides information for supporting the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a management device and a management program.

If an abnormality or breakdown occurs in the main engine installed on a ship, the ship will be unable to navigate normally as it will have to deal with the issue, resulting in problems such as delays in navigation. Furthermore, daily maintenance is necessary to prevent such abnormalities or breakdowns from occurring.

Conventionally, if an abnormality or breakdown occurs in the main engine, the ship's crew and construction supervisor will contact the person in charge at the engine (or main engine) manufacturer to take action such as repairing the problem.

Also, there is a known system that monitors the operation status of a ship, detects abnormal operation status and equipment abnormalities, and determines when maintenance is required (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-327361 A

However, conventional technology has the problem that it may not be possible to efficiently respond to abnormalities or failures in the ship's main engine.

For example, with conventional technology, information regarding the maintenance of each ship is not shared sufficiently between the ship and the manufacturer, which means that the manufacturer may not be able to provide appropriate support.

In one aspect, the objective is to efficiently respond to abnormalities or failures in the ship's main engine.

In one aspect, the management device is characterized by having an acquisition unit that acquires information on spare parts for the main engine that are loaded on the ship and information on the operation of the main engine from the ship on which the main engine is mounted, and a provision unit that provides information to support the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to efficiently respond to an abnormality or failure in the ship's main engine.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of main engine part spare information. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of main engine parts inventory information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of main engine history information. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by the management server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by the management server according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a management server according to the embodiment.

Below, a detailed description will be given of a form for implementing the management device and management program according to the present disclosure (hereinafter, referred to as an "embodiment") with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment.

One of the objectives of this embodiment is to efficiently respond to abnormalities or failures in the ship's main engine.

[Configuration of the embodiment]
The management system will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to a first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the management system 1 has a management server 10, a ship 20, a shipowner terminal 30, an insurance company server 40, and a broker terminal 50. All of the devices included in the management system 1 are realized by a computer. Furthermore, the management server 10 is an example of a management device.

The computer is, for example, a server installed on the cloud or in a local environment, a desktop or laptop PC, or a portable terminal such as a smartphone. The ship 20 also realizes the functions of a computer using, for example, an ECU (Engine Control Unit). In the following description, ship-based processing is assumed to be executed by a computer installed on the ship.

Each device included in the management system 1 can communicate data with devices connected by lines in the diagram. For example, each device in the management system 1 may communicate data via the Internet, or directly between nodes. For example, each device communicates via a mobile network (e.g., LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G), local wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), or satellite communication for ships.

In the first embodiment, the management server 10 assists in the management of main engine parts installed on multiple ships. Note that although one ship is shown in FIG. 1, in reality, multiple ships are connected to the management server 10.

For example, in the case of ship 20, parts may need to be replaced when the main engine breaks down. Also, when parts are in short supply, an order for parts is placed with the manufacturer from ship 20 or the shipowner's terminal 30 used by the shipowner of ship 20.

There are problems if the number of spare parts loaded on the ship 20 and the number of parts in stock secured by the manufacturer are either too many or too few. For example, if the number of spare parts on the ship 20 is too few, there may be a shortage of parts and it may not be possible to respond to a breakdown. Also, for example, if the number of parts in stock secured by the manufacturer is too small, it may not be possible to immediately arrange for parts to be delivered in response to an order from the ship 20. Furthermore, if either number is too large, additional inventory management costs will be required.

The management server 10 holds information on the parts loaded as spares on the ship 20, and information on the inventory and procurement status of parts on the main engine or manufacturer's side. The management server 10 then uses the information it holds to match parts between the manufacturer and the ship 20. The manufacturer and the ship 20 can determine the appropriate number of parts to secure according to the results of matching by the management server 10. Parts matching will be described later.

The configuration of the management server 10 will be described using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment.

Here, the management server 10 is assumed to be a server installed on the cloud. In other words, each device in the management system 1 is connected to the management server 10 via the Internet.

As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 10 has a communication unit 11, a memory unit 12, and a control unit 13.

The communication unit 11 communicates data with other devices. For example, the communication unit 11 is a communication interface such as a NIC (Network Interface Controller).

The memory unit 12 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk, a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, or a non-volatile static random access memory (NVSRAM).

The memory unit 12 stores data related to the programs executed by the management server 10. For example, the memory unit 12 stores main engine part spare information 121, main engine part inventory information 122, and main engine history information 123.

