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drives, mostly serving the <150-tonne line pull market place, in <500m water

Pipelines

Increasing depth, acknowledging that the market above that level is already well served.

By July this year, the ? rm will have supplied a full back-deck spread to one the tension vessel.

In some areas, the industry could learn from ? shing, he says, especially around control systems. “Operating systems on ? shing vessels are very sophisticated,” he says. Fishermen put acoustic devices on their nets which transmit to a transducer on the hull, the signals from which are then used to automatically control the geometry of the nets by control tension.

Smith thought this could be used in the industry, on equipment which didn’t have accurate constant control systems, by ? oating equipment on load cells, with the operator just dictating what he wants the system to achieve. The ? rm has developed its own software, in-house, for its systems.

While the ? shing industry systems are sophisticated, they are built to be robust and easy to use, with simple interfaces and reduced decision making require-

Maritime Development’s four-track,

By Elaine Maslin ments, whereas in the offshore industry 75-tonne tensioner.

Photos from Maritime aritime Developments, based in the systems need more technically adept

Developments.

M

Peterhead, Scotland, has released staff to operate them, Smith says.

The V-shaped caterpillar tracks grip The business recently secured the ? rst its ? rst four-track, 75-tonne pipeline ten- the product with failsafe hydraulic order for a portable overside vertical lay sioner, not long after shipping out the third cylinders. The maximum pull force is system (PVLS) from a leading installa- of a 50-tonne version of the unit, which rated at 51-tonne in four- tion contractor. Maritime Developments took center stage at Subsea Expo track mode (0.09 coef? cient will deliver a bespoke vertical lay in Aberdeen in February.

The ? rm, set up 15 years of friction), and 25.5-tonne system tower along with a four-track ago, sold its ? rst TTS-4/140 in two-track (0.09 CoF). in two-track (0.09 CoF). tensioner and a multi tensioner and a multi

Series, 50-tonne, four-track Payout speed on 50-600mm Payout speed on 50-600mm reel drive system reel drive system pipelay tensioner in 2013. The outer diameter product var-outer diameter product var- to support a major to support a major design was patented in July ies up to 900m/hr (at 60Hz) ies up to 900m/hr (at 60Hz)

North Sea ? eld North Sea ? eld 2014, ahead of the 75-tonne with 10-100% digital tension with 10-100% digital tension development.development.

version unveiling earlier this control. Maritime Maritime

Derek Smith

Derek Smith, the ? rm’s year. Derek Smith, the ? rm’s Developments has Developments has

The four-track caterpillar track system CEO, started out in the ? shing industry, CEO, started out in the ? shing industry, also delivered a also delivered a building winches for ? sh- building winches for ? sh- 500-tonne reel drive 500-tonne reel drive for installing or recovering pipe, ? exibles, ing vessels and provid- ing vessels and provid- system (RDS) in sup-system (RDS) in sup- umbilials and cables in two- or four-track ing port services, but ing port services, but port of a project in port of a project in mode has been designed so it can be used diversi? ed into the oil diversi? ed into the oil the US. It was the the US. It was the horizontally, hung off vertically, or on a ramp, as well as containerized for shipping. and gas sector, and fourth RDS order fourth RDS order

In horizontal mode, one of the 4m-long now provides back- executed by the executed by the business since business since tracks can open to load pipe, maintaining deck equipment the product’s the product’s one track at the base to centralize the load. including winches, launch in 2013: launch in 2013:

In horizontal mode, which can be harder tensioners, and reel three 400-three 400- to load pipe due to vessel motion, but it is tonne systems tonne systems no longer necessary to have a centralizing

The 75-tonne have also track, two of the tensioner’s tracks can tensioner with one already been open out to load pipe, which may have end track opened out for loading product.

supplied. termination pieces on it.

May 2015 | OE oedigital.com 102 102_OE0515_Pipelines4-Maritime.indd 102 4/20/15 9:17 PM