Offshore Crew Transfer Wave Prediction for Safe Bow Motion Windows

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Solution Overview

Problem

The risk of sudden vessel bow motion relative to offshore structures during crew transfers due to sea waves poses a safety hazard, leading to potential delays in offshore operations.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing a wave detection device, prediction system, and indicator to predict vessel bow motion below a threshold value within a predetermined time, ensuring safe transfers by indicating when it is safe to proceed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the skipper makes a conservative call to avoid sudden vessel bow motion, then safety is improved, but transfer time is lost and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidtransfer time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction system performs preliminary assessment of future vessel bow motion based on detected sea waves before the transfer actually occurs. This allows the skipper to make informed decisions in advance about whether conditions will be safe for transfer, rather than waiting conservatively or reacting to dangerous situations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously detects sea waves and provides real-time prediction feedback about future vessel bow motion. This feedback loop enables dynamic decision-making, allowing transfers to proceed when predicted conditions are safe while avoiding transfers when dangerous motion is predicted, thus optimizing both safety and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the skipper makes a conservative call to avoid sudden vessel bow motion, then safety is improved, but service delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidservice delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction system enables preliminary assessment of transfer safety conditions by analyzing detected sea waves and predicting future vessel bow motion. This allows service operations to proceed without unnecessary delays when conditions will be safe, while still maintaining safety through predictive awareness of dangerous conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If wave detection and prediction systems are implemented, then transfer safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer safetyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction system serves multiple functions: it detects sea waves, predicts future vessel bow motion, provides real-time safety assessment, and guides transfer decisions. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be multiple separate systems into one integrated solution, reducing overall complexity while improving safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4265513B1A method for the use in offshore crew transfer
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 ORSTED WIND POWER AS
  • EP4265513B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4265513B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A method for the use in offshore crew transfer when transferring a person between a crew transfer vessel and a structure or vice versa where a prediction system for predicting vessel bow motion in response to sea waves detected by said wave detection device is used. An indicator is adapted to indicate a prediction of vessel bow motion below a first bow motion threshold value within a first predetermined time period based on said prediction system. The transfer of the person only takes place when said vessel bow motion is indicated to be below the first vessel bow motion threshold value within the first predetermined time period.