Adaptive Disturbance Rejection for the Rapidly Deployable Stable Platform when Transferring Cargo in Seas

In this paper, we will consider an adaptive output feedback control law with direct adaptive disturbance rejection for the Rapidly Deployable Stable Platform (RDSP). The RDSP is a combined spar and catamaran where the spar lifts the catamaran completely out of the water when transferring cargo, creating a much more stable platform than traditional craneships. This vessel is under development for potential sea cargo transfer applications. The controller, developed to minimize the pitch of the platform when transferring cargo at sea, requires only pitch measurements in near real time. The results in this paper show that the adaptive control and disturbance rejection technique can effectively reduce roll in seas when cargo is being lifted or when waves are producing the primary external forces on the vessel.