Dynamic Positioning Sensors
Dynamic Positioning Sensors
Dynamic Positioning Sensors
Training Manual
DP Sensors
Input Mangement
Introduction
The Kongsberg Dynamic Positioning (K-Pos DP) systems need several different sensors to
determine the position, heading and to calculate the necessary thrust output to position the
vessel.
In this chapter we will describe the different sensors and give some advice on how to handle
the different sensors.
Heading sensors
There are several different types of heading sensors in use on DP vessels. The most common
type is the traditional gyro compass. More accurate and reliable but also more costly heading
sensors are the ring laser gyro and the fibre optic gyro. The GPS compass has precise
accuracy but is dependent on reliable GPS signals.
Sperry Gyro compass Octans Fibre Optic Gyro SEAPATH GPS compass
The gyrocompass finds north by using an electrically powered fast spinning wheel and
friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the earth.
Laser gyro or fibre optic gyro uses interference of laser light within a bulk optic ring or a coil
of fibre optic cable to detect changes in orientation and spin and thus to find north.
The GPS compass precise heading is derived from the fixed-distance dual GPS antenna
arrangement to generate heading information.
Minimum one heading sensor must be enabled at all times to provide heading information to
the DP system for automatic control of heading.
Most DP vessels use traditional gyrocompasses. More accurate heading references than gyro
may be needed for operations like survey, rock dumping and construction work.
For DP operations in DP class 2 or 3 it is required to use three gyros. DnV is specifying that
“One of the three required gyros may be replaced by a heading device based upon another
principle, as long as this heading device is type approved as a TDH (Transmitting Heading
Device) as specified in IMO Res. MSC.116 (73). For notation DYNPOS-AUTRO this is not to be
the gyro placed in the alternate control station.”
Heading 090°
Most position-reference systems measure the position relative
to the vessel. For instance a Fanbeam laser system, measures a
Range and a Relative Bearing. For the DP to be able to Ex 2 Position
calculate a position, the DP needs to find the True Bearing; True Bearing = 090° + 90° = 180°
• If all gyros are corrected from different GPSes, a problem with satellites can still give
the same error in all of them. In this case you might get a heading out of limit message
and possibly a position out of limit which will be corrected by the DP by changing the
vessels heading and position. This again might effect the operation, and if close to
another object, possibly cause a collision.
• If the different GPSes is giving different speeds and latitudes, the gyros will be
corrected differently. A gyro might then be rejected, and if this leads to a change of
used gyro in the system, and there is a difference between the gyros, this again could
lead to a change in position and heading.
The only way to avoid this problem is to switch off the automatic speed and latitude
compensation in the gyros when on DP. Note that this problem will also affect the auto pilot
when sailing.
When operating on DP the vessel will be stationary or move slowly, and thus the speed error
in the gyros will be so small that they can be ignored and the automatic correction is not
needed.
RECOMMENDATION!
Kongsberg Maritime recommend that when on DP you should change the automatic
correction mode in the gyros to manual mode and set the correct latitude and the speed
to zero on the gyros own operator panel.
Operation/selection
The gyro dialogue is opened from the Sensor menu or by pushing the Gyro button on
the operator panel.
Sensor view
The sensor view is showing each sensor reading, deviation between sensors and a historical
graph.
Types of input
For redundant DP systems the heading sensors will be directly interfaced to the DP controller.
For simpler systems the heading sensor may come from the Gyro switch belonging to the
navigation system.
In modern systems the heading sensor is using a serial communication interface. In older
systems the gyro signals was of synchro signal type.
• The GPS antenna is 10 meter ahead and 0.5 meter to port of the centre of the vessel.
• The Fanbeam unit is placed 11.6 meter ahead and 3.5 meter to port of the centre of the vessel and the
Fanbeam reflector is 50 meter to the port of the vessel.
• The HPR transponder B01 is 112 meter to the port of the vessel.
Situation 1:
The vessel has rotated 90° to
port from the initial heading.
Situation 2:
The vessel has moved 64
meter NW from the initial
position.
At least one vertical reference sensor must be available to provide the system with roll and
pitch information. This information is used to adjust the measurements received from the
position-reference systems for the vessel’s roll and pitch motions.
From the two examples above we see how the position measurements are effected by the
vessels motions. These effects are removed by referring the position reference systems to a
fixed horizontal plane generated by the Vertical Reference Sensor.
There are different types of sensors in use. The common term is VRS – Vertical Reference
Sensor. We are distinguishing between different types of sensors by giving then different
names.
VRU – Vertical Reference Unit. This term was used for a vertical gyro type used in the first
DP systems. The VRU is a unit used in the aviation industry to establish the artificial
horizon for the pilot.
