anchor handling
Huisman targets anchor- handling and towing market
Well known in the offshore industry for its cranes, pipelay systems and drill towers, Huisman Equipment is actively targeting the anchor- handling tug/supply vessel (AHTS) market
uisman Equipment recently obtained approval in principle from classification society DNV for an all-electric anchor- handling and towing winch design it has developed. According to Huisman’s product manager winches, Bas Oskam, and business development manager, Remko de Boer, targeting this particular market has been a natural step for Huisman. “Our move into anchor handling is driven by the belief that we can capitalise on our knowledge of and experience with subsea installation equipment, underlined by our strong position in the offshore crane segment,” Mr de Boer explained. “We
H recently delivered a 5,000 tonne
mast crane with a 1,200 tonne active heave compensation (AHC) unit. Moreover, we have extensive experience in the construction of winches for pipelay systems and cranes, ranging from 300 tonnes up to 600 tonnes. These comply with class society rules and regulations for offshore lifting appliances,” Mr de Boer told OSJ, noting that Huisman Equipment has longstanding experience of designing and manufacturing offshore winches. The company also has a loyal following among clients in the lifting and pipelay sector, but Mr de Boer and Mr Oskam agree that being perceived a newcomer in the anchor-handling winch market is a challenge. The first step for the company was to come up with a dedicated anchor- handling winch design. “Of course, we studied existing configurations. To this we added our own in-house knowledge, not only with regard to winch design and manufacturing,
but also with
regard to the design of electrical systems and wire behaviour. Here, Huisman can really bring fundamental knowledge to the table. We feel this is what really sets
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Huisman Equipment’s anchor-handling winches draw on its long expertise with load handling and heave compensation
us apart,” Mr De Boer said.
“What we also did is look at upcoming class requirements and analyse future functionality,” he explained. “Part of this exercise involved discussions with shipowners and operators and oil
companies to be able to integrate their
operational expertise. The outcome of all of this has confirmed our belief that an electric winch is the system of choice for the offshore support vessel of the future.”
Although pipelay systems and cranes are
electrically operated, Huisman hasn’t blindly adopted electric
in every instance. In 1986,
it introduced secondary hydraulic control for the active heave compensation systems on its knuckleboom cranes, a choice to which it adheres to the present day. “We select technologies based on their merits,” Mr Oskam said. “Electric winches offer some advantages compared to winches driven by low-pressure hydraulics – in particular, with regard to ease of installation, power consumption and efficiency. With hydraulics, you also need to run your hydraulic pump at all times, and there is inherent leakage loss to consider when it comes to efficiency.
“There are maintenance issues too; in particular, with regard to pump wear and other hydraulic components. You have to maintain the condition of the hydraulic fluid to prevent downtime, but
changing out hydraulic fluids means even more downtime, not to mention the added logistic burden of handling fluids, and the possibility of spillage.” The outcome of Huisman Equipment’s deliberations is an anchor-handling winch that is easy to install, has low maintenance costs, considerably reduced power consumption and enhanced operating characteristics. DNV’s approval in principle has confirmed the design’s compliance with its Rules for Ships, Part 5, Chapter 7, Section 3 of January 2012, and the NMD Regulations of 15 September 1992, No 695, Paragraph 48, in addition to the ISO 7365 standard for towing winches for deepsea use. “A particularly important feature of design
is the winch’s emergency release function,” Mr Oskam explained. “Stability of a vessel during anchor-handling
operations is under close
scrutiny of all parties involved. But regardless of all of the calculations and planning, operational circumstances may change at a moment’s notice. To cope with such circumstances, which can interfere with safe execution of an operation, the emergency release system is able to reduce the load to 10-20 per cent of the vessel’s bollard pull in three seconds, by paying out wire or cable at high speed. “Moreover,” he explained, “the high-
speed pay-out functionality is not just a safety precaution. It will considerably reduce vessel waiting times as well. Another interesting feature is that adjustable torque control will make line handling as ‘soft’ as the operator likes it to be. “Limiting the torque to a pre-set
level is a great help. When the torque reaches the set limit, the high-speed line pay-out springs into action, at which point the winch operator can take over again. It will also prevent damage in case of snatch loads, for instance, when ‘fishing’ for an anchor line.” Reducing vessel waiting times and operating costs, reducing risk and improving safety are at the heart of the design of the new winch, said Mr de Boer. “Reliability is number one. It has to be robust, easy to operate and safe,” he concluded, noting that the company is planning a number of new features including active heave compensation. OSJ
Offshore Support Journal I June 2012 I 73
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