New simulation tools will improve offshore operations and reduce energy costs.

Purpose of the project

The Danish industry has a world leading position within the fields of offshore wind turbines and the oil & gas sector. To support this position, FORCE Technology has recently released new features facilitating simulation of DP and Jack-Up operations for e.g. vessels for wind turbine installation.

In continuation of these efforts, we have started a 3-year development project, with the overall objective of improving safety and efficiency and reducing the levelled energy costs. The project will focus on crane simulation and simulation of advanced automation systems e.g. heave compensated gangway systems (Walk-to-Work) for offshore service vessels.

Target group

Designers, consultants, shipyards, ship owners, energy companies, operators of specialised ships for installation and service of offshore constructions will benefit from the project.

Small and medium-sized enterprises such as consultants, designers, staffing companies, ship-owners, equipment-, crane- and automation companies will also benefit from the new simulator features.

Method

The new tools will be developed in close cooperation with Danish industrial partners and will become an integrated part of FORCE Technology’s existing maritime simulator complex.

The tools will especially support the development and validation of operational procedures as well as training in exploiting available weather windows that has an essential impact on the operational cost savings.

The tools will also be applicable for training safety-critical crane operations such as lifting from a moving vessel onto a fixed or floating platform, conducting robot operations like anchor handling robots, using pile-grippers/up-ending equipment as well as motion compensating equipment like those applied for passage bridges and lifting systems.

The new simulator features will be integrated in the following services:
  • Feasibility studies of new concepts and designs
  • Design/engineering simulations of e.g. vessels, cranes, lifting equipment
  • Risk-analyses and safety assessments
  • Simulation and development of automation systems including robots
  • Verification of design solutions
  • Performance and downtime estimates
  • Determining operational wind, current and wave limits and corresponding strategies
  • Training simulation within offshore lifting operations
  • Operation and resource optimisation
  • Safety Management
  • Determining manning requirements.
Read more here (in Danish).