Point-to-Point-Based Optimization Method of Ballast Water Allocation for Revolving Floating Cranes with Experimental Verification

Abstract

The Revolving Floating Crane (RFC) is a specialized engineering vessel crucial for offshore lifting operations, such as offshore platform construction and deep-water salvaging. It boasts impressive lifting capacity, good adaptability to various environmental conditions, and high operational efficiency. Conventionally, the safety and stability of RFC operations heavily depend on manual ballast water allocation, which is directly influenced by factors such as personnel status and sea conditions. These manual operations often result in reduced lifting efficiency, higher energy consumption, and compromised operational safety. In response, this paper introduces a ballast water-allocation approach based on the Point-to-Point (PTP) theory for the intelligent operation process of the RFC. The fundamental principles of the PTP theory are analyzed, and a method tailored to optimize ballast water allocation for RFC is proposed. Considering the unique characteristics of the ballast system and the specific requirements of lifting operations, an optimization model for PTP-based ballast water allocation is established. Numerical experiments are conducted to verify the efficacy and reliability of the proposed method. Comparing it to the conventional approaches, the results demonstrate a notable 17.75% reduction in energy consumption and an impressive 73.49% decrease in decision-making time, showcasing the superiority of the proposed approach. Finally, the engineering feasibility of the PTP-based optimization method for ballast water allocation is validated through actual lifting experiments, underscoring its potential to enhance RFC operations.