Use of sensors. Sensor redundancy. Voting.

Gyro 1

The most critical sensor for positioning is the compass, because the heading measurement is used to determine the vessels position.

Gyro drift - two gyros

When two compasses are used, one of them will be selected as preferred. This means that the DP-system will use this compass until the operator select the other compass as preferred. If one of two enabled compasses starts to drift, the DPsystem alarm a compass difference. It may be difficult for the operator to decide which one is drifting. If the preferred compass drifts, the DP-system will follow it. To the DP it looks like the drifting compass is stable, while the vessel is changing heading. While the other compass reads to correct heading. If the preferred compass drifts, you will lose some or all position reference systems. The DP-system may lock on to one of them and follow that. This could cause a driveoff.

Gyro Drift

Some position reference systems uses compass measurements directly. If such measurements drifts, the position reference system will drift, and the DP-system will either reject or follow it. This depends on how many position reference systems are selected and their performance. If a compass difference, compass rejected or failure message is given, always check the performance of the position reference systems thoroughly and make the necessary changes.

If you have three compasses installed, make sure that all three are enabled.
This will activate the voting process which will automatically reject a drifting compass.

VRS/VRU/MRU 1

VRS measurements are used to correct position reference systems for pitching and rolling. If you have two sensors, select both. This will enable the DP-system to display messages when one is showing erroneous values. When you get a difference the DP-system will give you a VRS difference message. If the preferred sensors is failing you may lose some or all of your position reference systems depending on the pitch and roll of the vessel. The DP-system will then continue on dead reckoning. This will normally allow you time to switch to the other VRS before the vessel drifts out off position.

VRS/VRU/MRU 2

Some position reference systems uses pitch and roll measurements directly. If such a sensor fails, the position reference system will get more noisy, and the DP-system will normally reject it. If a VRS difference, VRS rejected or VRS failure message is displayed, always check the performance of the position reference systems thoroughly and make the necessary changes.

If you have three sensors installed, make sure that all three are enabled.

Wind Sensors

Wind sensors are installed in different locations onboard and will therefore often register read differently. More than one wind sensor enabled will often lead to a lot of unnecessary wind difference messages.

Normal practice is to enable only one wind sensor at the time.

Windsensor problems - 1

Windsensor problems - 2

W ID N WN IDS N O S R E ES XE PD O
W ID N

VE L D EL L S HA S UN SR CE US T PT U ER R U IW A N DD I SO N HW

SCE TT RU UR

F EW O ON RF D C I EG E XE D AR GA T AIDS TNN W SO ER PO L R A M T F W N ES IDS X E N OP D S RO E TU R FN OL C W F F E ID L OO

VE LO EL E SI E S N F PO L R A M T F EY TU V GCE E U AS RS S VE D EL R S T IE SO V TA L O O DT M W AR R F P A OE G NS A DE D L HI N

VE EL S S ER XS CIN U O

Windsensor problems - 3

DD F H P O A OL T WTM O N R RE E F I CR R BSC O L MU T A A S OD Y E RE A WNTPA I S R US N S OT E D OI E N L F H A T DB G IH EUSL G U ST IN VS L HE IS AI T PA Y H C IT E AL DPI B

Windsensor problems - 4

Other Sensors

Other Sensors
If there are redundancy of other sensors, select all. If a difference, rejected or failure messages is given, make sure that this sensor is not used by the DP-system.

Input Voting

First line voting.

Three enabled sensor show different values. Gyro 1 050 Gyro 2 051 Gyro 3 049

050

The computer will select and use the median value.

Why and when to use Voting?

Voting of input signals is a great help for the operator. When two sensors are used, the computer can only report difference between them and the operator have to decide which one to use. When three sensors are used and one of them are showing a different value from the two others, the failing sensor will automatically be voted out, i.e. rejected by the computer. Whenever three sensors are available, they should all be enabled if they are likely to give the same reading. Voting is most useful for sensors where the operator will have problems deciding which one is correct.

TMR (Triple Modular Redundant) Input Voting

First line voting.

Each computer select the median value.

A-computer 052 049 051

B-computer 049 050 051

C-computer 050 048 049

051 050 049

Second line voting.

The three computers report their selected value to the others, and all three computers vote again by selecting the median value.