The complexity due to the narrow space in a vessel or the complicated outfitting system of an offshore plant structure causes considerable ambiguities in the installation work. In this paper, an algorithm to determine the installation order for the geometric location of the piping structure is introduced. Final installation sequence is reconfigured using virtual reality technology and simulated to enhance the understanding of the whole installation process for workers. For 3D models, the JT format is selected because of its popularity in shipbuilding industry and simplicity in its structure.
The design complexity has increased as the composition of offshore structures and ships has diversified and expanded. If scheduling process is not properly established, however, the worker should carry out the installation work according to his or her individual criteria or judgment. The disassembling and reworking works due to the incorrect installation frequently occur and as a result the whole process is delayed. (Kim et al., 2015). One way to solve this problem is to figure out the geometric relations among the elements of piping structure and apply those relations to installation process.
Currently, the Korean shipbuilding industry considers a lightweight, three-dimensional data format for the purpose of efficient visualization. The reason for taking advantage of lightweight format is to minimize the data complexity due to the huge size of ships, plants, and structures which are normally made up of millions of parts or elements. The original CAD format is so huge that it is difficult to easily visualize the whole geometric shape (Mun et al., 2011). The lightweight model has advantages in visibility as well as collaboration and long-term storage. In this paper, we adopt the JT (Jupiter Tessellation) as a lightweight format to efficiently identify the geometrical relationship between individual parts of a model.
The purpose of this work is to identify the geometric relationship of the piping structure that occupies a large part of the outfitting, based on its installation sequence. In consideration of the scalability, installation simulation is carried out using the results of geometrical interference test. Installation scenarios are prepared based on how efficiently pipe installation process will be delivered to the operator. The applicability of VR is also examined by visualizing the installation process in an immersible virtual environment.
