Thursday, February 28, 2013

Pos Marine Vessels – An efficient leap in integrating survey systems.


POS MV is a GPS Aided Inertial Navigation System. POS MV blends GPS data, together with angular rate and acceleration data from an IMU, and heading from GAMS to produce a robust and accurate position and orientation solution.

With single control unit for two DGPS antennas and one IMU, it makes the survey spread reasonably compact and easy to mobilise, it has five input /out put serial ports with NMEA Binary and other options. One USB connection, UDP Ethernet port 5602 with receiver slot no. on QINSy 102 and 103 and one BNC connector for PPS. It is designed to be a complete integrated solution for measurement of position (latitude, longitude and altitude), orientation (roll, pitch, and heading), heave, velocities and performance metrics.

 

To find out the Pos MV IP address, connect serial cable to Com 4 and check on HyperTerminal with 9600 bauds.

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is a combination of orthogonal triads of accelerometers and gyroscopes (“gyros”). It being a strap down is easy to install.

 

IMU is also employed for Inertial Navigation, to compute a position from its measurement rather than using it just as a motion compensation unit. With a known Position is given to the IMU, it will be able to integrate acceleration and angular rate to determine its displacement and calculate a new position. Thus allows working in poor GPS environments.

 
 
 


For navigation POS MV has provision for two Auxiliary GPS inputs used to input a corrected position and two Base inputs used to input corrections.

 
POSMV combines the best of both - GPS and Inertial systems. The IMU and GPS work together so that even if GPS drops out the system can still provide a robust solution.
 

POS MV 320 uses Inertially aided RTK technology. The system provides position, heading, altitude and heave data using inertial / GPS technology. Its high update rate is specifically useful for Multibeam systems enabling adherence to IHO standards on sonar width of greater than ± 75 degrees under all dynamic conditions.
 

GAMS (Gps Azimuth Measurement System) calibration relies on the vessel making a series of dynamic maneuvers, making the IMU heading data as accurate as possible. The GAMS calibration is easy with only the offsets and liver arms to be correctly measured and entered in the software followed by rotational movements in the figure of eight preceded by a straight line.Once this has been achieved the system self calibrates and calculate a separation and XYZ offset. Multiple calibrations are to be conducted and results post processed to check for uniformity.

 
GAMS computes a carrier differential GPS position solution of an Antenna B with respect to an Antenna A and thereby computes the heading of the A B antenna vector baseline vector. It uses roll, pitch and heading from the S/D navigator to aid in the resolving of phase ambiguities and to check the validity of the GAMS solution. GAMS being self-calibrating; the user can place the antennas anywhere on the vessel. GAMS will measure antenna baseline with respect to IMU axes with no need to survey in components. GAMS Provides heading aiding to the IMU data.
 

IMU will drift over time when sailing in a straight line, IE running a survey line…

 
GAMS Aiding help the system produce a reliable heading solution when long straight lines are run the system looks at differences in the carrier phase signal to determine heading from the dual antenna system. It only need to know the relationship between the two antennas to do this well.
 

One of the few limitations is that at certain locations good satellite coverage is unavailable so the position accuracy may be beyond acceptable limit for some time.

 
Another limitation is that the differential is not Real time unless you have a Reference station setup for RTCM input. It takes up to three days to visualise the final processed data in the processing software POS Pac.  
 

POS Pac with reference to the recorded raw position observation log file finds the Base Stations, download, and import base station data which is publicly available on the internet. It also downloads precise and broadcast ephemeris files.

 
POS Pac scans imported base station files to ensure quality. Quality Check requires 18 hrs of continuous data and precise ephemeris files from three days (previous, present, and next).

It performs a network adjustment on the station coordinates, with one station selected as the control station. SmartBase QC will recommend action, but the user should still apply some “local knowledge”
 

GNSS and Inertial observables are simultaneously processed to create the Smoothed Best Estimate of Trajectory (SBET) solution. The Raw files  (.001) finally get to be processed (sbet_----.out).
 

