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DYNAMIC POSITIONING CONFERENCE

October 12-13, 2010

OPERATIONS
RADASCAN APPLIED TO VESSEL UNDERWAY REPLENISHMENT AT
SEA DP OPERATIONS
Dr. Dominic Pearce

Guidance Navigation Ltd (Leicester, UK)

Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

Abstract
The accurate control of two vessels at sea whilst personnel and materials are transferred from one to the
other is emerging as an important DP operation in both military and civilian circles. This paper firstly
introduces the RadaScan system, explaining how X-band FMCW radar technology has been combined
with the use of transponders for the very accurate measurement of range and bearing to two or more
locations. This includes details of the latest development to the RadaScan product, Mini RadaScan, a
miniaturized version of the original RadaScan sensor which provides extended market access to
microwave technology. By combining sensor measurements into a position and heading solution that is
then supplied to the dynamic positioning system for vessel manoeuvring control, this unique radar sensor
allows one vessel to track and follow the other vessel at close quarters and in heavy sea states whilst the
transfer operations are conducted. A real life example is described, presenting data showing a successful
track and follow replenishment at sea operation involving an OSV and a US Coastguard vessel for
straight line and turning manoeuvres.

Introduction
Dynamic positioning (DP) systems for large industrial vessel control have been in use for many years,
predominantly in the oil and gas industry where applications require vessels to station keep against fixed
or moving installations, or track and follow each other in functions like sea floor pipe or cable laying.
Such operations require very accurate local reference measurements to be supplied to the DP system.
Global reference systems such as GPS are not well suited for these types of demanding application. Until
recently, the only available sensors were laser systems, or alternatively sea floor based acoustic or taut
wire systems. For the track and follow application, the only real choice was a laser reference. The weather
susceptibility of laser systems meant that these operations could only be carried out in fine sea conditions,
leading to down time in the more severe working areas of the world. Recently however, a microwave
based reference system has been developed which has the equivalent accuracy of the laser reference as
well as the ability to work in all weather conditions and of the more unusual man made conditions for
example in dust or steam filled atmospheres.

RadaScan System Description

A.
Overview
The RadaScan system represents a next generation in local reference sensor technology. It has been
specifically designed to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional local position reference
systems.

Figure 1b Mini RadaScan

Antenna

Figure 1a: RadaScan

Antenna
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October 12-13, 2010

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Being a microwave radar sensor, it is insensitive to the harsh environmental conditions often experienced
in an offshore environment, being largely unaffected by heavy rain, fog, or other prevailing sea
conditions. RadaScan is a compact ship mounted swept microwave radar system which can interrogate
radar retro-reflective transponders [1].The sensor is capable of finding and predictively tracking [2]
transponders out to 750m and beyond. The sensors in the RadaScan product family are shown in Figures
1a&b and are frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) [3] radars operating over a 100MHz
bandwidth within the maritime radiolocation band centered at 9.25GHz. Two transponder options are
available to be used with the system, either a miniature portable amplified transponder or an ATEX/UL
approved totally passive version, requiring a battery to drive only the modulation electronics that impart a
unique code on the reflected radar return, with no implicit amplification of the microwave signal. This
second variant is approved for use in explosive atmospheres.

B.

Principle of Operation

RadaScan is a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar. In this type of radar you have a
continuous signal being transmitted. The signal is however continually ramping in frequency (hence
frequency modulated, see Figure 2). In this way we can deduce the time (and hence range) between the
signal thats being received and the signal thats being transmitted, by looking at the difference in
frequency.

Figure 2: RadaScan FMCW Radar Output and Return Signals

We mix the outgoing and incoming signals together and the heterodyne/superposition effect produces a
signal with a beat frequency which itself is equal to the difference between the two frequencies, and
proportional to the range to the transponder.

C.

Retro-Reflective Transponders

The transponder has been uniquely developed in conjunction with the radar sensor to ensure that the
system as a whole is easy to use and setup. The transponders are true retro-reflectors based on the VanAtta array principle [1], i.e., a signal received at the transponder is reflected back to its point of origin. At
the same time, the transponder flips the polarization of the reflection by 90 degrees whilst imparting an
identifying modulation code. Two different modulation schemes are in use at the moment. Both methods
have advantages and disadvantages for different application settings. This id code is used by the radar
processing system to not only identify the transponder, but to reject the background clutter normally
encountered by any marine radar system, by coherent detection of the id. Such detection means the radar
can effectively ignore the clutter from the sea surface, and the signature of the large installation or vessel
where the transponder is placed, as well as clutter from other sources, such as other vessels. There are still
significant challenges with multi-path, but as long as some basic principles are adhered to with regards to
transponder location, these can usually be negated. The transponders have a very wide viewing or
acceptance angle.

Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

Figure 3: RadaScan Portable & Fixed Transponders

D.

Measurement Accuracy

Dynamic positioning relies on high quality measurements and repeatability from its sensors. RadaScan is
therefore faced with the challenge of supplying data which is comparable in accuracy with a measurement
laser system. For station keeping duties, a typical DP system expects standard deviation of resolved and
motion corrected positions measured by a sensor to be within 3 feet. A sensor is generally automatically
discounted from consideration by the DP system if the standard deviation strays beyond 9 feet even in
very rough sea conditions. It is quite a challenge to achieve these accuracies with an X-band radar system.
The processing flow has been specifically designed to maximize this measurement accuracy. Figure 4
shows a position plot for static measurement of a transponder at 180m (~590 feet) from the sensor.

