A patented testing method for vessel dynamic positioning (DP) systems has won a leading technical innovation award in the offshore sector.
OneStep Power clinched Offshore Support Journal’s Innovation Award at a prize gala evening for its patented Generator Voltage Response Tester (GVRT). This enables vessel owners and their clients to perform fault ride through verification and associated testing of ship's DP systems in a safe and repeatable manner.
This innovation award, sponsored by classification society Bureau Veritas, recognises an innovative product, system or service that has made a significant impact on the design, build and/or operational aspects of offshore support vessels in service during 2018. It was presented to OneStep Power’s management at the Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference in London.
OneStep Power’s GVRT allows for all excitation-based testing requirements, without the need to change protection system settings. This can be achieved in a controlled process. GVRT is the first testing system of its kind. OneStep Power engineers temporarily install a GVRT on each generator in a complete vessel system. Through its software and hardware components, OneStep Power can control the system to perform testing. This means DP generators can be tested reliably and safely without modifying the system's settings.
In 2018, OneStep Power developed preproduction GVRT prototypes for multiple generators on a single buss-bar, and completed a voltage dip ride through test. Its final outcome demonstrated that this was a game-changing moment in DP power systems. OneStep Power presented reliable and repeatable testing to prove closed-buss operating configurations.
The next step is to take this innovation into a commercial project, said OneStep Power president Mark Craig. "We are a fresh start up and in two years we have got this innovation up and running," he said.
OneStep Power beat MacGregor and Rolls-Royce Marine to win this prestigious award. MacGregor was nominated for its FibreTrac fibre-rope offshore crane, which allows operators to use the full lifting capacity of the crane, at practically any depth. This means a smaller crane and vessel can be used for more assignments, and owners can bid on a wider range of contracts.
This is made possible because of neutrally-buoyant, high-performance fibre rope, which does not add anything to the load experienced by the crane. This is in contrast to steel wire cranes, which have to bear the load and the ever-increasing weight of wire paid out.
Rolls-Royce Marine was nominated for its new lightweight winch driven by a permanent magnet electrical motor. This XT70 PM escort, render and recovery towing winch provides enough pull for most oceangoing and harbour duties without the risk of oil leaks from a hydraulic drive.
|
