Offshore staff
HOUSTON– Measurement Technology NW (MTNW) has completed the installation and commissioning of winch control systems for two Rowan jackups: the J.P. Bussell and the Gorilla II. MTNW collaborated with Applied Measurements of Texas to ensure the winch control retrofit was successful from initial design to final installation and commissioning on several Letourneau W-1500 Anchor winches.
The jackups underwent a controls and equipment retrofit in Singapore at the Keppel FELS shipyard. Applied Measurements brought in MTNW to provide a new PLC-based controls and monitoring solution for the mooring winch systems. MTNW provided running line tensiometers, a PLC control station with remote I/O, LCI-90i local displays, and a central computer system combining existing monitoring software with new PLC interface functionality.
Applied Measurements used MTNW 3-sheave line riders to monitor the jackups’ anchor winches. The company says by integrating the line riders with the mooring controls, this system provides accurate and real-time feedback regarding the actions of the operator and the position/tension of the mooring line.
Graeme Cashen, owner of Applied Measurements, said: “Given the time constraints, MTNW’s line riders were a quick and easy way to monitor the existing winches. We chose line riders because load pins are more accurate than hydraulic pressure or electric current in terms of winch monitoring. Their PLC-based control consoles seamlessly integrated with the rest of the system. Every future offshore retrofit we’re involved in will have this kind of approach.”
3/21/2012
MTNW’s line rider was used to monitor the jackups’ anchor winches.
