Deck machinery for AHTS vessels
A complete system provider
Our product range has evolved over 40 years, which means that today we can supply fully engineered solutions for virtually any offshore application and match it to a UT ship design. Equipment is designed and manufactured to operate in the toughest conditions and to operate at greater depths - safety as our first priority.
Constant innovation in anchor handling systems design has seen the introduction active heave compensation, the remote cable lifter changer and torpedo anchor handling for anchors that weigh over 100 tonnes.
Our Safer deck Operations provide the safest possible working environment for operators and our TowCon control systems deliver precise control and monitoring. We also provide simulator training to ensure crews are able to safely handle routine and unexpected operating conditions.
As oil exploration moves to even deeper waters we continue to developed the technologies to meet the challenges. The recent integration of ODIM has added an exciting range of equipment for a range of new applications, enhancing our deck machinery systems capability.
What to do next...
- Download the Deck Machinery brochure
- Contact a Rolls-Royce representative to discuss your individual requirements
Rolls-Royce offer complete automated handling systems for Anchor-handling & tug supply vessels. Click on a product for more information.
Making life safer for crews
The innovative Safer Deck solutions are designed to make life safer for the crews of offshore service vessels who have to work on deck during anchor handling operations or when transferring cargo at rigs and platforms. Wires, shackles and chains, which may be under great tension are handled by remote control, minimising manual work on deck.A new sea fastening system permits containers and pipes on deck to be shifted and secured with less risk to crew.
At the heart of the system is a pair of double-boom cargo rail cranes that run on rails the full length of the working deck bulwarks. The hoisting boom has a winch and is able to move equipment to and from any point on the deck and also reach out over the stern.
When handling chains and wires, the working boom is used. Rolls-Royce has designed special manipulators to act as mechanical 'hands' for the cranes. They work in conjunction with towing pins, shark jaws and centring devices. All tasks can be carried out by the crew remotely.
A mini simulator can be programmed with realistic work operations and is small enough to be placed on board, for crew training to improve competence levels and thereby safety levels.
The following animations show how the Safer Deck Operations system works:
Safer deck operations
TowCon RT is a winch control system - specially designed for our larger range of anchor handling vessels. Mounted on the bridge control panel and in the armrest on the winch operator chair.
The TowCon RT display touch screen gives you information and a graphical representation of the drums and motors on main winch and shark jaw load. Separate views can be selected for more detailed information, alarms, functions and settings.
TowCon control & monitoring system
A safer way to handle anchors
As the industry moves towards deeper waters, the mooring lines also become heavier. The AHF™ will be essential in order to maintain safety in future operations.Safer work environment for crew
The AHFTM reduces the handling forces during rig anchor deployment and retrieval operations - and human exposure to those forces. The AHFTM also ensures steadier handling of the anchor, protecting both crew and vessel.Safer handling of anchors
Less tension in wires reduces wear and tear on the mooring system. The chance of accidentally loosing the anchor - and damaging subsea installations - is sharply reduced.More efficient operation
The AHFTM makes it easy to deck the anchor with correct orientation and without repeated efforts or assistance from other vessels.
Anchor-handling frames
The modular concept
Select from all-electric, high-pressure or low-pressure hydraulic drive options to match your requirements. Each winch is built of modules that include the drum, shafting with accessories, brake, bearing bracket, warping end, gear and drive.
Options include remote control for brakes and clutches and an auto-tensioning system that automatically keeps the tension in the mooring line within pre-set limits automatically. Windlasses are made up of a cable lifter unit, a pinion shaft and the clutch and brake module - the drum size and the main shaft line are open design parameters and can be specified. Mooring winches can be supplied with pulling capacities from 5 to 40 tonnes and anchor windlasses for up to 137mm chain.Low-pressure hydraulic systems are often the preferred choice for LNG carriers and large VLCC's where safety is a vital consideration. Systems are capable of delivering high-speed dynamic lowering of the anchor, up to 40m/min.
Low-pressure systems have now been installed on more than 100 LNG vessels, which is approximately 40 per cent of the total market share worldwide.High-pressure hydraulic systems are a popular choice for oil product and chemical tankers. They can be directly integrated with the vessel’s central hydraulic system that is used to drive the cargo pumps, so there is no need for a dedicated power pack.
Frequency controlled winches are now the natural choice for cruise ships where speed, step-less control and quiet operation are important.
Anchor and mooring winches
Low-pressure hydraulic
The low-pressure hydraulic is originally designed for heavy winch operations in marine environments. Through more than 70 years of experience the feedback from our end users have been that low-pressure hydraulic winches are exposed to minimal risk for off hire, caused by total breakdown.The system has the market’s highest focus on safety and lifecycle cost. It is robust, reliable and easy to install. The winch motor and power pack operates at very low noise as part of a constant flow system at max 64bar, with variable pressure depending on the flow requirements of the winch.
