Dynamic innovation

Kongsberg Maritime was an early adopter of permanent magnet (PM) technology, with the launch of a range of products for propulsion, anchor handling and fishery winches. The range of PM winches has been proven effective in heavy-duty bottom fishing operations, when the speed, torque and rapid response have proved invaluable. 

The products have been developed by the company’s in-house engineering team, located in Brattvåg, Norway, where a serial assembly and test line for motors is located.

The winches offer significant benefits in energy efficiency and are a key part of the shift towards electrification of ships. 

The high-torque, low-gear ratio winches have always used the manufactured motors from Brattvåg. The main advantage with this motor design is it provides very high torque, which leads to an overall total low moment of inertia for the winch. This gives the winches a very good dynamic capability – an important feature when working with large loads. Another key element is the enabling of active heave compensation capability, with high electrical efficiency and the possibility to regenerate electrical power. 

Runar Hjelle, Kongsberg Maritime’s Sales Director Offshore Construction & Support, says: “There are a lot of adverse sea conditions that aren’t easy to predict. Add to that the mass involved, movements such as slamming and drag, or perhaps equipment stuck on the seabed, and you have a very challenging environment that demands the best handling equipment to perform the operation safely and efficiently. 

Ten years on, Kongsberg Maritime has accrued significant references for its winches in the fishery market, with more than 50 motors installed on a variety of trawlers. The winches are easily scalable, in the same principle as low-pressure hydraulic winch systems, which the company has supplied to more than 10,000 vessels. 

Fishing vessels require a pulling capacity from around 30 to 110 tonnes. Up to 55 tonnes is achieved with a single PM motor, without the need for a gearbox.

As pulling requirements increase, much larger winches can be configured, simply by adding additional motors, directly driven or with a gearbox.

Runar explains: “The PM winch is a flexible solution, with a broad power range from 30 to 700 tonnes, depending on the mission. At the lower power range, such as fishery, a single motor is fine. As you move up through the power demands, additional motors can power much larger winch systems for the heaviest of anchor handling and towing operations. With each motor rated at up to 1.1MW, there is a huge amount of power.

Today, owners are exploring ways to maximise electric systems and components on board their new vessels. 

Runar adds: “I would say, in the majority of the discussions we’re having with customers in Europe, they are focused on electrification, and we see a trend for global interest in this technology.”