Author: Andrew Clegg, Industrial Systems and Control Ltd.
Challenge: Creating a system to safely transfer personnel and equipment to and from offshore wind turbines in rolling seas and bad weather.
Solution: Using NI LabVIEW and NI CompactRIO to develop a movable gangway with an algorithm that computes the inverse kinematics of the gangway tip using measured boat motions to provide the required hydraulic cylinder lengths to maintain its position.
Since this Case Study was completed we have had sea trials - and things went very well.
Here's a little video clip showing the stabilisation of the gangway in relatively heavy seas. If the waves get much bigger than this, it is beyond what the mechanism can cope with and the system does not allow operation. From some of the camera angles it looks like the gangway is clamped to the turbine tower - I can assure you it isn't and its all done by control. Enjoy.
Hi Andy,
This video is awesome, thanks for sharing. I'm glad to see the sea trials went well.
I work at NI on the team putting together the GSDAAs. If you'd like, you can send me the original file for this video and we'll include it in the presentation for the GSDAA ceremony. You can email it to me at christina.hadly@ni.com.
Best,
Christina
Christina - Thanks.
I have provided the video to some NI staff members who said they were doing the presentation for this (Jamie Lynn Robitaille and Kate Amos). I hope they got it ok. The actual video I have is higher resolution, so quite large - I sent it as link to it on dropbox file sharing service.
Andy
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