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& Timothy Scherer and Jeffrey Cohen Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Introduction
Machinery Control Systems (MCS) have evolved rapidly with the development of smaller and more powerful computational and display technologies. Over the past three decades machinery controls have moved from hardware-based logic to software-based logic. The use of relays, push buttons and light-bulbs has been replaced by processors, graphical user interfaces, keyboards and track balls. Suppliers have also evolved from using basic circuit cards and military-specified processors running machine language to Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) processors running high level languages like C11 and JAVA. Networks provide communication using industry standard protocols. These changes have driven changes in acquisition philosophy, life cycle support, training, and modernization programs. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Ship Systems Engineering Station (NAVSSES), has evolved into a center of excellence for machinery control and machinery control systems. Tracing technical roots back to the advent of boiler controls and later gas turbine control systems, MCS personnel have provided support to nearly every Navy surface ship. Since 1996, NAVSSES has been developing new machinery control systems for back fit on US Navy, US Coast Guard and Foreign Military ships. See Figure 1
& 2011, American Society of Naval Engineers DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-3584.2011.00321.x
for a list of ship classes that NAVSSES is providing MCS support. While software and hardware designs have evolved through the years, the technical approach and current designs for modernizations are based largely on successfully completed systems. Each new control system uses lessons learned from each of the previous programs. This paper will discuss the support that NAVSSES has provided the fleet using a historical perspective to show how MCS support evolved. While the organization provides steam control systems and fluid systems automation as well as networks and bridge control systems, this paper focuses on the MCS product line. A discussion of the early support for gas turbine programs and their associated control systems will be presented to provide a perspective on how those programs influenced the current MCS organization. The progression of support from early programs through in-service engineering to leading modernization programs will be addressed throughout this paper.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 1:
power plant, auxiliary systems, and damage control systems. Looking across the fleet MCS controls and monitors 86 shipboard systems (see Figure 2). The MCS controls and monitors designated systems throughout the ship, including control of the propulsion plant from the bridge. The system also provides bell and logging. The MCS is comprised of hardware and software, including the user interfaces, required to enable
monitoring and control of the machinery plant. On older, legacy designs the MCS is centralized with all of the required plant information connected via cable to a central location and connected to the appropriate consoles by functionality (propulsion, electric power, auxiliaries, fuel control, damage control, ballast control, etc.). Most current machinery control systems are distributed with the capability to control the
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Figure 3:
ships machinery systems from numerous workstations throughout the ship. The distributed control system relies on a network to allow communication between workstations, control equipment, and controlled/monitored devices. Figure 3 is a diagram of a notional distributed control system showing the interconnection of devices on the network. The figure shows a core, mesh network with control layer devices and information layer workstations connected to it. CAPT J. Preisel, USN (ret.), the first and former DDG 51 Program Manager at NAVSSES, describes how the machinery control system scheme is implemented for the propulsion system on a gas turbine ship: In each of these systems, a similar scheme for propulsion control exists: Propulsion control (thrust control) is maintained at three hierarchical levels: on the bridge, in a central control station, and locally in each main
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machinery space. Overall communications for control and monitoring must be maintained among the three levels of control. The safety-related control loop (i.e. the engine inner loop control) resides locally with the prime mover.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
one Research and Development (R&D) Branch. These branches address the MCS life cycle. There are five main life cycle areas of MCS responsibility at NAVSSES: R&D Acquisition Support ISE/Software Support Technical Warrant Holder support Modernization Solutions
Modernization Solutions
Modernization support has meant the design, development, test, installation and logistics support of a turnkey replacement system. The new MCS typically resolves obsolescence and supportability issues as well as improving user interfaces and reducing workload through automation. Software is designed and developed by the Navy which eliminates licensing fees and improves total ownership cost through re-use and commonality.
Acquisition Support
The Acquisition Support role provides for the review of new construction MCS from requirements through design to testing and delivery. The NAVSSES role also includes testing or independent review of vendor software (e.g. Factory Acceptance Testing or Land Based Engineering Site testing) as well as production and trial support. Support is typically provided to the Ship Design Managers and the Program Executive Figure 4: Technology and Requirements Flows in System Life Cycle Activities
FLEET
ONR
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A Brief History Of The Navys Gas Turbine Program and its Impact On Machinery Control SystemTesting
Much of the current Navys roots for distributed machinery control system expertise are found in the development and testing of gas turbine systems. The Navy conducted in-house studies in the late 1930s to determine if gas turbine engines could be used for marine propulsion. In 1940 the Bureau of Ships (now NAVSEA) published a report including recommendations to establish a naval gas turbine program. A program was established and a contract was awarded in December 1940 for the development of a gas turbine plant. This plant was tested at the US Naval Engineering Experiment Station (USNEES) in Annapolis, MD, starting in 1944. USNEES would later become part of the David Taylor Research Center and be subsequently merged with NAVSSES in Philadelphia as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. During the same time period, the Navy Boiler and Turbine Laboratory (NBTL), which later evolved into NAVSSES, was established in 1941 to provide the US Navy with the capability to test boilers, steam turbines, and associated auxiliary systems. In the 1950s a Combined Steam and Gas Turbine propulsion system test was conducted at NBTL. NBTL had developed expertise and experience in steam turbines and propulsion systems, and the Navy took advantage of this expertise for testing the first full scale gas turbine plant. A control console was used for initial gas turbine control and monitoring (Carleton and Weinert). As the Navys gas turbine programs continued to grow, NBTL expertise in these programs grew as well. The result was that NAVSSES became the primary location for gas turbine testing for the Navy. Once the Navy had committed to using the gas turbine engine in the propulsion plant, NAVSSES conducted propulsion plant machinery performance testing, endurance testing and integration testing. The control systems for the engine and propulsion plant were integral to these tests.
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The first major gas turbine ship testing occurred on the DD 963 Land Based Test Site (LBTS) at NAVSSES in 1973. The purpose of this testing was to evaluate system integration, performance, control characteristics, and shipboard applicability. Included in this testing was a propulsion control system that provided program control of the shafts speed. Testing identified problems in both the Propulsion Control System and the Integrated Throttle Control. (Nufrio and McNamara) The nomenclature for the DD 963 machinery control system was the Engineering Control and Surveillance System (ECSS). The ECSS contained: Propulsion and Machinery Control Equipment Electric Plant Control Equipment Propulsion and Machinery Information System Equipment Propulsion Local Operating Equipment Much of these systems were hard wired with significant signal conditioning. Some signals and information were communicated via serial data buses. A centralized digital computer with an embedded computer program processed the information from signal conditioners and the serial buses. Engineers and technicians who were experienced in electronics were the primary support for support for this system. Figure 5 provides a diagram of the ECSS.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 5: Diagram of the DD 963 class Engineering Control and Surveillance System
identified included: control system operation issues due to electromagnetic interference, set point problems, software design problems, and grounding problems. Integration testing would continue to expand with the control systems increased complexity and become a major reason for testing in subsequent shipboard systems. Other systems testing that followed the testing of the FFG 7 propulsion system were the Rankine Cycle Energy Recovery (RACER) system from 1984 to 1986, and the Reversible Converter Coupling (RCC), which was eventually used on the AOE 6 class. The FFG 7 LBTS was modified to test the RCC upon completion of the FFG 7 propulsion system testing. During this time frame the CG 47 class was introduced into the Navy. With a propulsion plant similar to the DD 963 class, there was no large scale land based testing conducted on the CG 47 machinery control system or on propulsion system integration. The next major gas turbine propulsion combatant was the DDG 51 class. Due to the issues found and resolved during previous gas turbine tests, there was a demonstrated need for
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another Land Based test Site to support this ship class. Additionally, there were significant differences in the control system equipment that warranted a land-based integration and test program which preceded shipboard integration.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
be changed more easily through changes in the computer program or user entry into a user-defined field. Significantly more information is available to the user. The DDG 51 Land Based Engineering Site (LBES) was built to test the propulsion plant, the electric plant, MCS and DMS well in advance of the delivery of the ship. A primary purpose of the LBES was to provide integration testing of the propulsion system, including the control system, to allow for finding and resolving problems with the propulsion plant before going to sea. In 1988 testing began on the DDG 51 Land Based Engineering Site. Testing objectives for the MCS included: Wiring checks Alarms at design set points Data transfer Data displays Control circuits Propulsion Control Transfer Safety circuits and permissives Modes of Operation No-break Power Supplies
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Ground detection circuitry DMS interfaces/communication All of these areas were to be tested statically and dynamically with the hot plant. During the initial testing only the main propulsion consoles were installed on the LBES. The missing consoles were simulated until they were later added into the LBES MCS configuration. Full systems integration testing began on April 26, 1989. Testing that was accomplished included (Preisel): Dynamic overspeed trips Torque and speed limiting Main reduction gear tooth contact checks Full power testing Program control testing Brake mode testing Dynamic system responses Remote system tests As a result of the expertise that was developed during system testing, NAVSSES was selected to be the life cycle software support agent (SSA) for the DDG-51 MCS in 1989. This selection was the significant milestone that allowed the Navy
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to build a foundation of technical excellence in MCS and software engineering. Initially, the DDG 51 MCS computer program was approximately 80,000 lines of code in CMS-2, a source code language used on circa 1980 military microprocessors. One of the first major changes in the DDG 51 MCS software was porting algorithms developed by a technical support contractor to correct issues with shaft speed control and other problems. Shaft speed control was initially an open loop control system that did not reliably produce ordered shaft speed, and transient response was unacceptably slow. The new code was developed and interfaced to the existing subprograms to create a new Shaft Control Unit program. This new program was then interfaced to the engine controllers and other consoles. The new program was tested on the LBES and delivered to the USS ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51), where it was tested at sea (Halpin and Odum). Since that software change, hundreds of software deliveries by the NAVSSES SSA have been made to DDG 51 class ships, providing improvements or solving problems within the system.
For the backfit effort NAVSSES took the DDG 111 MCS computer programs and modified them for DDG 51 configuration differences. This hardware was interfaced with the new integrated bridge, network, digital video and other equipment at LBES during the 20092010 timeframe. This hardware and software suite was installed on the DDG 51 and 53 in mid-2010. In 2010 it was decided that the DDG new ship construction program would be restarted. The DDG 51 class support schedule has extended to 2025, when the DDG 127 is scheduled to be commissioned and the first of the FLT 2A ships will be modernized. The modernization program could extend to the year 2042.