The vane type winch motor provides step-less speed control and automatic speed selection with full starting torque. Its three-chamber design allows an increase line speeds in light line situations by up to three times with full hydraulic control. All parts are based on in-house technology.
Winch drive options for anchoring & mooring winches
Towing pins
Towing pins are used to guide wire and chain into the shark jaw area without the presence of crew. Our tow pins also work as the securing mechanism required by NMD when there is a load hanging from the shark jaw. The towing pins are also fitted with guide arms that can be individually controlled to help guiding the chain into the shark jaw at a correct angle.Shark Jaws
The Shark Jaw holds wire and chain in place at high loads. It is fitted with adjustable chain and wire inserts.
Shark jaws and towing pins
The spooling sheave is primarily developed to reduce the damaging strain on wire bent with high tension over the too small diameter.
Previously, the work wire was spooled around Tow Pins with too small diameter for spooling large diameter wires. The spooling sheave can also be used for spooling synthetic rope.
Spooling sheave
Stop pins are used to stop the towline from moving too far outwards and in some cases to park mooring lines outside them, preventing the mooring line from coming onto the stern roller.
The stop pins has a rotating roller to prevent wear on the stop pin or the line when the mooring line moves against it.
Stop pins
The rope tensioner is designed to give a back-tension in the synthetic rope line while being transferred from a storage drum to a working drum.
The tension can be up to 50 tons. When not in use the sheaves can be stored and the rest of the equipment will be flush in deck. The rope tensioner is powered through the main hydraulic system.
Rope tensioner
Chain haulers are an effective way of getting the chain from the chain wheel to the chain locker. It will give a small tension to the chain in order to compensate for the friction in chain chutes and deck and hence make the transfer of chain much easier.
Chain haulers
The ALARS is a lifting beam with a free rotating roller on the end, actuated by four hydraulic cylinders and a power pack. When not in use the beam is enclosed in the housing and is flush with deck. It is designed for handling torpedo anchors up to 130 tons weight.
Its main purpose is to reduce forces during anchor recovery and launching of torpedo anchors. Its compact design makes it easy to install and it can also be interfaced to the TowCon control system.
ALARS
The centring device purpose is to assist in moving wires to come within the range of the shark jaw, eliminating the need for personnel to enter exposed deck.
It can also move large chain and wire under low tension. The centring device holds and control chain and wire from dangerous spinning when slackened off after mooring line is disconnected from the shark jaw.
Centring devices
Since the introduction of the new ODIM range of launch and recovery systems (LARS) for remotely operated vehicles, it has become the preferred solution in the high end of the market.
The systems are designed to handle the range from medium observation ROVs up to the largest work class ROVs over the vessel side or through a moon pool, to depths exceeding 4000 m. Even as the deployed load increases, the LARS can still operate with a speed of 144 m/minute continuously.
This is among the highest specifications in the market. The ROV winch can be delivered with secondary controlled hydraulic drives or frequency controlled electrical PM drives.
Handling the ROV between deck and through the splash zone is the most critical part of the launch and recovery operation. For improved safety for personnel and increased lifetime of the equipment, the ROV is in this operation locked in the highly flexible docking head on our side launch systems or in the latch beam on the moon pool systems.
Main features
The system is special designed for gentle handling of the umbilical, thereby ensuring maximum reliability and umbilical lifetime:
- Large diameter sheaves, also for the level wind
- Purpose-built Lebus shell and sheave grooves
- Patented umbilical termination
In addition to highly accurate active heave compensation, our control system offers several unique features:
- Smooth latching between the ROV and the handling unit
- Automatic synchronization of the ROV winch and handling unit while launching and recovering the ROV
- Automatic launch and recovery to a given target depth at a given target speed
Download fact sheet - Launch & recovery systems
Launch & recovery systems for ROV
Windlasses
Windlasses are made up of cable lifter unit, pinion shaft and the clutch and brake module .The windlass winch has an automatic remote control for anchor lowering and an independent driving gear. It features a cable length indicator and a chain stopper.Mooring
The mooring winches have a remote control for speed, direction of rotation, brakes and clutches. It also features an auto tensioning. The pulling capacity is from 5 to 40 tons.
Windlass mooring winches
The secondary winches combine large storage capacity of wire and rope with higher pulling force. The secondary winches can be used to transfer wire and rope to other winches while maintaining a solid back-tension and thus enabling a higher force used on the wire and rope during deployment.
Secondary winches
Storage winches have a very high capacity for storing cable, wire or synthetic rope. As the main purposes is storing and transfer of cable, wire and rope the constant pulling capacity is normally between 1 - 5 tons.
