DP Operator Manual

Section 1 PHILOSOPHY and HISTORY

Dynamic Positioning (DP) is a method of positioning marine vessels accurately within

predefined limits using a combination of computers, position reference systems and thrusters.
various types of vessels make use of this to either maintain a fixed position or to follow a pre-
determined track or work plan. Types of work include diving, drilling, pipelaying, supply, FPSO
and various multi-purpose support vessels. Virtually any type or shape of seagoing vessel
could utilise a DP system.

DP evolved for a variety of reasons such as finance flexibility and because conventional
systems such as moorings were not workable for various reasons.
A DP vessel can do everything, and more, than a conventionally moored vessel. There are
obvious benefits in the time saving (cost) of carrying out certain types of operation in DP as
opposed to moorings. An example of this would be a Diving Support Vessel which had to
work on all four sides of a platform. When work is completed on one side it can move very
quickly and under DP control to the next side without the time consuming exercise of
recovering and relaying anchors.
Recent oil exploration has again moved to water depths where it is nearly impossible and
financially unattractive to lay moorings. In deep water it is possible that a drilling rig may
spend more time laying and recovering anchors than it does drilling the well.

The forerunners of the present day systems did not have the benefit of a computer to control
the thrusters but instead they were controlled by an operator using manual controls and a
visual reference to maintain position. This type of positioning is still used today when a
manual joystick is in use but now even the joystick is controlling the thrusters through a
computer. Computers are used as they can do a much more efficient job of maintaining
position in comparison to even the very best manual operator.

Mohole Project

The very first dynamic positioning system was used in 1957 in connection with the American
Mohole project. The purpose of this project was to drill into the so-called Moho layer, that is,
through the outer shell of the earth. To succeed in this, the drilling was to be done where this
shell is at the thinnest, and that was where the great oceans are at the deepest. The depth
was around 4,500 m. and that was far too deep for the usual anchoring systems.

Installing 4 manoeuvring propellers/thrusters onboard the barge, CUSS 1, solved the

problem. The position in relation to the seabed was found by lowering a transmitter down to
the seabed which transmitted signals up to the barge (some form of hydro acoustic reference
system). The position in relation to the transmitter could be read on a display onboard the
barge. In addition, 4 buoys anchored around the vessel were used. These transmitted radio
signals to radar onboard. By using different combinations of thrust and direction for the 4
propellers, it should be possible to keep the barge in position above the place of drilling. On
the 9th of March 1961 the CUSS 1 was able to maintain position with the help of dynamic
positioning at a depth of 948 m off La Jolla, California. Some time later the vessel completed
5 drillings at a depth of 3,560 m, while maintaining position within a radius of 180 m.

1 Hist and Phil .doc Page 1 of 4

 DP Operator Manual

Automation of DP
The idea of developing an automatic control unit to take care of the DP function was born.
Later that year (1961) the Shell Oil Company, USA, launched the drilling vessel EUREKA.
Very soon equipment which automated the thruster commands was installed. In 1964
another vessel, CALDRILL 1, was delivered to Caldrill Offshore Company, USA, with similar
equipment onboard. Both the EUREKA and CALDRILL projects were successful. EUREKA
drilled at a depth of 1 300 m with 6 m high waves and a wind of up to 21 m/s. CALDRILL
could drill at depths of maximum 2 000 m and was equipped with 4 manoeuvrable thrusters,
each with 300 hp. The position was found using two taut wire reference systems.

French engineers watched the American projects closely. France had interests in companies
laying pipelines in the Mediterranean, and dynamic positioning could make these operations
safer and more efficient. In 1963 the first dynamically positioned French vessels, namely
Salvor and Terebel, were laying pipelines in the Mediterranean.

A few years later the oil adventure started in the North Sea, and Norway and the UK became
interested in dynamic positioning. British GEC Electrical Projects Ltd equipped in 1974
WIMPEY SEALAB, an old cargo vessel converted to a drilling vessel, and in 1977 UNCLE
JOHN, a semi-submersible platform, with equipment similar to that which the Americans and
French had named the Dynamic Positioning (DP) System.

Norwegian ship owners wanted a DP system produced in Norway because of the problems
connected with getting service in the North Sea from Honeywell, who had roughly the whole
DP market in the early 1970s. Research was started up in Tonrdheim and a concept was
presented. Kongsberg, Vapenfabrikk (KV) was chosen to carry out the project and Stolt
Nielsen ordered the first system. The first vessel to use a Norwegian DP system was the
SEAWAY EAGLE on the 17th of May 1977.

