Scale Prototype News

With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm’ for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects. That could be wind technicians to…

With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion-compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects.That could be wind technicians to an…

Spanish offshore engineering firm Saitec Offshore Technologies and renewables giant RWE on Wednesday marked the completion and the launching operation of their DemoSATH floating wind unit. SATH Technology is based on a concrete platform concept with a plug-and-play Single Point Mooring, the same technology used for FPSOs.The DemoSATH project uses a 2MW turbine in a full-scale prototype that will be deployed offshore Bilbao and will be the first floating turbine connected to the Spanish grid."The project moves forward at a fast pace for its installation later this summer.

Danish offshore vessel company Maersk Supply Service has installed six mooring lines and six anchors for the DemoSATH floating wind project at the BIMEP open sea test site in the Biscay Bay off the coast of Armintza, Spain.SATH Technology is based on a concrete platform concept with a plug-and-play Single Point Mooring, the same technology used for FPSOs. This anchoring system allows an easy connection so the platform can be disconnected and taken ashore for O&M. The platform can rotate freely around this single point like a weathervane…

Our Cleaner Planet, a non-profit startup with an 'innovative technique to remove plastics from our oceans', said it has completed prototype testing of its first plastic harvester and is now ready to move forward with larger unit testing. The program is scheduled to launch the first of its full-sized, plastic harvesters into ocean operation in 2025.“The test parameters for our 1:164-scale prototype were set up to evaluate speed and control and the first stage of the filtration process,” said Pat Marshall, founder of Our Cleaner Planet.

The maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register has been brought in to coordinate REShiP (Renewable Energy Ship Propulsion) project to research and develop renewable energy ship propulsion technologies.REShiP  started in April 2019 with the aim of identifying the best solutions connected with the shipboard installation of an innovative power generation system for propulsion and on-board use, with an almost total reduction of both pollutants and noise emitted.The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the framework of the Regional Operational Program (2014-2020) of the Italian Region Friuli Venezia Giulia.The project activities are aligned with the IMO - International Maritime Organization – Regulations concerning the limits on NOx…

Wave-generated power could be considered the Rodney Dangerfield of offshore renewable energy sources; it gets no respect. There have been a number of high-profile, expensive failures that have conspired to give the sector a poor reputation despite a number of engineering advances. A new entrant is SurfWEC offering a patented “surf-making” Wave Energy Converter which has been in development since 2007. Its developers promise it will stand out from the field and perform where others have failed. How?

The DNV GL-led joint industry project, WIN WIN (WINd powered Water INjection), has completed its first phase and determined that wind power could be used to power offshore water injection. The project is currently moving into its second phase, which includes refining and testing the electrical systems, and investigating possibilities for broader applications. The project consists of four partners: DNV GL, ExxonMobil and ENI Norge – all part of the first phase – and the Norwegian Research Council – a new participant for this second phase.

Having established its position in the market for supplying scrubbers and water treatment systems, Langh Tech is now expanding its water treatment technology to new areas. Langh Tech said it  has been working in cooperation with MAN Diesel & Turbo (MDT) to develop a water treatment system to be used for cleaning the process water of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems. EGR is a method to reduce NOx emissions to meet Tier III requirements. In the EGR process, approximately one third of the exhaust gas is recycled back into the engine…

A new technology research programme aimed at developing propulsion products specifically for operating in arctic conditions has been implemented with Wärtsilä and VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland, as the main contributors. The ArTEco (Arctic Thruster Ecosystem) project will altogether be supported by ten industrial and academic partners from Finland and other countries. ArTEco is a three year programme, commencing in 2015 and ending in 2017. Its primary aim is to foster new technology for propulsion solutions in an arctic operating environment. The platform will consist of developing state-of-the-art simulation and load determining methods for dynamic loading conditions…

Two State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College professors have received a $65,000 grant from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to develop a program for inspecting underwater drilling equipment and gathering and maintaining information about its structural well being, all while the equipment remains in service and fully operational. Dr. Daniel Fridline, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Neveen Shlayan, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering…

James Fisher Marine Services Ltd. and ExtremeOcean Innovation Inc. James Fisher Marine Services Ltd (JFMS), part of James Fisher and Sons plc – a marine services provider in the U.K., today announced the signing of an exclusive market entry agreement with Canadian company ExtremeOcean Innovation Inc. (EOI), the designers of the TranSPAR craft. The arrangement will last for 12 months, with the option of a further 12-month extension. ExtremeOcean Innovation Inc. is a marine technology company focused on developing marine solutions for the offshore market.

Work continues on the Alfa Laval Test & Training Center in Aalborg, Denmark, a facility that will greatly expand Alfa Laval’s marine testing capabilities. The center, which will serve as a springboard for faster and more effective R&D, will further strengthen Alfa Laval’s capacity for innovative marine solutions that optimize the performance of onboard equipment, save energy and help ship owners comply with environmental legislation. While the center’s official inauguration is not scheduled until 15 January 2014, some full-scale prototype testing will be initiated during the month of October.

