Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A.
Starting this Monday, CTM will be taking part in EMC Europe 2023 event in Kraków!
EMC Europe is one of the biggest stages in Europe for discussing Electromagnetic Compatibility development. Be sure to tune in for the lecture titled “Electromagnetic Pulses” conducted by our one and only Marta Czarnowska. It will take place in
Room B on the opening day at 11 am.
Don’t forget to come and visit our lab team on booth J17.
They can’t wait to talk some science! ?
On the 30 and 31 of August, the Annual Review Meeting of AMMOTRACE took place at OBR CTM S.A. premises in Gdynia. The consortium presented a summary of the activities carried out during the last 12 months. Those activities included technology development related to different subjects: photo ionization, laser technology, underwater constructions in aspect of system integration, live trials and impact evaluation. For each of them the consortium illustrated an overview of the main tasks and the mos development of t important achievements.
Morover, techinal disscussion was arranged related to the different project actions planned for the upcoming months.
Actions aimed at preventing and eliminating threats caused by the storage or presence of ammunition in the waters of the Baltic Sea have a long history dating back directly to the period of fighting during World War I and II. Polish scientific and research institutes actively participate in the implementation of such projects.
The article is a continuation of the publication published a few weeks ago on the Gospodarmorska.pl portal and describes the work that was carried out in the last days of April 2023. For the purposes of the implementation of the R&D projects of the European Union – AMMOTRACE / PROBANNT, in the period 12 – 17/04/2023, specialists from IO PAN and OBR CTM took part in a cruise on board s/y Oceania. The purpose of the cruise was to carry out a number of research activities related to testing prototype solutions, including measurements of hydrological conditions, checking the biodiversity of water areas, monitoring the seabed and collecting samples of seabed sediments. One of the key undertakings was to test in action, in the natural marine environment, a solution allowing for the collection of samples of the seabed – the Sediment Sampler.
This solution was designed and made by the OBR CTM team and is ultimately a module integrated into the underwater vehicle.“Estimating the environmental impact of munitions requires very precise collection of sediments. An earlier approach based on scoops and probes lowered from the ship is not possible in the immediate vicinity of the munitions due to the risk of munitions disruption. On the other hand, samplers on an underwater vehicle make it possible to collect samples less than a meter from the facility and measure pollutants at the source” – says Professor Jacek Bełdowski, head of the laboratory of contemporary marine ecosystem pollution at IOPAN.
In accordance with the voyage plan, measurements using an underwater vehicle together with a designed device for collecting samples of bottom sediments, took place in the designated areas of the wrecks of the Gulf of Gdańsk, i.e. the tanker Franken and the tugboat Strazak.
The average duration of a single vehicle mission from the moment of immersion to the descent to the seabed (depth of 60 m), sampling and then return to the surface is about 10 minutes. The vehicle performed these types of missions multiple times to confirm the correct operation of the sludge sampler module. The tests ended with a positive result, clearly confirming the proper design of the requirements.On the basis of the experience gained, modernization conclusions were formulated so as to increase the efficiency of the device’s operation during subsequent cruises and make minor corrections related to the optimization of the operator’s interface. In addition, thanks to the inspection of the wrecks, the destructive impact of the still active, extracting petroleum materials on the natural environment of the Baltic Sea was once again confirmed. Detailed studies of organisms such as phytoplankton, zoobenthos or macrozoobenthos will take place in laboratory conditions IO PAN.
The next research cruise is planned for the month of June, i.e. in a few weeks. The schedule indicates a high dynamics of work related to the final development of the solution and its testing at the same time.The action plan assumes that another element of the system will be used during the next sea departure – the Critical Shear Stress Device (CSSD) designed to determine the maximum speed of bottom currents.Summary of the current period of project work will be done during the annual project meeting, planned for the turn of August and September 2023, at the OBR CTM headquarters, which will be attended by all partners in the consortium. The aim will be to discuss the achieved results and prepare for the final stage of implementation, which will be finalized by all the solutions included in the assigned AMMOTRACE/PROBANNT tasks.
The article contains photos of (ROV) „Falcon- Saab SeaEye”’.
It is no coincidence that Man is perceived as one of the greatest threats to the Earth, which, combined with the phenomenon of global warming, increasing water deficit, or population growth, may lead to a situation where the natural environment will be irretrievably devastated.
