Ultra-reliable electronics for evacuation at sea

Company

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment manufactures, supplies, and services a wide range of maritime safety solutions including evacuation systems, firefighting equipment, and lifeboats. Recently, VIKING launched the LifeCraft™, an innovative inflatable and electrically powered evacuation system designed to save up to 812 people.

To support this project, VIKING invited EKTOS to develop the controller system for the LifeCraft™, continuing their partnership that began in 2014.

Challenge

The development of the LifeCraft™ presented a significant challenge: creating ultra-reliable hardware and firmware for a life-saving system that operates in harsh maritime environments. The system consists of four self-propelled, self-inflating survival craft units, each powered by engines that rely on lithium-ion batteries.

These systems needed to perform flawlessly under extreme conditions, including exposure to saltwater, heavy vibrations, and the potential for communication failures. Ensuring safety and reliability while meeting strict maritime compliance standards was essential.

Solution

EKTOS developed the controller system for the LifeCraft™, focusing on redundancy, safety, and reliability. The controllers feature redundant communication lines, allowing the system to function even if two connections are damaged. The team also created a safety-critical communication protocol to enable reliable interaction between the LifeCraft™ units and the PLC on deck.

EKTOS designed advanced battery management algorithms to maintain optimal charge levels and integrated a self-diagnostics module to monitor battery status. The controllers are equipped with SD cards to store operational data for review. In case of firmware failure, EKTOS developed a rollback feature, allowing for a return to previous factory-released firmware versions.

To ensure the electronics could withstand the harsh maritime environment, EKTOS Testing & Reliability Services (TRS) conducted rigorous testing for compliance with the Marine Equipment Directive throughout the development process.