Abstract:
A mooring assembly includes: a mooring buoy having a central axis, an upper ring portion providing an upper abutment surface; a mooring structure including a cavity with a wall receiving the mooring buoy; and a buoy locking system near the cavity engaging with the upper ring portion for locking the mooring buoy to the turret mooring structure and including at least two locking devices attached to the mooring structure, each locking device having a locking dog connected to a force member for axial displacement and exerting an upward force on the upper abutment surface. The mooring buoy includes a lower abutment surface. The locking system includes an engagement member below the locking dog, engaging with the lower abutment surface and exerting a downward force. The buoy at positions axially above the upper abutment surface situated at an axial clearance from the cavity wall.
Abstract:
A disconnectable buoyant turret mooring system for an FPSO is vulnerable to damage from collisions between the buoy and the buoy turret cage during mating and de-mating operations. It is therefore desirable that the buoy separate quickly from the turret of the FPSO vessel during a disconnect operation. A buoy turret cage is provided with a certain degree of porosity that allows a flow of seawater from the outside of the receptor to the inner surface of the receptor. Introducing water in this way relieves the suction forces and allows for a quicker separation of the buoy from the turret of the FPSO vessel, minimizing the time during which an uncontrolled collision between the buoy and the FPSO vessel is most likely. Filling a portion of the turret above the mooring buoy with water prior to releasing the buoy also decreases the separation time.
Abstract:
A taut-inverted-catenary (TIC) mooring system may be implemented using only field-proven components. The mooring lines yield a positive uplift force on the anchors in all conditions. In the inverted-catenary configuration, geometric stiffness is provided by a subsurface spring buoy or distributed buoyancy elements on the line. The TIC system consists as much as possible of lightweight components, such as polyester fiber rope. Since the uplift force on the anchor is always positive, clearance between polyester rope and the seabed is provided. All geometric stiffness is provided by the spring buoy. Therefore, a ground chain between the seafloor anchor and the fiber rope is not necessary.
Abstract:
Vessel (14) comprising a hull (3), a shaft (2) extending from an upper part (40) of the hull to a bottom (41) of the hull, a turret (1) being rotatably supported in the shaft via a turret bearing (4,5), a manifold support structure (31) carrying one or more conduits being rotatably supported on the turret via a manifold bearing (32), the turret comprising (1) a cavity (42) for receiving a mooring buoy (11) carrying one or more risers (12) and one or more vertically displaceable actuation members (33) near the manifold bearing (32) for vertically displacing the manifold support structure (31) relative to the turret (1) between a rotational position in which the manifold support structure (31) can rotate relative to the turret via the manifold bearing (32) and a locked position in which the bearing support structure (31) is rotationally locked relative to the turret.