An example of the destructive impact of man on nature is the remains of ammunition and weapons from the period of World War I and II. During both world wars, all parties involved in the conflict mass-produced various types of armament, including chemical weapons, the so-called chemical warfare agents (CWW), significant quantities of which were dumped in the waters of the Baltic Sea. The Bay of Gdańsk, the Bay of Kiel, the sea zone around Bornholm Island are examples of such places. The passage of time and the conditions at the seabed of Baltic Sea have caused the corrosion process of the sunken weapons to continue, and chemical agents are increasingly being released into the natural environment. Research and monitoring carried out in the areas of munitions dumping clearly indicate the growing threat of contamination of the Baltic Sea. The theory that the natural environment will cope with the disposal of the threat on its own does not quite work in this case.
European countries are actively involved in activities aimed at eliminating these types of threats. Examples of ongoing activity are the projects: Probannt and Ammotrace, which were submitted for implementation in 2020 and are implemented under the management of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research. The entity responsible for the implementation of both projects is the MARTERA Consortium, consisting of scientific and research organizations operating in sixteen countries, which, with the support of EU funds, has been developing the area of marine technologies in a broad sense since 2017.The main objectives of the consortium are:- Coordination of the implementation of maritime programs at the international level, in order to develop common solutions at the European level;- The possibility of using specific competences of individual entities in international projects;- tightening cooperation in both scientific research and strictly business terms Referring to specific projects:AMMOTRACE is a transdisciplinary project involving science, engineering and enterprises from various disciplines to develop new solutions (both technical and procedural) aimed at real-time detection of conventional and chemical munitions compounds in coastal waters, especially in locations with a high probability of storage munitions which may constitute a serious hazard to shipping.The PROBANNT project aims to analyze the decision-making process for the disposal of offshore explosives. The goal is to implement experience-based solutions that will allow for the creation of a reproducible procedure based on reliable information that will increase the level of security of such tasks.
Instytut Oceanografii Polskiej Akademii Nauk (The Institute of Oceanography of the Polish Academy of Sciences) and Ośrodek Badawczo Rozwojowy Centrum Technik Morskiej (The Research and Development Center of the Maritime Technology Center) have actively joined the group of these institutions, taking actions to save the natural environment and improve the conditions of broadly understood human functioning.IO PAN and OBR CTM, thanks to their knowledge and technical capabilities, actively contribute to the strategy of the European Union, the so-called “blue growth”, related to the exploration of European marine waters. The primary role of the above-mentioned institution will be to develop new methods for real-time detection of ammunition chemical compounds and to build a database based on the collected measurements. On the basis of temporary working arrangements, the schedule and scope of works carried out by OBR CTM were defined.
OBR CTM is implementing a project of a pressure housing (Fig. 1a) for the PIMS/IMS (Photoionisation Mass Spectrometry / Ion Mobility Spectrometry) system, the main element of which is the mass spectrometer. The housing will be installed on the underwater vehicle (ROV), meeting the requirements appropriate for the use of this technology and an independent data interface. Using the accredited laboratories/workshops, as part of vibroacoustics laboratory tests, shock absorbers and anti-vibration insulation will be designed and manufactured, which will then be tested for shock resistance and changes in magnetic field strength. The solutions ensuring electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) will be designed in such a way that the product supplied by OBR CTM minimizes electromagnetic radiation and interference.
As part of the available resources, it is planned to install a device for measuring deviations of the Earth’s magnetic field – a magnetometer – on an underwater vehicle (ROV). Thanks to such a device, the operator will be able to identify areas with higher magnetic field strength caused by metal elements. This is particularly applicable where the movement of bottom waters is greater, and therefore the bottom sediments covered the sunken ammunition after so many years.Another device built for the needs of the PROBANT/AMMOTRACE projects is the so-called sediment sampler. The device integrated with the ROV SAAB Seaeye Falcon (Fig. 1b) will be designed to collect samples from the seabed in the immediate vicinity of facilities that pose a chemical threat to the natural environment. The platform is equipped with three independent buckets driven by electric actuators, which will collect samples from the substrate with a volume of about 250 ml, and a digital optical camera, which will ensure image recording of the place where material is collected from the seabed.The next, extremely important element is a device for measuring the maximum velocities of bottom currents that generate critical shear stresses for various types of sediments – Critical Shear Stress Device (CSSD) (Fig. 1c). The device will take the form of a lowered bottom platform, equipped with an adjustable water jet generator, an underwater camera and a set of sensors to measure water turbidity and transparency.Research carried out by the IO PAN using the CSSD device will allow for the analysis of the movement of bottom sediments depending on the intensity of sea currents.
