Challenge
Because of the increasing item weights and volume the required line pull and rope storage, tugger winches are increasing. Bigger winches cause a slower response due to the higher moment of inertia and the absence of a high response winch drive. Eventually this leads to slack rope and followed shortly by shock loads as the winch is not quick enough to damp the motion. The worst thing that can happen is an overload which leads to structural damage or even a breaking rope. Common constant tension tugger winches have a too big dead band. Besides it is often not possible to pre-set a dead band. Basically we can say that the performance of traditional tugger/steering winch systems that are being used in the Offshore Wind Industry are not sufficient and improvements are wished for.
Winch solution
For this we developed a High Dynamic Winch System with the following characteristics:
• High dynamic control of speed and line pull
• High accuracy of winch drum position
• High dynamic and precise constant tension mode with very quick accelerations and high speeds
• Possibility of storage and recovery of energy
• Relatively low required installed amount of power
• Continuous stable electric power demand from the vessel
• Parallel operation of several consumers without restriction
• Low required space because of high power to volume ratio
• Able to prevent slack rope conditions
• Precisely controllable dead band of winch pull force in constant tension mode
• Continuous measurement of actual load on the drum also when winch brake is applied
• Because of high dynamics and continuous load measurement rope break is prevented
• Because of very quick accelerations negative effect of moment of inertia of relatively large drive and winch drum are reduced to a minimum
• Single frame solutions possible, two tugger winches and control system all mounted in one frame
• Short commission times
• Mounting on cranes, A-frames
