Case Study
Live maritime surveillance management in Bristol, United Kingdom
Higher level of control with an AIS maritime traffic solution
With more than 3,000 ships entering and leaving each year, Bristol Harbor in the United Kingdom is a major shipping area. Therefore, it was important for such an infrastructure to be able to monitor and control all the ships passing through: recreational boats, fishing boats, cargo ships, etc. The harbor management company turned to a turnkey solution to meet their growing needs. A vessel traffic system connected with a radar and AIS sensors have been installed at the port entrance and other strategic locations for precision live monitoring.
VTS with AIS technology for high control level
The major challenge for the harbor was to be able to control and display with a high level of precision, the immediate surrounding environment, i.e. incoming and outgoing fleet.
A live tracking management system composed of a radar, AIS transmitters/receivers and a software program to monitor the marine instruments have been deployed to offer the best security to coast guards.
No matter the weather conditions and the number of ships, the solution displays all the information needed to manage the port.
With the new data center, coast guards can constantly monitor the surrounding sea traffic. The configuration of the monitoring system and the potency of the solution give operators a degree of precision that meets all the requirements.
Furuno AIS - FA-150
Three Furuno FA-150 AIS sensors have been installed on the site in Bristol. One is connected directly to the local computer system to collect data from the command station where the operators are. The two other AIS sensors of the same range have been installed remotely in two different geographical zones.
Thus, the control area is widely extended and covers the entire surface of the harbor. Many statistics (MMSI, IMO, Type of ship, Length and Beam, etc.) and dynamic (Position, UTC, COG, SOG, Heading, etc.) data are collected by the control center. On top of that, communicating with each ship is done by sending text messages with the VTS software program.
Furuno Radar DRS25A
With an output power of 25KW, a Furuno Marine Radar DRS25A has been installed as well on the control center, based on the pier of the harbor. Its high level range allows for coverage of the area up to 96 Nm and brings advanced functions such as Head-Up, North-Up, Echo Trail, Bird mode and Fast Target Tracking.
On top of this, the radar image can be overlaid onto the monitor that controls the marine instruments and has the radar image directly displayed on the charts.
A single software program to control and monitor the harbor
All the elements collected by the marine instruments are processed by an internal computer system that is compatible with all the devices installed, which displays the data directly on the screen. Two operators are permanently controlling the entry of the harbor with their own individual computer to monitor the situation.
The adjustment of the radar and the echo overlay are managed and displayed directly via the software. Up to 6 marine radars can be merged, displayed and controlled from one PC. As well as harnessing the utility of multiple marine radars, AIS transmitters/receivers are synchronized into the VTS, allowing for the monitoring of up to 2000 targets simultaneously, which is done by the AIS sensors displayed on the control monitors.
For more accurate management, different workspaces are available within the software. It is possible to display all the information needed automatically or manually on the screen such as: AIS targets, radar overlay, marine charts, customized layers and surfaces, etc.
VTS with integrated AIS technology installation
The installation made in Bristol includes the following equipment:
- 1 Furuno DRS25A
- 1 local Furuno FA-150
- 2 remote Furuno FA-150
- 1 TZ Coastal Monitoring software (config. 1 radar + Record & Replay) on 2 PCs
A tailored live vessel traffic management system that meets expectations
The swiftness of the implementation and the simplified integration of the solution was key for the port of Bristol to get up and running right away with this turnkey live maritime traffic system that includes a radar, AIS receivers and a monitoring station. The Coast Guard have constant control over the marine traffic and centralize all data received into a single management center. The simplicity of the installation meant that no software development was required and the advanced compatibility with the marine instruments facilitated the expansion of the vessel traffic system on site.
If you are looking for a maritime surveillance solution for your infrastructure, we invite you to contact us directly. Our network of professionals and experts are at your disposal to recommend the best solution to meet your needs. Depending on your stakes, your location and your budget, we can offer you an adapted, reliable and innovative vessel traffic management system.