OFFICER TRAINIG CENTRE

of
Gdynia Maritime University

DP OPERATOR BASIC COURSE

MODULE 2:
Principles of Dynamic Positioning

Copyright © 2008 by Jaroslaw Cydejko

 Dynamic Positioning
DEFINITIONS

„ Dynamically positioning vessel (DP-vessel) means a unit or a vessel which

automatically maintains its position (fixed location or predetermined track)
exclusively by means of thruster force.”
( IMO MSC/ Circ. 645)

„Dynamic positioning: automatic control of vessel’s position and

heading by the use of thrusters with respect to one or more position
references”
(IMCA M103 „Guidelines forThe Design and Operation of Dynamically Positioned Vessels)

Dynamic positioning = „hydrodynamic anchoring”

 Dynamic Positioning History
Since, in order to preserve the swinging of the island, it was necessary to keep it at a sufficient
distance from land, it was not "moored" in the strict sense of the term. In other words, anchors
were not used, as this would have been impossible at depths of one hundred meters or more.
Thus, by means of the machines, which maneuver ahead and astern throughout its stay, it is kept
in place, as immobile as the eight main islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Jules Verne, "L'ile a Helice„(1867)

Earliest DP vessels and their characteristics:

United States France
Name Length Name Length

1961 C uss1 79 m

1962 Eureka 41 m

1963 Salvor 60 m

1964 Caldrill 1 54 m Terebel 52 m

Ship Length (m) Thrusters Controller Position

(hp) reference
system

Cuss 1................... 79 4x200 Manual Radar + sonar

Eureka.................. 41 2x200 Automatic Inclinometer

C a ldrilll .............. 54 4 x300 Automatic Two

(double) inclinometers
Terebel ................ 52 2x300 Automatic Inclinometer
 „Mooring” methods comparison

DP Rig/Vessel

Jack-up barge Anchored Rig

 „Mooring” methods
advantages/disadvantages
JACK-UP BARGE SPREAD MOORING TO ANCHOR PATTERN

Advantages:
* No need for power, thrusters, or complex systems
to maintain position.
* Positioning of barge not vulnerable to blackout or
power shortages
* No position references necessary once on location
* Barge not vulnerable to system failure resulting in
run-offs
Disadvantages:
* No manoeuvrability when spudded in. Requires
tugs for rigmoves
* Only suitable in water depths of up to about 60m.
* May need seabed erosion rectification
(rockdumping) for stability
Advantages:
* No need for power, thrusters, or complex systems to
maintain position.
* Positioning of vessel not vulnerable to blackout or
power shortages
* No position references necessary
* Barge not vulnerable to system failure resulting in run-
offs
* No underwater hazard from rotating propellers or
thrusters
Disadvantages:
* Limited manoeuvrability when moored.
* Requires tugs for rigmoves and laying of moorings
* More suitable in water to depths of 600m or less.
* Excessive time required for setting up anchor pattern
 „Mooring” methods advantages/disadvantages
DYNAMIC POSITIONING
Disadvantages:
* Vulnerable to power failures and shortages
* Vulnerable to thruster failure
* Vulnerable to electronics failures (DP system is of
necessity very complex)
* Higher day rates than comparable moored systems
* Higher fuel consumption
* Greater risk of positional excursions or "run off'
* Greater risks to underwater operations, especially
diving and ROV work
* Problems in shallow waters and strong tides
* Requirement for continuous position reference
* Need for comprehensive redundancy arrangements for
hazardous work
* Need for competent key staff, thus training and
experience more importantInternational:
Advantages:
* Vessel is fully self-propelled, no tugs required at
any stage of the operation
* Quick and easy setting-up on location
* Vessel is very manouverable during operation, can
shift location quickly
* Rapid response to weather changes
* Rapid response to changes in the requirements of
the operation
* Versatility within system (i.e. Track follow and
Vehicle follow functions)
* Ability to work in any water depths (but see below
re shallow waters)
* Ability to complete most tasks more quickly, thus
more economically
* Avoidance of risk of damaging seabed hardware
from mooring lines
* Avoidance of risk of damaging platform structure
from mooring line loads in bad weather
 Vessel - Basic Forces and Motions
Disturbance forces:
wind, waves, current, tide

Control Forces:
thrusters, main propoltion,
rudders
Vessel Motion
(6 freedoms of movement):
Sway, Surge, Yaw, Pitch, Roll, Heave

