Norway: Siem Moxie to Feature Two Voith Schneider Propellers

The “Siem Moxie”, an infield support vessel (ISV), will be put into operation in spring 2014. She is the first work boat with the Ulstein-designed X-BOW to be fitted with two Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP).

X-BOW vessels are characterised by the absence of a bulbous bow. Their bow slopes backwards above the water line which results in reduced resistance and improved wave slamming characteristics on the foreship. Since 2006, forty vessels with the X-BOW design developed by the Norwegian vessel designer Ulstein Design AS have been delivered or are currently being built. One of them is the “Siem Moxie”.

Designed for specific tasks in wind farms in the North Sea as well as in the Atlantic, the work boat with a length of 74 meters and a beam of 17 meters will be the first X-BOW vessel equipped with Voith Schneider Propellers. The “Siem Moxie” will be fitted with two electronically controlled VSP of the size 28R5 ECS/234-2. They have a propulsion power of 1,850 kW each and will be arranged in the stern. The two Voith Schneider Propellers will also be used for active roll stabilization as well as for dynamic positioning (DP class 2). The entire propulsion system as well as the DP system are controlled centrally. The interfaces for propeller and roll stabilization control will be provided by Voith.

For the “Siem Moxie”, model tests were carried out at the Hamburg Ship Model Basin. The vessel is designed for a speed of 14.5 knots. The favorable interactions between the VSP and the X-BOW design result in lower vibrations, a reduction in fuel consumption and therefore in reduced emissions. For the operating company, the “Siem Moxie” will not only allow faster transfers of the up to 60 crew to the wind farms but will also ensure more efficient operation under DP conditions. Given the more stable position of the vessel, even adverse sea and wind conditions still permit work to be carried out on the 200 square meter work deck as well as close to the offshore units.

Once the “Siem Moxie” has reached her operating site, engineers can safely cross to the individual wind turbines using a gangway with a wave compensation unit – a process during which the advantages of the Voith roll stabilization and the two VSP are at their most impressive.

In addition to wind farm tasks, the Norwegian owner Siem Offshore AS intends to use the “Siem Moxie” for cable laying operations in the North Sea and in the Atlantic. The vessel is currently being built by the Fjellstrand AS shipyard in Norway.

[mappress]

Press release, March 27, 2013; Image: voith