VRS – Vertical Reference Sensor is the term we used for an analogue sensor made by
Datawell. A sphere half filled with a fluid is giving a horizontal plane. The motion of
the outer housing which is fixed to the vessels hull is measured by means of
induction between a coil floating on the surface of the fluid and coils fixed to the
housing of the unit.
MRU – Motion Reference Unit is the modern sensor used today based on inclinometers and
acceleration sensors.
If the VRS is equipped with a heave sensor, the heave information is used for monitoring
purposes only.
If VRS information is lost, the system will be unable to compensate the received position
measurements for vessel motion. The positioning performance of the system can then be
severely degraded.
Where both range and direction to the transponder are measured, (SSBL) an error in the VRS
to HPR can give a significant position error, depending on the magnitude of the error and the
distance to the transponder. If only ranges to transponders are measured, (LBL) an error in the
VRS will only affect the transducer to centre of vessel conversion.
If more VRS’s are interfaced, the operator can select which sensor to use from a dialogue box
in the HPR/HiPAP operator station.
Operation/selection
Vertical reference sensors are enabled and controlled using the Sensors dialog box - VRS
page. Normally, all the available VRS’s will be enabled for use. The system then receives and
compares the signals from all the VRS’s, but uses only one of them. You can specify which
VRS is preferred for use by the system. If no errors are detected in the VRS measurements,
the system will always use the operator-preferred sensor (for which Preference is selected on
the Sensors dialog box - VRS page).
Sensor view
The sensor view is showing each sensor reading for pitch, roll and heave, indicating which
sensor are used (white background) and the root mean square (RMS) values of the sensor
used.
Types of input
The VRS sensors are directly interfaced to the DP controller.
The old VRUs were using synchro signals.
The Datawell VRS is using analogue signals ± 10 volt.
The MRUs can be interfaced either by serial communication or analogue ± 10 volt signals
Wind sensor
At least one wind sensor should normally be enabled to provide the system with wind speed
and direction information.
Normally, all available wind sensors will be enabled. The system then receives and compares
the signals from all the sensors, and if there are differences exceeding certain limits between
the sensors, a Wind difference message will be reported. Only one of the sensors is In Use to
calculate the wind force acting on the vessel. That is normally the sensor that the operator has
set as Preference.
Wind Feed-Forward
In order to counteract the wind forces as quickly as possible, the feed-forward concept is used.
This means that the DP system will not allow the vessel to drift away from the required
position, but automatically compensates for the wind forces acting on the vessel by providing
the thrusters with the necessary extra thrust in the appropriate direction as soon as the wind
forces are detected.
The ultra sonic wind sensor is using the Doppler Effect to measure the wind speed in X and Y
directions. Two sensors opposite of each other are sending an ultrasound pulse to each other.
By comparing the time difference for the sound to travel one direction versus the other, the air
speed is determined. Measuring the air speed in the two directions X and Y gives sufficient
information to calculate the wind speed and direction.
The mechanical wind sensors have a form of propeller driving a small generator. The current
produced is a measure of the wind speed. The wind direction is measured by means of a
weather vane connected to a potentiometer fed with a fixed voltage at the end terminals. The
voltage measured from the slide of the potentiometer is then a measurement for the wind
direction.
Definitions
Relative wind is the speed and relative direction from which the wind appears to blow, with
reference to the moving vessel.
True wind is the speed and direction from which the wind is blowing. The vessel’s speed and
direction of motion are removed from the relative wind measurements.
Wind sensor in turbulent area while the vessel is hit A helicopter can disturb the wind measurements
by the wind coming under the platform. This gives resulting in unwanted reactions from the DP system
erroneous wind compensation from the DP system
and thus unstable positioning.
Wind sensors in the mast are measuring full wind When sitting close to another installation you must
while the vessels hull is in sheltered area. This be aware of possible hazards like exhaust outlets or
gives over-compensation from the DP system and water spray that may hit the wind sensors.
as a result the positioning will be unstable.
Operation/selection
Wind sensors are enabled and controlled using the Sensors dialog box -Wind page.
You can specify which wind sensor is preferred for use by the system. If no errors are
detected in the wind sensor measurements, the system will always use the operator-preferred
sensor (for which Preference is selected in the Sensors dialog box Wind page).
Sensor view
The sensor view is showing each sensor’s
relative reading for wind speed and
direction, measured at the wind sensor. The
height for each sensor is given. The view is
indicating which sensor is used with a
white background in the speed and
direction fields.
The raw measurements of wind speed and
direction are filtered internally, to estimate
the most reasonable speed and direction
values to be used by the K-Pos DP system.
