OBELICS JIP successfully achieves goals


OBELICS, the Joint Industry Project on Operability of Ballasting and lifting operations of Extreme Loads with Integrated hydro dynamiCS, was just rounded off after two years of intense cooperation. Ron Schoon & Eelco Frickel, r.schoon@marin.nl


Participants of the JIP comprised BigLift Shipping, Boskalis SMIT Engineering, Heerema Marine Contractors, Hydrographic and Marine Consultants, Jumbo Shipping, MARIN, Seaway Heavy Lifting, Scaldis, Statoil and Tree-C. The main objective of OBELICS was to de- velop and validate a new methodology for ballast and lift operations of extreme loads, incorporating all the relevant dynamics of this offshore operation.


MARIN has developed the lift and ballast technology as part of its time domain simu- lation eXtendable Modelling Framework (XMF). The developed ballasting and lifting models are incorporated in the existing Mermaid manoeuvring simulator technology and extended with general Graphical User Interfaces to operate and observe ballast systems, cranes and winches.


Scenarios for a float over operation, topside installation, buoy installation and the up- ending of a jacket were used as relevant reference cases for validation.


Workshop on Full Mission Bridge First, simulations of these scenarios were carried out on an engineering tool and the ballasting and lifting functionality was verified by several JIP participants. Here- after, the validation of the simulator was conducted together with the participants on MARIN’s Full Mission Bridge. For the three-day validation workshop the bridge


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was extended with separate positions for the required ballast, crane, winch operator or superintendent.


Multifunctional tool Now that the project is finished a unique combination of an engi- neering and operation simulator has become available. The operation simulator particularly, is a unique multifunctional tool that can be used for verification of the results of the engineering phase. This approach closes the gap between engineering and operations.


Furthermore, a contribution of the operators can be assessed individually or as a team for a specific offshore operation.


Results of the verification of the ballasting and lifting models and the discussions during the workshop will be included in a final report and used for future improvements. And because the JIP results are so promis- ing there are good grounds for a follow-up program and the introduction of a special OBELICS simulator.


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