The ALQUER BCRSS-3D™ Ballast Control&Rig Stability Simulator - 3D™ System | Port Side Mimic Control Panel | Three (03) LCD Graphics Screens Sections Schematics / Flow Diageram
The Board and Starboard Mimic Control Panels Flow Diagrams&Layout Exclusively Designed by Engr. Alexandre A. Albuquerque for ALQUER Copyright©1986-2023 – All Rights Reserved
A. INTRODUCTION TO THE ALQUER BCRSS-3D™ SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
ALQUER BCRSS-3D™ – Ballast Control and Rig Stability Simulator-3D , is a full computer based system and will provide students practical “hands on” training for the measurable results within the shortest period of time.
The simulation scenarios will faithfully reproduce the appearance, functions; on a PC screen, the control panels of a semi-submersible rig. A digital mooring control panel will allow student the operation of the anchor winch motors. Dynamic, real-time coordination of all internal and external forces effecting the rig, will give the correct responses in all directions – heel, trim, roll, pitch, heave, surge, sway, yaw, rotation – along with a constant update of the rig stability data analysis screen, as draft, displacement, KM, GM, GZ, BM, FS, Center of Gravity, and Center of Buoyancy. Internal forces considered include not only the ballast and consumable systems, but also the deck load and the mooring systems and changes in these systems that are both immediate, i.e., in real-time and occur every one second. This includes movements of the rig of location due to changing anchor tensions that result from operation of the winches or environment forces. Damage effects due to added weight or lost buoyancy can be observed.
In addition to internal factors, like wind and wave, current forces act upon the rig simultaneously giving real-time responses. The instructor to simulate fresh water, salt water can initialise seawater density, or even an aerated water effect, caused by a subsea blow-out.
Concurrent with any stability problems created by the factors mentioned above,the instructor has control over the mechanical integrity of the system itself. Failures at any point, single or multiple, immediate or sequential, will be realistic and demand the same process of detection and correction required for the on-board personnel.
The objective of providing practical realistic training will be met. Orientation of new personnel, illustration of stability principles, rehearsal of normal, abnormal and critical operations and emergency preparedness will be greatly enhanced.
Through the instructors’ workstation, there is access to the entire system at all times and status can be reviewed or set-up activities as desired. Through the use of 90 plus color graphic LCD displays, instructors and students will have field for observation of current system operating status. Instructors can save and replay exercise parameters if desired with the features of saving and restoring exercise parameters on the computer hard drives. This saves the instructor the time of reintroducing his training exercise data with each new student group. Any saved exercise can be interrupted at any time to introduce different faults or failures.
Training instructors will be developing specific exercises that can be saved and keep its restore functions. This will be able students analyse and review main problem specifics and evaluate that most clearly teach of the stability principles, as well as emergency procedures chosen as the major objective of the training classes.
By concentrating on the key areas of realism, the students training effectiveness, instructor flexibility, based on a digital platform, the design for the Alquer Ballast Control and Rig Stability Simulation with the 3D™ Computer Graphic Screen allows practical, economical, and productive training results, even on the field.
B. ALQUER BCRSS-3D™ SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
The Ballast Control and Rig Stability Simulator (BCRSS-3D) provide training on ballast control procedures and stability problems. The simulator uses schematic instrumentation and digital panels diagrams and closely duplicates actual ballast controls for semi-submersibles offshore drilling rigs.
The simulator is used for hands-on training exercises and emergency procedures for watch standees barge engineers and marine superintendents. Training can now be conducted that was too risky or costly on-the-job. Theoretical classroom ballast control training can be supplemented with actual exercises and stability problems, such as ballast tank damage, too much free surface, sudden shift cargo, negative GM, inoperative pumps, synchronous rolling and improper decisions at large angles of inclination.
Demonstrated ability, through hands-on training, will help prevent serious and costly rig disasters. Drilling time will increase as more qualified ballast personnel minimize rig downtime.
The components of the proposed simulator package system include the following:
- File Server
- Instructor’s Workstation
- Student’s Workstation
- Graphic Display Workstation
- Ballast control panels, and inclinometers for roll and pitch (semi-submersible data analysis on- screen)
- Mooring winch motor control panel (on-screen)
- OS/2 Warp Advanced Server - Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) emulated by MS Virtual PC (previously Connectix), over Windows 7 Pro 64 bits OS working on a network. Middle 2017, ARCA NOAE started offering full technical support to this remarkable Operation System. Arca Noae brings OS/2 into the 21st Century!
- Software package for a 4th Generation Semi-submersible, for specific training and modeling design based on a MODU - Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Platform
- Colour dynamic graphic displays for semi-submersible rig and chain lines
- Graphic User Interface Menu driven Software Packages for monitoring
All control panels and other components is shown on screens following the flow-diagram view present on board of the Semi ballast (split into 3 sections) and mooring controls panels systems transcribed are represented for use by computer mouse point device.
What follows is a description of each of the components of the simulator package and listing of the simulators training capabilities.
