Stabilizing system developed for Havram wind farm vessel cranes

Huisman will deliver a traveling load stabilizing system for integration into the two 3,000+ mt leg encircling cranes for Havfram’s NG-20000X-HF wind turbine installation vessels, according to a mid-December press release.

The system should allow Havfram to stabilize wind turbine components during installation, Huisman added, particularly blades but also nacelles and tower segments.

Huisman and Siemens Gamesa teamed up in 2023 to develop the patented technology, which is said to mitigate safety risks, reduce cycle times and increase workability during installation of components. Other turbine manufacturers are now also adopting the system.

It features two pairs of tuggers working together to control position of the load. One pair is located on independent trolleys that can travel along an integrated rail throughout the crane’s stiff boom. The rigid connection between the rail and the crane boom makes the system as a whole more stable, Huisman claimed, with more reliable and effective control. The trolleys automatically follow the main block to maintain an optimal tugger line configuration.

A second pair of tugger lines deployed from the crane tip provide a force perpendicular to the first pair of tuggers. Through approaching the load from two different directions, the system is said to deliver greater control than a conventional, single pair of tuggers.

A control system holds the actual position of the load, leading to a much stiffer restraint. The resulting position accuracy is said to be much higher than with conventional tugger systems that rely on constant tension.

Should unexpected overload develop, the system will give way and then return to its position setpoint once the force drops below the threshold again.

All the leg encircling cranes and auxiliary crane packages are under construction at Huisman’s site in Zhangzhou, China. Upon completion, they will be delivered to Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to be installed on the new NG-20000X-HF wind turbine installation vessels.