The weather matrix allows you to set up your simulation criteria based on the weather inputs. In order to use the different weather matrix found throughout the tool, you will have to upload the weather file with the different criteria (please see this article on how to upload Weather files).

The weather matrices can be found in the following locations:

  • Wind turbines - Weather Criteria
    • Significant wave height operational criteria

  • Crew Transfer Vessel - Weather Criteria

    • Significant wave height access limit

  • Towing vessel (tug) - Cycle/Processes

  • Heavy List Vessel - Cycle/Processes

  • Cable Installation Vessel - Cycle/Processes

  • Crane - Cycle/Processes

  • Feeder Vessel - Cycle/Processes

  • Anchor Handling Vessel - Cycle/Processes

  • Component Transfer Vessel - Cycle/Processes


How to use the weather matrix

In the following example, we will use the "Significant wave height restriction" to show how to add the weather matrix, but the setup is the same as when editing the weather matrices in the steps of a cycle.

For the significant wave height restriction, you are able to use a weather matrix for a more detailed wave height specification of the limitation using different weather parameters. The next steps show the way to do so, the weather file used for the case must have the weather parameters (e.g. wind speed and wave period).

1. The first step is to add weather to a case with wind speed data (mandatory), wave height (mandatory) and wave period, current, etc. for example. The following link describes how you can import a weather data time series file in the Input Library: Importing weather. 

2. Click on  Add matrix for a wave height limit as an example
The window that pops up is the same window as when you click the weather matrix found in Cycles for logistics.

3. Select the relevant criteria from the Column or Column plus Row head cell. Both methods can be used. This means only one parameter will influence the wave height restriction or up to two weather parameters.

For the following example, the wave height access limit will be defined as the restriction. It can be read as that this wave height restriction is correlated to the wind speed and the current parameters, so these two parameters will define what the wave height restriction will be when those other two parameters are met.

  1. When lower or equal conditions than 5m/s wind speed, and 2 m/s current are met, the wave height restriction would be 3.5 m.
  2. When the wind speed is between 5 m/s and 10m/s, and lower or equal 2 m/s current conditions are met, the wave height restriction would be 3 m.
  3. When the wind speed is between10 m/s wind speed to 15 m/s, and lower or equal 2 m/s current conditions are met, the wave height restriction would be 1.5 m.
  4. When above 15 m/s wind speed, the wave height restriction will not allow the vessel to do any work.
  5. When the current is between 2 m/s and 4 m/s, and lower or equal 5 m/s wind speed conditions are met, the wave height restriction would be 2.4 m.
  6. When the current is between 2 m/s and 4 m/s, and wind speed is between 5m/s and 10m/s, the wave height restriction would be 1 m.
  7. When the current is between 2 m/s and 4 m/s, and the wind speed is between 10 m/s and 15 m/s, the wave height restriction would be 0.5 m.
  8. When above 4 knots, the wave height restriction will not allow the vessel to do any work.

For O&M the engine also has the following logic, if it is above 15m/s or 4knots, AND there is a value in the matrix where the wave height restriction becomes 0, it will instead mean that it can do work. So if there is a 0 in the matrix body, then exceeding the values in the row or column would mean that work can be done.

4. Fill in the data required. You can then define the wave height matrix by using only the Column head cell or both Column and Row; you can also add as many cells as needed by clicking  + or reduce it by clicking -.

5. Click  Save. You will see that the wave height criteria is defined as a weather matrix being able to edit it or delete it. If the weather matrix is used, the option as a single number for wave height is not possible.

NOTE: For O&M, you can add the reference height the weather restriction corresponds to in order to extrapolate the wind speed to the same reference height as the weather limitation.


NOTE: if there are weather data selections which are greyed out, this means that the weather data does not exist in the weather file(s) used in the case. If you need to have a missing weather data used in the weather matrix, you will have to import a new weather file and assign the column while importing.