Storage winch
The special handling winch is normally used for large loads in combination with larger water depths. It is also very useful for maintaining pull force, as the core diameter is big.
One of the special purposes the winch is used for is deploying mooring lines made with Spiral Strand wire as this requires the bending radius to be high and thus the core diameter must also be high.
Special handling winches
The cable lifter changer is part of the RR Safer Deck Operations philosophy. The main purpose of this equipment is to aid in safely changing the cable lifters while still being on the sea.
The main parts of the tool consists of two components; the tool for the removal/installation of the cable lifter and the storage system for storing unused cable lifters.
Cable lifter changer
The spooling gear is normally adjusting the wire on the drum to get optimal storage capacity and avoid damage to the wire. They are normally hydraulic driven but can also be electric. The spooling device is can be powered by the same hydraulic circuit as the main system, or by a separate circuit.
Spooling device
The anchor handling crane (AH-cane) is a multitask tool and a part of our Safer Deck Operations philosophy. Besides having all the normal crane abilities the AH Crane also has a range of additional functions.
The multi-tool fitted on one of the booms have a tool for controlled release of spin from wires and also a grab-tool that is meant for use on lifting shackles or grabbing other equipment. The AH Crane is dimensioned to run in longitudinal direction by full load on cargo rails.
Anchor handling crane
Stern rollers are delivered as single, twin and triple rollers. Each roller is equipped with a measuring device for estimating the length of wire rope or chain moving out or in over the roller.
A cooling system is automatically activated when towing/anchor-handling winch operates, with a monitored alarm system in case of insufficient flow or leakage.
Stern rollers
Tugger winches are normally used to help move loads on deck. Pulling force can normally range between 2-25 tons. The winches are usually controlled by the provided radio remote control for safe operation.
Tugger winches
The pennant winder is designed to uncoil pennant wire coils and to spool them up again into manageable coils after use.
The pennant winder is mounted on a platform allowing it to be stowed on an upper deck. A tension control is built in to adjust and set suitable tension for off- or on spooling. The control valve is situated on deck, and the operator can stand inside the cargo rail in a protected place.
Pennant winder
Chain rollers are used to guide the chain to the chain wheel in order to get the proper angle of contact.
Chain roller
The future of anchor-handling vessels
Genuine experience, has been derived from the design of well over six hundred UT-series vessels delivered. Valuable lessons have been learnt based on feedback from shipyards, shipowners and oil companies.
Experience is important not only in the general concept of new vessels but in particular in the details that make for durability, sea kindliness and habitability.The UT 790 CD design embodies Rolls-Royce design thinking for the next generation of offshore anchor-handlers.
The UT 790 CD design embodies Rolls-Royce design thinking for the next generation of offshore anchor-handlers.
Focus on safety
The UT 790 CD also carries the full range of Safer Deck Operations equipment developed by Rolls-Royce over the past few years. Deep water anchor-handling requires powerful winches and storage for many kilometres of wire, and large diameter fibre rope, on winch drums.
This has led to more, and larger, secondary winches typically mounted above the main towing and anchor-handling drums, tending to raise the vessel’s centre of gravity.
Maximising storage capacity
To produce a vessel that can use its power and capacity to full effect, the new UT 790 CD completely re-thinks anchor-handler layout, moving the engines further aft and locating the secondary winches low down where the engine room would traditionally be.
This solution allows for four high-capacity secondary drums in a position where they help instead of reduce stability. Safety considerations go more than skin deep.
Forward thinking
Following the tragic capsize of an offshore vessel, not of Rolls-Royce design, off Shetland in 2007, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate introduced a number of stability-related requirements with immediate effect, and started a programme to develop general new anchor-handling requirements.
The consultation period for this has just ended, and Rolls-Royce has been very proactive in the process. Rather than introducing purely national rules, the proposals will go through the International Maritime Organisation, and the final requirements would have worldwide effect.
The process would take time, but since offshore vessels ordered now can expect to be in service for 30 or more years, the UT 790 CD design meets all the requirements that are likely to come into force as a result of the NMD work. It also meets the SPS 2008 code for special purpose ships.
What to do next...
- Download the Deck Machinery brochure
- Contact a Rolls-Royce representative to discuss your individual requirements
The booming business in the offshore sector has created a high demand for crew expertise. We have strengthened our service and training programme, in order to transfer knowledge to users within our customer's organisations.
Our service team has extensive experience and can solve problems or make improvements and repairs on-site, often within 24hrs.
We offer tailored service agreements and training programmes:
- Equipment service and maintenance
- Crew training
- Spare parts
- Upgrading
What to do next...
- Download the Deck Machinery brochure
- Contact worldwide service on +47 916 22 336 or email:
