Marine innovation company Reygar has successfully tested its StemTIDE dynamic positioning (DP) control system on the 60 x 22m multi-purpose barge “Mormaen 15”. In a project backed by Innovate UK, the Keynvor Morlift (KML) owned barge was converted to take twin 430kW modular deck mounted azimuth thrusters and the StemTIDE DP system. See the full press release HERE.
Marine innovation company Reygar has successfully tested its StemTIDE dynamic positioning (DP) control system on the 60 x 22m multi-purpose barge “Mormaen 15”. In a project backed by Innovate UK, the Keynvor Morlift (KML) owned barge was converted to take twin 430kW modular deck mounted azimuth thrusters and the StemTIDE DP system.
StemTIDE allows a vessel with two or more directional thrusters to hold position or accurately manoeuver under automatic or joystick assisted control. The system also allows subsea vehicles such as ROV’s to be automatically followed for survey type work and can work with conventional azimuthing thrusters, waterjets and even fixed main drives with bow and stern thrusters.
Developed by Reygar over the past five years in conjunction with KML, StemTIDE has primarily been used on small commercial vessels until now, most notably on KML’s 30m LOA ROV and mini-construction vessel ‘Severn Sea’. The system is particularly suited for holding position in strong tidal currents where this vessel frequently operates. StemTIDE was installed on the ‘Mormaen 15’ at the same time as the thrusters and integrated with the OEM thruster control system within approximately one hour. The system was successfully tested in automatic, weathervane and joystick assist modes during the
course of the sea trials. StemTIDE consistently held vessel position throughout the trials to within +/-0.5m and heading to within +/-1.0 degree of the target over a 30-minute test period in approximately 15 kts wind. The performance of the system was also verified for operation in tidal current conditions, with opportunities for further enhancements identified for the
future.
“The successful installation and sea trials of the StemTIDE DP control system on this first large commercial vessel is a significant achievement for us,” said Reygar Managing Director, Chris Huxley-Reynard. “We pride ourselves on providing robust and simple to use control systems for challenging applications, and this takes us into an exciting new market. The performance of the DP system during sea trials surpassed expectations and the ease of integration with third party thrusters was a testament to the skills and experience of our engineering team.” “It is our aim to make Dynamic Positioning control affordable to a wide range of customers for both small and large vessels, new build and retro-fit applications. Some of these
customers may have considered this capability an unaffordable option in the past”.
‘Mormaen 15’ is owned and operated by Keynvor Morlift Limited (KML), an experienced marine contractor and vessel fleet owner based in Falmouth, Cornwall. KML was delighted with the performance of StemTIDE and the speed and ease with which it was installed and commissioned. The barge is a robust and versatile work platform capable of being configured for a wide range of heavy lift construction and O&M work. Diccon Rogers, Managing Director at KML, said: “Working with Reygar as a partner closely over the last five years, we have seen the StemTIDE system development up close, from its first trials aboard our ‘Severn Sea’ to the current spectacular evolution on the ‘Mormaen 15’.
“The combination of powerful thrusters and the Reygar DP system makes the “Mormaen 15” a highly versatile and cost-effective stable platform for a variety of amphibious, nearshore and offshore applications including cable lay, wave and tidal energy installations, offshore wind construction and O&M, and marine civil engineering. In particular, StemTIDE’s performance in challenging locations including high current loading makes the whole set-up on the Mormaen 15 uniquely rugged. “We plan further DP thruster modularity throughout the KML barge fleet, including our crane barges. KML is already very active around the UK and Northern Europe and this new capability will open new sectors and markets for us, as well as further enhancing the performance of our versatile vessel spreads”.
The conversion work was carried out at A&P’s shipyard in Falmouth. The project was supported by Innovate UK and lead by IT Power Energised in Bristol with project partners KML, A+P and Reygar. Visit Reygar at Seawork International 2018 on stand PO67 to find out more about StemTIDE.
www.ast-reygar.co.uk
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