Toisa MOCV to have Siemens drive and power solutions

MARCH 13, 2014 — The Ulstein X-bowed multipurpose offshore construction vessel (MOCV) that Hyundai Heavy Industries is building at its Ulsan, South Korea shipyard for Toisa Ltd (see earlier story) will have an integrated drive and power generation solution supplied by  Siemens Drive Technologies Division.

The vessel will be managed by Sealion Shipping and will perform a variety of offshore duties that set new standards in terms of flexibility and capacity, including ultra-deepwater installations and constructions, the laying of undersea pipes and cables and the control of remotely operated vehicles (ROV).

Consequently, the demands on the flexibility, efficiency and reliability of the vessel are very high. To meet them, Siemens is providing integrated solutions both for marine propulsion (Siship Drive LV) as well as for on-board power generation (Siship Power MV).

Siship Drive LV is a diesel-electric drive solution featuring components that are optimally tailored to the design of the vessel.

For example, the azimuth thrusters, the retractable thrusters and the bow thruster are powered by five 3.4 MW and two 2.5 MW motors combined with seven marine-type Siship frequency converters. The converters are designed for harsh operating conditions in terms of the temperatures, vibrations and humidity levels prevalent on offshore vessels.

The optimum interaction of motors and converters contributes to a rapid reaction capability of the different drives, thus increasing the flexibility of the vessel and enabling precise maneuvering. Thanks to the integrated drive system, a high level of motor performance and, consequently, a high degree of efficiency are achieved.

The on-board power supply system is fed by six diesel generators, each with an output of 4 MW. The generator output is continuously adapted to the actual energy demand, yielding a significant reduction in fuel consumption is achieved.

The power management system, also supplied by Siemens, ensures a stable generation of electricity so that the necessary power can be made available everywhere and anytime.

As additional safety solutions, power protection functions are integrated in the switchgear. They detect critical operating states and protect or isolate the relevant generator from the supply system before any damage can occur.

The power management system also enables electrical power generation to be resumed automatically after any failures. The main switch panels for the primary distribution network also originate from Siemens.

In addition to delivering the drive and power generation system, Siemens is also responsible for the project management, the engineering and the commissioning of the entire diesel-electric drive system. All systems and components used are part of the Siemens “Siship” solution platform.