OFFICER TRAINIG CENTRE

of
Gdynia Maritime University

DP OPERATOR BASIC COURSE

MODULE 4:
Environmental Sensors

Copyright © 2008 by Jaroslaw Cydejko

 Vessel Sensors - Function and Requirements
(IMO MSC/Circ. 645 Guidelines for Vessels with Dynamic Positioning System)

3.4.4 Vessel sensors

.1 Vessel sensors should at least measure vessel heading, vessel motions,
and wind speed and direction.

.2 When an equipment class 2 or 3 DP-control system is fully dependent

on correct signals from vessel sensors, then these signals should be
based on three systems serving the same purpose (i.e. this will result
in at least three gyro compasses being installed).

.3 Sensors for the same purpose, connected to redundant systems should

be arranged independently so that failure of one will not affect the
others.

.4 For equipment class 3, one of each type of sensors should be

connected directly to the back-up control system and separated by
A.60 class division from the other sensors.
 Vessel Sensors and their function and importance
Heading Reference:
Function: to measure vessel heading
Role: crucial, „DP-control system fully dependent on correct
signal” to perform DP of the yaw motion,
position sensors full dependent on heading reference to
compensate antennas offsets and relative bearings.

NO HEADING REFERENCE – NO DP and NO POSITION INFO

Vessel Attitude (motion) Sensors:

Function: to measure vessel motion: pitch, roll and heave
(NB. heave measuremets are not compulsory)
Role: important, position sensors need pitch and roll
measurements compensate antennas offsets or relative
angle measurements.

NO MOTION SENSORS – DP still possible but Position Info accuracy

degraded in the degree depending on Pos. Sensor type and location
 Vessel Sensors and their function and importance (2)
Wind Sensors:
Function: to measure wind speed and direction
Role: important, deliver to DP system information about fast
changing external forces generated by wind, wind info „feed” directly
the DP system („feedforward”) so the part of thrust demand is triggered
directly by wind sensor

NO WIND SENSOR – DP possible but position keeping may be degraded

(NB. bad or faulty wind sensor indication is more
problematic for DP than no indication)

Other Sensors:
riser angle sensors (ERA, ARA), cable/pipeline/pullwire tensionmetres,
current metres („fish”), gangway extention sensor.
Role: informative, supportive, usually used to monitor various DP operations, sometimes
defines operational limits;
may be used as reference for DP (e.g. ERA, ARA in Hold Ball Joint Angle
Mode) or deliver information about External Force to be compensated in DP;
Current metres in general are not interfaced to DP control.
 Heading Reference

• Measure the ship’s heading

• Most critical sensor for positioning
• Most DP vessels have two or three heading sensors
for Class II and III vessels 3 heading sensors are required one of them
could the TDH (Transmitting Heading Device) e.g. satellite compass

TYPES OF HEADING SENSORS:

• Gyrocompass – standard

• Fiber Optical Gyros (FOC)

• Fluxgate Magnetic Compass (small size, relatively low accuracy,

good for ROV, in general not utillized for DP)

• Satellite compass
 Standard Gyrocompass

- principle of operation
based on gyroscope Sperry
effect; NAVIGAT X Mk2
- well known and
developed technology;
- includes precise devices
with moving parts
which can fail;
- proper periodical
maintanance procedures
are crucial to keep it in
good condition.
 Fiber Optical Gyrocompass (FOC)

Sperry NAVIGAT 2100 FOG

- principle of operation based on „Sagnac” effect;

- relatively small dimensions with good accuracy;
- no moving parts affected by „wear and tear”;
- almost maintanance free
 Fiber Optical Gyrocompass (FOC)
Principle of operation (Sagnac Effect)
A fibre optic gyrocompass (FOG) uses the
interference of light to detect mechanical
rotation. The sensor is a coil of as much as
5 km of optical fiber. Two light beams
travel along the fiber in opposite directions.
Due to the Sagnac Effect, the beam
traveling against the rotation experiences a
slightly shorter path than the other beam.
The resulting phase shift affects how the
beams interfere with each other when they
are combined. The intensity of the
combined beam then depends on the
rotation rate of the device.
A FOG provides extremely precise
rotational rate information, in part because
of its lack of cross-axis sensitivity to
vibration, acceleration, and shock. Unlike
the classic spinning-mass gyroscope, the Sagnac Effect
FOG has virtually no moving parts and no
inertial resistance to movement.
Satellite Compass

