Nerves of Steel – virtual hull condition monitoring

Enabling data-driven decision-making and targeted inspection: digital twins for real-time structural hull condition monitoring of vessel or fleet fatigue utilization based on AIS and encountered weather.

With the aim to run a profitable business, the pressure to reduce maintenance and operational costs for vessels is rising. Systematically monitoring the fatigue utilization of a vessel’s hull – or your whole fleet – does not just help you to plan ahead but also to become more targeted in running inspections and planning operations. As a result, ships can be evaluated, inspected and maintained at the right time and location according to their actual hull condition.

The solution: Nerves of Steel

New technological developments enable real-time structural condition monitoring of ship hulls and data-driven decision-making. DNV has developed technologies and solutions that address ship-specific structural monitoring: our Nerves of Steel technology. It enables a cost-effective and continuous position-based estimation of hull structure utilization (e.g. strength and fatigue), and is based on the actual weather condition for any individual ship or trade, combined with digital twins or other models.

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The Nerves of Steel technology ensures an always up-to-date assessment of the accumulated health condition of the hull, presented through a customized dashboard or report. Having detailed insight and knowledge about the hull condition simplifies the decision-making processes for a range of scenarios and needs.

How you benefit from Nerves of Steel:

  • Improved planning of inspections and dry dockings
  • Reduced likelihood of unintended off-hire
  • Improved decision-making with respect to life cycle management, e.g. for a selection of candidate ships for lifetime extension, conversion, scrapping
  • Stronger documentation towards charterers or other stakeholders
  • Efficient weather and wave environment evaluation in case of hull damage investigations
  • Support to evaluate the consequence of operating in a new location or trade 
  • Enhanced sales and purchase due diligence
  • Assessment of weather dependency of operations
  • Input for specifications of new ships on order