DP „JOB”:
Using Control Forces
counteract Disturbances to
stabilize (control)Motion in
3 axes:
Sway, Surge, Yaw
* Pitch, Roll and Heave are usually measured
but not stabilized in DP
 DP – process control
CLOSED LOOP:
(feedback)
OPEN LOOP:
(feedforward)
A closed-loop controllers
uses feedback to control
open-loop controller, states or outputs of a
also called a non- dynamic system.
feedback controller,
is a type of controller Information path in the
which computes its system:
input into a system
using only the current process inputs (e.g.
state and its model of thrusters, propellers
the system. commands) have an effect
on the process outputs
A characteristic of the (e.g. Vessel Motion), which
open-loop controller is is measured with sensors
that it does not use (Gyro, position sensors)
feedback to determine, and processed by the
if its input has achieved controller; the result (the
the desired goal. This control signal) is used as
means that the system input to the process,
does not observe the closing the loop.
output of the processes
that it is controlling.
 Vessel Model
The process control has to stable and effective.
To achieve that the vessel modelling is implemented.

Vessel model „knows”:

- what pushing force and turning moment comes from the wind A (direction + speed) and
how the position/heading/speed will be effected(wind model)
- what force and turning moment is required to move/rotate or dump vessel movement in
certain direction and with required speed; (drag, mass model)
- what should be vessel position/heading change after the certain forces have been applied;

Additionally, MODEL IS ADAPTIVE:

- „learns” by checking the effectivness of the process control
i.e. Measured position and heading are compared with the predicted or estimated data
produced by the mathematical model, and the differences are then used to update the
model.

The above is done by adaptive Extended Kalman Filter

 The Extended Kalman Filter function
The difference between the measured state and
estimated state is the effect of all „unknown forces” and
errors in the model.
This is presented on operator display as CURRENT
The principal function of Kalman filter is:
deliver to the controller
Position, Heading and Speed Estimates
The Extended Kalman Filter provides
the following advantages:
• Optimum self-adaptive noise filtering of heading and
position measurements according to noise level and
• Optimum combination of data from the different
position-reference systems. The system calculates a
variance for each position-reference system in use,
and places different weighting on their measurements
according to each system’s individual quality.
• In the absence of position measurements, the
model provides a ”dead-reckoning” mode. This
means that the system is able to perform positioning
for some time without position
updates from any position-reference systems.
 Controller functions

The controller uses various Gain setting:

THRUST DEMAND

High Gain

Relaxed
Mode
Medium Gain

The principal function of the controller is:

Low Gain
bring to zero the deviation between
Wanted position/ heading or speed
and
Estimated position/ heading or speed
HDG or POS DEVIATION
The above is done taking into consideration:
wind feedforward and „current” estimation
 Controller functions (2)
CHANGING POSITION or HEADING:
When the WANTED position or heading is changed by operator
(operator wants to move vessel or change heading in controlled way)
the controller is generating the instantaneous (temporary) moving setpoint
(called „carrot”).
The „carrot” moves towards the new setpoint and accelerates up to
the set motion/heading change speed at a preset rate.
The controller calculates the force demand using the deviation between estimated
position/heading and the „carrot”
As the „carrot” approaches the new setpoint it decelerates at preset rate to stop on new
wanted position or heading.

ALTERNATIVE ROTATION POINT:

During dynamic positioning variuos point different from the natural vessel center of rotation may be defined as required Rotation
Point.
With Alternative Rotation Point chosen the controller minimazes position deviation of that point.
When the heading change is requested, vessel rotates around Alt. Rot. Pt.
The speed of rotation (hdg change) is set not in deg/min but as in m/s as linear speed of Centre of Gravity movement.

REMEMBER: The Alt. Rotation Pt selection do not change the ship’s physics – high thrust demand can appear.
 Thruster allocation functions

FROM CONTROLLER:
Force requirements alongships and Required rotational moment
athwartships directions (the turning moment setpoint).
(the force setpoint),

The Thruster Allocation

distributes above setpoints as pitch/rpm/force/load and azimuth control signals to each thruster/propeller, thus obtaining the force
and moment required for the position and heading control.The setpoint is distributed in such a way as to obtain the force and
turning moment required for position and heading control, while also ensuring optimum thruster/propeller use with minimum power
consumption and minimum wear and tear on the propulsion equipment.

Heading Priority:
If it is not possible to maintain both the turning moment and the force setpoint due to insufficient available thrust, priority is
normally set to obtain the turning moment setpoint (heading).

If a thruster/propeller is out of service or deselected, the “lost” thrust is automatically redistributed to the remaining
thrusters/propellers.

