NYK and MTI Jointly Develop Industry-first Automatic Camera Device for Monitoring a Vessel’s Engine
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and MTI have jointly developed “Kirari NINJA” – No hands INside Just A camera – (patent pending), a device that can automatically photograph the interior of a vessel engine’s combustion chamber.
Currently, in order to inspect a combustion chamber, crew has to enter the inside of the engine after having stopped the engine. Because it is dark inside, it is hard to see in detail, so the crew is required to work long and hard there in high temperatures.
This device, which is jointly manufactured with Daito Electron Co. Ltd. (head office: Osaka; president: Isayuki Mae), is composed of a panoramic camera and lighting. By installing it on the upper part of the piston in the combustion chamber, photographs in all directions of the interior can be taken during one round of vertical piston movement (approximately 10 minutes). Consequently, the crew’s workload can be dramatically alleviated. Moreover, the photos make it possible to accurately and precisely view in detail the condition of the inner part of the combustion chamber.
View inside of a vessel engine’s combustion chamber captured by Kirari NINJA
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Features of Kirari NINJA and its effects
- Capable of taking photographs in all directions
Equipped with a 360-degree panoramic camera and LED lighting, the device can take photographs in all directions inside the dark combustion chamber. - Alleviation of workload
Because the crew does not need to enter the hot combustion chamber, the device significantly alleviates the crew’s work burden, and is capable of capturing detailed view without overhauling the engine. - Contribution to safe operation and life-cycle cost reduction
As part of big data, captured images can improve the accuracy of the condition monitoring by integrating other vessel operational data, and prevent engine troubles and optimize the maintenance intervals, thereby life-cycle cost is expected to be reduced.
Kirari NINJA attached to camera
Vessel engine
In accordance with its “More Than Shipping 2018” medium-term management plan, the NYK Group will promote work efficiency throughout the Group and strive to develop technologies to maintain safer and more efficient operations.
You can access a full version of this NYK news release from here