ABB Power Technology Products has installed a power factor correction system to save power on a Syncrolift shiplift in Peterhead harbour in Scotland.
The Syncrolift has a lifting capacity of 2,685t and a maximum load of 256kVA. With the ABB equipment the power requirement needed to operate the shiplift has been reduced to 168kVA.
The Syncrolift shiplift is used to lift vessels out of the water for repair. A platform and cradle assembly is sunk to a depth that allows the vessel to float over it; the platform is hoisted up by a series of six identical 540t capacity hoist assemblies, each containing an AC synchronous induction motor.
The shiplift’s manufacturer, Syncrolift Inc, based in Miami USA, has produced more than 220 of them for shipyards around the world. The ABB power factor correction system will be installed in all its future systems, Syncrolift said.