Active Heave Compensated Drilling Platform
Concept design of an active heave-compensated drilling platform (AHCDP) for geotechnical seabed research on the Caspian Sea. The platform compensates ship movements in real-time, allowing precise drilling and cone penetration testing (CPT) operations under wave conditions.
Project Description
Kuijpers Technical Designs developed the concept design for an Active Heave Compensated Drilling Platform (AHCDP) intended for deployment in the northern Caspian Sea. The platform is mounted in the moonpool of a drilling ship and actively compensates for the ship's wave movements. This keeps the drilling rig stable relative to the seabed, even at wave heights up to 2 meters.
The platform accommodates a drilling rig with automatic pipe loader (50 pipes), a CPT sounding rig (Cone Penetration Testing), and a control panel. The system uses a Motion Reference Unit (MRU) and advanced control software for real-time heave compensation.
Design Requirements
- Wave height: maximum 2 meters, wave period 7 seconds
- Operating area: Northern Caspian Sea, ice conditions
- Water depth: minimum 20 meters
- Drilling depth: 300 meters (100 pipes × 3 meters)
- Heave compensation: vertical only (no roll & pitch compensation)
- Operational window: 5°+1° heel, 2°+0.5° trim, max. 1m wave height, 5 Bft wind
- Design according to DNV-RP-N201, DNV-RP-N202 and DNV-ST-0378
Concepts
Four different concepts were investigated for platform support and drive:
- Concept 1: Platform supported by 3 hydraulic cylinders (Ø120 mm, 2000 mm stroke, max. 140 bar, 250 kW)
- Concept 2: Platform supported by 3 hydraulic cylinders with 3 movable struts
- Concept 3: Platform supported by 4 hydraulic cylinders
- Concept 4: Platform supported by 3 columns mounted in moonpool, with chain drive, hydraulic cylinder or winch system
Platform Equipment
- Drilling rig with automatic pipe loader (50 pipes of 3 meters)
- Storage rack for 50 additional drilling pipes
- Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) sounding rig
- Control panel for drilling and CPT equipment
- Pipe manipulator and energy chain
- Work space for 2 operators
AHC Software
The Active Heave Compensation system operates with a Motion Reference Unit (MRU) that measures ship movements in real-time. Advanced algorithms (Fourier transform) predict the wave pattern and calculate the required compensation movement. The system applies peak load shaving to optimize energy consumption, with a maximum deviation of 7.5 cm from the desired trajectory.
Operational Data
- 80 work shifts per year
- One boring to 300 m depth takes approximately 12 hours
- Per boring approximately 6,200 vertical compensation movements
- Per year approximately 500,000 up-and-down movements
- Chain drive lifespan: 1,000 hours (500,000 movements)
3D CAD Renders