DDG Modernization
Starting with proposals in 2002 the DDG Modernization program has been supported by NAVSSES from evaluation of alternatives through requirements development. A new MCS architecture was implemented on the forward fit ships, DDG 111 and DDG 112, with the intent to back fit this system in older DDG 51 class ships for MCS modernization. The forward fit ships will be supported in the same way as previous DDG 51 class new construction ships. NAVSSES took delivery of new control system hardware in 2008 and modified the LBES simulator/stimulator and switching equipment to interface to this new hardware. In late 2009, NAVSSES was requested to finalize the computer program for the DDG 111 in support of builders and acceptance trials in 2011.
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Review shipboard engineering changes for software impact Duplicate, troubleshoot and resolve problems from fleet Document and track all software problems and improvements Ensure software is viewed from a systems engineering perspective As the SSA workload increased on the DDG 51 class, it became difficult to meet the SSA requirements. In 1996 NAVSSES engineers and management realized that there was a need for more rigorous and structured processes as the SSA responsibility increased rapidly. While the software products were of high quality and schedules were being met, the environment was having detrimental effects on the workforce, due to short deadlines, late changing requirements, and high workload. It was also recognized that the DOD was adopting the Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM) to evaluate organizations that were developing software. NAVSSES made the decision to develop a Standard Software Process that was compliant with the SW-CMM. (Kraynik) SW-CMM was developed to guide the adoption of best practices in software engineering in an effort to address numerous shortcomings in software products. During the 1980s many complex, software-based products were delivered to the DOD that did not meet expected functionality or quality. Many, if not most, software projects were grossly over budget and did not meet schedule. In the 1990s the SW-CMM became widely utilized, and in many cases, DOD programs required organizations that developed software to be SW-CMM compliant. The DDG 51 MCS SSA was assessed at Level 2 of the SW-CMM in September 1998. This meant that NAVSSES had a disciplined approach to process that was repeatable on projects that are similar. Upon receiving the assessment of Level 2, efforts began to expand the deployment of the Standard Software Process (SSP) across multiple
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projects and attain a Maturity Level 3. For Level 3, the SW-CMM states that the software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardized, and integrated into a standard software process for the organization. In September 2000, the Machinery SSA was assessed at Level 3 for five software programs: the DDG 51 class MCS, AOE 6 class MCS, the MHC 51 class Machinery/Ship Control System (M/SCS), the ARS 50 class MCS, and the Integrated Condition Assessment System.
CMMI
As the SW-CMM moved to a systems view, rather than just limited to a software view, NAVSSES revamped its processes and rolled out a new Software-based Systems Process that complied with the new Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI). In 2006 and again 2009, the organization was appraised at Level 3 of the new integrated model. The MCS programs were significant to demonstrating the value and benefit of the SSP, which has been applied to all software-based system products at NAVSSES.
Supporting MCS In-service Engineering and Software Support Beyond the DDG 51Class
For many shipbuilding programs it was not financially viable to build an LBES with hot plant to test MCS. To reduce testing costs, the MCS control consoles and local controllers are connected to a simulator/stimulator for testing and problem resolution. Examples of this type of ISEA/SSA lab include the AOE 6 class and the MHC 51 class. In 1994 NAVSSES was designated as the SSA for both the AOE 6 class and the MHC 51 class. The AOE 6 class was a natural extension of the support provided to the DDG 51 class, since the consoles were manufactured by the same vendor and were very close in technology. Support for the AOE 6 class continued until the ships were transferred to the Military Sea Lift Command. NAVSSES began supporting the MHC 51 class Machinery/Ship Control System (M/SCS) during
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the mid 1990s. Numerous improvements were developed for the class, including an autopilot function. The autopilot development effort was the first MHC 51 software change in the class. The MHC M/SCS is currently being replaced by NAVVSES with a new MCS under the Foreign Military Sales program.
NAVSSES has since re-architected the system and software. Another important aspect of the CG 47 ISC program is the implementation of physics based embedded training, entitled the On Board Trainer (OBT). The distributed nature of the ISC MCS allows the capability for ships force to train on one workstation which is connected via network to a plant simulation, while another workstation is in control of the engineering plant. NAVSSES developed the second generation of the ISC OBT to be a more realistic simulation of the engineering plant. An integrated model of the CG 47 class machinery systems were developed, leveraging off of the first OBT developed for the MCM 1 class modernization. In 2002, the first gas turbine machinery plant OBT was successfully installed on CG 54.
Standardized Monitoring and Control System, Smartship, and Integrated Ship Controls
The Standard Monitoring and Control System (SMCS) was to be a standards-based, open architecture system with standard human-machine interfaces workstations that were functionally configured by upgradeable software. The concept development and design was largely accomplished at NSWCCD in Annapolis with testing accomplished at NAVSSES. SMCS concepts became the precursor to the Smartship programs machinery control system. The initial Smartship, USS YORKTOWN (CG 48), played in important role in providing a platform to evaluate enabling technologies. As a result of the success of the technology evaluation, the Integrated Ship Control (ISC) program was established. An element of this program was established to replace the increasingly obsolete CG 47 class Engineering Control and Surveillance Equipment with a distributed and more automated Machinery Control System. This system was tested on the DDG 51 LBES through the use of switching equipment and signal conditioning to allow the new CG 47 class MCS to operate the DDG 51 hot plant. This was an effective and cost efficient means of validating the CG 47 MCS. The USS TICONDEROGA (CG 47) was the first ship in the class to receive the ISC machinery control system. NAVSSES provided on-site support and simultaneous LBES testing to the first several ISC modernizations. In 2001, NAVSSES MCS personnel assumed the responsibility as the ISEA/SSA for the system.
