Dr. G

SciQuilt – DPS Got to Go ‘Round

This quilt is part of my JOIDES Resolution Expedition 390 (South Atlantic Transect I) collection. by clicking on the tag 390 quilt, you can see all the quilts I made before and after my two months on the South Atlantic Ocean.

Dynamic positioning allows vessels at sea to remain in position through utilization of thrusters and propellers. JOIDES Resolution relies on its six thruster pods and two ship propellers to hold its position during deep-sea drilling activities. Although there are several additional inputs necessary for the dynamic positioning system (DPS) to fully function (wind speed/current, GPS position, data from the motion reference units (MRUs), the orientation of the two ship rudders, etc.), this quilt pays tribute to those DPS parts that “go ’round”.

Image showing the location of the 12 thrusters on JOIDES Resolution. Existing as pairs, or pods, all are retractable except for the pod under the fantail. Image from IODP JRSO.

Here are some photos of the actual thrusters and ship propellers from when JOIDES Resolution was in Amsterdam Dry Dock (EXP 384P) in 2020. (Photos provided by Jennifer Hertzberg, IODP/JRSO DAM Administrator)

  • Two ship propellers part of a thruster pod
    One of the thruster pods. Each propeller is controlled individually by the Bridge and can rotate clockwise, counter-clockwise, or not spin at all.
  • One ship rudder, ship propeller, and one thruster pod
    The port side of the stern with a view of the left rudder, propeller, and the thruster pod that does not retract.
  • Ship propellers and rudders
    The underside of the stern of JR, showing the two rudders and propellers. One of the thruster pods is visible on the left behind the propeller.

And here is the DPS quilt!

The yellow/gold colors represent the brass alloy of which the propellers are composed. The thruster blades are paired to represent the thruster pods as they exist on the ship, and they are stitched on to red fabric to represent the red color of the ship’s hull. The red fabric for the hull is a Da Gama Textile (Three Cats Shweshwe) manufactured in South Africa, where the ship departed from/returned to for my time at sea during Expedition 390. The blue spiral metallic fabric represents the motion of the water when the thrusters are rotating and is a Blank Quilting fabric. The Longarm quilting services were provided by The Old Country Store Fabrics in Intercourse, PA.

Quilt measures 59 inches tall by 39 inches wide and was completed on August 18, 2023.

If you are interested in a full description of the dynamic positioning system on JOIDES Resolution, I encourage you to check out the blog post on Dynamic Positioning from Expedition 395’s Onboard Outreach Officer Jennifer Field

Sign discussing the ship propulsion system
Photo taken on the JR of a sign describing the ship propulsion system

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