Offshore

Increasingly more sophisticated and competitive offshore vessels serve offshore industries such as wind energy, oil and gas production, seismic exploration, and fishery. From cable and pipe layers to oil rigs, jack-up rigs, offshore platform supply vessels and subsea vehicles, offshore vessels are equipped with complex systems where all functionalities are integrated via an AC and/or DC bus. Therefore, when optimizing performance and efficiency, it is not enough to consider individual components only. We help you to assess the total impact and make informed choices on that basis.

In every corner of the ship, from the engine room to the ventilation system, from the cargo deck to the accommodation quarters, we consider the big picture. Then we can give concrete advice on the specific motor controls to optimize performance of the propulsion thruster, pump, winch, compressor or fan. No matter what the application, Danfoss can help you improve efficiency, safety and reliability for offshore vessels.

Clean cost-effective propulsion

The marine and offshore industry is always looking for ways to reduce consumption of diesel oil and minimize emissions. A move from diesel and diesel-electric propulsion towards using cleaner fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) is already in place. The future will be a move towards the operation of fully electric vessels. In the meantime, shipyard and vessel owners are investing more and more in marine hybrid systems to increase flexibility in design and installation, optimize operational performance and minimize environmental impact. Currently, all vessel types from small shuttles to huge flight carriers can utilize hybridization technology for a more efficient and cleaner performance. Danfoss offers solutions which improve performance and reduce cost for all forms of vessel propulsion, traditional and new.

Improved performance with hybrid battery energy storage

Offshore vessels run increasingly on hybrid power. A typical example is a fully electric powered propulsion using electric azimuth thrusters and tunnel thrusters. The power is generated by variable speed gen-sets. This topology is often used for both ferries and offshore vessels. The additional hybrid energy storage system offers peak shaving and facilitates smaller and more efficient gen-sets. This type of hybridization technology is well-suited to LNG powered vessels.

Benefits of Danfoss VACON® power conversion technology for diesel-electric or LNG-electric hybrid propulsion with batteries for offshore vessels:

• High efficiency, cost reduction and lower emissions due to peak load shaving
• Ability to store energy for later use: time shifting
• Back-up power or blackout start in the event of unexpected power loss