DP Operator Manual

Section 6 Environmental Reference Systems.

HEADING REFERENCE

Heading reference is usually obtained from a Gyro Compass. This sounds very simple and
straightforward but the importance of this information should never be underestimated. No DP
system can function without a working heading input which supplies not only vessel heading
but also vital input to the position reference and thrust systems.
DP Automatic Mode consists of two parts Required Vessel Heading (normally selected first)
and Required Vessel Position. Only when both of these have been selected and are receiving
good information from their references is the system in full DP.

1. DP systems usually have a heading priority

2. If there is a power shortage, the DP will allow position loss to maintain heading
3. A vessel normally operates at an optimum heading to minimise thrusters use
4. If heading is lost extra thrust will be needed to overcome environmental forces, if the DP
system had allowed heading to be lost so that the vessel was now beam on to the
environmental force there might not be enough power available to overcome them

Heading mode
1. Heading normally selected by operator
2. System selected , or Minimum Power option may be available
3. The DP system will select a heading to minimise thrusters output, effectively to use
the minimum amount of power.
4. This system selected heading is not fixed; it will vary as environmental conditions
change. It will do this without any confirmation to or from the operator
5. This may not be acceptable as it could cause the vessel to exceed operational limits.

Gyro notes
1. The most critical sensor for positioning (apart from the position reference systems) will
normally be the gyro, because the heading measurement is used to determine the
position.
2. If there is more than one gyro, either one will selected as a preferred gyro, or an
average is used
3. If there are only two gyros, and one starts to drift, the system can only report a gyro
difference. The operator has to decide which one is correct, this may be difficult.
4. If a preferred gyro drifts the ship will follow it, however on the screen the ships head
should not change, the heading on the not preferred will change, this may cause
confusion.
5. When a gyro drifts you may loose any position references that get heading
information from that gyro, unless it is possible to switch gyro feed to PRS.
6. If the preferred drifts this may affect all reference, what is lost and kept will depend on
how many references are selected, and their performance.
7. With the KSL preferred system, once there is 20 degrees difference between two
gyros it is not possible to switch over use.
8. With the Alstom average system, a failed gyro can be deselected no matter how large
the difference between gyros is
9. If you get a gyro alarm make sure this system is not in use by the DP
10. If three gyros are available select them all, this can allow the DP to vote, two out of
three and a drifting or failing gyro can be voted off even if it is the preferred gyro.
11. A gyro that is voted off will still affect any PRS connected to it.

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SENSORS

Sensors or environment sensors affecting a DP system are normally Wind Sensors

(Anemometers) and Motion sensors, called, Vertical Reference Sensors (VRS), Vertical
Reference Unit (VRU), or Motion Reference Unit (MRU).

Other environmental sensors may be fitted, such as current meters, tension meters, but these
are usually informational sensors and their output may not be fed into the DP.
Wind Sensors are very important in that the DP treats wind as being one of the major forces
affecting the vessels position keeping (position keeping meaning both heading and position).

Care must be exercised in both positioning them on the vessel and also in selecting which
one to use in the system. Ideally the anemometers should be sited where they are totally
unobstructed e.g. on top of the derrick on a drilling rig.

On many types of vessel it is impossible to find an unobstructed position and the

anemometers may have to be sited at all four corners of a barge for example. If this is the
case the operator must be aware at all times of wind direction and select the anemometer
which is reading the true wind speed and direction. There are also times when the wind
sensors are being masked e.g. alongside the lee side of a platform or they give a false
reading e.g. down draft from a helicopter. The operator should again be aware of anything
which may give a false reading and take appropriate action when required. A typical example
is downdraft from a helicopter. When there is doubt regarding the accuracy of wind
information from the sensors, they should be deselected from the system. Then reselected
once the situation has been sorted out

When a DP system is being designed for a particular vessel, the programmer will calculate
the effect of wind direction and speed on that vessel taking into account variables such as
draft and affected hull area. This calculation, called the Aerodynamic Model, allows for the
wind effect through 360 degrees as it will exert a greater offsetting force acting on the beam
of a ship for example than it would acting from the bow. The amount of thrust required to
maintain position with the wind from any direction and any speed (up to design limit) is then
programmed into the system and the DP system will automatically and instantaneously use
that amount of thrust to compensate for wind force. This is known as Automatic Wind
Compensation (AWC) or Wind Feed Forward. Sudden changes of wind direction or speed are
instantly compensated for by AWC commanding appropriate thrust, ensuring that position
loss is minimised. It can be seen from this why it is important that the system receive the most
accurate wind information possible.

VRS / VRU/MRU

The other environmental sensor is the Vertical Reference Sensor (VRS) sometimes called the
Vertical Reference Unit (VRU), these measure pitch and roll. The latest version The Motion
Reference Unit (MRU) measures pitch, roll and heave. The heave is used to improve the
accuracy of the acoustic position reference systems.

1. Pitch and roll is measured, or to express it differently measures change in vessel

attitude.
2. This information is required because of the effect pitch and, roll has on some of the
position reference systems.
3. If a DGPS aerial is mounted on top of a drilling derrick two hundred and fifty feet
above sea level.

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4. The vessel pitches and rolls about the centre of gravity, this movement will be greatly
exaggerated at the derrick top.
5. The aerial may be moving through an arc of several metres
6. DP system uses position information received at this aerial.
7. The DP would see the movement due to pitch and roll as an actual change in position
equal to the arc of movement.
8. This is false information as the vessel is not actually changing position and the VRS
measurement of this arc is fed into the system which then compensates for it so that
no position change is indicated.
9. This also applies to PRS extending below the hull such as acoustic transducers, or
hydrophones.
10. The VRS or MRU may be a separate piece of equipment of equipment or be built into
a PRS.
11. The DP system can function without a VRS/MRU if the vessel is not pitching or
rolling. The VRS/MRU is normally always on line.
12. Select all available sensors, this will allow the DP to report differences, and if three
are available vote a bad VRS off.
13. Some systems have a preferred sensor, some use an average, or a median of all
sensors in use.
14. VRU/MRU failure may cause loss of PRS.
15. If there is a VRS/MRU alarm ensure that sensor is not being used by the DP

There is a fourth force acting on the vessel that no sensor can calculate. This force can be
defined as the resultant of all other forces acting on the vessel apart from wind. The possible
components of this force are numerous. It will also contain any errors in measurement, or
unmeasured forces acting on the vessel.

Possible components:

Surface current
Subsea current
Waves
Swell
Effect of drag by attached equipment such as pipe or riser
Effect of current on riser
Workboats tied up to vessel
Wind (when wind sensors are deselected)
Error in AWC calculation
Unidentified Forces, such as forces in a cable or pipeline being ploughed in
Thruster errors.

1. The controller calculates the resultant direction and force of all the other forces and
applies thrust to compensate for this force.
2. This force is known variously as Current, Environment Force or Integral Force.
Integral Force is probably the most accurate term as this force is not current alone or
even environment alone.
3. The DP system prefers the Integral Force to remain steady so that it can apply a
consistent amount of thrust to counteract it.
4. Unfortunately, due to the components that make up the integral, this is rarely the
case. The controller constantly has to re-calculate the Integral Force.

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