Electronics Retrofit for Taiwanese Research Vessel
L-3 SAM Electronics has been awarded a contract to retrofit propulsion control and automation systems aboard the Taiwanese Navy’s Ta Kuan hydrographic and oceanographic research vessel.
The 93-meter-long vessel, built by Fincantieri at its shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia, Italy in 1995, carries out operations in domestic waters as well as the South China Sea on behalf of Taiwan’s governmental National Science Council and other research institutes. The completion of the retrofit is planned for later this year.
Reinhard Swoboda, senior vice president of drives and special systems at L-3 SAM Electronics, said the upgrade will continue the company’s support of Ta Kuan, one of L-3 SAM Electronics’ earlier projects, having already been equipped with its propulsion system.
Facilities to be supplied and installed by L-3 SAM Electronics comprise an eco-friendly propulsion concept for optimizing drive redundancy and reliability of the existing motors, as well as a control unit to handle complex monitoring and control tasks.
The retrofit package will be completed by L-3 SAM Electronics’ MCS Platinum automated monitoring and control system, with approximately 1,100 data inputs remotely controlled from several onboard computer workstations. The scope of supply also includes L-3’s Geapas 500 power management system, providing extensive management and protection functions for generator and diesel engines with a common LCD panel for monitoring and control.