- simultanous GPS phase measurements collected from

2 or more antennas allow to calculate accurate vector
between them (differential or RTK method applied);
- could be affected by signal shortages,, needs motion
reference unit for Dead Reckoning, good as back up.
 Vessel Motion Sensors
• principal function is to measure vessel’s pitch and roll
motion (some of sensor measure heave as well)
• the pitch and roll measurements are used to compensate for
the motion of the reference systems antennas when the vessel is
pitching and rolling.
• convention usually used:
bow up (pitch +), list to starboard (roll +), up (heave +)

Technologies implemented in motion sensors:

- Fluid Stabilized Measurement Platform (pendulum effect);

- MEMS – Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Structure sensor technology:

Silicon Amorphous Deflecting Disk - linear accelerometer
Vibrating Structural Gyroscope –VSG (vibrating crystal) – angular rate gyros

- satellite attitude sensors

 VRS - Vertical Reference Sensor

DataWell PIRO 40 Mk2

Fluid Stabilized Measurement
Platform (pendulum effect)

- pitch and roll only

- big size
- proven technology
 Motion Reference Units (MRU)
Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Structure sensor technology

• variety of types for many applications;

• possibilty to measure heave motion;
• small size; no moving parts;
• minimal maintanance.

Linear accelerator with silicon disc

Kongsberg
MRU series
Motion Reference Units
(MRU)
Kongsberg MRU – various types
Satellite-based Attitude Sensors

Kongsberg Seapath Series

 Wind Sensors
• measure wind speed and direction;
• DP system compensates for the wind force changes before the
vessel starts to move;
• are installed in different locations onboard;
• it is normal practice to select this sensor which gives more
reliable (true) readings.

Wind sensors types:

- cup type anemometres;

- propeler type anemometres;

- solid state ultrasonic anemometres

Wind Sensors
Cup type anemometre
- cheep and effective;
- has moving parts which can fail;
- wane independant from cube rotor,
so only one part can fail per time;
- but if only direction fails it can
cause big error to DP.

Propeller type anemometre

- cheep and effective;
- has moving parts which can fail;
- when wane fails the speed
indication is wrong as well (usually
greater than in real, so can cause
problems to DP);
Wind Sensors – Ultrasonic anemometres
Ultrasonic anemometres - principle of operation:
The anemometer measures the time taken for an ultrasonic pulse to
travel from one transducer to the opposite transducer and then compares
it with the time taken for another pulse to travel in the opposite
direction. Likewise, differences are measured between other pairs of
transducers allowing calculation of both wind speed and direction.

- no moving parts;
- resistant to any failures;
- accuracy may depend on
temperature;
- transdusers can freeze.
 Operational Considerations
Heading Reference
- with more then two gyros operator
selects the preferred gyro and this one
is used for DP, others are on monitoring,
the significiant differences will be reported
by system; (Kongsberg approach)
(Alstom uses average readings)
- with two gyros only, when gyro difference
is reported, the operator has to decide which
one is correct (K-pos DP has GPS Gyro
calibrating option which can help otherwise good
to know required magnetic hdg);
- with 3 gyros the above problem can be solved
much easier;
- when the preferred gyro fails automatic change over is performed (watch In Use
tickbox to see which gyro is „hot” at the moment);
- when gyro „in use” drifts the position sensors are affected; remember that some PRS
are „fed” directly from gyro (0,0,0 offset in DP), be aware which gyro feeds what
PRS, bedcause in case of failure it may need to be reselected manually.
 Operational Considerations
Heading Reference
GYRO ALARMS

„Gyro 1 prediction error” – ALARM

If the difference between the value read from a gyrocompass and the model
value (2 gyros) or median value (3 gyros) exceeds a predefined limit; If this
error is for the gyrocompass that is in use, the system will change
automatically to the other gyrocompass.

„Gyro 1 not ready” – ALARM

measurements from a gyrocompass are not accepted by the system,

„Compass difference”- ALARM

if there is a difference between gyrocompasses and the system cannot detect
which compass is faulty (for 2 gyros, operator to deside)
 Operational Considerations
Heading Reference

! HEADING DROPOUT !