Main engine parts spare information 121 is information about main engine parts secured for each of a number of vessels. Figure 3 shows an example of main engine parts spare information.

As shown in FIG. 3, the main engine parts spare information 121 includes the items "Ship ID," "Part ID," and "Quantity."

The "Ship ID" item is information for identifying a ship. The "Parts ID" item is information for identifying a part. The "Quantity" item is the quantity of the part identified by the "Parts ID" item loaded on the ship identified by the "Ship ID" item.

For example, Figure 3 shows that ship "A011" is carrying one part "B211."

Main engine parts inventory information 122 is information about parts that manufacturers arrange (sell, deliver) to ships. Figure 4 shows an example of main engine parts inventory information.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main engine parts inventory information 122 includes the following items: "Part ID," "Quantity," "Unit price," "Delivery date," "Supplier," and "Quantity ordered."

The "Part ID" item is information for identifying a part. The "Quantity" item is the inventory quantity at the manufacturer of the part identified by the "Part ID" item. The "Unit Price" item is the standard sales price of the part identified by the "Part ID" item. The "Delivery Date" item is the standard delivery date of the part identified by the "Part ID" item.

In addition, this information identifies the ship from which the parts identified by the items "Dispatch destination" and "Parts ID" are being procured. The item "Number of items procured" is the number of parts identified by the item "Parts ID" that are being procured.

For example, Figure 4 shows that the inventory quantity of part "B211" is 15, the unit price is "￥500,000", the delivery date is 5 business days, and 3 parts are being ordered to ship "A011".

The main engine history information 123 is history information for each of multiple ships. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of main engine history information. For example, the history information is information about events such as maintenance records, abnormalities, or failures.

As shown in Figure 5, the main engine history information 123 includes the items "Ship ID," "Date and time," "Content," and "Operation data."

The "Ship ID" item is information for identifying the ship. The "Date and time" item is the date and time when the event occurred. The "Content" item is the content of the event. The "Operation data" item is the operation data of the main engine when the event occurred.

For example, Figure 5 shows that scheduled maintenance was performed on vessel "A011" at "2022/9/1 15:04" and that the accumulated operating time of the main engine at that time was 2124 hours.

The control unit 13 controls the entire management server 10. The control unit 13 is, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 13 also has an internal memory for storing programs and control data that define various processing procedures, and executes each process using the internal memory. The control unit 13 also functions as various processing units by running various programs.

For example, the control unit 13 functions as an acquisition unit 131, an update unit 132, a matching unit 133, and a provision unit 134. The matching unit 133 is an example of a determination unit.

The acquisition unit 131 acquires information from other devices. The acquisition unit 131 can acquire information from the ship 20 and the manufacturer using a dedicated API (Application Programming Interface).

The acquisition unit 131 acquires information (e.g., quantity) about spare parts for the main engine that are loaded on the ship, and information about the operation of the main engine (e.g., operating data and history information) from the ship on which the main engine is installed. The acquisition unit 131 also acquires the inventory quantity and ordering status of each part from the manufacturer.

The acquisition unit 131 creates main engine parts spare information 121, main engine parts inventory information 122, and main engine history information 123 based on the acquired information.

The update unit 132 updates the main engine parts spare information 121, the main engine parts inventory information 122, and the main engine history information 123 based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. The main engine parts spare information 121 is an example of a database that records the quantity of parts loaded on the ship.

For example, as shown in the fourth line of FIG. 5, the update unit 132 adds a record of ship "A011", date and time "2022/9/5 19:30", and content "Temporary maintenance performed, B211 replaced" to the main engine history information 123 based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. At this time, the update unit 132 reduces the quantity of part "B211" of ship "A011" in the main engine parts spare information 121 by 1 based on the information "B211 replaced".

The matching unit 133 matches parts between manufacturers and ships 20. Specifically, the matching unit 133 determines the quantity of parts at the manufacturer and ship 20 based on the main engine parts spare information 121, main engine parts inventory information 122, and main engine history information 123. Identifying manufacturers and ships 20 with too few or too many parts through such a determination process is called matching.

First, the matching unit 133 refers to the main engine parts spare information 121 and compares the quantity of each part on each ship with the thresholds (upper limit and lower limit). Based on the database, the matching unit 133 determines whether or not there is a shortage of parts on the ship.

For parts whose quantity exceeds the upper limit, the matching unit 133 determines that the spare quantity is too large.

