Rapp’s CTD Winch for WHOI’s R/V Alucia

Rapp Hydema has provided a CTD winch for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) new research vessel R/V Alucia, which is being managed and financed by Beta Maritime.

Rapp’s TBW-520E-T90 winch accommodates 7,000 meters of .322 Rochester Fiber-Optic cable, plus 100 feet of 2 1/4” synthetic tether. It has Active Heave Compensation (AHC) set for optimal use at 3000 meters of deployed line.

“Rapp benefitted from lessons learned from the first winch, which was for ROV applications,” noted WHOI Engineer Matt Heintz, referring to a larger electric winch ordered first. “We had a sense that Rapp was the right choice for the CTD winch as well,” he added.

Noteworthy for a UNOLS winch, Rapp’s unit is compliant with UNOLS’ Research Vessels Safety Standard Appendix B: Overboard Handling Systems Design Standard, a rigorous requirement that is only now in the process of implementation fleet-wide. The Rapp winch develops 5 tons of line pull in Speed Step 1, on the bare drum, while retrieving at 60 meters per minute.

Despite the presence of Active Heave Compensation, the Rapp winch has a power requirement of just 70 kW with 3000 meters of line deployed. Rapp’s electrically-driven, electronically-synchronized T90 level wind—popular in various other research vessel applications, is also utilized.

“We were excited enough the first time around, when Matt chose us for the first, an ROV winch,” notes Rapp U.S. President Johann Sigurjonsson, “but a second order from such a prestigious customer as WHOI is really a blessing.

“We have always viewed WHOI as the flagship for UNOLS,” he remarked.

Press Release, September 29, 2014