The magnitude of thrust allocated is reduced if the available power is too low to meet the thrust demand. The allocated thrust will
however still be correct with respect to the direction of thrust.
Heading (or position) priority is also kept in such a situation.
 Dynamic Positioning Principle – summary
Wind Current Waves

Wind VESSEL POSITION

Computation SENSORS

Thruster
FORCE
Joystick

Force DEMAND
RESULTING allocation
computation FORCE
DEMAND
Propeller/ ALLOWED
Measured
Power Control FORCE
DEMAND position
FORCE CURRENT
Optimum DEMAND FORCE Computation of
controller current

Predicted
position
Wanted position

Vessel
Model
Model adjustments
NEW aspects:
Kalman
Estimated filter - Joystick demand,
position
- Power control
 Dynamic Positioning Principle – summary
- DP controller is „directly connected” to wind sensors;
- faulse wind indication equals vessel is not reacting or overreacting to the real forces;
- the „current estimation” identified within the Kalman Filter accumulates
not only unknown forces (tide, current, waves, external pull) but all errors of ships’ behaviour
modelling;
- the errors included in „current estimation” are:
wind indication errors,
thruster modelling „tuning” error,
unknown mass and drug force changes (e.g. due to vessel list or trim),
errors obtained due to poor position and atitude measurements.
- vessel model is „learning” relatively slowly so if any of the external forces stops acting
rapidly (e.g. pulled wire breaks) vessel may drive off position;
- the DP system needs to receive position and heading measurements to build up model;
- vessel model need some time to „learn” – the industry standard is to allow 30 minutes
settling to allow the model to build;
- in newer DP systems the learning process can be accelerated by requesting
the calculation with shorter filter time constant (Kongsberg - „Quick current”);
- with „well built model” vessel can effectively stay in position even when all Reference
Systems are lost (Position Dropout warning), in the most cases DP system will perform it
better then manual handling
 DP operational modes

Manual or Joystick Mode:

In the Joystick mode, the operator controls the positioning of the
vessel using the three-axis joystick (integrated joystick and
rotate controller). The joystick commands the vessel to move in
the alongships and athwartships directions (along the surge and
sway axes), while rotating the joystick commands the vessel to
rotate (the yaw axis).
The following functions are available in the Joystick
Joystick High-Speed Mode mode:
The Joystick High-Speed mode is used for joystick • Joystick Thrust Selection : Reduced or Full
manoeuvring at vessel speeds above 3 – 4 knots: • Joystick Precision Selection: General,
• Alongships movement of the joystick controls the High-Speed, Low-Speed.
vessel speed. • Environmental Force Compensation*
• Rotating the joystick gives sideways force at the stern. • Avoid Current Update*
• Sideways movement of the joystick gives sideways • Rotation Center for Joystick Manoeuvring*
force at the bow.
*NOT AVAILAIBLE IN High Speed Mode
 DP operational modes
Auto Heading Mode:

In the Auto Heading mode, the system accurately

keeps the vessel at the selected heading.

The operator can use the following standard

functions to control the vessel’s heading:
• Present Heading,
• Change Heading
• Minimum Power Heading,
Mixed Joystick/Auto Mode The following functions are also available
in the Auto Heading mode:
While remaining in Joystick mode, the • Set ROT
operator can select automatic control • Set ROT Acceleration
• Predefined Controller Gain Selection
of either one or two of the surge, sway • Heading Warning and Alarm
and yaw axes.
 DP operational modes
Auto Position Mode:
In the Auto Position mode, the system
automatically maintains the heading and position
of the vessel.
The functions available for heading control are
the same as for Auto Heading mode.
The operator can use any of the following
standard functions to control the vessel’s
position:
The following functions are also available in the Auto
Position • Present Position,
mode: • Change Position,
• Set Speed
• Set Acceleration The following methods can be used to define the new position:
• Position Warning and Alarm - Marked Position
• Predefined Controller Gain Selection - Change Position Absolute
• Rotation Center - Previous Position
If the selected Rotation Center is fore or aft it will also - Change Position Incremental
be active at entering Joystick mode. - Change Position Range/Bearing
 DP operational modes
Follow Target Mode:
The Follow Target mode enables the vessel to
automatically follow a moving target and keeps
the vessel within a “position window” (Reacting
Circle) relative to the target.
The moving target must be equipped with one
target (such as an acoustic mobile reference
transponder, RADius transponder or laser
reflector) in order for the system to monitor its
relative position.
Reaction Circle Principle:
The operator defines a circle (reaction circle) within which the target can move without causing the
vessel to follow.
When the target reaches the edge of the reaction circle, the position setpoint is updated
automatically to restore the vessel to the same position relative to the target, and the reaction
circle is redrawn around the new position of the mobile transponder.