On the other hand, for parts whose quantity is equal to or less than the lower limit, the matching unit 133 determines that there is a shortage and calculates the shortage as the value obtained by subtracting the quantity in the main engine parts spare information 121 from the lower limit.

Here, the threshold value is 2. In the example of Figure 3, since the quantity of part "B211" is below the lower limit for ships "A011", "A012", and "A013", the matching unit 133 calculates the shortage for each as 1. At this time, the matching unit 133 adds up the shortages for each ship and calculates the total shortage as 3.

The matching unit 133 compares the total shortage amount with the quantity (manufacturer's inventory amount) in the main engine parts inventory information 122. If the total shortage amount exceeds the quantity in the main engine parts inventory information 122, the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory amount is insufficient.

On the other hand, if the total shortage amount is equal to or less than the quantity in the main engine parts inventory information 122, the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory amount is not insufficient. Furthermore, if the quantity in the main engine parts inventory information 122 exceeds the number of ships multiplied by a reference value (e.g., 4), the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory amount is too high.

In the example of Figure 4, the quantity of part "B211" is 15, which exceeds the total shortage of 3. For this reason, the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory is not insufficient. However, because the quantity of part "B211" exceeds 3 (number of ships) x 4 (reference value) = 12, the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory is too high.

The provision unit 134 provides information to support the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. The provision unit 134 provides information according to the determination result by the matching unit 133 to the ship 20, the shipowner's terminal 30, and the manufacturer.

For example, if the quantity of spare parts on the ship 20 is below a lower limit, a message is sent to the ship 20 or the shipowner terminal 30 used by the shipowner of the ship 20, encouraging the purchase of parts from the manufacturer.

On the other hand, if the matching unit 133 determines that the manufacturer's inventory is insufficient, the provision unit 134 sends a message to the manufacturer encouraging them to produce the parts.

The management server 10 may also provide the main engine history information 123 to an insurance company server 40 used by an insurance company. In this case, the insurance company can provide telematics insurance to the ship owner based on the provided information.

The management server 10 may provide the main engine history information 123 to the broker terminal 50 via the shipowner terminal 30. This allows the main engine history information 123 to be used when a ship is bought and sold between the broker and the shipowner.

The processing flow of the management server 10 in the first embodiment will be described using FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, first, the management server 10 acquires information on main engine parts for each ship and creates main engine parts spare information 121 (step S101).

Next, the management server 10 updates the main engine parts spare information 121 according to the main engine history information 123 (step S102). The management server 10 repeats step S102 until a matching request is received from the ship owner or manufacturer (step S103, No).

When a matching request is received from the ship owner or manufacturer (step S103, Yes), the management server 10 performs matching by referring to the main engine parts spare information 121 and the main engine parts inventory information 122 (step S104). Then, the management server 10 provides the matching results to the ship, the ship owner, or the manufacturer.

Instead of performing matching in response to a matching request, the management server 10 may perform matching automatically at regular intervals.

[Effects of the First Embodiment]
As described above, the management server 10 has an acquisition unit 131, an update unit 132, a matching unit 133, and a provision unit 134. The acquisition unit 131 acquires, from the ship equipped with the main engine, information on spare parts for the main engine that are loaded on the ship, and information on the operation of the main engine. The provision unit 134 provides information for supporting the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. The ship becomes able to efficiently respond to abnormalities or failures in the ship's main engine based on the provided information.

The update unit 132 also updates a database that records the quantity of parts loaded on the ship based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. The matching unit 133 determines whether or not there is a shortage of parts on the ship based on the database. The provision unit 134 provides the ship with information according to the determination result by the matching unit 133.

This allows ships to request replenishment from manufacturers to ensure that they do not run out of spare parts. Also, manufacturers can sell parts according to the ship's situation.

Second Embodiment
The management server 10 can not only manage the parts of the main engine, but also provide support when an abnormality occurs in the main engine. In the second embodiment, the management server 10 provides information to a support server that provides support when an abnormality occurs in the main engine of the ship.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the management system 2 has a management server 10, a ship 20, a shipowner terminal 30, an insurance company server 40, a broker terminal 50, and a support server 60.

The support server 60 transmits and receives information between the shipowner's terminal 30 (or ship 20) and a support staff member who provides technical support regarding the ship's 20's main engine. For example, the support server 60 and the shipowner's terminal 30 are connected by line-to-land communication via a dedicated line.

