A gyroscopic roll stabilizer comprises a gimbal having a support frame and enclosure configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, one or more bearings for rotatably mounting the flywheel inside the enclosure, a motor for rotating the flywheel, and bearing cooling system for cooling the bearings supporting the flywheel. For smaller units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia less than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 5 rpm/s or greater. For larger units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia greater than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 2.5 rpm/s or greater.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer comprises a gimbal having a support frame and enclosure configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, one or more bearings for rotatably mounting the flywheel inside the enclosure, a motor for rotating the flywheel, and bearing cooling system for cooling the bearings supporting the flywheel. For smaller units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia less than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 5 rpm/s or greater. For larger units, the bearing cooling system is effective to enable a flywheel with a moment of inertia greater than 11.7 kg.m.sup.2 (40000 lbm in.sup.2) to be accelerated at a rate of 2.5 rpm/s or greater.

The invention relates to a gyrostabiliser assembly (1) for a marine vessel comprising: a housing (2) defining a chamber (3) for supporting at least a partial vacuum; a flywheel (4) mounted within the chamber (3) for rotation about a spin axis (Z) at the partial vacuum; a flywheel shaft (5) upon which the flywheel (4) is supported and mounted in the housing for rotation of the flywheel about the spin axis (Z), the flywheel shaft being rotatably supported by a first spin bearing (6) located at one end region of the shaft (5) and a second spin bearing (7) located at an opposite end region of the shaft (5); and a lubrication system (8) configured to circulate lubricant (O) to the spin bearings (6, 7) from a lubricant reservoir (9). The reservoir (9) is arranged in or on the housing (2) to collect lubricant from the spin bearings (6, 7) under gravity and the first and second spinbearings (6, 7) are arranged in the housing (2) for operation under the partial vacuum. The invention also relates to a vehicle, and especially a marine vessel, that includes the gyrostabiliser assembly (1).

The invention relates to a gyrostabiliser assembly (1) for a marine vessel comprising: a housing (2) defining a chamber (3) for supporting at least a partial vacuum; a flywheel (4) mounted within the chamber (3) for rotation about a spin axis (Z) at the partial vacuum; a flywheel shaft (5) upon which the flywheel (4) is supported and mounted in the housing for rotation of the flywheel about the spin axis (Z), the flywheel shaft being rotatably supported by a first spin bearing (6) located at one end region of the shaft (5) and a second spin bearing (7) located at an opposite end region of the shaft (5); and a lubrication system (8) configured to circulate lubricant (O) to the spin bearings (6, 7) from a lubricant reservoir (9). The reservoir (9) is arranged in or on the housing (2) to collect lubricant from the spin bearings (6, 7) under gravity and the first and second spinbearings (6, 7) are arranged in the housing (2) for operation under the partial vacuum. The invention also relates to a vehicle, and especially a marine vessel, that includes the gyrostabiliser assembly (1).

A stabilizer (10) includes a base (20) fixed on a motion reduction target (1); a gimbal (40) supported by the base to be rotatable around a first axis (RA); a damper mechanism (30) disposed to damp a relative rotary motion of the gimbal (40) to the base (20); a flywheel (50) disposed to be rotatable around a second axis (RB) orthogonal to the first axis (RA). The damper mechanism (30) is a passive-type damper mechanism. A first value (D1) of a damping coefficient (D) of the damper mechanism (30) when an angular velocity of the gimbal (40) is a first angular velocity is larger than a second value (D2) of the damping coefficient (D) of the damper mechanism (30) when the angular velocity of the gimbal (40) is a second angular velocity smaller than the first angular velocity.

A stabilizer (10) includes a base (20) fixed on a motion reduction target (1); a gimbal (40) supported by the base to be rotatable around a first axis (RA); a damper mechanism (30) disposed to damp a relative rotary motion of the gimbal (40) to the base (20); a flywheel (50) disposed to be rotatable around a second axis (RB) orthogonal to the first axis (RA). The damper mechanism (30) is a passive-type damper mechanism. A first value (D1) of a damping coefficient (D) of the damper mechanism (30) when an angular velocity of the gimbal (40) is a first angular velocity is larger than a second value (D2) of the damping coefficient (D) of the damper mechanism (30) when the angular velocity of the gimbal (40) is a second angular velocity smaller than the first angular velocity.

A control system for a suspension system of a multi-hulled vessel, the vessel including a chassis portion, at least two hulls moveable relative to the chassis portion. The suspension system of the vessel provides support of at least a portion of the chassis above the at least two hulls, and includes adjustable supports and at least one motor to enable adjustment of a support force and/or displacement of the adjustable supports. The control system includes a fender friction force input for receiving at least one signal indicative of a friction force on a fender portion between a fixed or floating object and the vessel chassis portion, and in response to the fender friction force input, the control system is to adjust the support force and/or displacement between the chassis portion and the at least two hulls to reduce or minimize the friction force on the fender portion.

A control system for a suspension system of a multi-hulled vessel, the vessel including a chassis portion, at least two hulls moveable relative to the chassis portion. The suspension system of the vessel provides support of at least a portion of the chassis above the at least two hulls, and includes adjustable supports and at least one motor to enable adjustment of a support force and/or displacement of the adjustable supports. The control system includes a fender friction force input for receiving at least one signal indicative of a friction force on a fender portion between a fixed or floating object and the vessel chassis portion, and in response to the fender friction force input, the control system is to adjust the support force and/or displacement between the chassis portion and the at least two hulls to reduce or minimize the friction force on the fender portion.

An offshore transfer system includes an arm construction with a primary measurement system to measure and compensate for relative movement of an element relative to an external reference when the element is supported by the arm tip, as well as a secondary measurement system to measure and compensate for relative movement of the arm tip relative to the element when the element is put down and no longer supported by the arm tip.

A gyroscopic roll stabilizer comprises a gimbal having a support frame and enclosure configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure, a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, one or more bearings for rotatably mounting the flywheel inside the enclosure, a motor for rotating the flywheel, and bearing cooling system for cooling the bearings supporting the flywheel. The bearing cooling system enables heat generated by the bearings to be transferred through the flywheel shaft to a heat sink disposed within a cavity in the end of the flywheel shaft, or to a liquid coolant circulating within the cavity.