Offshore staff
DALFSEN, the Netherlands — ABB has developed an Operational Planner module for its ABB Ability OCTOPUS – Marine Advisory System, designed to help offshore vessel fleet managers plan and optimize maintenance of offshore wind farms.
Typically, offshore support vessels (OSVs) operate close to their shore base making frequent trips to fixed facilities, such as wind turbines, with specific requirements for performance in demanding conditions.
Planning is critical as the vessels conduct time-sensitive marine operations.
To assist vessels moving between turbines or rigs during a single shift, the OCTOPUS Operational Planner forecasts workability across multiple sites.
The Software as a Service (SaaS) system also allows users onboard or ashore to plan and optimize operations for different offshore locations. An OSV normally relies on an onboard weather routing system to predict weather and wave heights. However, OCTOPUS incorporates the weather forecast into the system, combining it with the vessel’s hydrodynamic properties based on size and design, and calculating the likely vessel motions.
In this way, the vessel’s operational limit is based on its maximum allowable motions for offshore operations, for example deployment of robotic platforms for inspection and maintenance.
ABB developed the new module as a member of the EU-funded ATLANTIS research project, which is investigating remote offshore inspection and maintenance techniques using advanced robotic systems for wind farms.
The project has also created two testbeds in the Atlantic Ocean for use by the international community.
06.21.2023
