Feasibility of target tracking for high speed high seas cargo transfer

At sea cargo transfer has historically been a logistical challenge for both the military and the offshore industry. Even in moderate seas, three to five foot wave heights, extreme pendulations of cargo and large relative motions between vessels can occur that halts cargo transfer activities. This work develops a six-degree-of-freedom rigid crane dynamics model that is used to investigate the feasibility of crane target tracking which could extend and enhance offshore crane operations. A double girder crane system is developed that easily adapts to different configurations and efficiently supports long reach heavy lift applications. Target tracking is feasible in sea states up to 5 when using the double girder crane. When compared to a present crane system, the target tracking crane requires, on average, only 3.65% more absolute total system power and 13.4% less continuous power, indicating that the proposed system should be realizable.