Lankhorst Ropes Invests in Fiber Rope Test Machine

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
by  Karen Boman

Deepwater rope manufacturer Lankhorst Ropes Offshore Division has invested Euro 2M (US $2.8 million) in a synthetic fiber rope test machine that, for the first time, will enable naval architects to run 'what if' scenarios to simulate the effects of storms and hurricanes on deepwater mooring lines.

Located at Lankhorst Ropes' fiber rope production facility in Portugal, the rope test machine will be used to test the mechanical performance and fatigue behavior for a range of new materials and rope constructions for deepwater mooring and single point mooring (SPM) systems.

The machine can test 65 foot (20 m) ropes with loads up to 1,200 tonnes and a stroke length up to 14.7 feet (4.5 m). In addition, the machine features a precise mechanical control system designed to maintain peak load such that target loads can be maintained within 10kN during testing.

Optimized Mooring Line Installation

Given industry concerns about the rising cost of performing deepwater installations, the test machine is expected to have wider benefits in optimizing installation scenarios. Deepwater ropes are routinely loaded to approx. 40% of MBL [minimum breaking load] to pre-stretch the rope during installation. More accurate information on the degree of pre-loading required will avoid the high cost and safety issues surrounding excessive pre-loading during offshore installation.

"Until now the lack of specialized rope test equipment, and the very high cost of testing, has led to a shortage of authoritative data on rope properties for a variety of fiber types and rope constructions. The Lankhorst fiber rope test machine will fill this knowledge gap, enabling 'what if scenarios that show the effects of storms, hurricanes and loop current events with associated vortex induced vibrations on deepwater mooring lines," says Chris Johnson, sales director, Lankhorst Ropes Offshore Division.

The rope test machine is currently being used to provide test data for a Joint Industry Project (JIP) on Polyester Rope Stiffness Modeling, Testing and Analysis. Chevron, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Shell, Petrobras, SBM, Whitehill Manufacturing and Lankhorst Ropes are participants in the JIP.

The actual test results will be confidential for three years after the termination of the JIP, which will occur next month. However, the principles established will be written into the next version of the ABS Rules for Polyester Mooring scheduled for April/May of this year.

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[Oil and Gas Post] - Fuel duty may be frozen, hints George Osborne

Fuel duty may be frozen, hints George Osborne

 20 March 2011 Last updated at 15:29 GMT

The government may scrap the rise in fuel duty planned for next month, it has hinted.

Chancellor George Osborne told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show that he was "looking very carefully" at freezing the duty in Wednesday's Budget.

He said he understood the pressure motorists were under from record-high petrol prices.

Mr Osborne also said the Budget would contain measures to help tackle record-high youth unemployment.

'Nonsense'

A freeze on fuel duty has been widely anticipated.

The price of petrol has risen sharply in recent weeks to more than £1.30 a litre on average.

The is largely due to increases in the price of oil due to concerns about supply because of unrest in the Middle East and Libya.

Most observers say they expect the price of both petrol and diesel to continue rising, and motoring organisations such as the RAC have called on the government to scrap the planned rise in duty due to take effect in April.

It is due to go up by inflation plus 1p, making a total rise of about 4p per litre.

Others said Mr Osborne should look beyond the cost of fuel.

"The chancellor should tackle the impact of rising fuel prices by focusing on the root of the problem - the UK's economic addiction to oil," said Simon Bullock at Friends of the Earth.

"Urgent measures are needed to make public transport cheaper and more convenient, encourage greener motoring and reduce our dependency on car travel."

Youth unemployment

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, also speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, reiterated his call for the government to reverse the VAT increase on petrol.

He said it was "nonsense" to argue that the European Union would not permit such a reverse.

The government increased the VAT rate in January from 17.5% to 20%.

Mr Osborne also said he would make available additional help for teenagers to gain access to apprenticeships and "high quality vocational education".

The unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds is currently at a record high of 18.3%.

Link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/