Offshore Wind Payload Transfer Using Flexible Mobile Crane

This article presents an offshore-simulated loading and unloading of a payload from a floating platform to a fixed structure. The experiments are performed in a dry-lab, where a Stewart platform is used to simulate the motion of the vessel. A hydraulically actuated vehicle loader crane is used to perform the tasks of payload transfer. The crane includes a hydraulic winch where the wire force is measured by a load cell. A mathematical model of the winch is derived and is experimentally verified. The control strategies include a heave compensation and a constant tension mode. A motion reference unit is used to generate the reference motion of the moving platform. Experimental results show the wire force while performing the load cases. This paper shows the advantage of using a reference motion as a feed forward control reference, instead of only relying on the constant tension.