Dynamic positioning has changed a lot since CUSS 1 in 1961. From being designed for test
drilling and laying of pipelines, DP is now being used for different types of operations, ranging
from geological assignments, via military ones, to cruise ship manoeuvring in lagoons. The
basic principles from 1961 are the same, but the explosive development within data has led to
a similar development in DP systems, both when it comes to operating the equipment and the
technology itself. In short, a DP system can be defined as :

a computer-based automatic positioning system for floating vessels.

The DP system is used to keep a vessel in position, or to move a vessel from one position to
another with low speed.

Despite DP systems being around for Forty years there was, in certain parts of the marine
industry, a deep distrust of DP. This distrust was mainly due to isolated incidents that have
occurred and the old tradition that the vessel could not be safe unless it had anchors down.
Circumstances and financial considerations along with the advances made in DP equipment
has forced the industry to change their attitude.

1 Hist and Phil .doc Page 2 of 4

 DP Operator Manual

The History of Kongsberg Simrads DP System

The Norwegian DP adventure started in 1975 at the Kongsberg Vapenfabrikk (KV) with a
small group of engineers called Dynpos, belonging to the Defence Division. The group was
soon moved to the Oil Division, which was the Offshore Division in Kongsberg Vapenfabrikk.
The DP systems are divided into two main groups ;

* KV technology with Kongsberg System 500 based systems, KS500 from the early
years. This Computer was developed by Forsvarets Forskningsinsitutt and
Kongsberg Vapenfabrikk at the beginning of the 1970s and is built up around TTL
logics.

* Kongsbergs own technology with SBC based systems from 1983 onwards. SBC,
Single Board Computer, is developed by Kongsberg Simrad and uses Intel
microprocessors 80186, 80286 and 80386 on respectively SBC1000, SBC2000 and
SBC3000/SBC3003. The prototype of SBC1000 was the first computer in the world
using Intel 80186 microprocessor.

Todays systems use SBC400, which is based on Intel 960 RISK processor.

DP System Development

1977 ADP501 1 KS500 64k computer, HPR display

ADP502 1 KS500 64k computer, display processor
ADP503 3 KS500 64k computers, 2 display processors
1979 ADP503 Mk II 3 KS500 128k computers, 2 colour displays
ADP311 1 KS500 128k computer, 1 colour display, 1 cabinet
1973 APM3000 2 KS500 256k computers, 1 display
ADP100 3 SBC1000, 1 display
1987 ADP703 rev.0 9 SBC1000, voting, 2 displays
1990 ADP701 rev.0 2 SBC2000 , 1 display
ADP700 1 SBC2000 with joystick terminal
1992 ADP701 MkI & II 1 SBC3000, 1 display
ADP702 MkI & II 2 SBC3000, 2 displays
ADP703 MkI & II 3 SBC 3000, 3 displays
1996 SDP11 & 12 SBC400 I/O processor and std. NT workstation
SDP21 & 22 SBC400 I/O processor and std. NT workstation
SDP31 & 32 SBC400 I/O processor and std. NT workstation.
SPM SBC400 I/O processor and std. NT workstation.
SJS01/SDP01 Joystick/Compact DP (replace Robertson products)

1 Hist and Phil .doc Page 3 of 4

 DP Operator Manual

History of the Alstom Systems

GEC started producing DP equipment in 1971, in 1989, they reorganised with Alcatel to
become Cegelec projects, and in 1998 were renamed Alstom, they are a major producer of DP
equipment, one of their earliest systems was on the Wimpey Sealab (1974), that was initially
used in surveying for offshore coal deposits, and Channel tunnel surveys. They have been
involved in many projects including Benreoch (semi sub), Seilean (DP tanker), MV Aberdeen
(Shuttle tanker), and ITM Venturer (cable ship).

1971 DPS2050 Simplex GEC 2050 mini computer

1977 DPS 2050 Duplex GEC 2050 mini computer
1981 DPS 801 1 x GEC GEM 80 PLC
DPS 802 2 x GEC GEM 80 PLC
1992 DPS 803 (voting) 3 x GEC GEM 80 PLC
1993 DPS 901 1 x GEM 80 PLC (or Alspa
PLC) with Sparc graphics
DPS 902 card
2 x GEM 80 PLC (or Alspa
DPS 903 (voting) PLC) with Sparc graphics
card
3 x GEM 80 PLC (or Alspa
PLC) with Sparc graphics
card
2000 AJS 01 & 02 (joystick) 1 x Power PC with Alspa
PLC outstation
ADP 01 & 02 (compact DP) 1 x Power PC with Alspa
PLC outstation
ADP 11 & 12 1 x Power PC with Alspa
PLC outstation
ADP 21 & 22 2 x Power PC with Alspa
PLC outstations
ADP 31 & 32 3 x Power PC with Alspa
PLC outstations

1 Hist and Phil .doc Page 4 of 4