The present mode and whether or not one
or more sensor is enabled, determine which
values are displayed in these fields:
• In Standby mode with one or more wind
sensor enabled, the True Speed and True
Dir fields display the same values as
Relative Speed and Relative Dir.
• In any mode other than Standby with one or more wind sensor enabled, the True Speed and
True Dir fields display the true wind speed and direction values (filtered values).
• In any mode with no wind sensors enabled, the True Speed and True Dir fields contain the
manually-entered values for the true wind speed and direction.
Types of input
The Wind sensors are directly interfaced to the DP controller.
Older Wind Sensors are using analogue signals 0 to +10 volt.
Newer Wind Sensors are communicating the data over serial communication lines.
REMEMBER
Remember the following rules for automatic and manual switching of sensors!
With 3 Gyros
The DP system will use the gyro set as Preference as long as it is inside the median limit of
2°.
If the sensor set as Preference is voted out, the median gyro will be used.
The rejected gyro should be disabled.
With 2 Gyros
The DP system will normally always use the gyro set as Preference.
If the difference between the two gyros is more than 2° the Gyro difference alarm will be
given.
The DP operator has to decide which Gyro is correct and thus set Preference on that Gyro.
The faulty gyro should be disabled.
The DP Vessel Model will follow the gyro set as Preference. The DP operator should switch
to the correct gyro before the difference is more than 6° between the DP Vessel Model and
the correct gyro. If the difference is more than 6° when the switching is performed, the system
might go into Heading Dropout. (Limit is normally 6°, but can be configured from 4° to 10°)
If the Heading Dropout situation persists, to resolve the situation, the DP system must be set
to Standby mode before going back in with correct inputs.
Gyro OK
If the gyro set as Preference looses the OK signal the “next” gyro will be used.
The automatic switching will be from sensor 1 to sensor 2, from sensor 2 to sensor 3 and from
sensor 3 to sensor 1.
VRS
The same principles for switching apply as for Gyro.
Wind
DP system will always use sensor set as Preference if sensor is OK.
The operator should set Preference on the most correct sensor according to the prevailing
conditions and disable faulty sensors if necessary.
OTHER SENSORS
Draught sensor
For optimum positioning performance, the system must have accurate information regarding
the vessel’s draught at all times.
The vessel draught can either be specified by the operator or measured by a draught sensor.
The source of draught information is selected and controlled using the Sensors dialog box -
Draught page.
If the information from the draught sensors is correct and reliable, then this should be used in
preference to manually-entered or fixed values.
Speed sensor
Speed measurements can be used as an addition to position measurements to improve the
vessel speed control in high speed modes (Auto Pilot, Auto Track High Speed and Seismic
Track). The speed information can be from different sources, e.g. Doppler Log sensors and
GPS speed sensors. You can enable available speed sensors or enter a manual alongships
vessel speed value. In high speed operations all enabled sensors will be used by the system
and an average is calculated. It is recommended to also enable Manual speed input since the
Manual value will be updated based on the In Use sensors. Should all sensors be lost, you then
have an initial Manual value that reflects the real situation.
Note: Since the Used speed is an average between all selected speed sensors, it is
important to monitor the sensors to detect errors and to deselect sensors that are not
correct.
Tension sensors
Fore operations where forces are applied to the vessel these needs to be measured for the DP
system to work in a safe way. The forces measured will be added to the feed-forward and thus
directly compensated by the thrusters. Typical operations are ploughing, cable lay, pipe lay.
Force Surge: The force acting on the
vessel in the alongship direction.
Force Sway: The force acting on the
vessel in the athwartship direction.
Moment: The moment of the force
acting on the vessel.
None: The sensor is not used.
Measured: shows the measured
values from the tension sensors.
Manual: You can enter manual
tension values to be used in the
Manual text boxes
Calculated: The Moment is calculated
based on the selected Force Surge and
Force Sway.
Details: Click this button to show the
Details part of the dialog box.
Hide: Click this button to hide the
Details part of the dialog box.
Scale/Bias: Additional sensor scaling
can be entered. Used sensor value =
measured value*Scale/100 + Bias
Max value: Measurements will be
limited upwards to this value. To
avoid increasing tension until
something breaks, the maximum value
should be set to a safe level. This is
for example used for ploughing to
avoid breaking the towing wire if the
plough gets stuck on the seabed
Min value: Measurements will be
limited to this value. This function is
needed to hold a minimum tension in
the pipe, during pipe lay, to avoid the
vessel moving astern which would
result in a buckled or broken pipe.
Filter Constant: Because tension
measurements can be noisy it might be
necessary to filter them and to set a
time delay before the sensor is
reported erroneous.
Point of Attack: You can enter values
in the Along and Athwart text boxes to inform the system about the position of the point at
which the force is acting on the vessel.