Development of a new methodology for offshore dynamic positioning system design.

Author(s)

Eduardo Aoun Tannuri

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP/BC)
• Defense date: 2002-09-20

Examining board members

Celso Pupo Pesce; Jose Jaime da Cruz; Antonio Carlos Fernandes; Isaias Quaresma Masetti; Helio Mitio Morishita

• Advisor: Celso Pupo Pesce

Abstract

The present work deals with three research and development topics related to Dynamic Positioning Systems. A new design methodology of ship position and heading controller was developed, based on the robust and nonlinear Sliding Mode Control theory. The controller contains a feedforward action, which compensates environmental forces (wind, waves and current) and a feedback loop, responsible for the elimination of residual errors. The nonlinear formulation of the controller assures performance and stability requirements for all heading angles. The feedforward action guarantees its applicability in a large range of environmental conditions, without performance degradation in severe conditions. The feedback loop contains only nine parameters, which can be calibrated easily by simple equations. The feedforward loop internally contains models for the estimation of the environmental forces acting on the ship. However, due to robustness properties, the controller does not require a fine adjustment of its several parameters and the environmental conditions, allowing the use of non-accurate estimates. The controller was tested in computational simulators of the turret moored VLCC Vidal de Negreiros and of a pipe-laying barge, both comprising validated models of environmental forces. The simulations emulated modeling and environmental conditions estimation errors, confirming the good robustness and performance properties of the controller in several environmental conditions and the simple parameter adjusting process. A control mode adapted for heading-free operations in Campos Basin was also developed, where non-aligned environmental agents frequently happen. In this mode, it is calculated the optimal heading that minimizes a functional relating important operational parameters, such as roll motion, risers dynamic tension, mooring system forces and energy consumption. Estimations of environmental conditions are used in the calculation. However, a numerical sensibility analysis of this control mode applied to the VLCC Vidal de Negreiros indicated that the optimal heading calculation presents low sensibility to errors in these estimations under severe environmental conditions. Numerical trials showed that this control mode is more adequate to Campos Basin conditions compared to the traditional Weather vane mode. Since wave spectrum estimation still presents technical and operational problems, a spectrum estimation method was also developed, based on measurements of ship motions. A parametric method was used, which presented low sensitivity to errors in ship dynamic response functions. The method was numerically tested and validated through towing tank tests. Estimation errors were compatible to the controller admissible errors. For example, the maximum error in significant wave height estimation was 25%, smaller than the errors usually obtained using the non-parametric Bayesian method, widely applied for this class of problems. (AU)