POSPac MMS provides a PPP (Precise Point Positioning) solution. PPP is a robust and easy to use solution providing decimetric levels of accuracy no matter how far the shore or GNSS base station infrastructure.
 

IN-Fusion PPP provides increased solution robustness with radically simplified workflow

It also provides the capability to maintain PPP convergence should the number of satellites tracked drop temporarily.

 
POSPac MMS can estimate errors in lever arms applied in real time, this is often useful in validating both the surveyed values, and the interpretation of those values.

Finally observables from POS MV, public and dedicated GNSS base stations, as well as precise clock and ephemeris data are all used to produce the optimal result. The time budget is three days for the same.

In all it is a robust, easy to mobilize, calibrate and operate.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Poartable Desiel Generator - Trouble shooting tips!


Power generating equipment is a vital concern for boat surveys…. Some tips on portable marine generators…

Fiscar Panda 5000i silent marine Generator. With no noise it is a great system. Hope the same had been true with the Out board motors, Boat surveys would be a peaceful job. However the generator being unused for 8 weeks… won’t start!
Point to note…

Diesel engines should be run at least 60% to 75% of their maximum rated load. Short periods of low load running are permissible providing the set is brought up to full load, or close to full load on a regular basis. 

It's not really good for it to be run without load; it's like accelerating your car in neutral.

 
Diesel engines can suffer damage as a result of internal glazing and carbon buildup.

Internal glazing ( bore glazing or piling) and carbon buildup is due to prolonged periods of running at low speeds or low loads or when an engine is left idling as a 'standby' generating unit, ready to run up when needed. However eight weeks of idling is not a long time, for a new generator, to develop fault.
 
Trouble ( the narration…)

On start, the actuator moves to its position to let the fuel supply flow, after few seconds of preheating the pulley rotates, followed by some cranking noise, blows out grey (sometimes black) sooty exhaust and after a couple of jerks it stops. The starter is turning the motor, but fails to start.

Troubleshooting steps…

Step 1: Check the actuator moves to its position to let the fuel supply flow. Check the fuel actuator solenoid. If it gets built up with rust it may not want to release when the voltage is cut to it. This should have a rubber boot accompanied with spring center shaft that attaches to a governor control/fuel rail. If no actuation, check the connector for voltage, (directly off the harness).

Step 2: Check the battery … diesel engines require high power to start. A 12V starter battery is expected to dispense at least 12.6 V to kick it to start… While starting check the Voltage, it may drop up to 11V, if it goes lesser… recharge or replace the battery.

Step 3: Make sure that your fuel tank is not dirty with trash and if not....second go to the fuel pump the way to know is that when you turn it to run (not start) and vibrates.

Step 4: fuel filter and its line. Filter must be in good neat if those give dirty looks, remember that of the two filters one is the water separator. 

Step 5: Take out the nut from the fuel intake solenoid and bleed the air. You will have to shut the engine off with the throttle lever or remove the +ve connection on the starter solenoid, The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) will shut off the pump after some time… repeat the procedure a few times till air is fully bled out; or best don’t start the generator, start the fuel pump by a direct battery +ve connection to it.


Step 6: Next take out the fuel cut-off solenoid and remove the plunger and spring and then re-install the solenoid. Then bleed all the air out and start the engine. If that works check for loose connections and low voltage to the fuel cut-off solenoid. You may have flow but do you have pressure, is your fuel pump blocked slightly (this may have to be timed if you have more than one cylinder).


Step 7: Loosen injector line from the combustion chamber… while cranking see if fuel coming from injectors. At the injector pipe where it connects to the injector the fuel should shoot out with force. Maybe you have a clogged injector, this would cause a sputtering or spitting sound as it misfires accompanied with black smoke (unburned diesel). If you have good flow all the way to the injector, well.

