Monitoring the stress in the deck of an oil tanker

Taking the world as a whole, shipping losses average about one ship lost every three weeks and although this figure is relatively small compared with the number of ships operating, it is still a significant loss to the insurers.

Taking the world as a whole, shipping losses average about one ship lost every three weeks and although this figure is relatively small compared with the number of ships operating, it is still a significant loss to the insurers. One of the problems presented to the captains of ships at sea is the assessment of the severity of the waves and whether it is prudent to maintain the present course and speed.

However, such changes may involve significant time penalties, so that although safety is, of course, of paramount importance, needless changes should be avoided.

How can modern technology help the captain to decide whether it is safe to maintain the present course and speed?
One way is to monitor the deck deformations on board ship during sea conditions to assess the effect of the waves on the ship. In response to the request from naval architects for data on ship performance, a method using inductive displacement transducers in an on-line system has been developed to monitor deck deformations.