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Advances in technology across industry

Safe crane operation at sea

Wind farms and drilling platforms are becoming more widespread, with construction costs playing an integral role in their development. In previous years, the lack of convincing crane technology has proven to be a big problem.

“Right now, standard floating cranes encounter difficulty with waves cresting at thirty centimetres. Safe crane operation can no longer be guaranteed,” says Jan-Paul van der Bos from Dutch company Barge Master BV. Even minor swaying of just two to three degrees can move the tip of the crane by four to five metres. This results in an unstable load and puts the crew at risk.

By working with Bosch Rexroth, Barge Master developed a comprehensive solution including all the necessary drive and control components. “With Rexroth heave compensation we have expanded the application window for floating cranes handling waves of up to 150 centimetres,” says van den Bos. This is achieved through a moving platform which neutralises roll, yaw and heave. Three hydraulic cylinders, affixed vertically, attach the crane to the hull of the ship through joints that incorporate ball bearings. Connection rods with limited mobility freeze the remaining three degrees of freedom so that the cylinder movements can compensate for wave action.

The controls are the heart of the solution. Special sensors deliver motion data which is used to calculate target values for the compensatory movements that keep the platform stable. Even with irregular swells and crests of over a metre, 95% of motion can be neutralised. Visit: www.boschrexroth.co.uk

QinetiQ’s Zephyr solar aircraft double award by IET

QinetiQ’s Zephyr team has been honoured by the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) for their world record breaking work on a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle by winning both the awards for Emerging Technologies and Product Design at the prestigious IET Innovation Awards.

The judging panel commented: “The Zephyr takes a giant step towards the goal of eternal flight. The entire aircraft design has been considered and optimised – power, weight, sensors, propulsion – in order to make the prospect of ‘near-eternal’ flight a realistic possibility.”

The Zephyr platform is a flagship UK-developed technology which has already achieved three official world records, including absolute flight endurance of 14 days, 22 minutes, 8 seconds in 2010 at heights of up to 70,000 feet. Using solar power and state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries with a total mass of only 50kg, the Zephyr is capable of hosting commercial communications and remote camera payloads for months at a time. It promises formidable advantages in defence and security roles as diverse as persistent wide area communications relay, missile detection, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and maritime patrol. Visit: www.qinetic.com

Ultrasonic camera

EADS Innovation Works, the corporate research and technology network of EADS, and the Norwegian SME DolphiTech AS have signed a cooperation agreement for the development of a new non-destructive testing (NDT) system based on an innovative ultrasonic camera component for composite inspections.

The new tool can be used for all types of NDT applications for composite materials. NDT is a method of screening structures – for example an aircraft fuselage – and detecting damage not visible from the outside without destroying the material. Methods used for NDT include radiography, the application of infrared light, electromagnetism or endoscopy. The new ultrasonic NDT device will be used by manufacturers and operators of aerospace products as well as in other industries.

“The adaptation of our novel ultrasound technology for impact assessment by EADS Innovation Works and the EADS Divisions will open a very attractive global market for our technology,” said DolphiTech’s managing director Terje Melandso. Visit: ww.dolphiscan.com and www.eads.com