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On Board Trainer
The On-Board Trainer (OBT) is a software application that provides a means for crew training without operating a live machinery plant. It provides a real-time training simulation of the machinery plant that results in reduced wear, less repair maintenance and fuel savings. The OBT models the propulsion, electrical and auxiliaries systems to provide a full simulation of the machinery plant vital for ship operation. It provides on-line individual and team watchstander training during both pier and underway conditions. The application is able to run at any MCS control console. Each MCS console can be placed in either Simulation mode or Plant mode. In Simulation Mode, the consoles receives and sends data to the simulator software and in Plant Mode, the consoles will exchange data with the MCS PLCs. The OBT is composed of three main sections: Instructor Operator Section, Controller Simulation and Machinery Plant Simulation. The Machinery Plant Simulation provides an integrated, realistic simulation of the machinery
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
plant which is controlled and monitored by the MCS. Manuals, operating guides and In-service Engineering Agent input are used to develop the OBTs machinery modeling to ensure realistic simulation. The simulation runs in real time and is controlled by the Instructor Operator.
ECS as directives. MIPS coordinates sequences for system alignments, performs starts and stops of equipment, sequences and manages system recovery activities, and performs system reconfigurations in an automated fashion based on these directives. MIPS manages plant power by computing power availability and consumption in zones that are dictated by system alignment called power centers. The Power Accounting feature of MIPS is used to then further define how loads are fed from power sources (generators and/or power converters/inverters), to connect and disconnect loads based on priorities, to add power generation as needed, and to communicate to other ECS ensembles and domains outside of ship to coordinate power usage (Henry et al). During the Detail Design and Integration phase the Ship Control System Integrated Product Team was formed with the lead systems integrator, its subcontractors, the shipbuilders, and the Navy Technical Team (NTT) members. NAVSSES is supporting the NTT, overseeing design, integration, and testing. NAVSSES is also supporting the integration testing of ECS to IPS on the DDG 1000 LBTS.
DDG1000
The DDG 1000 has the most complex engineering plant control system ever designed for a US Navy ship. The engineering plant control or Engineering Control System (ECS) is a component of the Ship Control System Element. Within the ECS boundary, there are three ensembles: Integrated Power System Control (MIPS), Auxiliaries Control (MACS), and Automated Damage Control (MADC). MIPS monitors the power plant equipment and performs Power Management. Power Management is a generic name for functionality that integrates the high and low voltage power systems with the electric propulsion motors and manages power and loads to support ship activities. These activities are decomposed by the Ship Domain Controller and are provided to
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
give the reader a sense of what NAVSSES does for modernizations of the MCS.
Reduce crew workload 24-hour parts support First Class wide modern control system Enable on-board crew training utilizing simulation Allow for expansion Original ISCS Hardware ISCS design was predicated on the use of COTS hardware, thereby minimizing initial development costs and utilizing the OEMs existing support infrastructure. The following is a detailed view of the system. Primary ISCS hardware includes two sit-down control consoles and three local workstations, eleven Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and four ATM switching hubs. The shipboard locations of the primary ISCS equipment are shown in Figure 7. The control consoles and workstations use large hi-definition monitors. The consoles and workstations, using a Windows operating system, run the ISCS User Interface Program and other applications. Since ISCS is a distributive system, any console or workstation can perform propulsion and/or electrical control functions, however only one may have control of the propulsion or electrical plant at a time.
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Major parts of the ISCS control system were assembled and consisted of equipment mounted in stainless steel, watertight enclosures. Eleven PLCs contain the circuit cards that interface with the machinery plant. Each PLC is a system of two cabinets (Alpha and Bravo). The Alpha cabinet contains the PLC processor and Analog Input and Output modules. The Bravo cabinet contains the Digital Input and Output modules. The PLC processor contains signal processing and machinery control logic. Three Generator Local Control Electronics Enclosures (GLCEEs), one for each Ship Service Diesel Generator, contain electronics that provide the Ship Service Diesel Generators control interface between the switchboard and the PLC. One Gas Turbine Control Relay Box (GTCRB) contains electronics that are used to perform automatic control functions for the ships Gas Turbine Generator. The primary Local Area Network (LAN) hardware is four ATM switches, or hubs. The Ethernet ports operate at 10 megabits per second for each PLC and for all consoles and workstations. ISCS consoles, workstations, PLCs, and ATM switching hubs are protected against power failure by Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS). Each UPS is fitted with a network interface card for monitoring by the ISCS consoles. Other miscellaneous ISCS hardware includes three operator chairs, four stainless steel hub enclosures, one color printer, three portable data terminals, and two CD stack players.
