Offshore vessels functional automation

Extensive experience in dredging and mining automation ...

The dredging and offshore oil and gas industries have the use of highly equipped and sophisticated working vessels, operated by well-trained crew, in common.

In recent years, the dredging industry experienced the integration of automated on-board systems into a comprehensive philosophy. This is from the perspective of these vessels being socio-technical systems, involving personnel, technology, organisational structures and an external environment. Consequently, a change in any one of these four ‘subsystems’ requires appropriate changes to the others.

This philosophy resulted in the one-man operated bridge, at which a single navigator can perform all dredge operations. This lowers the operational costs and risks involved with miscommunication, while maintaining high safety standards.

... for the benefit of offshore gas and oil operations

Based on a comparative analysis of the operations on board trailing suction hopper dredgers and a typical offshore vessel, IHC Merwede specialists presented this socio-technical perspective as a challenge and opportunity for the operation of offshore working vessels during the 2011 OMAE conference in Rotterdam. See also references [2]

IHC D&A was convinced by the reaction of the audience to pursue this train of thought. Customers may expect functional automation on offshore vessels based on this perspective. Artificial Intelligence and model-based control are indispensable parts of this strategy.

During the building process, IHC D&A may strongly advise to arrange functionalities on skids. This principle will considerably save cabling, building, testing time and therefore cost. In addition, it prevents problems from occurring during commissioning, basin trials, sea trials and the operating life of the vessel from day one.

IHC Merwede supporter class modular offshore support vessel

IHC D&A is contributing fully to the system design, from the concept stage to the optimal performance at sea of the IHC Merwede supporter class modular offshore support vessel, which can be supplied in several cost-effective operational versions.

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