April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

Siemens has recently delivered mechanical drives

for a jacking system for a wind turbine installation

vessel. The customer is Shipyard Crist SA headquar-

tered in Gdansk, Poland, which is currently building

the high performance heavy-lift jack-up vessel

Innovation for HGO InfraSea Solutions. As of mid

2012, Innovation will be the largest of its kind and

will install heavy foundations and offshore wind

turbines in the North Sea at water depths of up to

50 meters.

The potential for offshore wind in Europe is estimated

at around 100 gigawatts, which equal two-thirds of the

power plant capacity currently installed in Germany. At

present, only approximately two percent of that poten-

tial is being utilized. The time required to transport and

install wind turbines is a crucial factor when setting

up an offshore wind farm. A new generation of spe-

cial ships has been developed and consists of a large

self-propelled vessel with the capacity to accommodate

numerous complete wind turbines or jackets on board.

A heavy-lift crane lowers the jackets on the predeter-

mined position and places the equipment precisely and

safely on the stable, previously installed, foundation

pile or structure.

To ensure a safe and precise operation of the crane the

ship can be lifted out of the water on four legs. The

Complete delivery of mechanical drive for jacking system of the world’s largest heavy-lift jack-up vessel

Siemens delivers the complete mechanical drive for the jacking system of Innovation, which will be the largest heavy-lift jack-up vessel of its kind. Image (computer animation): HGO.

Special feature

April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

ship thus offers a stable working platform for installa-

tion of jackets or wind turbines. For this jacking system

Siemens supplied 96 mechanical drives with heavy-du-

ty Flender planetary gearboxes. Due to their high-quali-

ty and durable gearing, the planetary gears are desig-

ned for high concentrated loads, thus enabling stability

when the boat is lifted in and out of the water. Siemens

also supplied the same number of individually VSD

operated electric motors in marine version together

with watercooled Sinamic S120 frequency converters.

Furthermore, the Simatic PCS7 control system will be

used for overall automation. Siemens supplied as well

four Geafol medium voltage transformers. As single

source supplier, Siemens offers VSD controlled com-

plete Rack and Pinion Systems particularly suitable for

frequently operated jacking systems on lift boats. „This

project shows how we developed an integrated system

for the customer clearly demonstrating our strengths

in optimizing the entire drive train.“ says Dr. Bernhard

Hoffmann, VP of Drive Applications at Siemens Busi-

ness Unit Mechanical Drives.

HGO InfraSea Solutions is a joint venture of HOCHTIEF

Solutions and GeoSea, a company of the Belgian DEME

Group. HGO InfraSea Solutions develops, constructs,

manages and charters special-purpose vessels used

to build and maintain offshore wind farms as well as

offshore oil and gas facilities.

Further information regarding Flender gear units for lift

boats:

www.siemens.com/jack-up

Due to their high-quality and durable gearing, the heavy-duty Flender planetary gearboxes are designed for high concentrated loads, thus enabling stability for heavy-lift jack-up vessels.

April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

The need to transport large quantities of goods and

high numbers of people remains undiminished.

The world‘s largest ferryboat will start running

between the continents of Africa and Europe later

this year. Among the factors crucial to the success of

such technical achievements are reliable, efficient

propulsion solutions, such as the Flender gearboxes

used by Siemens. They are not only characterized

by their performance capability and efficiency, but

also provide safety and comfort for the passengers

on board.

The largest ferryboat in the world to date will start run-

ning later this year between Tunisia and Italy/France. It

has a capacity of 3,200 passengers and 1,060 vehicles.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine is building the ocean

giant in its South Korean shipyard for CoTuNav, the

Tunisian state shipping line. Daewoo chose Siemens

type Navilus GVLQ 2500 Flender propulsion gearbo-

xes which are designed for both high power and quiet

running.

The giant ferry is propelled by means of a multi-engine

design. Two of the ship‘s four diesel engines transmit

the required power via the Flender gearbox to the cor-

responding propulsion drive with adjustable propellers.

A design with four engines and two propellers provides

a good combination of safety and comfort for passen-

ger ships. Selecting one or two-engine mode enables

the propulsion drive to be run at different speeds. Each

engine can be engaged and disengaged via a multiple-

plate clutch. This enables the power to be increased so

that the ship can reach a top speed of 27.5 knot, which

corresponds to about 50 km/h.

As well as the efficiency and power of the propulsion

system, the flexibility of the service work also plays

an important role, after all a giant ferryboat cannot

simply be „parked“ on the open sea. The advantages of

a multi-engine solution combined with Flender gear-

boxes pay off here again. The selectable multiple-plate

clutch enables one engine to be disengaged at any

time it requires service, while the other engine continu-

es to propel the ship.

Additional special features of the Siemens gearboxes

are the built-on oil supply system and the monitoring

system, which allows unsupervised operation. Further-

more, the propeller thrust bearings are integrated into

the gearbox, so the gearbox housing has very high tor-

sional rigidity. This means that the teeth mesh perfectly

under all conditions, even with rapid load changes

during bad weather.

Full speed ahead! Siemens gear technology in the world‘s largest ferryboat

With a width of 7.35 m, a height of 4.92 m and a length of 3.7 m, the giant Flender gearboxes weigh 89 tons, which makes them the largest marine gearboxes ever built in the Siemens Voerde Works.

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April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

For more than one hundred and thirty years, Siemens has been specializing in the planning,

manufacture and assembly of electrical equipment for all types of merchant and naval vessels, as well

as submarines. This covers turnkey projects and conversions throughout a ship‘s life cycle. The Siemens

„Marine & Shipbuilding“ Division offers shipyards and shipping lines solutions which sustainably increase

the environmental compatibility and commercial efficiency of the entire shipping operation.

Energy-efficient ship propulsion systems from Siemens

Exhaust gas heat conversion on board ship to supply the on-board power network and to boost the propulsion with hybrid drives (Waste Heat Recovery System – WHRS)

Fuel consumption is one of the major cost items in ship

operation. Highly efficient propulsion solutions and intel-

ligent energy management are crucial to remaining com-

petitive in the long term. At the same time, technologies

that are more environmentally compatible are required to

meet the ever stricter worldwide environmental protec-

tion regulations. The Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS)

helps to meet both of these demands optimally.

Clean, efficient, flexible

The WHRS uses exhaust gases from the diesel propul-

sion engine to produce additional electrical power

from the ship‘s fuel in a clean and efficient manner.

The system offers decisive competitive advantages by

cutting energy costs by up to 12 percent, reducing CO2

and NOX emissions, and significantly lowering main-

tenance costs. The user also gains more flexibility in

the ship design. Smaller fuel tanks give greater scope

in the design of the ship‘s lines and its interior, and the

main propulsion system can have a lower rated power.

Reliable, internationally available standard components

and well-established spare parts logistics make main-

tenance easier and ensure maximum safeguarding

against failure.

Diagram of the WHRS from Siemens

Special feature

April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

The many on-board technical installations and sys-

tems supply informative data about their status,

performance and efficiency. The EcoMain communica-

tions platform helps to utilize the commercial poten-

tial of the ship by optimizing its operation. Through a

wide range of on-board interfaces, EcoMain collects

data from as many technical systems as possible, pre-

pares it in a standardized format, and makes it availa-

ble on a common data platform. Energy consumption,

emissions, bunkering with liquids, maintenance sche-

dules, document and knowledge management and a

great deal more can be evaluated and subsequently

optimized. The greatest potential for improvement lies

in energy consumption, environmental compatibility

and maintenance intervals.

Targeted decision support for green fleet management

The system assists the ship management by providing

specific information for optimization: Lower-level mo-

dules below EcoMain, such as the power management

system, help in the making of decisions to improve

the performance of a ship or an entire fleet. As a

result, EcoMain enables significant cost savings to be

made with „green“ fleet management, which safegu-

ard the investment and the future of the fleet. These

are crucial competitive advantages.

Optimization of ship operation with the EcoMain communication platform

Versatile, powerful, safe

In two-stroke direct propulsion systems, the WHRS uses hot exhaust gases to generate superheated steam, which drives a two-stage steam turbine. An exhaust gas turbine can be fed with excess exhaust gas that is not needed for turbocharging. Together with the steam turbine, it drives the electricity generator (waste heat conversion princip-le), which generally supplies the entire on-board power network. Surplus electric power can be used to boost the propulsion system by means of an electric drive that acts directly on the propeller shaft. At a low machine load, the waste heat recovery system can be run in parallel with a diesel generator set. Parallel operation with a shaft ge-

nerator, also known as power take-off operation, is easily implemented, because this electric machine is in any case installed to feed in excess energy. This is a slow-running electric machine mounted directly on the propeller shaft without gears, which can work both as a generator and as a motor.

All the functionalities of the WHRS are controlled by a power management system that ensures optimal use of the available energy, and automatically adjusts the shaft generator operation to match respective requirements. This utilizes reserve power, reduces the wear on the main propulsion system, and increases the reliability of the on-board power supply.

Kay Tigges, the expert for „Green Ship“ technology at Siemens and the „Siemens Inventor of the Year 2009“, commented: „Efficiency and environmental sustainability are not opposites in the shipping industry; on the contrary, together they form a competitive factor.“

April 2012

6

Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

Siemens has once again been certified by Germa-

nischer Lloyd (GL) as an inspection agency for con-

dition monitoring systems for wind energy plants.

For the second time, the Field Remote Service

department has received certification confirming

that the diagnostic competence of its inspection

engineers, remote monitoring processes and

quality management all meet the requirements of

Germanischer Lloyd.

Condition monitoring systems (CMS) are used for the

vibration-based status monitoring of drive trains. As

drive systems, particularly in wind energy plants, must

offer maximum availability at all times, the work on

prescribing corresponding monitoring systems started

at a very early stage in this industry. When the need

arises, it is essential to have competent and prompt

support available. This can be provided to an increa-

sing extent by the use of modern, high-performance

communication media via remote service.

In order to anticipate possible failures in wind ener-

gy plants before they develop and thereby avoid

the costly consequences, the Field Remote Service

department in the Siemens Industry Sector offers

comprehensive diagnostics and status monitoring

of wind energy plants by remote access. Utilization

of the Siplus CMS4000 condition monitoring system

facilitates the status-oriented maintenance of entire

wind farms. The inspection agency was re-certified in

February of this year following in-depth examination

by Germanischer Lloyd Industrial Services GmbH. The

associated condition monitoring system had already

been certified prior to this.

The certification by Germanischer Lloyd attests to the

long-term expertise of Siemens in the use of condition

monitoring systems, as well as the qualification of

its service personnel active in this area. This not only

benefits the wind farm operators, but in particular the

manufacturers of wind energy plants. This is because

certification of CMS and the corresponding inspection

agencies is, in turn, a prerequisite for the certification

of wind energy plants and therefore of their operation

as well.

In the course of the assessment, the GL inspectors first

examined the Siemens condition monitoring system

and the corresponding inspection agency theoreti-

cally, and then in practice on site. The certification

focused on structures, processes and documentation.

This very extensive inspection ensures a sound organi-

zational structure as the basis for high-quality moni-

toring. Inspection points include training courses and

events for the service personnel as well as detailed job

specifications in the service area.

Siemens obtains certification for condition monitoring of wind energy plants

April 2012

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Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

A drive-based motion control system and servo

motors at the major axes are the „pace-setting

features“ of innovative automatic punching ma-

chines made in France. The fully electric machines

work almost twice as fast as comparable hydraulic

pendants while consuming only half the energy.

Thanks to sheet metal feed from the coil and user-

friendly programming, they are also extremely

flexible to use.

The French company Dimeco Alipresse, a member of the

worldwide acting Dimeco-Group, develops and manufac-

tures individualized coil-feeding systems, machines and

accessories for sheet metal fabrication. Flexible automa-

tic systems for punching, forming and assembly have

become another core element of their product range,

including the first fully electric, coil-loaded punching

machine, the Linapunch MC-E. It unifies productivity and

energy efficiency and is equipped with advanced control

and drive technology developed by Siemens.

The rows of hydraulic stamps which were characteristic

of Dimeco punching machines for many years are no

longer a feature of the new Linapunch MC-E. They have

been replaced by two Siemens Simotics 1FK7 servo mo-

tors operating in synchronism which control the stroke

movement (Z axis) using simple toggle lever kinematics

and a central slide plate. The top and bottom dead cen-

ters of the toggle lever system are freely programmable,

i.e. they are individually adaptable to the relevant pun-

ching task. As a result, optimized power ratios with short

cycle times are available for any application.

In total 13 electric controlled axes require fast and precise

mutual coordination. This task is performed by the Dime-

co control system Simostar, a combination of the drive-

based motion control system Simotion D and a network-

cabaple Simatic MP377 Multi Panel from Siemens. The

latter acts as interface between the control system and

the machine operator and enables set up, operation and

observation of all functions of the punching machine,

while a full overview of the process is given. The motion

controller, in turn, is stipulated during observing the

travel and hence for preventing collisions.

The core of the motion controller, i.e. the Simotion D435

control module, is an integral component of the Sinamics

S120 modular drive system in booksize format. This

solution reduces the number of interfaces and cabling

required and the overall size of the installation. Punching

programs can be loaded via the network or from a USB

stick, but can also be written, edited and transferred to

the control system at the touch of a button while the

machine is running. This capability is particularly signifi-

cant with respect to contract punching which demands

flexibility in processing very small batch sizes while conti-

nually changing between batch products.

In times of continual rising energy prises efficiency plays

a central role in addition to productivity and flexiblity.

The Dimeco-example shows, that servo-drive technology

is also efficient in the energy point of view: The Lina-

punch consumes 50% less energy than a comparable hy-

draulic machine while it doubles the number of strokes.

Fast and efficient punching – Twice the number of strokes, half the power consumption

Simotics servo motors at all axes and a motion controller simotion D435 from Siemens enable for the Linapunch MC-E from Dimeco Alipresse high productivity, flexiblity and energy efficiency.