Monitoring Software, the Bell Logging Software, the On-Board Simulator/Trainer Software, and the Integrated Condition Assessment System (ICAS). The Control Consoles contain the ISCS User Interface Software. This software is the User Interface to the Machinery Plant. Its functions are to provide the user the capability to monitor the status of the machinery plant, send commands to equipment and help diagnose and troubleshoot ISCS problems. The User Interface Software is written in the Visual C1 1 Programming Language. It utilizes bitmaps stored on the console hard drive to display views of the machinery plant. The same software executable runs on all of the control consoles and thus provides the same machinery control and monitoring capability to each console user. Equipment control capability is broken down into two parts; Propulsion Equipment and Electrical Equipment responsibility. Each console has the capability to monitor the entire machinery plant parameters at all times. Only one console may have control capability (Propulsion, Electrical or both) at one time. A Transfer of Equipment Control algorithm/hierarchy is established in the control console software. Like a typical Windows program the User Interface Program contains menus, toolbars, windows and audible sounds that provide the operator with an easy-to-use interface with the machinery plant. The look and feel of the Console program is that of a common Windows program. The user interfaces with the program via a combination of track-ball movements, right and left point-and-click maneuvers and the keyboard. The Operator chooses buttons and sliders to provide machinery plant control. The console software provides the user with the current state of the shipboard equipment. There are eighty different picture views of the machinery plant, which the operator may
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ISCS Software
The heart of ISCS is the extensive amount of software, which runs on the Control Consoles and the Programmable Logic Controllers. The ISCS Software suite consists of software modules including the ISCS Control and
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 8:
MRG View
display. Views may be displayed in quad (up to four views may be displayed at one time) or full screen mode. Each display contains a number of monitor and control boxes. These boxes are the user active locations on the screen and represent the shipboard equipment and machinery (e.g., temperature sensor or diesel engine state). The state of a box is determined by its text, color and flashing state. Figure 8 and Figure 9 show a machine (MRG) view and a system (Ships Service Air System) view. Each of the eleven PLCs contains a separate software program written in a Ladder Logic Language. The PLC software provides for Signal Processing and Machinery Control Logic. Signal processing consists of signal conditioning, alarm and status change processing and signal out of range checking. Control logic includes Diesel Engine and Diesel Generator Engine State Logic, Propulsion Program Control, Electric Plant Auto-Paralleling, Gas Turbine Engine State and Control Logic, and Auxiliary Equipment Logic. Console Commands are sent through the Control software by the Console-in-Control via the FOLAN to the proper PLC. In turn, logic in the PLC sends out the command to the proper
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equipment. Discrete and Analog signals are received by the PLCs, processed and available via the fiber optic local area network (FOLAN) to all of the Controls Consoles when queried. Information is displayed through the Control User Interface Software.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 9:
train ships force in the operation of the new control system. The IMCS was completely developed and lab tested but due to budget cuts was never installed shipboard. Although much of the ARS software and hardware design was based on the MCM ISCS project, there were numerous key changes that would shape NAVSSES modernization programs for years to come, including: Methods for developing Graphical User Interfaces Managing MCS data with databases Methods for MCS data communications
Supporting the CVN-78 acquisition program Before 2000, control and monitoring of non-propulsion plant machinery systems (e.g. JP-5 and Potable Water) on US Navy Aircraft Carriers had been accomplished through a combination of manual operations (e.g. physically opening a valve) and compartmentalized hard-wired remote electronic panels and consoles (e.g. JP-5 consoles and IC/SM alarm panels). Information was limited to the space where these controls were located and provided for limited machinery/ equipment situation awareness to the operator. In addition, the control/monitoring equipment was routinely in need of maintenance and repair. Since the late 1990s, many of the hard-wired electronic based consoles/panel and manual controls had been replaced with computer-based control systems. These replacement control systems have been evolving and range from simple stand-alone control systems to complex, fully integrated solutions.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Communications and Advanced Networks or ICAN) was a system integration concept and acquisition strategy intended to use Non-Developmental Items (NDI) and COTS technology to integrate voice and data systems in NIMITZ class CVNs. The system included a core network fiber optic cable plant with a redundant ATM/Gigabit Ethernet network backbone supporting the following families of systems: Integrated Voice, Machinery Control and Navigation/Ship Control. DDCN was initially developed by the shipbuilder OEM for CVN 76, but a reduced scope DDCN system was also developed by the OEM for installation in CVN 68 during RCOH. In 2001, NAVSSES provided extensive ISEA technical support to ensure the ship would meet deployment requirements. In 2002 NAVSSES was designated as the DDCN ISEA/SSA, with support from SPAWAR Charleston for Voice System engineering. DDCN ISEA/SSA responsibility included the CVN 69 (during RCOH using a modified CVN 68 design baseline) and the new acquisition CVN 77 (using the CVN 76 DDCN design baseline).
