TechnipFMC vessel Deep Star has been granted DNV’s first class notation for Data Driven Verification (DDV) of Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems, allowing testing of the DP system to be performed on board without the need for a surveyor to physically attend.
Dynamic Positioning systems are used by offshore vessels for accurate manoeuvring, for maintaining a fixed position or for track keeping. These systems require classification which is normally performed via onboard inspections where the surveyor witnesses tests of the DP system and collects the relevant data for assessment by the classification society.
With the new DDV class notation a digital system can be employed to enable the crew to run the test activities and automatically harvest data on the vessel’s behaviour, which can then be verified by the surveyor using a digital playback application. TechnipFMC is looking to scale this approach to its entire fleet in the coming months.
“We are proud to be the first company in the world to have been awarded the DDV Class notation for Dynamic Positioning systems,” said David Jousset, Vice President OneFleet at TechnipFMC.
“With this notation, the TechnipFMC vessel Deep Star can perform annual DP trials remotely with increased flexibility in planning, improved consistency, and increased transparent data sharing. This is a significant step in leveraging new capabilities in the digital space and bringing added value to our clients through greater efficiency and improved fleet utilisation.”
The DDV class notation sets the requirements for the gathering, treatment, and delivery of the collected data to ensure its quality for use in a class assessment.
The notation sets out processes for tamper-free data harvesting to be performed by the crew without surveyors being present onboard, creating an accurate and detailed documentation of test activities that can be revisited for as long as the data is stored. Several different verification methods are covered, including self-verifying systems and digital twins.
Kongsberg Maritime’s Dynamic Positioning Digital Survey (DPDS) technology has also been awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) under DNV’s DDV notation and was the software system used in the data driven verification process for the equipment tested on board Deep Star.
