1. Ampelmann Demonstrator
by David Cerda Salzmann

2. Offshore Access

3. Offshore Access

4. Offshore Access is NOT easy

5. Essential for turbine maintenance
Offshore Access
Offshore Access =
Essential for turbine maintenance

6. Limited to calm weather conditions
Boat-to-ladder
Horns Rev access by boat:
1st winter: 5/7 days
2nd winter: 1/7 days
Limited to calm weather conditions

7. Costly, requires deck, hazardous operation
Helicopter hoisting
Costly, requires deck, hazardous operation

8. Need for new access method?
Future Prospects
Larger wind turbines
Larger wind farms
Farther offshore
Need for new access method?

9. Ampelmann

10. Ship is moving, structure is NOT
Ampelmann
Solution based on the problem:
Ship is moving, structure is NOT

11. Active motion compensation
Ampelmann
Motion platform
Active motion compensation
Motion sensor
Moving vessel

12. Ampelmann

13. As easy as crossing the street
Ampelmann
Invented by 2 TU Delft PhD students
Wind Energy Conference, Berlin 2002
Code name “Ampelmann”
As easy as crossing the street

14. Proof of Concept

15. Proof of Concept

16. Proof of Concept
The concept works!

17. Industry comments Show that it works full-scale
Show that it works offshore
Prove that the system is safe
Build a demonstrator!

18. Project

19. Design Requirements Hs = 2.0 m on a 50 m vessel
Cylinder stroke 2 meter
Maximum footprint 6 x 6 meter
Redundant System

20. Safety & certification
Planning
R & D Shell, Smit, Heerema
Interest clients
Demo
Start company
Finance
Prototype
Safety & certification
Construct
Onshore testing
Offshore testing
Design
Order components
Sept 2006
Sept. 2007

21. Safety & certification
Planning
R & D Shell, Smit, Heerema
Interest clients
Demo
Start company
Finance
Prototype
Safety & certification
Construct
Onshore testing
Offshore testing
Design
Order components
Sept 2006
Sept. 2007
Components finished
Safety system in development
Programming control system
Lloyd's Certification

22. Safety & certification
Planning
R & D Shell, Smit, Heerema
Interest clients
Demo
Start company
Finance
Prototype
Safety & certification
Construct
Onshore testing
Offshore testing
Design
Order components
Sept 2006
Sept. 2007
Testing this summer

23. Safety & certification
Planning
R & D Shell, Smit, Heerema
Interest clients
Demo
Start company
Finance
Prototype
Safety & certification
Construct
Onshore testing
Offshore testing
Design
Order components
Sept 2006
Sept. 2007
Commercialize after
successful demo

24. Safety & certification
Planning
R & D Shell, Smit, Heerema
Interest clients
Demo
Start company
Finance
Prototype
Safety & certification
Construct
Onshore testing
Offshore testing
Design
Order components
Sept 2006
Sept. 2007
Motion platform
Hydraulics
Controls

25. Motion platform design
Footprint and cylinder stroke given
6 x 6 m
2 m

26. Motion platform design
Footprint and cylinder stroke given
Load case: 10 tonnes

27. Motion platform design
Footprint and cylinder stroke given
Load case: 10 tonnes
Optimized to forces and workspace

28. Motion platform design
Motion range:
Vertical m
Horizontal m
Rotations °

29. Hydraulic design Redundant design Low power consumption
Vessel motion simulations

30. Hydraulic design Pump pressure 240 bar Power demand 200 kW
Piston accumulator
2 valves per cylinder

31. Control design
Based on flight simulator
Redundant
Feed forward

32. Gangway
Length: meter
Yaw: 2 x 180 degrees
Pitch: +/- 20º

33. Construction
Assembly this month

34. Offshore Testing
Testing this summer