GustoMSC, NOV’s offshore design and engineering business, has developed a new asymmetrical rack-and-pinion technology designed to increase the jacking capacity of offshore wind installation vessels without increasing vessel size, weight or system complexity.
The patent-pending asymmetrical rack-and-pinion (ASYM R&P) technology builds on the company’s existing rack-and-pinion jacking systems and is designed to improve load distribution within the existing system architecture, allowing more efficient use of structural capacity within the same vessel footprint.
The technology is aimed at addressing increasing installation demands as offshore wind turbines grow in size and projects move into deeper waters and more challenging operating environments.
According to GustoMSC, the design increases performance through an asymmetrical configuration integrated into its established rack-and-pinion jacking system and jack-up vessel designs, rather than relying on larger components or additional weight to increase capacity.
“The offshore wind industry is under pressure to install larger turbines more efficiently while reducing LCOE and controlling project economics. With ASYM R&P technology, we rethought how loads are distributed within rack and pinion jacking systems. The result is higher capacity within the same platform footprint. It gives vessel owners and operators more flexibility as offshore wind projects continue to scale,” said Marc Doorduin, Commercial Director Fixed Wind at GustoMSC.
The technology forms part of GustoMSC’s efforts to develop solutions that support the next phase of offshore wind development as installation vessels are required to handle larger components and higher loads while maintaining operational efficiency.