If the vessel heading that is estimated by the Vessel Model differs significantly from the
measured vessel heading, the following message is given:
„Heading prediction error”
If this continues for more than two seconds, the system will assume that the information
from the gyrocompasses is unreliable and will stop updating the Vessel Model with the
measured heading. In this situation the following alarm will be given:
„Heading dropout”
The same alarm will occur if no gyrocompasses are enabled, or if there is a total gyrocompass
malfunction.
!!! It is not possible to operate with automatic heading or position control in a
Heading dropout situation.
!!! You need to go to Standby mode to reset the estimated heading from the
Vessel Model to the measured gyrocompass heading.
 Operational Considerations
Wind Sensors

- when inputs from all the available wind

sensors are enabled the system compares the
signals from all the sensors, but uses only one
of them to calculate the wind force acting on
the vessel; (selected as „Preference”)
- a wind measurement may be influenced by
the location of the sensor. It is important to
use the sensor that is most representative for
the wind forces acting on the vessel;
- wind sensors reading has to be scaled due to
altitude exaggerating the wind strength;
- there can be situations where you want to temporarily stop using the input from the
wind sensors, such as during helicopter operations or when operating close to another
large structure where there may be sudden disturbances of the measured wind. If you
disable all the wind sensors, the system continues to use the wind speed and direction
values that were measured just before the most recent wind sensor was disabled.
 Operational Considerations
Wind Sensors

WINDSENSOR EXPOSED TO WINDSENSOR

FULL FORCE OF WIND EXPOSED
WIND
WIND

PLATFORM
FORCE OF WIND
EXAGGERATED AT
WINDSENSOR VESSEL HULL AND
SUPERSTRUCTURE IN STRUCTURE
WINDSHADOW
VESSEL IN LEE OF
PLATFORM

EVERY GUST CAUSES

VESSEL TO DRIVE
TOWARD PLATFORM
AND LOSE HEADING
VESSEL
EXCURSION
 Operational Considerations
Wind Sensors

WINDSENSOR GALE FORCE WIND

IN LEE OF
TOPSIDE

VESSEL HULL AND

SUPERSTRUCTURE FEELING
FORCES OF WIND THROUGH
JACKET DP SYSTEM READS THE WIND
FROM THE WINDSENSOR.
OTHER UNKNOWN FORCES
ACTING ON THE VESSEL ARE
ASSUMED TO BE TIDAL
 Operational Considerations
WIND SENSORS ALARMS
„Wind 1 not ready” - ALARM
measurements from a wind sensor are not accepted by the system,

„Wind speed difference” - ALARM

there is a failure on a wind sensor and the system cannot detect which sensor
is faulty;

„Wind sensor rejected <current speed/direction>”

• A wind speed measurement is rejected by the system if the wind speed is above a
predefined limit (for example 15 m/s) and increases by more than a predefined value
(for example 10 m/s).
• A wind direction measurement is rejected by the system if the wind speed is above a
predefined limit (for example 10 m/s) and the wind direction changes by more than a
predefined value (for example 60 degrees).

The wind sensor is rejected if more than a predefined number (for example 15) of consecutive readings
are rejected according to the limits.
The test refers to the difference between new measurements and speed data observed for last 5 seconds.
 Operational Considerations
Vertical Reference Sensors
- Normally, all the available VRSs will be
enabled for use. The system then receives
and compares the signals from all the
VRSs, but uses only one of them.
- If no errors are detected in the VRS
measurements, the system will always use
the operator-preferred sensor (for which
„Preference” is selected)
- The heave information is used for
monitoring purposes only.

VRS ALARMS
„VRS not ready” „VRS pitch difference”
If measurements from a VRS are not accepted by If there is a failure on a VRS and the system
the system, or if at least one of the channels for a cannot detect which VRS is faulty;
VRS is faulty. it may indicate only that there is a
difference between the measurements from the
available VRSs.
Operational Considerations
SENSOR Page

Sensor Page should be

frequently used to monitor
environmental sensors
performance.

Trend views may be very

helpful if any sensor is
doubtful.