It’s Good News Monday!
This Monday we talk about:
Royal Navy Divers Blow Up 750-Pound WWII Mine
Lightsource bp turns 10
The Beautiful Game: The Art of Ship Handling
The Evolution of Quantum Marine Stabilizers' Technology and Controls
SUT Appoints Cheryl Burgess as Chief Executive
Floating Port Concept Addresses Offshore Wind Installations Challenges
WWII mine explosion. Image Credit: The Maritime Executive
A World War II era mine was trawled up by fishermen in the Fifth of Clyde, just off the coast of the UK and Scotland. The mine was laid by a German submarine off the coast of Ailsa Craig, where it sat for approximately 80 years. The crewmen of the trawler were evacuated from their boat by RNLI Troon Lifeboat and Rothesay Coastguard Rescue Team. The Royal Navy bomb disposal experts said the mine was in pristine condition with 750 pounds of explosives intact. They organized a controlled, at-sea detonation, seen in the photo above. There was no harm to anyone and the entire event went smoothly.
Worker at a solar farm. Image Credit: bp
Lightsource bp (LSbp) has hit its 10th anniversary. In 2010, 6 people were in a corner office in London, and it has now grown to serving 14 countries across the world. They’ve followed decreases in the cost of solar and the rise of sun-tracking panels, growing to 3 GW of power to date. They’re on the cutting edge of technology, including bifacial panels that collect light from both sides. They are also using AI to control the tilt of the solar panels throughout the day to maximize output. They’re even getting solid returns, bp says average returns on projects is 8-10%. There’s a lot more in the original article, including Project Bighorn, a $250 million project in Colorado employing more than 700,000 bifacial solar panels.
Ship handling at port. Image Credit: gCaptain
Art is difficult to define - it’s intangible. There’s a complex relationship with the left and right side of the brain that we really don’t know everything about yet. Like sports, it’s this marrying of passion and skill that creates amazing results. However, when we distill a subject down to simple formulas and plays, A then B then C, we can lose that art. Passion is what helps you grow from ‘OK’ or ‘good’ to ‘great’ and ‘amazing’. As with other pursuits, ship handling benefits from this passion to learn and become great. Having a feel for how to handle a ship, the way it moves, when something is going wrong, or when it’s going perfectly, takes time and effort that only the passionate person will put in.
Stabilizing fin. Image Credit: The Maritime Executive
Quantum Marine Stabilizers is developing a new technology for Windfarm Offshore Services Vessels (OSV) and new barges. The stabilizer systems will use artificial intelligence, or AI to predict wave patterns to make corrections before they are needed. Quantum’s fins and rotors have evolved over the last 20 years, but the brains behind the hardware is giving their stabilizer system a leap forward. “It...uses that data, along with Quantum’s proprietary software, to determine and direct the optimal fin activity to reduce the roll of the vessel. There are many factors that influence the commands or the movement directives, such as wave pattern, roll period, vessel speed, metacentric height (GM), gross tonnage (GT) and hull design/profile.” What does all this new tech mean for OSVs? Increased safety, cost savings, and better ROI.
Cheryl Burgess. Image Credit: Offshore Engineer
Dr. Cheryl Burgess has been appointed Chief Executive of The Society for Underwater Technology. She has more than 30 years in the energy industry including utilities, oil and gas, and renewables. “The former Director General of the Pipeline Industries Guild, Burgess’ extensive international expertise from her years with UK Trade & Investment and the Society of British Gas Industries will bring benefit to the SUT’s international Branches and interests, the group said. A strong advocate for organizations she has represented, Burgess is also committed to engaging students, graduates and young professionals in the industries the SUT represents.” SUT is a society that brings together organizations with an interest in offshore, ocean science, and underwater technology.
Oceandock port concept. Image Credit: The Maritime Executive
As offshore wind experiences explosive growth, new solutions are needed to install and service offshore wind installations. Windthrust, an Australian company, has a new concept to support this burgeoning industry. The Oceandock LX is a dynamically positioned floating platform that is self-propelled to move throughout different areas of a project or to a different location. the design can be ballasted to remain on-site for longer durations. “The concept is that once on-site, the Oceandock will serve as a port, warehouse, assembly point, and installation vehicle. It can house a crew of 100 for the project and with two tugs and 600 feet of dock space will function as its own port.”
Onshore ports are experiencing space constraints, and this concept would allow for pre-assembly and basically be its own port at sea. At 1,000 feet in length and 700 feet in beam, it’s not small by any means, but could be customized depending on the customer. It can also survive 8 meter waves, allowing it to operate in deep water where larger turbines, including floating turbines, are located.
Smile, it’s Good News Monday! :-)