| Abstract | The active heave compensation (AHC) system on an offshore supply vessel (OSV) plays a pivotal role in offshore installation operations by minimizing the heave motion of suspended subsea equipment, regardless of the OSV motion. In order to successfully perform its function, the AHC system should have a suitable control algorithm, and its performance must be evaluated in advance of operation. Performance analysis of the AHC system requires complicated testing procedures, and a great deal of associated equipment. In particular, such analysis is often very costly and time-consuming, and realistic conditions are typically impossible to establish in a testing environment. To solve this problem, the Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation (HILS) concept can be used as an effective method to test an AHC system prior to its final installation. In this study, we have constructed the HILS environment for an AHC system for an OSV, and conducted a performance analysis of the AHC system. To do so, a virtual model of the OSV was first created from a multibody system that can represent realistic motion in waves. Then, a controller of the AHC system with a control algorithm for heave compensation was implemented on real hardware. Next, an integrated simulation interface was implemented to efficiently connect the virtual model and the controller, and a visualization model was developed to verify simulation results by immersive and realistic views. Finally, a performance analysis of the AHC system was conducted within the proposed HILS environment. A numerical example is a deadweight 3,500 ton OSV to install a subsea manifold in regular and irregular waves. A comparative study between uncontrolled and controlled results of the AHC system was further performed. As a result, the performance of the AHC system could be evaluated effectively within the HILS environment. |
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| Publication Date | 2018-10-01 |
| Role | Corresponding Author |
| Category | SCIE |
| Impact Factor | 0.298 |
Luman Zhao, Myung-Il Roh, Seung-Ho Ham, "Performance Analysis of an Active Heave Compensation System on an Offshore Supply Vessel Using the Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation", Journal of Marine Science and Technology (Taiwan), Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 678-691, 2018.10.01