Hyundai Heavy Industries and Fred. Olsen Energy are implementing DNV’s ISDS class notation for integrated software dependent systems on the semisub newbuilding Bollsta Dolphin. Key stakeholders discuss expectations and challenges.
The ISDS notation establishes a methodology that aims to minimize software integration errors and delays in projects that involve integrating software dependent systems. The notation includes the development of quality assurance processes that will last throughout the semisub’s operational lifetime.
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is Korea’s largest yard and DNV is providing the full ISDS package including training for yard personnel with the expectation that it will be adopted for future projects. Cho is positive about the potential benefits. “We expect a clearer interface between systems and fewer problems during commissioning.”
All the parties—owner, yard, suppliers and DNV—will have to work very closely as a team for successful implementation, he says. He believes change will be progressive.
“We are aware that the current edition of the Offshore Standard for ISDS has been a bit academic and not very well structured,” says Knut Ording, the Head of Section for Systems and Software Reliability in DNV and responsible for DNV’s ISDS classification services. “In order to improve this, the OS-D203 have been revised this year based on inputs from owners, yards and suppliers, with the aim of offering a clearer scope and improved ease of use. The revised standard was launched this December.”
So far, Cho has found DNV to be very supportive, and Einar Tyssen, technical director for Fred. Olsen Energy agrees. “They appear very proactive and dedicated to make the project a success,” says Tyssen. “Being involved in various other projects without ISDS, I have been very positive from the offset. Even though the project is in the early phases our main goal was to define a scope for the project so that the constraints could be fulfilled and we could establish better planning for each system, which to now has not been the case.”
This will be the second project that Dolphin Drilling, the drilling contracting business of Fred. Olsen Energy, has had with HHI. “ISDS for the Bollsta Dolphin has provided so far, a very good relationship between all parties, Dolphin, HHI and DNV. HHI has appeared to be more proactive than the first project (Bolette Dolphin) and appear to be committed in learning and developing ISDS for the systems that they are providing and integrating for the Bollsta Dolphin.”
By combining the quality assurance efforts towards all key vendors and by doing extensive hardware in the loop testing upfront of factory acceptance tests, Tyssen aims to reduce the need for rectifications during commissioning and testing significantly. “We expect the critical systems to be operational systems from day 1 after delivery and to have a reduced risk for hidden failures and thereby a reduced risk for failures on safety critical systems while in operation,” he says.
Tyssen wants to treat changes in the software system in the same structured manner as they handle changes on other critical components on the rig. “For me, ISDS is about planning things right and facilitating structured collaboration between all the key vendors including the yard to ensure that when all the systems are installed its just plug and play. Our experience from the pilot we ran on Borgland Dolphin is that we significantly reduced the commissioning time after installation on board.”
DNV applies methodologies that have proven effective in the aerospace, telecommunications, defence and automotive industries. Their experience with ISDS from previous projects with Seadrill, Odfjell, Total, and Statoil indicates that applying the ISDS class notation can easily save US$6-20 million, by addressing potential problems early in a project and thereby avoiding the delays caused by the need to re-work software.
As DNV’s experience grows, so do examples of ISDS success, says David Card, senior principal specialist, Ships and Offshore Electrical at DNV. “Most suppliers have no structured way of making sure all software functionality has been verified,” says Card. This is corrected with the creation of verification strategies and traceability from requirements to verification procedures.
“In an earlier project we found that the yard had assumed the supplier was writing the functional design specifications for the mud system. The supplier assumed the yard was writing it. ISDS assessments identified that it was not being handled.” In another case, interface design activities required by ISDS detected that the interfaces for the rig data recorder were not being handled during design. Additionally, it was determined that some suppliers were proposing software solutions based on Windows XP, no longer supported by Microsoft.
Fred. Olsen Energy has an option for more rigs from HHI and DNV hopes that the Bollsta Dolphin project will see a strategic shift by both companies towards ISDS. OE
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