NI DP Knowledge for Technical Staff – Part A

This course has been developed to help meet the continuing professional development needs for technical staff engaged in operations aboard vessels with dynamic positioning equipment.

The Course duration: 4 days
Course assessment: Nautical Institute online and practice test on simulator.

This standard comprises the following:

(1) Part A Course, which provides training to help meet the continuing professional development needs for technical staff engaged in operations aboard vessels with dynamic positioning equipment.
(2)Part B course which provides training on vessel/manufacturer specific equipment.

Training Centres may run courses which meet the requirements of Part A only, or Parts A and B as set out in this standard. DP technical staff should take either Part A or Parts A and B, according to their identified training needs. Training Centres should facilitate the training of those who only wish to complete Part A.

This course has been developed to help meet the continuing professional development needs for technical staff engaged in operations aboard vessels with dynamic positioning equipment.

Training on vessel-specific equipment is necessary if the equipment is sufficiently unique that training on similar equipment does not provide an adequate level of skill, knowledge and ability. A good understanding of the DPO’s responsibilities by technical DP personnel and on board familiarization with the DPO’s task in controlling specific DP operations will aid quick and appropriate response to problems associated with any equipment that affects DP. Effective training should enable key DP technical personnel to respond quickly and appropriately to equipment failures and faults that may result in DP incidents, identify when the vessel should be removed outside 500 meters and to effectively recover the vessel to a safe DP equipment state .
Many courses run by manufacturers only cover their equipment and not the interaction of the whole DP system. This course can be run on a standalone basis for all technical staff and for any DPO. It is recommended that a type specific course states that it only covers the manufacturer’s equipment. This course will suit all technical staff and help refresh the DP knowledge of technical staff that have not worked on a DP vessel due to the industry down turn.
Training centres or organizations which have developed a training programmed that is compliant with these requirements may submit an application for Recognition by The Nautical Institute (the NI) for the course. When the organization and course is Recognized it will be authorized to issue certificates bearing the logo of the NI and to promote their course as being compliant with the standard of the NI.

The course has been designed to:
Help ensure Safe Engine Room DP operations via training and assessment
Provide a foundation for ongoing on-board competency assessment as per IMCA M117, IMCA 002 and IMCA 007
Compliance with the intent of STCW Section B-V/f* that electro-technical and engineer officers may require additional training.

General Course Content and Competencies

The general course content and competencies comprises of the following outline:

General Overview of DP
The Power System
The Thruster System
Control Systems and Sensors
Documentation
DP Operation and effects on DP system
Lessons Learned

See Annex 1 for more detail.

Simulator Equipment Required

Simulator equipment required to run the standalone course:
The minimum simulator requirement is an NI Class B simulator in an accredited NI Training Centre.
Course contents shall have an assortment of photos of real equipment and DP installations. Photos must cover all parts of DP System:
Controller
I/O units
Opt isolators
Switchboard
UPS
Different makes of equipment
Photos should preferably be supplemented with a real hardware and associated equipment.

Simulator exercises

Demonstrate a problem of command signal
Demonstrate a problem with the feedback signal
Demonstrate a thruster failing to full thrust
Demonstrate a reject problem with Gyro and wind sensor
Demonstrate a slow spread of position reference system, then deselect one position reference system to show how a vessel can have a drive off with all equipment working correctly.

Demonstrate a slow spread of position reference sensors until one position reference system is rejected by median test
Demonstrate the high loads caused if the set point speed is set too high.
Demonstrate the high load caused when changing heading when centre of rotation is set away from the centre of the vessel
Demonstrate having the bow into high wind and current, then turn the vessel 90 degrees and show high load and loss of position
Demonstrate if the DP is unstable
Demonstrate if a NEMA string of data is being received by the DP controller and information contained
Monitor input serial strings into the DP system if the string is simulated’ or use computer program to generate serial string.

Participants should be an Engineer Officer / ETO or shore based Technical Staff.
Participants should have a knowledge of their employers’ company procedures and vessel safety management system (SMS), particularly relating to DP operations.
The course may also be useful to Deck Officers and Masters who require a greater technical understanding of the operation of DP equipment.
Number of Hours / Course Duration and Setup

Part A

Part A shall be a minimum duration of four days with a minimum of 28 hours instruction, simulator time and assessments.
Part A is generic training and may be delivered by any training centre approved to do so by the NI.
The required course content for Part A is shown in an outline below and in more detail in Annex 1.

