ARC 3001 MK2 Operation

ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

ARC

3001MK2

AARRCC 33000011 MMKK22 OOPPEERRAATTIIOONN SSUUMMMMAARRYY

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To start the ARC-3001 MK2 it is first necessary to press and hold the
(I)+TEST button until an audible beep is heard (approximately one second).
The unit will first go into a test mode, which lasts approximately twenty
seconds. After the test program has been completed it will automatically switch
to the center position.

Note

When the power unit controls are set to auto the initialization of the ARC-3001 will
automatically start the power unit. After starting the ARC-3001, verification that the
power unit is running should be made.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

0Caution:

When the vessel is underway or maneuvering, the system should be active. In the case
of maneuvering, the system should be in center. If it is not possible to activate the
system, then the manual centering system should be engaged. Under no circumstances
should the system be left inactive or with the manual centering system disengaged when
the vessel is underway or maneuvering.

Active operation of the Quantum Controls ARC-3001 MK2 stabilizer system
can be divided into four parts:

1. The Automatic Mode (Underway)

2. The Manual Mode (Underway)

3. Zero-Speed Standard Mode

4. Zero-Speed Modulated Mode

1. Automatic Mode (Underway)

After the system startup has been completed it is possible to select the desired mode
of operation. If the Auto mode is selected there is no further adjustment required.
For most
constantly update the operating parameters for best results.

sea conditions the Auto mode should be the first choice, as it will

2. Manual Mode (Underway)

In severe or unpredictable sea conditions it may be desirable to utilize the
manual mode. A typical example of this is given below:

In severe stern or following seas the Auto mode will try to reduce the roll.
However, it is hesitant to use the full fin travel all the time as this could result
in cavitation around the fins, with the attendant noise problems. In such a case
one could decide that some cavitation noise is a small price to pay for reduced
rolling. It has also been found that in very light or flat sea conditions the use of
manual mode can be advantageous as it allows the operator to reduce the
system gain and soften the ride of the vessel. The manual mode also allows the
adjustment of the natural list control. In certain conditions it may be desirable
to reduce or increase the amount of natural list correction.

After pressing the Manual button, three of the rotary controls will be available
for trimming the system for best performance. The LED next to the active
control will light up.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

Lower Left: (NATURAL) LIST CONTROL

Every vessel from time to time will encounter a natural
list due to such factors as wind heal or loading
conditions. The system can automatically correct this
by means of placing the fins at an offset angle from
their neutral plane, thus inducing a constant lift force
to maintain the correct attitude.

It is important to understand that offsetting the fins will add extra resistance
through the water. For long passages it is better to leave this control in the low
position. If required, make the necessary list corrections through ballasting. By
increasing this control (rotating clockwise) the fin offset for a given list angle is
increased.

Upper Left: FIN ANGLE DEFLECTION

The amount of fin deflection against the signal given
from the roll sensor is a variable. With this control it is
possible to increase or decrease the overall sensitivity
of the system. At low speeds the fins need to move
through larger angles than would be required at high
speed to correct the roll motion. If the setting is too
high, the vessel may feel stiff or under certain

circumstances the control will appear to over-correct.
As most Zero-Speed systems have overly large fins to accommodate the
requirements necessary to stabilize the vessel at anchor, adjustment of this
control can be important to optimize the ride and feel of the vessel. It may also
be desirable to reduce the gain on this control in very heavy seas to minimize
loads on the fins. This is especially prevalent on four fin systems.

Lower Right:

BEAM/FOLLOW

When sailing under following-sea conditions, the

approaching frequencies of the waves are much lower

than when sailing under beam-sea conditions. In

following-seas, the system requires more signal from

the angle sensor due to the low frequencies of

encounter. For these conditions the control should be

turned towards FOLLOW. In beam-seas the roll
velocity signal needs to have priority. For this condition the
would be more suitable.

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BEAM position

ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

3. Zero-Speed Standard Mode

When the vessel is at rest or anchored it is possible to engage one of the two
Zero-Speed modes. The Zero-Speed Standard Mode is the original Zero-Speed
stabilization mode, used in the earlier systems. In this mode, the fins wait at a
certain angle until the right moment. When this moment arrives, the fin
quickly moves over to an equally large fin angle in the opposite direction. Half
a roll period later the same process repeats itself in the other direction. The
forces generated during the motion of the fin counter-act the roll forces and so
reduce the vessel’s roll. A characteristic of the Zero-Speed mode is that for
each roll period the fins move over the same angle. Hence, the system gives
the same reaction to both a large and a small roll motion. This brings with it
the danger that the fins over-react on very small roll motions. To prevent this,
the user can set a threshold value suitable for the sea state. When the sea state
is less than this threshold, the fins stay where they are, hence the roll is
“skipped”. It is also possible to reduce the amount of fin movement by rotating
the fin angle deflection knob counter-clockwise. This may be acceptable for
certain conditions however if the control is tuned for small swells and a large
wave is encountered the system may not have the capacity to reduce the roll
sufficiently with the fin travel limited.

Upper Right: THRESHOLD

By rotating the Threshold control clockwise the roll level
at which the fins become active is increased. If the level
is set too low it is possible that the fins will over react
thus inducing a roll motion into the vessel. If the level is
too high the fins may occasionally miss a roll cycle. For
best performance in the Zero-Speed Standard Mode

particular attention should be paid to the adjustment of
this control. With the Threshold control the value of the roll threshold can be
varied between 0.2 degrees (control fully counter-clockwise) and 1 degree
(control fully clockwise).

Upper Left: FIN ANGLE DEFLECTION

The Fin Angle Deflection control when used in the Zero­Speed mode works much the same as it does when in the
manual underway mode. By rotating the control
clockwise the maximum travel of the fins can be
increased. Likewise when rotated counter-clockwise the
maximum fin travel can be reduced.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

The system can be set to the Zero-Speed Standard Mode by pushing the Zero­Speed Standard button. After pressing the Zero-Speed Standard button, two of
the rotary controls will be available for setting the system. The LED next to
the rotary control will illuminate to show that it is active. This mode should be
selected if conditions are not conducive to the Modulated Mode. It is always
recommended that the Modulated Mode be tried first as this mode will in most
conditions yield the best results.

The fin angle setting can be adjusted by the using the Fin Angle Deflection
control between zero (control fully counterclockwise) to the maximum possible
value.

4. Zero-Speed Modulated Mode

The Zero-Speed Modulated Mode is a further development of the Zero-Speed
Standard Mode. Unlike the Zero-Speed Standard Mode, the fin angle is adjusted
proportionally with the magnitude of the roll angle. Because of the
proportional approach, no threshold setting is necessary. The amount of fin
action is user-adjustable by way of the Fin Angle Deflection control.

The system can be set to the Zero-Speed Modulated Mode by pushing the
Zero-Speed Modulated button. The LED next to the Fin Angle Deflection
control will light up to indicate that it is the active control in this mode. By
rotating this control clockwise the fin angle response to roll angle ratio can be
increased. When first switching to the Modulated Mode this control should be
positioned fully counter-clockwise and then increased until the desired fin
response is attained.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

The ARC 3001 Front Panel Buttons and Indicators

The LED bars, situated at the left and right side of the panel, show
the movement of the fins. The oval centered LEDs indicate the
central or neutral position of the fins. By means of the dimmer
button, the illumination can be controlled in five steps.

The signal LED’s are linked to the roll sensor. When illuminated they
indicate a roll signal either port or starboard. Small roll signals do not
activate the LED’s

When the manual button is activated the control system can be fine
tuned by the four rotary knobs.

When one of the alarms is triggered the buzzer will be audible. To
silence the alarm buzzer press this button.

The illumination of the control panel can be adjusted in five steps.

When the auto button is selected the system is in the full automatic
mode, only the Fin Angle Deflection is now active (on certain
systems the LED next to the Fin Angle Deflection knob will not
illuminate).

During maneuvering or anchoring the system must be in center. If

the system is not equipped with auto reversing switches then center
must be selected manually. When the system is started up the center
mode will automatically engage.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

To switch the system off press the
Once a single beep is heard the button can be released and the
system will start the shut done mode. Shut down takes about three
seconds.

The master button is only used when the system is fitted with an
RCU (remote control unit). When the remote control is active the

R

small

at the side of this button will illuminate. Press this button to

resume command at the main ARC control.

To start the control this button should be pressed until a single beep
is heard (approximately two seconds). The control will enter the self
test sequence which takes approximately twenty seconds. Once the
self test sequence is finished the control will automatically switch to
the center mode. The test function is explained separately.

Switches the system to Zero-Speed Standard Mode. This control

should not be operated if the vessel is in forward motion. The

control will not engage if the transmissions are in forward or reverse
gear. Use the fin angle deflection knob to adjust the amount of fin
travel necessary for the sea conditions.

0

button for at least two seconds.

Switches the system to the Zero-Speed Modulated Mode. This
control should not be operated if the vessel is in forward motion.
The control will not engage if the transmissions are in forward or
reverse gear. Use the fin angle deflection knob to adjust the amount
fin travel required. Fin motion is constantly updated due to the
severity of each roll.

When an alarm is triggered, the alarm
indicator will illuminate and an audible
alarm will also sound.

By depressing the I +TEST button simultaneously with the Forced Roll button the
system will be switched to the forced roll mode. When the buttons are released the
system will return to normal. When using the forced roll feature, the system must be
in AUTO or MANUAL mode. If the system is in AUTO mode no adjustments are
required. However, if the system is in the MANUAL mode, make sure the fin angle
deflection knob is turned fully counter-clockwise before starting the test. Once the
buttons are depressed the Fin Angle Deflection knob can gradually be turned
clockwise; as the control is increased so will the roll intensity increase.

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ARC 3001MK2
OPERATION SUMMARY

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ):

As with all overly complicated electronic devices there are always a number of
relatively simple explanations for anomalies that occur. The following notes are
basic maybe type answers to the age old ‘what’s wrong with it this time’
statement commonly made by the bridge crew.

Q1. When one of the operational modes is selected the control beeps twice and
stays in center.

A1. This generally indicates that the auto center switches are not closed
meaning one or both of the engine signals are indicating that the transmissions
are in reverse.

Q2. A roll signal light is constantly illuminated and the fins go hard over when
one of the operational modes is selected.

A2. You should check to make sure the roll sensor has not been disturbed
from its foundation or the plug hasn’t been dislodged from its connector on
the sensor. Also try restarting the system.

Q3. The fins are moving sluggishly and do not seem to be stabilizing the boat.

A3. Chances are the hydraulic pressure in the system is low. Check the power

unit or hydraulic system operating pressure.

Q4. What happens if I leave the system active when reversing?

A4. If the system is left active when the vessel is reversing the fin control

signals will work in reverse. Instead of reducing the roll motion the fins will
exaggerate the roll motion. This will affect the maneuverability of the vessel as
well as subject the fin and hull unit to extreme torsional loads; loads that in
most cases will exceed the capacity of the hydraulic system.

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