Min-Chul Kong, Myung-Il Roh, In-Su Han, Mijin Kim, Jeoungyoun Kim, "A Method for Pipe Auto-routing Using Graph and Octree Structure", Proceedings of G-NAOE 2024, Southampton, UK, 2024.11.05-09
| Abstract | On ships, various pieces of equipment exist clustered in a limited space. Additionally, the pipes connecting equipment are complex, so the routing process takes much time. In order to automate this process, various research is being actively conducted to place pipes based on the connection relationships between equipment automatically. In this study, data extracted from P&ID in DXF format was preprocessed and automatically converted into a graph. The connection relationships of this graph were used as input data for the auto-routing of pipes. A graph is an efficient structure for representing connection relationships and is good for displaying complex P&IDs in an intuitive form. We represented equipment in the P&ID as nodes and pipes as edges and converted the P&IDs of existing ships into a graph format. This graph contains information about the branching of the pipe, and we used this to devise an algorithm that automatically determines the location of the branch point and creates the branch pipe. To place pipes, we must allocate a space within the ship where the pipes can pass. In most studies, a grid was created by dividing this space evenly at regular intervals, and an algorithm was applied to find a path within this grid. However, in this approach, the larger the space and the higher the resolution of the grid, the greater the number of paths to consider. Therefore, in order to create a precise path, not only does the time required to create the path increase, but also the memory allocation increases as the space increases. To solve these problems, we propose a grid generation method that applies the Octree structure, which is a method of dynamically dividing space. The Octree structure is a data structure that divides the grid tightly in places where precise expression is required and creates a wide grid in relatively unimportant places. Using this structure, it is possible to quickly route pipes in detail for relatively small unit module equipment and general lines in a large space. In this process, hull and equipment shape information was input in advance to define spaces where pipes could not go. We compared and applied several pathfinding algorithms to connect the input and output points of pipes in a defined space. In this process, the knowledge of pipe design experts was quantified to help select an appropriate route when searching for a route. Using the method proposed in this study, we attempted to generate pipes within major systems within a ship automatically. Its effectiveness was confirmed by verifying that a design similar to the existing design could be quickly created. |
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| Publication Date | 2024-11-05 |