For example, the support server 60 provides a videophone system that can be used by the shipowner and the support staff. In addition, when an abnormality occurs on the ship 20, the support server 60 provides the shipowner terminal 30 with a document or video manual that has been prepared in advance.

Here, the acquisition unit 131 of the management server 10 further acquires the main engine abnormality detection result from the ship 20. Then, the provision unit 134 provides information regarding operation (main engine history information 123) together with the abnormality detection result to the support server 60, which supports the ship 20 in responding to abnormalities.

The providing unit 134 also provides the main engine parts spare information 121 to the support server 60. This allows the support staff to provide support while taking into consideration the spare parts loaded on the ship 20. For example, the support staff can determine, based on the main engine parts spare information 121, whether or not it is necessary to procure new parts to respond to an abnormality.

By providing the main engine history information 123 to the support server 60 by the management server 10, the support staff can monitor the ship 20. For example, the support staff can predict the occurrence of major trouble before it occurs based on the detection results of minor abnormalities and the main engine history information 123.

The processing flow of the management server 10 in the second embodiment will be described using FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, first, the management server 10 acquires information on main engine parts for each ship and creates main engine parts spare information 121 (step S201).

Next, the management server 10 updates the main engine parts spare information 121 according to the main engine history information 123 (step S202). The management server 10 repeats step S202 until a support request is received from the ship owner (step S203, No).

If a request for assistance is received (step S203, Yes), the management server 10 provides the main engine part spare information 121 and the main engine history information 123 to the assistance server 60 (step S204).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the management server 10 includes a computer having a processor 1010, a memory 1020, an input/output IF 1030, and a bus 1040. The processor 1010, the memory 1020, and the input/output IF 1030 can send and receive information to and from each other via the bus 1040.

The processor 1010 executes each function by reading and executing the management program stored in the memory 1020. The processor 1010 is, for example, an example of a processing circuit, and includes one or more of a CPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a system LSI (Large Scale Integration).

The memory 1020 includes one or more of a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The input/output IF 1030 includes, for example, an AD converter, a DA converter, an input/output port, etc.

The management server 10 may be configured to include a data reading unit that reads out a computer-readable management program from a recording medium on which the management program is recorded. The processor 1010 can control the data reading unit to obtain the management program recorded on the recording medium from the data reading unit, and store the obtained management program in the memory 1020. The recording medium may include, for example, one or more of a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, a flexible memory, an optical disk, a compact disk, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

The management server 10 may also include a communication unit that receives the management program from the server via the network. In this case, the processor 1010 can obtain the management program from the server via the communication unit and store the obtained management program in the memory 1020.

The management server 10 may also include integrated circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the above-described embodiments may be embodied in various forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Reference Signs List 1, 2 Management system 10 Management server 11 Communication unit 12 Memory unit 13 Control unit 20 Ship 30 Shipowner terminal 40 Insurance company server 50 Broker terminal 60 Support server 121 Main engine parts spare information 122 Main engine parts inventory information 123 Main engine history information 131 Acquisition unit 132 Update unit 133 Matching unit 134 Provision unit

Claims (6)

an acquisition unit that acquires, from a ship equipped with a main engine, information regarding spare parts for the main engine that are loaded on the ship, and information regarding operation of the main engine;
a providing unit that provides information for supporting the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquiring unit;
A management device comprising: an update unit that updates a database that records the quantity of the parts loaded on the ship based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit;
a determination unit that determines whether or not the parts are in short supply in the ship based on the database;
and
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the providing unit provides the ship with information corresponding to the result of the determination made by the determining unit. The acquisition unit further acquires an abnormality detection result of the main engine,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the providing unit provides information about the operation together with the abnormality detection result to a device that supports response to abnormalities in the ship. an acquisition step of acquiring, from a ship equipped with a main engine, information regarding spare parts of the main engine that are loaded on the ship, and information regarding operation of the main engine;
a providing step of providing information for supporting the operation of the main engine based on the information acquired by the acquiring step;
A management program characterized by causing a computer to execute the above. an updating step of updating a database that records the quantity of the parts loaded on the ship based on the information acquired by the acquiring step;
a determining step of determining whether or not the part is in short supply on the ship based on the database;
Then,
5. The management program according to claim 4, wherein the providing step provides the ship with information corresponding to the determination result in the determining step. The acquiring step further acquires an abnormality detection result of the main engine,
5. The management program according to claim 4, wherein the providing step provides information about the operation together with the abnormality detection result to a device that supports response to abnormalities in the ship.

Images