Case story | VACON® common DC bus modules Advanced winch technology for extracting oil deep under the sea Vacon is the market leader in Norway in supplying drive systems for electric active heave-compensated (AHC) winches. AHC winch systems are increasingly being deployed for lowering and lifting equipment to and from the seabed at depths down to 3,000 meters. By compensating for any undulations or heavy sea movements that cause sudden slack or pull on cables, they especially meet the need when extracting oil from wells deep under the sea in extreme, harsh conditions, including high seas. The oil age has reached its peak - the maximum rate of petroleum extraction - and oil reserves on land and under shallow water are running out. To an increasing extent, oil is being extracted from reserves buried deep under the sea, which requires advanced technology. Norway is a leading country in high tech R&D for the subsea oil industry, where the equipment must work at sea depths down to 3,000 meters. One of its areas of special expertise is winches fitted with active heave compensation (AHC) technology, which is used on lifting equipment to reduce the influence of waves by actively compensating for any movement relative to the seabed. AHC winch systems compensate for any undulations or heavy sea movements that cause sudden slack or pull on cables, resulting in safe and controlled deployment and retrieval of loads, increased safety and reduced weatherrelated down times. The trend is for AHC winch systems to become larger in size and to be electrically operated. drives.danfoss.com
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