As demand for wind energy increases, offshore deployments are continuing to move into deeper waters. DNV KEMA has released its new standard for floating offshore wind turbine structures that will help ensure safety and reliability in floating wind turbines, and give the nascent floating-turbine sector the confidence to continue its development to commercial maturity. “A prerequisite for the industry to continue to grow and develop effectively is development of design standards…they are essential to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of safety in design…

Wärtsilä has received the Final Approval status from the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) for its Wärtsilä Aquarius EC Ballast Water Management System. The approval was granted at the MEPC's 65th session held at the IMO headquarters in London on May 13, 2013. The Basic Approval had been granted in October 2012. The approval submission was taken into consideration as part of the MEPC 65's agenda covering "harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water." Final Approval is required for systems using an active substance…

IMO environment committee approves Wärtsilä’s AQUARIUS EC ballast water management system. Wärtsilä’s AQUARIUS EC ballast water management system (BWMS) has been granted BASIC Approval by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) during its 64th session in London, which commenced on 1st October 2012. The initial application for BASIC Approval of the AQUARIUS EC system was submitted to the IMO through the Dutch Human Environment…

Alstom and SSE Renewables signed a new joint venture agreement to develop the Costa Head Wave Project, an up to 200 MW wave energy site located north of mainland Orkney, in The Crown Estate’s Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Strategic Area. Alstom and SSE Renewables will work together to obtain the necessary permits and intend to populate the site with AWS-III wave energy converters, a technology currently under development by AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, in which Alstom acquired a 40% equity share in June 2011. The Costa Head site is located in water depths of 60 – 75m approximately 5km to the north of Orkney Mainland. SSE Renewables and Alstom propose to carry out detailed site surveys and an environmental impact assessment (EIA)…

AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, one of Scotland’s pioneering wave energy companies, announced that it had secured a major investment from Alstom, a global leader in power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure. Alstom acquires a 40% equity stake in Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy. This will give the company the financial strength to expand its operations and accelerate the development of its AWS-III wave power technology. It is Alstom’s first-ever investment in the wave energy sector. The announcement was made June 21 2011 at Edinburgh Castle, at an event hosted by Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister. Alex Salmond, the First Minister…

Berg Propulsion signed a contract with Dubai Shipbuilding and Engineering to deliver its first two production units of Berg Propulsion Azimuth Thrusters (BAT) in early 2010. The BAT is wholly designed within Berg Propulsion Technology, the R&D company within the Berg Propulsion Group. Prior to the delivery of the first two production units, Berg Propulsion will deliver a full scale prototype that will be installed into a Survey Vessel in Sweden in June 2009 enabling Berg Propulsion Technology to evaluate the design, manufacturing and installation process.

Art Anderson Associates reported that it has completed Phase I of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to evaluate the Stolkraft hull form as an alternative to the Navy’s 11-meter Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in the transportation of marine mammals. This SBIR topic was issued to address the excessive slamming loads being experienced by Navy Special Clearance Team (NSCT-1) forces on their current 11-meter RIB. In Phase I, Art Anderson Associates reports, tests of an existing Stolkraft showed that it experienced lower vertical accelerations than the U.S. Navy 10-m RIB under similar test conditions. A concept design was also produced based on the NSCT-1 operational requirements established during the Phase I kick-off meeting.

Italian shipyard group Rodriquez Cantieri Navali and Genoa-based classification society RINA have jointly developed an innovative and environmentally friendly high-speed ferry. A full scale prototype of the Aliswath, presently under construction, will undertake sea trials in 2007. The Aliswath hybrid design combines the small wetted area of the SWATH concept with a hydrofoil system. The prototype is designed to carry 450 passengers and 60 cars at speeds up to 28 knots, while reducing fuel consumption by 40 per cent compared with existing designs and also reducing wash, emissions and risk of oil pollution. The key to the trimaran-like design is an immersed torpedo-shaped hull with secondary dynamic lift from a sophisticated wing foil system.

aircraft carrier, CVN 21. $50 million contract following a year-long design competition. full-scale, one-quarter load elevator drive. full-scale prototype elevator for land-based testing. installation in mid-2010.

Northrop Grumman selected Federal Equipment Company to design and build the advanced weapons elevator for the new-generation aircraft carrier, CVN 21. Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector awarded the approximately $50 million contract following a year-long design competition. During this period, vendors refined their designs and built and tested a full-scale, one-quarter load elevator drive. The preliminary design competition concluded in early 2005, and Federal Equipment Company and their technology partner, MagneMotion, were chosen to develop a full-scale prototype elevator for land-based testing. Prototype testing will be completed by late 2007, and they will begin to manufacture the production units which are scheduled for shipboard installation in mid-2010.