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LAWEA 2008

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EWEC2009
Ampelmann Demonstrator Testing Print E-mail
Tuesday, 06 November 2007

Making Offshore Access as Easy as Crossing the Street

ImageAccessing offshore wind turbines is critical to keep all systems running. This is especially true when the weather deteriorates, wind speeds pick up and production can be maximised. But offshore these conditions also mean that wave heights increase and access by boat can become impossible. The Ampelmann has been developed to increase the accessibility from a ship, even in high wave conditions. The system uses six hydraulic cylinders (also used in flight simulators) to support a transfer deck and gangway. By measuring the ship motions continuously and controlling the length of the cylinders, the transfer deck stands completely still compared to the wind turbine. Access to the turbine then becomes 'as easy as crossing the street'.

By Jan van der Tempel and David Cerda Salzmann, Delft University of Technology Offshore Engineering, the Netherlands

 
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