1. Defining the NEXUS requirements:
•Specifying labour and energy markets
•Understanding the influence of climate, maintenance strategies and fleet logistics on offshore wind energy costs
•Identifying contractual and standardisation practices, and any regulatory barriers
•Collecting data on both the business and technology infrastructure
2. Operational Efficiency and Energy Efficiency models using full-scale measurements with energy efficiency improvements were developed showing significant fuel savings for a variable speed generator set and the direct current grid power plant
A Mission Planner (part of Predictive Power Management (PPM)) containing the SOV path and speed profile. Basic functionality for remote and autonomous vessels is included to enable automatic sailing between turbines pre-planned via the Operational and the Mission Planners, which will allow for the optimal operation of the vessel power plant.
3. Hazard analysis identified the basic safety management aspects that should be applied to a new and existing safety management systems (SMSs) using new safety features for the SOV control systems, also aiding the cyber-security analysis. This has been applied to the PPM, the mission planner, the autonomous navigation system, and the automated resource management system
4. Developing a business risk model to support decisions on SOV solution options through life, involving data collection for model variables and dependencies, the creation of a graphical model showing uncertainties, KPIs and decisions. A robust decision-making model was developed that models several vessel and operational related variables to define operational performance indicators.
5. A vessel feasibility study and robust resign requirements, including:
•Defining design requirements and operational scenarios for a new vessel concept based upon vessel requirements, and logistics and assets making up the O&M fleet
•Integrating business & business performance models developed in the project
•Several high-level concepts developed (Floatel and SOV types) and different hull shapes
•SOV concept selection for basic design verified through model testing and simulations
6. Defining the safety regulations for windfarm vessels:
•Hazard identification of several operational aspects
•Mapping existing safely rules and their influence on the vessel and operational design
•Risk analysis, particularly with respect to new vessel and operational concepts
•Cost-benefit assessment of the impact of new rules
•Assessing and ranking of hazards to guide the decision making
7. A basic design concept for a medium size SOV enabling the use of alternative energy sources with efficiency gains and cost benefits. A review of the performance indicators and the consideration of critical factors was performed
8. Vessel simulation, testing, demonstration and construction:
•Wind and current load analysis of the new concept vessel design
•Studying vessel motions, particularly with respect to vessel to turbine platform personnel transfer
•Testing two representative SOV models in different conditions (different range of waves, speeds, and headings). A second campaign was performed in the last period on an updated model to improve vessel performance, specially in waves
•Development of a simulator and digital test tank (DTT) to allow assessment of operational efficiency, demonstration of the transfer system and the demonstration of the predictive power management concept. The DTT will be completed and demonstrated in the final period of the project
•Advanced hydrodynamic analysis and time-domain simulations of the hull design, the power and propulsion system design, new control system strategies, transfer solutions, and offshore charging
9. The development of a business case for the vessel, with a sensitivity analysis of the vessel performance in-service wind farm maintenance, considering the impact of, e.g. pricing and technology on turbine installation rate, and the extent of technological innovation and standardisation in O&M delivery
A video describing the project and its achievements can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqNfPwUiLA(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) and the final dissemination webinar here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ32d-Yu8Ts(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
