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Machinery Centralized Control System L-3 Communications EDI has delivered the largest, most advanced Machinery Centralized Control System (MCCS) ever designed and manufactured in the United States. Utilizing American made, commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and software, the MCCS is designed to monitor and control over 5,000 parameters on these Military Sealift Command RO/RO vessels. The MCCS includes Port and Starboard Bridge Wing panels, a Ship's Control Console, Damage Control Console, Machinery Control Console, 2 Local Control Consoles, a Chief Engineer's Workstation and Engineer's Stateroom Alarm Panels. The MCCS features the following elements:
The MCCS, which is capable of monitoring and controlling up to 64,000 parameters, provides five networked workstations, one at each of the SCC, DCC and the Chief's Workstation and 2 at the MCC. Full monitoring and control capability is provided at each of the workstations via a secure password system that prevents unauthorized personnel from accessing or changing system parameters. Individualized Solutions
In 1996, the U.S. Navy undertook an evaluation program that addressed the future of the Navy, both in manpower and cost. This program is known as Smart Ship. More specifically, it was clear that reduced manning and the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology were essential ingredients in the affordability of the Navy of the future. In 1997, L-3 Communications EDI was chosen to participate in this project and was awarded a contract to completely retrofit the hardwired Machinery Plant Control and Monitoring System (MPCMS) aboard one of the Navy's amphibious troop carriers with a state-of-the-art processor based software system using COTS technology. The platform selected to implement Smart Ship II was the USS Rushmore (LSD 47). The original MPCMS was physically removed from the ship and replaced by 15 COTS Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and 12 Windows NT based workstations. The workstations and PLCs are connected via Ethernet to a fiber optic Local Area Network (LAN). The LAN consists of five Automatic Transfer Mode (ATM) switches configured in a 155 Mbps full mesh, backbone. To enhance reliability, the workstations and PLCs have redundant Ethernet connections to two different ATM switches. L-3 Communications EDI was tasked with the implementation, installation, and integration of a user-friendly, highly reliable computer-based Engineering Control System (ECS) that would emulate the existing hard-wired control system for the propulsion plant, electric pant and auxiliary plants. L-3 Communications EDI designed the ECS software package employing COTS software that used color CRTs and Trackballs for the primary user interface. L-3 Communications EDI's responsibilities also included the reconnection and documentation of the ship's cabling to the PLCs from the machinery plant equipment; training of ship's personnel; development of an on-board trainer and complete re-commissioning of the main propulsion plant, electric generating plant, and auxiliary systems. Individualized Solutions |
