Dynamic VEGA

    Bluetracker is a data integration and remote telemetry system for maritime applications.

    It collects ship operational data from different sources on board of the vessels, integrates this data in a common database and optionally transfers the data ashore to a centralized Bluetracker shore infrastructure.

    The vessel owner and other third party users can access the data in order to supervise, analyze and assist for a safe and economic ship operation.

Possible data sources

INTERSCHALT can interface to other ship system via standard industrial protocols and also by proprietary protocols, which are specified between INTERSCHALT and the maker of the respective system.

Further Bluetracker offers an open and documented collector interface on board the vessels, which can be used to push data into the system.

Possible data sources can be (but not limited to):
Tank Level Gauging Systems (TMS)
Integrated Alarm and Monitoring Systems (AMS)
Power Management Systems (PMS)
Flowmeters and Powermeters
Nautical equipment like GPS, log, echo sounder, compass, ECDIS, VDR
Loading Computer
Manual input

Applications

The data, collected from different sources and recorded for a long time, allows the user to derive deeper knowledge about the operations of ships.

Possible applications are (depending on the included data sources):

Supervise fuel consumption and efficiency of your vessels.
Evaluate the performance of your ships and your fleet on a long-term basis.
Calculate EEOI of your vessels automatically.
Record and supervise bunker operations remotely.
Supervise the technical condition of your fleet.
Give your inspectors access to relevant technical ship data.
Receive critical ship data almost in real time in case of Emergency (ERS).
Provide data to classification society inspectors.
Calculate system running hours even if no physical counter is available.
View alarm list, suppressions and events.

How Bluetracker works

The so-called Bluetracker on Board Server (BoBS) is installed on board the ship. It is connected to the technical ship systems in questions via Ethernet. Depending on the data exchange interface, additional converters will be used (e.g. serial NMEA to Ethernet converter).

Within the BOBS, a software component called Data Collector will collect the samples in a defined data format and store the data in a database. For each connected system, a software component called Data Connector will query the data from the system in question. The aforementioned component knows the details of the data exchange interface with the respective system and normalizes the data to the common collector format. These components act as a translator between the system component and the Data Collector.

Optionally, the BOBS can be connected to the vessel’s communication system and can transfer the data ashore on a regular basis (e.g. every 15 minutes) if a link is available. The receiving party on the shore side is the so-called Bluetracker on Shore Server (BoSS). The users of the system can access the data via web application. Optionally, the BoBS can also act as a web server, which allows users on board to access the recorded data (see figure below).