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October 12-13, 2010

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Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

Figure 4: RadaScan transponder position plot at 180m (590feet)

For static measurements the system can resolve position from combined range and bearing measurements
with standard deviation of a few inches.

Replenishment At Sea (RAS)

The process of replenishing one vessel from another at sea is generally carried out whilst both vessels are
in transit alongside each other. This is achieved by one vessel maintaining a course whilst the other vessel
tracks its position velocity and heading under computer control. It is however also possible to maintain
this mode whilst maneuvering through turns. A crane or other loading equipment is then used to offload
from one vessel to the other. This mode of operation can only be done by using a local position reference
sensor. RadaScan has been used for this application using a multi-transponder approach shown in the
Figure 5. RadaScan provides the DP system with the position to a primary transponder T2, as well as
the heading of the other vessel calculated from the baseline defined between multiple transponders (T1 &
T2). The DP operator has the flexibility of aligning this heading to any reference desired (such as the
ships compass). Once tracking mode is activated, the DP system is now able to track velocity (V1) and
heading (H) of the other vessel, and maintain its absolute position relative to it, by controlling the vessels
engines and/or thrusters automatically. The accuracy with which the heading and position of the other
vessel can be estimated is very much dependant on the inherent measurement accuracy of the RadaScan
system. The accuracy of the vessel track that can be maintained relative to the other vessel is influenced
by the prevailing sea conditions and the DP system.

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October 12-13, 2010

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Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

V1
= Transponder
= RadaScan

V2 = V1

T1

R1

H
R2

T2

Figure 5: RAS vessel configuration

Trials with the U.S. Coastguard

In February 2009 a trial of the RAS application was conducted with the following partners; Guidance
Navigation, U.S. Coastguard, Hornbeck Offshore and L3. The purpose of the trial was a demonstration of
the combined technologies and expertise of all parties to implement the RAS between two vessels; the
HOS Gemstone, a 300 offshore supply vessel (OSV) and the USCGC Mellon, a 378 high endurance
cutter (HEC). The RadaScan system and L3 DP system were both located on the HOS Gemstone, whilst
two RadaScan transponders were fixed to the handrails of the Mellon fore and aft, so that two units
formed a baseline aligned with the Mellons primary axis. During the trial, the Gemstone was under
computer control based solely on the position and heading information supplied by the RadaScan system.
An example timeline is shown in figures 6a) through c) where with the Mellon navigating a straight
course at 8 knots, the Gemstone under computer control is moved from a separation of 250 to 60 from
the Mellon. This separation is maintained for a few minutes while a crane operation is conducted, and the
Gemstone retires. In Figure 6(a), the data shows the gradual lateral approach of the two vessels as
measured by RadaScan. The final approach occurs at around 500 seconds, and DP lock is obtained
where the vessel separation of 60 is achieved between 700 & 800 seconds. During close in maneuvers
with both vessels aligned and in DP lock, RadaScan data in Figure 6(b) demonstrates that fore and aft
relative movements of the two vessels is no more than 2, prior to this, the fore and aft motion slowly
varies as the control system adjusts both lateral and fore / aft movement. Heading control inferred from
the transponder bearing measurements shown in Figure 6(c) is to within a degree during DP lock, and
shows a similar pattern on the approach path.

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October 12-13, 2010

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Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

Transponder 1
Transponder 2

Port/Starbd Offset (ft)

250

200

150

100

100

200

300

400

500
Time (s)

600

700

800

900

1000

Figure 6(a): RadaScan transponder port / starboard offset during a RAS

maneuver

Transponder 1
Transponder 2

150

Fore/Aft Offset (ft)

100

50

-50

-100
100

200

300

400

500
Time (s)

600

700

800

900

1000

Figure 6(b): RadaScan transponder fore/aft data during a RAS maneuver

50
40
30

Bearing (degrees)

20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
100

200

300

400

500
Time (s)

600

700

800

900

1000

Figure 6(c): RadaScan transponder bearing data during a RAS maneuver

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October 12-13, 2010

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Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

The hump at the end of Figures 6(b) & (c) are as the boats pull apart at the end of the RAS maneuver, and
then start back in again for a further approach.

Figure 7: HOS Gemstone and USCGC Mellon on approach

Figure 8: HOS Gemstone and USCGC Mellon wake trails during turn

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October 12-13, 2010

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Dominic Pearce

Operations

RadaScan Applied to Vessel UNREP

Figure 7 shows the two vessels as they approach each other preparing for crane operations, taken from a
fast rescue craft following the two vessels. In a second test, whilst at 150 station keeping separation at 8
knots, the Mellon pulled several turns, 30 degrees and 155 degrees. The Gemstone was able to
successfully track these turns given the position and heading data supplied by the RadaScan system.
Figure 8 shows the wake trails left by both vessels during one of these turns. It can clearly be seen that the
separation is accurately maintained throughout the maneuver.

CONCLUSION
The RAS application is undoubtedly one of the most demanding modern DP applications and the
RadaScan sensor has proven itself to be able to meet the challenges of using microwave technology to
measure changing range and bearing to known locations with laser equivalent accuracy. The sensor
resolves those range and bearings to positions and headings within the measurement accuracy required by
the DP system.

Acknowledgment
Guidance Navigation thanks Hornbeck Offshore and the US Coastguard for granting permission to use
the images presented in this paper.

References
[1]
[2]
[3]

Briggs, J.N. Target Detection by Marine Radar, IEE Radar, Sonar Navigation series 16.
Morrison M. Introduction to Sequential Smoothing & Prediction.
Skolnik, M.I. Introduction to Radar Systems, Third Edition.

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