monitoring provided immediate benefit in workload reduction, and acted as the enabler to permit the reinvention of procedures and consequent reduced manpower needs for shipboard functions. The new Smart Carrier MCS also paved the way for the reduction in total ownership costs (R-TOC) and provides the baseline for future aircraft carrier designs. The new Smart Carrier MCS architecture was developed to increase survivability, maintainability and expansion potential. The SC MCS has been successfully installed on the CVN 68 (replacing the DDCN MCS), 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75 and integrates ship systems such as: JP-5 Firemain List IC/SM Alarms Potable Water Reserve Feed Bilge & Drain CHT A/C Plant O2N2 Plant AFFF The SC MCS was the first machinery control system in the US Navy to use an Ethernet I/O LAN. The I/O LAN is the network that connects the controllers (in this case, PLCs) to a remote I/O chassis. The I/O LAN is configured in a survivable star topology. The SC MCS provides monitoring and control of designated shipboard systems using multi-functional Human Machine Interface (HMI) workstations, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Input/Output (I/O) Drops, Operator Interface Panels (OIP), Core Network Ethernet switches, Ethernet switch boxes and data servers. Figure 10 shows the relationship of MCS components. MCS information is distributed and available throughout the core network for use by equipment connected to the Hull, Mechanical
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 10:
and Electrical (HM&E) Network. Operator controls are processed by the PLCs via operator commands through the OIPs and HMI Displays. The MCS also provides self-diagnostics of equipment and signals. Fiber Optic core network switching units make up the core Ethernet backbone. Theses switches distribute information to the HMI and data servers through dual redundant fiber optic cable paths. They also provide interface to other software programs including the Integrated Condition Assessment System (ICAS), Flooding Casualty Control Software (FCCS) and the Advanced Damage Control System (ADCS). A dedicated Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Power distribution system powers MCS system equipment. Power is distributed between the UPSs. Some MCS equipment has an auxiliary
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power source from the ships normal power distribution system. The MCS links existing and new sensors through Input/Output drops where their discrete signals are converted to digital signals and distributed to the HMI and OIP through fiber optic cable The PLC Groups, Core Network and HMI Workstations form the architectural framework for MCS signal processing. Together these elements are implemented in an MCS designed for survivability and reliability. There are multiple PLC groups which process monitoring and control signals. These groups are designed to be functionally independent of each other for system survivability. Each PLC Group has the infrastructure needed to process the HM&E system signals associated with it independent of the remaining MCS. The failure of any single
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Figure 11:
PLC Group
workstations connected to a groups Industrial Ethernet Switch (IES) extend the groups independence from functional to operational. This operational independence allows the group to function as a self-contained system. The core network refers to the Local Area Network (LAN), which transmits system information between PLC groups and HMI workstations over a redundant infrastructure of gigabit switches and fiber cabling. Information is also sent through the Network to MCS Data Servers for data logging as well as to other Smart Carrier systems to support their function. Without the Core Network, operation of the MCS would be reduced to the PLC groups with local HMI workstations. These groups would remain operable since local HMI workstations are connected directly to the PLC groups through the IES of that Core Networks Gigabit switches. Figure 12 provides an overview of communication in the Smart Carrier network.
group will not affect the function of the remaining eleven. Figure 11 provides a basic diagram of PLC group communication. Each PLC group has an Industrial Ethernet Switch (IES) to process network communication within the group and connect the group to other MCS devices. PLC groups that process signals with critical ship functions have local HMI workstations attached to the group. Local HMI
Figure 12:
Communications Flow
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 13:
(LOS). Machinery status information is limited to the space where these controls are located and provides limited machinery/equipment situation awareness to the operator. Further, the LSD41/ 49s existing machinery control/monitoring system experiences low achieved availability and requires frequent repair. In 2005 the PEO Ships Program Office tasked NAVSSES to replace the current ship control and monitoring system as part of the LSD41/49 Class Midlife (ML) program. This new control system was titled the Advanced Engineering Control System (AECS). AECS consists of a Machinery Control System, (MCS) Steering Control System (SCS), embedded Onboard Training System (OBT) and Local Area Network (LAN).
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 14:
Enclosure
PLC
PLC I/O enclosure. Each PLC receives inputs from legacy machinery pant sensors, processes the data, and broadcasts (produces) its information onto the LAN. Applications within the Human Machine Interface (HMI) consoles and panels connected to the network monitor for and read information (consume). The HMIs are the primary user interface to the system. Figure 15 shows various types of HMI equipment. Each of the consoles and panels will be capable of controlling and monitoring the entire machinery plant. Console control capability will be divided into logical control domains (e.g. Propulsion and Electrical). All consoles are able to monitor all machinery plant data at all times, although only one (or some) consoles have control at any given time. Figure 16 shows a sample HMI interface. In this case the HMI shows a Quad Screen display showing four simultaneous views of different parts of the machinery plant. A hierarchy for transfer of control between the consoles is established within the MCS software, replicating the hierarchy of the existing control system.
The MCS is configured as an Ethernet-based producer/consumer architecture and is designed for potential expandability, reliability, availability and maintainability. Each I/O controller group will contain at least one PLC processor located within one of the PLC enclosures. Figure 14 shows a typical Figure 15:
Computers HMI
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 16:
on the other display. When a damage alarm is sensed by the system the correct video of the space will automatically be displayed.