In addition to a mobile reference on the target, an additional fixed position-reference

system (such as DGPS) is required.
 DP operational modes
Enables a DP vessel to follow a moving structure or
vessel equipped with two or more targets (such as
Follow Target Mode RADius transponders or laser reflectors).
with Multi Targeting: The moving structure can be followed both with
respect to position and heading.

The operator can select between the following

operational modes:
• Follow Position, makes the vessel follow the
moving
structure with respect to position. The vessel will
always have the same position relative to the moving
structure, while maintaining the absolute heading.
• Follow Heading, makes the vessel follow the
moving
structure with respect to heading. The vessel will
always have the same heading relative to the moving
structure, while maintaining the absolute position.
• Follow Position and Heading, makes the vessel
follow the moving structure with respect to both
In addition to a mobile reference on the
position and heading. The vessel will always have the
target, an additional fixed position-reference
same position and heading relative to the moving
system (such as DGPS) is required.
structure.
 DP operational modes
Auto Track Mode:
The Auto Track modes enable the vessel to follow a predefined track, described by a set of
waypoints, with a high degree of accuracy.

Auto Track (move-up) mode, Auto Track (high-speed) mode

Auto Track (low-speed) mode,
Full position and heading control in all
three axes is applied to control the vessel
movement. Superior control accuracy and
allows full freedom in selecting the vessel
heading.
Max. speed 3 - 4 knots.
the operator can move the vessel a
specified distance along the track. All the
thrusters are used to provide full position
and heading control. The vessel stays on
the track in a fixed position until the
operator initiates a new move (move up).
allows the vessel to follow the track at any
vessel speed above 3 – 4 knots. The
heading required to keep the vessel on
the track, is continuously
calculated by the system, according to the
vessel speed and the environmental
forces.
 DP operational modes
Weather Vane Mode :
The vessel is allowed to rotate with the wind and waves around the offshore loading buoy. The optimal
heading is selected by the DP system. This positioning method reduces the thruster/propeller force
required to maintain the vessel’s position relative to the buoy.
Operating modes for the offshore loading:
• Approach mode — when approaching the buoy
• Weather Vane mode — when loading (bow-loading methods)
• Connect mode — connecting/disconnecting from STL buoy
• Loading mode — when loading from an STL buoy
• The vessel position is controlled in the surge axis to
maintain the required distance from the bow or mating cone
to the buoy without oscillations. The distance to the buoy is
specified as a setpoint circle, centred on the buoy or base
position.
• The vessel heading is controlled in the yaw axis to keep the
heading steady and directed towards the buoy.
• The vessel position in the sway axis is allowed to change
on the setpoint circle so that the vessel is driven by the
environmental forces to the optimum heading (where the
effect of the environmental forces is at a minimum).
• The vessel motion in the sway and yaw axes is damped to
prevent “fishtailing”.

The vessel’s bow or mating cone (not the Midships position) is used as the reference point for positioning.
The vessel’s rotation center is Midships for all operating modes except Connect and Loading, where the mating cone is used
as rotation center.
 DP operational modes
Drilling Assistance :
The Riser Angle Monitoring (RAM) function allows optimal vessel positioning during drilling
operations.
The following functions are provided:
• Monitoring of Flexjoint Sensors
• Monitoring of Tensioner-Stroke Sensors
• Zero-Angle-Position Advisory Function
• Hold Flexjoint Angle Function
• Emergency Joystick Advisory Function
• Illegal Heading Sector Limits
• Posplot View Extension
• Riser View
• Driller View

The Hold Flexjoint Angle Function (HFA) is a submode of Auto Position mode and takes an active part in
the positioning of the vessel. In this submode, the system will try to position the vessel tomaintain the lower
flexjoint angle as it was when the submode was entered. Based on measured riser angles and estimated
static riser angle response to vessel movements, the function will continuously adjust the required position to
maintain the lower flexjoint angle.
 Other DP operational modes
• The Anchor Assist mode provides thruster assistance when operating within a
mooring pattern.

• The Autopilot mode enables the vessel to steer automatically on a predefined

course.

• The ROT Pilot mode allows the operator to manoeuvre the vessel using Rate Of
Turn control.

• The Track Line mode enables the vessel to follow a constant Course Over
Ground (COG). The Track Line mode is for marine operations only and are not
to be used

SPECIAL APPLICATION of DP OS Software are developed as well for:

Cable Laying Pipe Laying Trenching Dredging Other non-offshore vessels