New software to support wind farm maintenance
The new software is understood to be the first digital system to raise the efficiency of remote wind farm maintenance operations (Source: ABB)
New software released by ABB is set to boost uptime and increase safety during maintenance operations at offshore wind farms. The ABB AbilityTM Octopus – Marine Advisory System Operational Planner is understood to be the first digital system to raise the efficiency of remote wind farm maintenance operations based on likely future conditions.
As the drive to generate more renewable power becomes more urgent in many regions of the world, optimising operational efficiency of maintenance procedures at offshore facilities is essential. The Global Wind Energy Council has predicted that 680 GW of new capacity is likely to come on stream between 2023 and 2027. Analysts at Clarkson Research have predicted a surge in demand for support, crew transfer, and maintenance vessels in the years ahead.
The new module has been developed as part of the Atlantis research project. It will examine remote inspection and maintenance procedures at wind farms, allowing shore-based personnel to plan offshore support vessel operations more efficiently based on likely conditions.
In a statement, ABB explained that wind farm support vessels usually operate close to their shore bases, with frequent voyages to offshore installations. But effective operations can be constrained by prevailing conditions, making the meticulous planning of time-sensitive functions essential.
The software-as-a-service Octopus Operational Planner forecasts vessel workability across a range of offshore facilities, supporting plans for vessel deployment, maximum safety, sustainability and efficiency, the company said. Not only does the system support offshore fleet managers in vessel operations, but it also helps to optimise the use of complex offshore maintenance equipment and the experienced ships’ crews needed to work it.
Typically, offshore support vessels rely on ship-based weather routeing systems to predict likely weather conditions, wave heights and thereby operational windows. However, the ABB system combines weather forecasts with the hydrodynamic characteristics of a particular vessel, based on size and design.
Likely ship motions can be predicted with the vessel’s operational window extended to the maximum. This could enable more time for certain essential operations, such as the deployment of robotic techniques for inspection and maintenance, for example.
The new module represents ABB’s contribution to the EU-funded Atlantis research project. This is assessing how remote offshore inspection and maintenance procedures using robotic systems for wind farms can be developed. Two test beds in the Atlantic Ocean are to be set up for component and system trials.
Atlantis produce coordinator, Dr. Andry Maykol Pinto, said: "Atlantis project is all about optimising safety and efficiency with smart robotics when performing maintenance tasks at offshore wind farms. The Octopus Operational Planner plays a vital role in planning these offshore tasks by giving the vessels and the shipowners onshore access to a motion-based mission planner, determining the operational window, and thereby reducing the costs and increasing the safety of these operations."
Osku Kälkäjä, head of Digital Business at ABB Marine & Ports, commented: "The Operational Planner is a great addition to the Octopus - Marine Advisory System suite of products. This is a significant step forward in the offshore wind and energy industries. Rough seas can mean cancellation of offshore projects at short notice, but making the wrong call has an opportunity cost at a time when wind turbine installation vessel rates are on the rise."