The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Figure 17:
installed Main Propulsion Machinery Control System (MPCMS) posed numerous maintenance, obsolescence and supportability problems. The MPCMS provides for the control and monitoring of Propulsion and Auxiliary shipboard systems. The MPCMS major subsystems include: Engineering Control Center Console (ECCC) Local Operating Stations (LOS) and Alarm Panels Pilot House Station The Engineering Control Center Console (ECCC) that is located in the Engineering Control Center (ECC) is primarily responsible for monitoring and controlling the main and auxiliary systems of the machinery plant. The ECCC consists of five major parts: Propulsion Control System Processor Alarm System Vital Alarm System Other Controls Miscellaneous Enclosed Components The USCG tasked NAVSSES Philadelphia to design, develop, test and install a replacement for parts of the MPCMS. NAVSSES is responsible to provide a new machinery control and monitoring system to replace the existing MPCMS installed on the USCG WMEC 270 Class. Efforts are being made to leverage off other NAVSSES Machinery Control System (MCS) projects and retain the existing MPCMS machinery control and monitoring functionality to decrease risk, help alleviate program workload and costs and to provide commonality of parts support with the US Navy. Thirteen (13) WMEC 270 ships and a Training Console currently located at Yorktown, Va. are within the scope of this project.
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non-hardened (same functionality of ship HW) equipment. The objective of the HSI Lab is to test the entire functionality of the control system as a complete and integrated system. Tests are devised to exercise every line of PLC and Console code. Test equipment is connected to the PLCs to simulate machinery and shipboard conditions. NAVSSES has developed and implemented a MCMS Life Cycle Management (LCM) Plan for the entire NSC class. To date NAVSSES has successfully delivered software updates to the NSC-1 and NSC-2 ships. NAVSSES has also provided for a technical refresh of computer and network components onboard these ships.
270 Medium Endurance Class Cutter (WMEC-901) Machinery Plant Control And Monitoring System
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 270 Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) Class originally
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ALEX HALEY Medium Endurance Class Cutter (WMEC-39) Machinery Plant Control and Monitoring System
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Alex Haley Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC-39) Class installed pneumatic Automatic Propulsion Control (APC) System had numerous maintenance, obsolescence, supportability and operational problems. The ship was originally the ATS-1 USS EDENTON, commissioned in 1969, and had some modifications completed during its conversion to a USCG Cutter in the 1990s. The Automatic Propulsion Control System components include: Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) System Shaft Indicating System Engine Governor Controls Machinery Control System (MCS) The Machinery Control System provides for the control and monitoring of Propulsion and Auxiliary shipboard systems. The MCS major subsystems include: Main Control Console (MCC) Propulsion Monitoring System Electric Cabinet Alarm Switchboard and IC/SM 20 Panels AC/DC Rectifying Unit Bridge Console The USCG tasked NAVSSES to design, develop, test and install a replacement for the pneumatic APC with a computer based electronic one. MPCMS is the interface between the operators and the machinery plant. It provides a means for the operators to control and monitor the machinery plant by providing for remote indications of key machinery plant parameters. It also allows for control of many devices with the machinery plant The MPCMS achieves increased reliability by incorporating industrial processors and switches
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into the system design. These industrial devices are Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components with a history of low failure rates. Its reliable COTS equipment is integrated into a system with a robust communications structure to provide a highly functional, low-maintenance system. Each COTS component of the MPCMS is described in this Technical Manual as well as vendor detailed documentation. The major components of the MPCMS are the ECC Console, the Pilot House Console, The two Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), and the two sets of Governor Control Unit (GCU) Cabinets, the EOT Servo controllers, and Shaft Speed Indication systems. The following section will describe the equipment of these major components. The MPCMS is comprised of both hardware and software, which together provide the infrastructure for consolidated management of machinery plant systems. The MPMCS performs its function by processing the monitoring and control signals using multi-functional Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Input/Output (I/O) Racks, Industrial Personal Computers (PCs) and Industrial Ethernet Switches (IES). Data is available throughout the networked system for use by the various systems. The new system is comprised of several distributed independent networks and sub networks. The port and starboard shafts are completely independent control and monitoring systems. The Throttle controls, including the integrated Engine Ordered Telegraph (EOT), has its own independent control network between the Pilot House EOT and the ECC EOT used for indicating and controlling the EOT bell as well as the EOT position. The MPCMS Processors known as programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) communicate using Ethernet IP. Three Industrial Ethernet Switches
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
(IES) are used to allow the PLCs to communicate to each other as well as the consoles also known as Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs). The Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Racks in the ECC Console house the processor and communications modules as well as I/O modules which receive inputs and send outputs to the field sensors and devices. Three Industrial Ethernet switches are used to establish network connectivity between the Port and Starboard control systems, between the PLC systems and HMIs as well as between the Pilot House and ECC console. The MPCMS was successfully installed and tested in November 2010. This ship has since deployed with the new system.
has grown to support the multitude of systems. From R&D through Acquisition to ISE and modernization NAVSSES has established a Center of Excellence for Machinery Control Systems.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank and acknowledge the following individuals for their support during the writing of this paper: Dr. E. Michael Golda, Dr. Stephen Mastro, James McNamara, Richard Halpin, Dorothy Kraynik, Vincent Tolotta, John Buckley, Michael Iacovelli, Robert Stahl, Debra Dezendorf and Mark Ennis. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge the efforts, accomplishments and dedication of the personnel who provided the support documented in this paper as well as the many sponsors who have provided advocacy and guidance throughout the organizations history. Lastly, the authors would like to acknowledge the late Richard Cunningham for his vision, technical acumen, mentorship, and ability to meet any technical challenge, thereby establishing NAVSSES initial expertise in software-based systems. The fleet support that NAVSSES provides today is a direct result of his efforts and accomplishments on the DDG 51 MCS program and his technical counsel on numerous other projects.
