ABB trials inbuilt AHC solution for offshore vessel

ABB segment sales manager for marine winches and cranes Mikael Holmberg outlined the advantages of the new technology at the Kormarine conference in Busan.

The development is the first time an inbuilt AHC solution in a variable speed drive (ACS880 platform) has been developed for electric winches in the offshore segment, and is expected to provide a simpler, more cost-effective alternative to existing AHC solutions that incorporate 3rd party AHC systems aboard offshore vessels.

Demand for advanced AHC systems in the offshore segment is growing, with a number of underwater applications, such as underwater surveying, requiring limited vertical movement to improve accuracy. The cost of integrating 3rd party AHC units has restricted the use of advanced AHC installations to higher-end vessels until now.

Development project and extension of marine winch segment

The trial project represents the culmination of a three-year development project by ABB. Sweden-based AHC sensor developer SMC also participated in the project.

At the heart of the product is SMC’s motion sensor or motion reference unit (MRU), which provides wave amplitude data to AHC software in the ACS880 drive, which in turn calculates compensation for winch motors, maintaining the load steady in relation to the seabed while the vessel moves up and down. The AHC software and algorithms are located in the ABB ACS880 drives, processing MRU data supplied by the SMC sensor.

The development required ABB and SMC to collaborate closely on MRU interface software integration work. SMC amended its sensor to use Ethernet modbus TCP protocol to communicate directly with the ACS880 drive. SMC has now implemented ACS880 winch drive communication integration as a standard feature in all SMC motion sensors.

A first trial installation aboard an offshore vessel was undertaken 18 months ago and the initial results are highly encouraging. Further test projects are likely to be undertaken before the product is finally launched commercially, Holmberg added. The business models for prospective developments will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, as ABB’s team is interested in trialling the technology on different offseas applications.

Offshore demand for AHC

In addition to eliminating the need for 3rd party AHC systems, the inbuilt AHC winch for offshore vessels also offers a simplified layout, as by including winch control in the drive it eliminates the need for external controllers. ABB’s latest ultra-low harmonic drive variants of the ACS880 platform will also be compatible with the solution, Holmberg added.

“By integrating active heave protection into the ACS880 drives, we have developed a more cost-effective product with a smaller footprint that is suitable for the offshore segment,” Holmberg concluded.