C. ALQUER BCRSS-3D™ SOFTWARE CAPABILITIES
Problem Conditions that can be caused by the Instructor:
1. Environment conditions (1-11)
2. Wind may be set for any speed or direction
3. Waves/Swell can be set at any height, direction, and period
4. Current at any speed and direction
5. Atmospheric pressure
6. Storm conditions – any combination of wind, waves, and current, up to, and beyond those of one hundred years storm
7. Conditions can be observed independently and in combination
8. The size of the wind plane of the rig in square feet may be changed
9. Sea water density at any level for salt water, fresh water, or aerated due to sub-sea blowouts
10. All the effects on the rig-roll, pitch, heave, surge, sway, yaw, drift off location, capsize
11. Rig heading from 0 to 360 degrees
12. Mechanical Problems (12-50)
13. Pump failures
14. Pump efficiency from zero (0) to 100%
15. Excess free surface in lower hull and deck tanks
16. Tank gauge and draft gauge failure
17. Power failure
18. Emergency generator system failure
19. Piping failure
20. Leak into any of the bilge’s at any rate in gallons/minute
21. Discharge valve failure
22. Suction valve failure
23. Sea chest valve failure
24. Tank valve failure
25. Overboard discharge valve failure
26. Failures can be set to occur immediately or at any time in the exercise
27. Failures can be set in any combination with as many at the same time as desired
28. Large angles of inclination
29. Differences in actual and calculated draft
30. Light bulb failure on switches Instructor Caused Problems (n/a)
31. Switch indicators in wrong position
32. Override of valves and switches
33. Control of opening, closing or failing all manuals values
34. Valves left in the wrong position
35. Failure in mooring lines
36. Anchors dragging
37. Inability to pre-load or pretension anchors
38. Damage and flooding of any underwater compartment including lower hulls, columns, braces or trusses
39. The rate of flooding into any compartment can be set
40. Exercises can be accelerated up to 10 times normal speed or slowed by 0.1
41. Inadequate stability margins
42. Transfer of weight – planned or unexpected
43. Unexplained inclination
44. Loading and unloading of the rig
45. Unexpected change in displacement
46. Required student to use manual procedures
47. Pump cavitation
48. Stuck drill pipe and vessel reaction when suddenly released
49. Down flooding of chain lockers
50. Riser tension can be changed
Problem Conditions Caused by Student / Watchstander:
1. Improper operation of the ballast system
2. Improper operation of consumable transfer system
3. Improper use of emergency systems
4. Failure to correctly interpret pump discharge pressure, suction pressure, and ampere gauges
5. Creating a large angle of inclination
6. Capsizing the rig
7. Does not use alternate procedures when required
8. Does not maintain stability margins during loading and unloading
9. Improper ballasting practices causes excess free surface
10. Failure to interpret inclinometer correctly
11. Does not recognize difference in calculated and actual draft
12. Does not stay within allowed KG
13. Failure to interpret tank gauges correctly
14. Does not recognize synchronous rolling conditions
15. Failure to keep the rig on location
16. Allows excess anchor tension causing line failure
17. Failure to keep vessel trim
18. Failure to respond to alarm correctly
19. Failure to efficiently ballast or deballast to another draft
20. Does not keep the rig within the drilling draft
21. Improper ballasting practices when going through the transition zone
22. Incorrect mooring pattern
23. Improper loading of rig causing inclination or stress
24. Failure to check KG margin due to loading or shifting weight when going from drilling to survival draft
25. Improper ballasting response during mooring operations such as when paying out chain to the anchor handling boat
26. Inability to decide when to use manual valves or cross-overs
27. Must transfer diesel oil from storage to day tank on deck
28. Improper use of sea water system for fire pumps and generator cooling system
29. Transferring diesel oil, sea water, or fresh water to mud pits
30. Improper response to drilling operations such as stuck pipe or dumping the mud pits
31. Inability to use free flow methods for ballasting
32. Incorrect decision about transfer of barite or cement
33. Inability to do proper stability calculation
Emergency Conditions:
1. Damage to any underwater compartment – hulls, columns or braces
2. Shifting deck loads
3. Power failure
4. Emergency generator failure
5. Storm conditions
6. Sub-sea blowouts
7. Sub-sea and surface tides and currents
8. Mooring system failures
9. Failure of ballast control panel
10. Transfer of a large weight unexpectedly
11. Insufficient working ballast available to correct a damage or flooding condition
12. Sea chest valves stuck in the open position
13. Exceeding KG margins
14. Synchronous rolling
15. Down flooding of anchor chain lockers
16. Alarm failures
D. MOORING SYSTEM CAPABILITIES
1. Use of anchor winches simultaneously for pre-tensioning and running anchors
2. Monitor anchor tension and line length for all eight lines at the same time
3. Ability to set or release dog or chain stopper winches
4. Pulling power of the winches can be changed
5. Any anchor weight can be set for any anchor type
6. Anchor holding power can be changed
7. Mooring line diameter can be changed
8. The breaking strength of the lines can be changed
9. Any anchor line azimuth for any anchor pattern
10. Anchor system interacts with a Honeywell type hole position indicator screen
11. Water depth can be changed
12. Horizontal distance of the anchors from the rig is shown
13. Length of the line suspended in catenary curve is displayed
14. Free wheeling of anchor winches during payout operations
15. Ability to choose the number of anchor lines to be used
16. Anchor line weight / foot can be changed