Monitoring forces on an FPSO wind sail.

Strainstall designs, manufactures and installs a structural monitoring system on the Banff FPSO.

Our engineers have designed a bespoke structural monitoring system to investigate environmental effects on a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel's wind sail and flare stack. Storing records of cumulative fatigue damage, the system provides early warning of any potential cracking at the sensor positions.

The system, comprised of sensors, instrumentation and software, includes accelerometers, strain gauges and anemometers, and is capable of processing raw data on board. It measures stresses present at specified strain gauge positions together with high and low frequency vibrations on the structure. Recording variations in stress peaks it calculates fatigue damage using an approved S-N curve. Wind speed and direction is likewise recorded for further analysis.

Accounting for the FPSO's location in the Banff field, 200 kilometres east of Aberdeen, Strainstall designed a system which would remain, and was approved as being, intrinsically safe when faced with the volatile conditions of the North Sea. Our engineers also responded to the particular requirements of the project by manufacturing a system which could generally be left unattended thereby improving operational efficiency. 

By helping to prevent damage to the flare stack, our system improves safety. Diminishing the risk of halting production with costly implications, it assists the Banff FPSO in producing its 3,500 barrels of oil per day. 

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