What is Dynamic Positioning?
Dynamic Positioning is the technique of maintaining the position of a vessel, barge or floating platform by means of thrust. A craft equipped with a D.P. system is independent of anchors or other conventional aids for remaining stationary in open water. Instead, it employs -in addition to apparatus for measuring its position with a high degree of accuracy- propellers capable of exerting thrust in controlled directions and a system for activating propellers to rectify deviations from a predetermined position. The underlying principle is not new of course. It has earlier counterparts in automatic pilots which maintain course as opposed to P9sition, and in the depth keeping systems of submarines.