  
Step 8: Glow plugs are there to heat the air or the block in some cases before compression of said air to raise the temp. before the diesel is injected. Diesel fuel doesn't require heating before use unless it’s severely cold and the fuel has solidified (and that doesn't happen much especially with the additives they put in it now).

To initiate the combustion (if it’s not happening by the standard system) ...squirt a small amount of starting fluid into the air inlet (take the air filter off first). while cranking these diesels for extended periods, trying to start them, don't use starting fluid, use silicone spray lube, or wd 40 to give the upper end some lubrication, it also helps spin faster.

Step 9: Again on the checklist is electricity, but it won't govern itself. Often a generator has a governor control unit which may be electrical or mechanical.

If electrical check your wiring diagram first to ensure it’s connected properly and your connections are good you know corrosion or looseness. If yet not fixed, just save time and replace that component.

 If Mechanical, they usually run on oil pressure. If the oil is contaminated it may have clogged up the journals on this component. Removal is easy and an overnight stay in parts washing fluid should be enough. Installation is also easy don't worry it doesn't have to be timed.

The oil is getting blackish means fuel is mixing in the engine oil through the combustion chamber, in case the oil is getting whitish, it’s a water mixing in…

Under-loaded running inevitably causes white smoke from unburnt fuel and over time will be joined by blue smoke of burnt lubricating oil leaking past the damaged piston rings, and also black smoke caused by damaged injectors.

 Always check:

The water inlet liver has to be turned on before start & off after switch off. The water inlet is connected through a water filter and it has an adjacent water outlet.

Placing a primer in the fuel line for priming oil… is a good idea.

Usually portable generator is connected to Inverter for AC power; In case, you are getting AC… it may be the inverter. The inverter also supplies power input to the battery charger.

Some more Information:
 
Electronic Diesel Control is a diesel engine fuel injection control system for the precise metering and delivery of fuel into the combustion chamber of modern diesel engines.


An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into some kind of motion. It can be electrical, mechanical or software based. Actuators or solenoids convert the control unit's electrical output signal into mechanical control movement.
 

These topics are broad enough to merit new discussion…. so the next time. Hope you got some tips …& it was interesting too. Do comment!
 

 

 

 

Troubleshooting OBM (Out board motor).

Trouble with a brand new Yanmar Diesel D36 Out board Motor. (Just sharing the experience… may it be of reference to anyone sometime…)




Hi Folks, Installed a new Yanmar D36 OBM with Yamaha RC (Remote control) 703 box.




Fault 1: The RPM throttle liver mechanism on the Remote Control was inverse to the required so was replaced around from another RC box…. which had right alignment.




















It worked perfectly for a day, but the next morning won’t start. As is said “Failures are the stumbling blocks to success” Next began the troubleshooting stumbling from one fault to another…


 
The starter pinion was not engaging the flywheel. On the first gaze suspected misalignment… but on a closer look discovered the stator motor pinion raises only halfway to the fly wheel but not high enough to engage.
                                                                                          

Connected starter relay directly to the battery (bypassing Remote Control).  Now the pinion engaged the flywheel, but after cranking it still won’t start.

Fault 2: Likely the starter motor is drawing over current, causing low insulation on RC start cables.
Opened engine housing.

Fault 3: The stop liver flyweight inside the housing is struck midway stop and start position. Released it and the motor is running. Because of it occasionally getting struck, on operating the stop solenoid, instead of stopping the motor, the stop liver nut was loosened. Placed a spring washer.




Released the flyweight and it worked normal.



The stop liver flyweight struck again the next day.
Fault 4: Found one of the three injector tappet broken and lost with its bolt. It required replacement and realignment. In all probability when the rotating camsaft cam engaged the tappet due to misalignment it got the flyweight stuck.

Fault 5: The reverse gear mechanism in the OBM getting struck intermittently… only to be released by forward rotating the propeller.
Hope you found it educative and interesting. Cheers!


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