Mooring systems for fixed marine structures
AssigneeEntrion Wind, Inc.
InventorsEivind Johnsen, Li Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are disclosed herein for minimizing movement of a fixed marine structure. Using the technologies described, a wind turbine may be mounted on a fixed marine platform (e.g., a fully restrained platform (FRP)) that is secured by mooring lines that may be maintained at a tension to restrain movement of the platform due to environmental loads (e.g., wind, waves, etc.). The mooring lines may be attached to the platform with assemblies that include a stopper attached to the mooring line and engaged with a mooring porch. The stopper may be positioned and/or repositioned to adjust the tension on the connected mooring line and secured in the adjusted position using the various systems and techniques described herein.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a fixed marine platform to host a wind turbine;
- a mooring porch coupled to the fixed marine platform;
- a stopper configured to engage with the mooring porch, the stopper comprises a threaded section extending through an opening configured in the mooring porch;
- a nut configured about the threaded section of the stopper and on a bottom of the mooring porch;
- an anchor attached to a seafloor;
- a mooring line comprising a first end coupled to the anchor and a second end coupled to the stopper and extending through the mooring porch;
- a hydraulic power unit;
- one or more hydraulic cylinders connected to the hydraulic power unit and configured between the stopper and the mooring porch, wherein the one or more hydraulic cylinders are configured to expand under control of the hydraulic power unit to increase a distance between the stopper and the mooring porch;
- and
- one or more stopper retention components configured to secure the stopper in a position relative to the mooring porch.
A fixed marine structure, comprising:
- a mooring assembly comprising:
- a mooring porch;
- and
- a stopper having a threaded section extending through an opening configured in the mooring porch and configured to:
- receive a mooring line attached to an anchor attached to a seafloor;
- and
- engage the mooring porch;
- a nut configured about the threaded section of the stopper and on a bottom of the mooring porch;
- and
- a tensioning component configured to increase tension on the mooring line by increasing a distance between the stopper and the mooring porch.
A method to restrain motions of a platform that hosts a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- attaching a mooring line anchored to a seafloor to a mooring assembly attached to the platform, the mooring assembly comprising a mooring porch and a stopper configured to receive the mooring line;
- attaching a tensioning component to the stopper, the tensioning component configured to increase a distance between the stopper and the mooring porch;
- moving the stopper from a first position to a second position by increasing the distance between the stopper and the mooring porch using the tensioning component;
- securing the stopper at the second position;
- and
- removing the tensioning component from the stopper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.