The M/V Stril Neptun launched late last year is one of the latest standby vessels to fit winches powered by hydraulic motors from Hägglunds Drives. The 70-meter vessel is owned by Simon Møgster AS, from which it is currently under contract to Esso. The ship is registered in Stavanger and is being used for the full range of standby duties including towing, oil spill combat, and rescue.
Built at the yard of YVC Ysselwerf in The Netherlands, the vessel is equipped with a 102-ton bollard pull winch manufactured by Hydracraft of Norway. The winch is powered by a Compact hydraulic motors which are the most powerful in the Hägglunds drives range.
Among other motors in this range, the largest is the Marathon, a 2,100 kW unit weighing 10 tons with a torque of 1.4 million Nm and an operating speed up to 12 rpm. The smaller Viking motor can operate at 200 rpm with an output of 500 kW and a torque of 24,000 Nm. The most recent addition to the Hagglunds range is the Compact motor which weighs only 395 kg yet is able to produce 500 kW of power and a torque of 70,000 Nm. The motors can be used in multiple configurations which enable them to provide very high levels of power and torque at the same time.
Because the motors have a very high power-to-weight ratio, they are suitable for any application requiring high torque at low speed. Their compact design enables them to be linked directly to the drive shaft and they are used for all types of marine and offshore winches, as well as other applications such as portable top drive drilling, dredging cutters, loading ramp motors, and azimuth pod propulsion.
Mud pump drive
Hägglunds motors have proved to be particularly suitable for powering mud pumps as their design enables them to be linked directly to the pump unit. This configuration can save space and the Compact motor has been retrofitted to a number of pumps where it can offer higher efficiency and reliability, when compared with the indirect drives required with other types of motors. Because they can be operated to respond to mud pressure they are able to provide a more consistent pressure.
The relatively simple design of Hägglunds' motors ensures their reliability in harsh environments and a service life of 40,000 hours is normal. The motors feature a unique rotary piston which gives a high level of mechanical efficiency. This makes it easy for the operator to limit maximum line pull and for it to be operated at half speed by simply using half of the motor. The motors' ability to freewheel makes them ideal for applications requiring fast line pay-out, while their facility for stopping-dead is an important safety feature.
Ingemar Borg, Business Area Manager for Hägglunds Drives believes that the ease with which the motors can be used in multiple configurations is another important benefit. "We can build a winch with a capacity of 100 tons without using a gearbox," he says.
For more information contact Ingemar Borg, Hägglunds Drives, Tel: +46 660 870 00, Fax: +46 660 871 60, Email: [email protected]