Part B

Part B shall be of a duration determined by the manufacturers.
Part B is system specific training and may only be delivered by manufacturers or their approved representatives. The NI will only approve training centres for delivery of Part B training where evidence of manufacturer approval is submitted.
The required course content for Part B is shown in Annex 2.
Participants will be awarded Certificate of Training on successful completion of Part A and/or Part B of the course.
The course can be run as a combined DP Knowledge for Technical staff and a type specific course over five days. If the course is conducted as a combined course then two certificates may be issued or a single certificate affirming Part A and Part B have been completed..
100% attendance and participation in the course is required.

A online assessment using multiple-choice questions will be completed by each student at the end of the course. The NI will administer an online assessment. Participants successfully completing the assessment will be issued with a course certificate.

The following are to be part of a practice exam on the Class “B” simulator. Using the DP system display:

Identify a thruster pitch feedback / rpm error

Identify a thruster command error

Identify a position reference system fault, failure or degradation.

Identify a sensor fault or failure.

Identify a power plant configuration where the redundancy concept could be defeated.

Identify a scenario where the vessel is being operated beyond its redundant limits so the WCFDI is defeated.

Identify an alternative thruster or power configuration (thruster or generator not available) and determine whether or not the redundancy concept is intact or defeated. Can operations be conducted?

Describe actions with reference to ASOG/CAMO/TAM in response to an equipment status change

The course will be theory and NI “B” class simulator based and will give the participant an overview of DP operation and the effects of system and component failures. On completion of this course participants will understand the general arrangements for DP systems and the principles of operation of the equipment. Participants will gain an understanding of the importance of the interaction between the system components and the modes of operation.

The elements of maintenance and operation of a DP system will be covered by the following sections.
• Power System
• Thruster System
• DP Control System
• Documentation
• Manning and Training
• DP Support
• Safety
• Essential Non-DP Systems
• Future Trends including automation and Integrated Bridge Management Systems
• Simulator Exercises

The course is set up to allow developing some of the course contents into computer-based training. The student-to-instructor ratio will be a maximum of eight students to one instructor in order to ensure proper learning.
However a case may be made for up to 12 students depending on the equipment available and extra support staff.

This unit requires the ability to read and interpret typical product specifications, job sheets, procedures, material labels and safety information as provided to operators. Writing is required to the level of completing workplace forms. The course is delivered in English.

The Part A course shall be conducted by an NI DP instructor (Induction and Simulator Course). The instructor should have completed a manufacturers Type Specific equipment training course within the last 5 years.
The course may be delivered by one or two instructors.
The course shall have ETO, Chief Engineer or DP Service Engineer support training for a minimum of one day of the four days. If the NI Instructor is an Engineer, then extra support is not required
Course Notes and Resources

The notes and backup information will be a major part of this course, and will be supplied to each participant on a USB drive/ DVD.
All course PowerPoints will be in pdf form or there will be online access to training notes.

Each student is to be supplied with a copy of “NI DP Operator Handbook” and have access to other learning resources identified in Annex 1 Section 5 – Resources.

Course aims
To give the student the following:
• Understanding of the theoretical and practical operation of DP systems;
• Technical understanding of the component parts of the DP and associated systems;
• An understanding of the limitations of equipment and the effects of equipment failures;
• An understanding of the limitations and the effects of incorrect operation of the systems;
• An understanding of work which can safely be undertaken with and without the help of equipment manufacturers, and more importantly, when to stop before affecting the vessels capability to perform DP operations or redundancy;

• The ability to fault find the DP system and its components;
• Familiarization with FMEAs and the philosophy of system redundancy;
• An improved ability to operate the Engine Room and DP equipment in a safe and competent manner
• This course covers DP knowledge and can be combined with a Type Specific equipment training.

5 days.

Day 1 – 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 2 – 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 3 – 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 4 – 8:30am to 4:30pm