3D Scanning and Engineering for BWTS Retrofits
Updated
3D laser scanning captures the engine or pump room as a point cloud accurate to a few millimetres, giving engineers an as-built model to route piping, position the skid, and detect clashes before any steel is cut. It typically takes one to two days on board and eliminates repeated ship visits and costly on-site rework. The scan feeds the class-approved drawings that make the physical installation fast and predictable.
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Key takeaways
- 3D laser scanning captures the machinery space as a point cloud accurate to a few millimetres, replacing unreliable as-built drawings.
- On-board scanning typically takes one to two days and needs no equipment shutdown.
- The point cloud enables skid placement, clash detection against existing systems, and dimensioned pre-fabrication of pipe spools ashore.
- Piping engineering must keep total pressure drop within the ballast pump's head so the treatment system receives its type-approved flow.
- An electrical load study confirms generator and switchboard margin during ballasting and scopes any upgrade before the yard.
- Class-approved drawings are a prerequisite for a compliant installation and for the classification society's attendance at commissioning.
Why Scan Instead of Working From Ship's Drawings?
Original ship drawings are rarely accurate as-built. Decades of modifications, added equipment, and repairs mean the machinery space on paper differs from the space in front of the fitter. Designing a retrofit from stale drawings produces spools that do not fit and skids that clash with equipment nobody documented.
A 3D laser scan captures the actual space as it is today, recording millions of measured points to an accuracy typically within a few millimetres. This as-built reality is the only reliable basis for routing new piping and positioning a large skid in a congested engine room.
The payoff is fewer surprises at the yard. Rework caused by a spool that does not fit or a foundation that clashes is expensive and delays the ship; scanning shifts that discovery to the design office where it costs hours, not days of off-hire.
How Does the Scanning Process Work?
A survey team sets up a laser scanner at multiple stations through the engine room, pump room, and any relevant deck areas. Each station captures a 360-degree sweep, and the scans are registered together into a single coherent point cloud covering the whole installation area.
On-board scanning typically takes one to two days for a machinery space, with minimal disruption to the crew and no need to shut down operating equipment. The team also photographs and notes constraints the point cloud cannot capture, such as access routes for moving the skid aboard.
The registered point cloud is then brought into a 3D modelling environment where the retrofit is designed. The model becomes the shared reference for piping, structural, and electrical engineering, so every discipline works from the same accurate space.
What Does the Point Cloud Enable?
The first thing the model enables is placement: finding a location for the filter, reactor or UV chamber, and control cabinet that fits the space, respects access and maintenance clearances, and keeps piping runs short. Short runs mean less pressure drop and less cost.
Second is clash detection. New piping, cable trays, and foundations are checked against every existing structure and system in the model, so conflicts with pipes, ducts, cable runs, and structure are found and resolved before fabrication. This is where scanning most directly prevents rework.
Third is pre-fabrication. Because the routing is dimensioned against real measurements, pipe spools and foundations can be fabricated ashore to fit first time, which is the single biggest lever for shortening the ship's installation window.
How Does Engineering Turn the Scan Into a Buildable Design?
From the model, engineers produce the deliverables a yard and class need: a general arrangement showing the skid and filter positions, a piping and instrumentation diagram, structural foundation drawings, and an electrical load list and cable schedule. Each is dimensioned against the point cloud.
The piping design must respect the ballast pump's duty point. New filters, reactors, and bends add pressure drop, and if the total loss is too high the pump will not deliver rated flow, which in turn can starve the treatment system of the flow its type approval assumes. The engineering study sizes pipe and minimises fittings to keep within the pump's head.
The electrical study confirms the switchboard and generators can carry the treatment load during ballasting. If margin is short, the design incorporates the necessary generator, transformer, or switchboard work rather than leaving it to be discovered at the yard.
How Does the Design Get Class Approval?
The drawings are submitted to the vessel's classification society, first often as an approval-in-principle of the arrangement and then as detailed drawing approval before fabrication. Class checks structural adequacy of foundations, piping integrity, electrical safety, and — for electrolysis systems — hydrogen venting, and for tankers the explosion-protection arrangements.
Approved drawings are a prerequisite for a compliant installation and for the class attendance at commissioning. Skipping or rushing approval risks a system that class will not certify, which no owner can afford after committing to the hardware.
The scan-based model also makes approval iterations faster, because when class asks for a change the engineer can test it against the real space immediately rather than guessing and re-measuring on board.
What Value Does Good Engineering Deliver?
The measurable return on rigorous engineering is a shorter, more predictable installation and far less on-site rework. Projects that scan and pre-fabricate routinely complete the ship work weeks faster than those that improvise from old drawings, and they avoid the surprise costs that blow budgets.
Engineering also protects performance. Correctly sized piping preserves the ballast pump's flow so the treatment system operates within its type-approved envelope, and confirmed electrical margin keeps the system running during ballasting. These are the quiet determinants of whether the ship passes commissioning and stays compliant.
Sea Clean AS can arrange 3D scanning and retrofit engineering and coordinates with the vessel's classification society for drawing approval. As an authorized Headway agent it supports OceanGuard retrofits directly and provides independent, brand-agnostic engineering for other systems. North Sea and Norway attendance is 0–24 hours; elsewhere by arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
How long does 3D scanning a ship take?
Scanning a machinery space typically takes one to two days on board, capturing multiple laser stations that register into a single point cloud. It causes minimal disruption and does not require shutting down operating equipment.
Is scanning really necessary, or can we use the ship's drawings?
Original drawings are rarely accurate as-built after years of modifications, so designing from them produces parts that do not fit. Scanning captures today's actual space, which is the only reliable basis for routing piping and placing a large skid in a congested engine room.
What does the engineering study check on the electrical side?
It confirms the generators and switchboard can carry the treatment load during ballasting, alongside the ballast pumps and normal sea load. If margin is short, the study scopes the necessary generator, transformer, or switchboard work so it is budgeted rather than discovered at the yard.
Does the retrofit design need classification society approval?
Yes. The general arrangement, piping and instrumentation diagram, foundation drawings, and electrical schedule are submitted to the vessel's class society for approval before fabrication, and class attends the installation and commissioning to verify it matches the approved design.
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