All devices related to the project will be delivered to the research vessel IO PAN s/y Oceania, which will set off on a cruise in April this year, during which specialists of OBR CTM will have the opportunity to participate in the practical use of measurement systems. The technical solutions and technologies designed by OBR CTM/IO PAN will enable comprehensive search and determination of places as well as identification of materials that pose a threat to the environment.With the help of an underwater vehicle, the installed devices will continuously search for sunken munitions. On the basis of the magnetometer’s work, the area of munitions deposition will be determined. The next stage of measurements will include the use of a mass spectrometer and chemical analysis of sea water in the bottom zone. Additional verification of measurements will be carried out using a seabed sediment sampler mounted on an underwater vehicle.All collected data, after their analysis and processing, will be sent to the main project coordinator, i.e. GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel.
“The tasks performed in the project are very interesting, because from the very beginning we are involved in creating a solution that has not really existed until now. The final effect, which will be supported by a number of tests in the natural environment, is to provide a wide spectrum of answers that are not only to optimize the process of detecting and eliminating the threat, but above all to ensure its safe course”, states the project manager of OBR CTM S.A. Tomasz Bajer. As of today, intensive preparations for trials and tests in a real marine environment of the developed solutions are underway. According to the plan, in the coming spring months, as part of sea voyages in the designated areas of the South Baltic Sea, a number of tests will be carried out, the purpose of which will be to check the technical operation of the devices and to obtain a large amount of data necessary to properly verify the research approach.
The final result of all the research under the above-mentioned projects is the construction of a open available database of threats occurring at the seabed of the Baltic Sea. All tested and verified data obtained as part of the use of measurement systems will be visualized on the map so that every person related to the maritime domain has access to it. In addition, the information collected will enable further steps to be taken to extract and dispose of the chemicals.
MIRICLE: a year on
As the European MIRICLE project blows its first candle, it is time to settle down and look back above the shoulder. What have we reached?
The MIne RIsk CLearance for Europe project is an EDIDP project, funded by the European Commission and co-funded by some member states: BE, FR, NL, RO, PT, GR, ES, LV. It joins together 19 partners, from 10 countries. It started almost a year ago, on December 2021. Main objective is to guarantee EU sovereignty and supply chain across Europe. Path to follow is two-fold: deliver an innovative vision of the technological developments that shall be made in the upcoming years and create an MCM (Mine Counter Measure) European ecosystem.
OBR CTM S.A. has been actively participating in the MIRICLE project and has been granted a mission of developing MCM (Mine Counter Measure) modules and instruments. OBR CTM S.A. is particularly focused on improving effectiveness and reliability of the systems – based on years of experience of developing MLM units.
So far, end-user requirements were collected. Several meetings and workshops were held and precious documents exchange were made. What for? To safeguard that MIRICLE innovation perspective indeed adheres to their actual needs. Afterwards, some technological bricks were investigated further in order to start drafting future on a more concrete basis. Loop back to end users was made, directions for the upcoming period were given. Is that all? No. We have learned to collaborate together. Consortium members first, leaving behind our personal interests for the benefits of the community. Consortium members and end users then, creating the relationship that is needed to exchange key information. But all this can not be led apart from the European Commission. Consortium members and the European Commission have also created a true partnership which is key for the project success!
Learn more: HERE
#StrongerTogether, #EUDefenceIndustry
MIRICLE project has received funding from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP). This communication reflects only the author’s view; and not the one of the Commission.
At the end of 2020 the international consortium responsible for the European project “OCEAN2020” finalized work on the implementation of one of the several projects undertaken under the so-called work packages. Work on the package entitled “Human Factor” was managed by the only Polish member of the Consortium – Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A. (OBR CTM S.A.) from Gdynia.
OCEAN2020 (Open Cooperation for European mAritime awareNess) is the most important European defence research project funded by the European Union’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research and implemented by the European Defence Agency, with a budget of approximately 35 million EUR. For its implementation, a consortium consisting of 43 partners from 15 countries was established in 2018, with the Italian company Leonardo appointed as the leader. Its main goal is to demonstrate the potential of unmanned aerial, surface and underwater platforms to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance in the maritime domain.
OBR CTM S.A., which is a part of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), was invited to participate in the program due to its experience in command systems designing, as well as his constant interest in searching for innovative solutions in this area.
As part of the “Human Factor” package, an international team of specialists developed assumptions for the implementation of the operator interface, taking into account different levels of command, starting from the operator of a single unmanned vehicle, through the operator of the ship’s combat management system, and on the operator of the European maritime component operational center (Maritime Operational Center – MOC).
The results of the work undertaken as part of the package will be used in the process of designing of the future combat systems, highly replete with technology and information, and largely automated or equipped with AR (Augmented Reality) elements.
“At the beginning of November 2018, an inaugurating meeting of the “Human Factor” package took place at the premises of our company. For the last two years, we have been working on assumptions enabling a multi-level analysis of human-technology interactions between the operators of current and, consequently, future marine systems”- said Tomasz Bajer, project manager for OCEAN2020 on behalf of OBR CTM S.A.
