Offshore Access Innovation Placement with EdF Renewables (Teeside) [£5,500]

Offshore Access EPSRC National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) Innovation Placements

Offshore wind farm operations require the transfer of technicians to the turbines, often in rough sea conditions. The transfer is normally performed with the vessel skipper using full throttle speed of the crew transfer vessel (CTV) against the turbine’s fender ladder. Then the technicians hook themselves onto the turbine’s access pulleys and they climb the ladder. Technician transfers from a CTV to the turbine is decided by the vessel skipper who needs to evaluate if the vessel pushing against the boat landing is stable enough to allow the transfer to occur. However, in certain unforeseen sea conditions, stable contact between the vessel and the boat landing could be lost (a slip) resulting in significant personal safety consequences. Therefore, supporting the vessel skipper in his decision making with additional information in the form of a validated data centric metric that would inform him of the likelihood of a slip occurring would increase safety, improve the effectiveness of the transfer and the performance of the technician.