Conclusion
The MCS expertise that exists today has its foundations in the Navys early steam turbine and gas turbine testing. Much of the knowledge was gained through testing and integration on the Land Based Engineering Sites and in the In-Service Engineering Software Support Labs. These assets have been essential tools in developing the skills of Naval engineers, whose experience and expertise have played a significant role in successful fleet introductions and modernizations. In addition to the tools and facilities, NAVSSES has established rigorous processes in the form of the Standard Software-based-system Process to ensure that emphasis is placed on planning, management, systems engineering, software engineering, and quality assurance. NAVSSES continues to innovate and to improve its processes, skills and expertise. New methods are being implemented to improve Naval Machinery Control Systems and reduce costs through Open Architecture and Commonality. As machinery control systems have grown in size, capability, and complexity, the organization
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REFERENCES
Preisel, J.H., The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Aboard U.S. Navy Gas Turbine Ships, Naval Engineers Journal, May 1989. Preisel, J.H., Testing at the US Navys Gas Turbine Systems Engineering Complex, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Gas Turbine and Aerospace Congress and Exposition, June 1990. Nufrio, R.P. and J. McNamara, United States Navy Gas Turbine Propulsion Machinery Systems Testing, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition, June 1988. Carleton, R.S. and E.P. Weinert, Historical Review of the Development and Use of Marine Gas Turbines by the U.S. Navy, American Society of Mechanical
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The Evolution of Machinery Control Systems Support At the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station
Engineers, Gas turbine and Aerospace and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition, June 1989. Hauschildt, M.R. and L.B. Ward, U.S. Naval Machinery Automation Concepts, Naval Engineers Journal, April 1973. Ingram, J.D., R.M. Adair, D.M. Gildart, R. Cunningham, and J.R. Mailhot, DDG 51 Machinery Control System, Tenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium Proceedings, 1993. Halpin, R. and J. Odum, Propulsion Control on the DDG Class: 16 Years of Lessons Learned, ASNE Automation and Control Conference Proceedings, December 2007. Kraynik, D.A., R. Halpin, and J. Kitson, Transitioning from SW-CMM to CMMI: A Level 3 Organizations Perspective, Thirteenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium, April 2003. Amy, J.V., N.H. Doerry, T.J. McCoy, and E.L. Zivi, Shipboard Controls of the Future, Naval Engineers Journal, May 1997. Sturtevant, G., P. Socoloski, D. Bartlett, and L. Totimeh, U.S. Navy Smartship Integrated Ship Controls Technology Roadmap for Performance Enhancements, Thirteenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium Proceedings, April 2003. Tolotta, V., M. Henry, and J. Cohen, Embedded Training for Navy Shipboard Distributed Machinery Control Systems, Thirteenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium, April 2003. Henry, M., M. Iacovelli, and J. Thatcher, DDG 1000 Engineering Control System, ASNE Intelligent Ship Symposium VIII, May 2009. Tangora, M.F. and J. Mariani, US Carriers Exploiting Technology To Pilot Toward 2010 and Beyond, Thirteenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium, 2003. Lovejoy, R.S., T.A. Marchioni, and D. Vought, MCM-1 Class Integrated Ship Control System: Proof of Concept to Class-Wide Installation/Implementation, Thirteenth International Ship Control Systems Symposium, 2003. Smith, K. and D. Vought, LSD41/49 Class ML Program: Advanced Engineering Control System (AECS), Intelligent Ships Symposium, 2007. Perotti, T.A., K.A. Colville, and J.B. Cohen, Aircraft Carrier Networks Evolution; Distributed Data and Control Networks, Intelligent Ships Symposium, 2005.
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Mr. Timothy Scherer is the Branch Manager of the Automation and Control Research and Development Branch in the Research and Engineering Department of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Philadelphia, PA. His previous positions include: Machinery Control System Life Cycle Manager, Machinery Control Systems Branch Manager, and Gas Turbine Electric Power Systems Section Head. He has a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University. He has over twenty five years of Naval engineering experience in machinery control systems and electric power systems and for ten years led the Executive Steering Group for the Research and Engineering Departments Standard Software-Based-Systems Process. In this role he led the effort to attain Level 3 in both the SW-CMM and the CMMI. He has experience in numerous ship acquisition and in-service engineering programs as well as establishment of the software support activity for several ship classes. Mr. Jeffrey Cohen is the Branch Manager of the Machinery Control System Carriers and New Development Branch in the Machinery, Information Sensors and Control Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Philadelphia, PA. He is also the Life Cycle Manager for Naval Surface Ship Machinery Control Systems. He received a Masters of Sciences in Engineering Management from George Washington University, a Masters of Engineering from Widener University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers, College of Engineering. Mr. Cohen has over twenty five years of Naval engineering experience in machinery control systems in support of numerous ship classes and has held positions in the project management, design, development and test of Machinery Control System software and hardware.
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