“The participation of OBR CTM S.A. in the OCEAN2020 program, is even more rewarding, due to use the RKP-8100 radio, produced by OBR CTM S.A., during exercises planned at sea”- emphasized the President of the Management Board of OBR CTM S.A. Marcin Wiśniewski.
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On March 14, 2019 at the premises of Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A. in Gdynia, within the permanent PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) structural cooperation, an international conference on the HARMSPRO project (Harbor & Maritime Surveillance and Protection) took place. The meeting was carried out as part of the official visit of the project member states delegation on March 12-14, 2019, organized by the Navy Inspectorate of the General Command of the Armed Forces as the national project coordinator.
The conference was open to representatives of the Ministry of National Defense and to representatives of institutions and companies that expressed their interest in participating in the project. The meeting was attended by representatives of the institutions/organisational units of the Ministry of National Defense of Italy, Poland, Greece and Estonia as well as international representatives of industry and science. It should be noted that the project also involves the Portuguese side, which owing to circumstances beyond its control, could not attend the meeting in Poland. The main topic of the meeting was to discuss the assumptions of the international HARMSPRO project (Harbor & Maritime Surveillance and Protection), which aims to create a system of surveillance and protection of harbour and coastal waters.
The HARMSPRO project, in which Italy acts as a project Leader, is one of the dozen of new European Union ventures implemented as part of permanent structural cooperation in the field of PESCO defense. It is anticipated that the project will provide the Member States with new capacity to carry out surveillance and protection of sea areas extending from coastal zones all the way to harbour areas and including communication routes as well as so-called ”choke points”, i.e. straits and canals, in order to ensure safety of both maritime traffic and structures. It is planned to deliver an integrated and comprehensive open architecture system that will enable the exchange, fusion and data processing in order to detect and identify the potential marine threats. The system will be based on maritime sensors, specialized software and on surface, underwater and aerial platforms. The assumptions of the project also include the development of a portable system, capable of use in the areas of harbours, anchorages and coastal waters.
CTM, part of the PGZ S.A. Corporate Group, is planning to participate in the HARMSPRO project, thereby to bring in its competences and experiences to it, both as a developer, supplier and integrator of comprehensive, integrated and multi-sensor solutions or their separate components (e.g. a portable magnetic barrier). This technology is used to protect naval units and critical infrastructure facilities, such as: harbours, gas and oil terminals, passenger terminals, oil platforms and other hydrotechnical structures. It should be emphasized that the Gdynia Center’s solutions have so far been used to protect harbours, secure the Tall Ships Races and for underwater protection of special surveillance objects during the session of the European Union Council and detection of illegal border crossing. It is important to note that significant part of the development and testing of systems, developed by OBR CTM S.A., was carried out as part of the NATO project entitled “Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work” (DAT PoW). In addition, OBR CTM S.A. participates in the OCEAN2020 international project, associated with HARMSPRO from the European Defense Agency (EDA), which main goal is to develop the potential of unmanned aerial, surface and underwater platforms to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance of maritime areas.
On February 21, 2019 at Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A. (CTM) in Gdynia (Poland), a meeting with Polish Navy and General Staff (Polish MOD) representatives took place. During this event, CTM took the opportunity for introducing the project, to present context and to show the wide spectrum of related activities, as well as to indicate the benefits of direct participation, particularly with reference to exercises at sea.
On January 24, 2019 representatives of OBR CTM S.A. from Gdynia, participated in the 4th National Maritime Security Forum, which was held in Warsaw. The Forum was traditionally organized in a convention of a conference and accompanying exhibition. During the conference, representatives of Polish authorities, as well as Polish and foreign armed forces and industry discussed, among others, on the implementation of naval modernization programmes, as well as key capabilities of navies, and on how to ensure maritime safety, including port security. During the conference session entitled “The Polish Navy and industry in the face of new challenges: new technologies, capability priorities, needs and possibility of implementation”, President of the Board of CTM, dr inż. Andrzej Kilian, gave a presentation on modern technologies used in integrated systems, communication systems, ship systems and underwater systems, developed by the Company.
At the accompanying exhibition, at CTM’s booth was presented, among others, a model of minehunter “Kormoran” with developed and delivered by CTM for this class of ships systems, i.e.: Integrated Mission System, Passive Defense System as well as key sensors and effectors. The Company’s exhibition also enabled the visitors to get familiar with detection, classification and neutralization systems of sea mines (modular lightweight minesweep MLM model, sensor platform for MCM operations model) and elements of the Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection System (portable magnetic barrier, pyrotechnic effector) developed for detection and countering terrorist threats.