April 2012

8

Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

The call for industrial drives to be designed with

the environment in mind is getting ever louder. This

is also shown by the Green Automation Initiative

launched by the VDMA (German Engineering Fede-

ration), which system manufacturers, in particular,

are following to an ever greater extent. Siemens is

broadening the base of its series of energy-efficient

electric motors with the addition of versions in a

gray cast-iron housing. IE2 and IE3 motors up to 200

kW are available for the manufacturing and proces-

sing industries. They can also be used under severe

environmental conditions, and are even suitable for

export to Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Millions of motors are working throughout the world

every day in the manufacturing and processing indus-

tries, where they are often in continuous operation.

However, not least the stricter general conditions

imposed by current legislation are causing changes in

the electric motor industry. Since June 15, 2011, motor

manufacturers in the European Economic Area can only

market induction motors which fulfill the requirements

of efficiency class IE2. Similar strict conditions also

apply in countries such as Brazil and even stricter ones

in the USA.

A broad base of efficient drives

Siemens has already been supplying the 1LE1 induction

motors within its Simotics general purpose motor range

for a number of years. They are highly energy-efficient

motors in an aluminum housing. Further versions have

been added to the series which substantially widen its

range of applications. With the addition of the Simotics

Severe Duty motors in cast-iron housing to the 1LE1

series in efficiency classes IE2 and IE3, Siemens covers

the entire spectrum of industrial applications between

0.75 kW and 200 kW. Great importance was placed on

Energy-efficient motors for a wide range of applications

The energy-saving Simotics Severe Duty Motors in the 1LE1 family have a gray cast-iron housing, which enables them to be used in severe environments, such as those encountered in the process industry.

April 2012

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DT Media Newsletter

Operation accounts for about 90 percent of the lifecycle costs of an electric motor. When one considers that an

IE3 is up to ten percent more efficient than an IE1, it can be seen that the investment in energy-saving motors will

pay off in a correspondingly short time. The Siemens energy-saving calculator shows how quickly this can actually

be achieved at www.siemens.com/enery-saving-calculator.

The savings potential of specific applications - such as pumps, fans and compressors - can be precisely calculated

at www.siemens.com/sinasave with the Sinasave calculation tool.

Energy-saving statistics

a fully compatible frame size in the development of

these versions, which are designed for use under seve-

re conditions. This means that existing designs do not

need to be modified, which saves machine and system

manufacturers not only time but also the risk of making

unnecessary errors.

Safe in all respects

The energy-saving motors in a gray cast-iron housing

are available in a Basic Line for standard applications

and in a Performance Line for very severe environmen-

tal conditions, such as are frequently encountered in

the chemical and process industries. This is where the

PTC motor protection, which is integrated as standard,

is beneficial from the economic and ecological points

of view. It monitors the temperature of the windings to

detect thermal stress arising from the effects of unex-

pected process or mechanical faults at an early stage.

This prevents motors being irreparably damaged by

overload. The T-Drains drainage system has also proven

itself in practice. A motor can be drained by simply

turning the cover.

Modular system approach for greater flexibility

Just like the aluminum versions of the 1LE1 generation,

the gray cast-iron motors also follow a standardized,

practically oriented series concept. For example, the

mounting feet, which are a standard part of the cast

housing, are also available in a convertible, screw-on

version. The modular system approach to the built-on

components also enables the cast-iron motors to be

equipped as required with additional pulse encoders,

brakes and external fans. The obliquely divided termi-

nal box, which can be turned in 90 degree steps, has

also proved to be very useful for installing the motors,

as it allows the cable to the terminal board to be laid

according to the space available.

The very wide range of applications for the motor

versions is also demonstrated by the addition of a

number of important standard-compliant details to the

technical specifications. These allow machine and sys-

tem manufacturers to fulfill export orders to the USA,

Mexico and Canada just as easily as deliveries within

the European Economic Area.

April 2012

Drive Technologies Division

DT Media Newsletter

Media Contact:

Siemens Industry Sector

Drive Technologies

Julia Kauppert

Phone +49 (0)911 - 895 7952

julia.kauppert@siemens.com

Siemens Industry Sector

Drive Technologies

Franz-Ferdinand Friese

Phone +49 (0)911 - 895 7946

franz.friese@siemens.com

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is

the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environ-

mentally friendly products and solutions for industrial

customers. With end-to-end automation technology

and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise,

and technology-based services, the Sector enhances its

customers’ productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. With

a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees,

the Industry Sector comprises the Divisions Industry

Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services

as well as the Business Unit Metals Technologies. For

more information, visit

www.siemens.com/industry

The Industry Sector and Drive Technologies Division in brief

The Siemens Drive Technologies Division (Nurem-

berg, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of

products, systems, applications, solutions and services

for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical

components. Drive Technologies serves all vertical mar-

kets in the production and process industries as well as

the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products

and solutions, the Division fulfills the key requirements

of its customers for productivity, energy efficiency, and

reliability. For more information, visit

www.siemens.com/drives

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