The Azipilot Project
Description
The Azipilot project is an EU funded project dealing with operation and pilot training for vessels equipped with Azimuthing control devices (ACDs) better known as Azipods and such. The Azipilot project started in October 2008, has a running time of 36 months and is therefore due to end in October 2011.
The project brings together the industry sectors responsible for design and testing, simulation and training, the pilots that operate ships fitted with ACDs and the authorities that regulate them. The International project team from 9 countries consists of 14 members.
The Azipilot project aim is to promote a wider understanding across the industry, leading to harmonization of practice and providing recommendations for both policy making and the pilot training process and practice; specifically for ships that use ACDs. The project also provides a forum for cross-disciplinary discussion between the key industry sectors such as Hydrodynamic Modelling, Marine Simulators, Marine Training and Operational Practice with ACDs.
During the presentation, the Azipilot project and the present status thereof is presented along with details concerning some serious ACD issues and some possible ways ahead. Also the coming Azipilot Conference/Workshop to be held on the 24th February 2011 at STC BV, Wilhelminakade 701, 3072AP Rotterdam, will be highlighted as a must to be attended for those involved with ACDs.
As ACDs can be mind boggling to use due to the large number of parameters available to the master/pilot/mate when manoeuvring such vessels, this can sometimes lead to all kinds of undesired results such as wrong manoeuvre, grounding, etc. There will be ample room for response from the floor on this topic during the Azipilot presentation, so feel free to participate!
19.30:00 Coffee
20:00 Start lectures
Speaker(s)
Jakob Pinkster (Head R&D, STC Group, Rotterdam)
Location
'Faculty Room', Building of W&S, Mekelweg 2, Delft
(Through main entrance past lecture halls end left)
Organiser
Maritime Engineering
Name and contact details for information
Further information from Erik de Ridder at the e-mail address below.