Liebherr Offshore Cranes

Subsea Cranes with

Active Heave Compensation

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Active Heave Compensation
The revolutionary Active Heave Compensation (AHC) system and the subsea winch from Liebherr have been designed especially
for subsea lifts and for handling loads underwater (lifting and lowering) as well as for general offshore crane applications.

Liebherr‘s AHC system is integrated in the proven Liebherr

Litronic® control system, which recognizes the vessel‘s motion
with a completely new Motion Reference Unit (MRU) designed
in-house. The sensor in the crane measures the vessel‘s motion
at the boom head and leads to a compensation of the movement
with the winch.

Traditional AHC systems using hydraulic cylinder compensation

have the disadvantage of high rope wear as well as the potential
risk of blocking. The newly developed subsea winch features
new spooling mechanisms, which spare undue wear on the
rope. The winch has a line pull of 260 tonnes with single reeving.
The innovative design concept of the winch contributes to a
significant increase in rope lifetime and therefore a reduction of
the operational costs.

• Sophisticated system to keep the load at a constant position

• Precise sensors for optimised measuring and data recording
• Automatic memorizing of the vessel‘s motion and self-
acting calibration of the Heavetronic® system within
20 minutes
• Fully integrated in the Liebherr Litronic® system
• Best service including long-term spare parts availability

Modular hoisting gear system

OSS
OSS 11 OSS 1 OSS 2 OSS 2 OSS 3 OSS 3 OSS 4

260 t 230 t 240 t 205 t 200 t 175 t 170 t

t
at max. SWL e.g. (on boom tip): Heave period: 10 s Heave: ±1.5 m max. compensation speed: 1m/s

Rope-Ø: 100 mm Ø: 100 mm Ø: 98 mm Ø: 98 mm Ø: 90 mm Ø: 90 mm Ø: 82 mm

wire rope safety factor WRSF: 3.5 WRSF: 3.0 WRSF: 3.5 WRSF: 3.0 WRSF: 3.5 WRSF: 3.0
WRSF: 3.0

200 t 170 t 200 t 160 t 170 t 135 t 140 t

-2000 m

180 t 135 t 150 t 115 t 125 t

-2500 m

130 t 95 t 110 t

-3000 m

95 t

-3400 m

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Subsea Crane with Knuckle Boom
RL-K 7500 - the new crane for highest requirements in subsea lifting.

The system was integrated for the first time in the newly
developed RL-K 7500 subsea crane from Liebherr. The
RL-K 7500 with knuckle boom and AHC for underwater handling
is able to lift 260 tonnes above the water surface and handle
loads down to a depth of 3000 m.
As a heavy lift crane (without subsea functionality) lifting
capacities of 300 tonnes are possible. Boom configurations are
available for radii between 35 m to 50 m. An advantage of the
knuckle boom is that loads can be lowered to the water surface
with a short rope length.

AHC system also applicable for BOS-type cranes!

With our new winch concept we are able to ...

• ... serve different rope types for various applications
=> one system for more flexibility!
1. The right rope and rope diameter for every
application!
2. Easy adaption of the new configuration!
3. One crane offering utmost flexibility!
• ... lower and hoist loads to and from the seabed!

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Liebherr AHC Technology

Wave height
(WH)
Vertical motion caused by waves

Lifting height
(LH)

Vertical motion compensation through hoist rope

Constant

The AHC subsea winch is driven by 16 hydraulic motors -

eight motors on the left and eight motors on the right hand side.

The vessel rises by the The vessel moves downwards

distance (WH) by the distance (WH)

Liebherr Offshore Cranes – 10597548 – 04/2012 – Subject to change without notice.

• In order to keep the load in a
constant position the rope
ull length is increased by the
ep
Lin distance (WH).
• This is done by unpowered
unspooling of the hoist rope
from the winch, the winch
being driven by the eight
Engine hydraulic motors on the left
hand side.
• The hydraulic motors on the
right hand side charge the
AHC accumulator modules.
AHC accumulator
modules
• In order to keep the load in a
constant position the rope
ull length is decreased by the
ep
Lin distance (WH).
• This is done by spooling the
hoist rope onto the winch,
the winch being driven by
the 16 hydraulic motors.
• The hydraulic motors on the
Engine
left hand side are driven by
the engine. Those on the
right hand side are driven by
the energy transferred back
from the AHC accumulator
AHC accumulator modules.
modules

Pull force through load Pull force through load

and hook/rope weight and hook/rope weight

Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH

P.O. Box 10, A-6710 Nenzing/Austria
Tel.: +43 50809 41-0
Fax: +43 50809 41-500
info.lwn@liebherr.com
www.liebherr.com