Method for installing at least one mooring line of a floating installation in a body of water and associated floating installation
AssigneeTechnip Energies France
InventorsMarc Cahay, Coste Francois
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The method comprises installing at least one lower section of a mooring line at the bottom of the body of water; trapping the lower section in the ground; connecting an upper unit of the floating installation to the mooring line. The lower section being constituted by a chain, the chain defining, after the connection of the upper unit, a lower end of the mooring line not provided with a mooring point pre-mounted on the mooring line, in particular an anchor or pile.
Claims19
A method of placing at least one mooring line of a floating installation in a body of water, the method comprising:
- installing at least one lower section of a mooring line in a ground at a bottom of the body of water;
- trapping the at least one lower section in the ground;
- coupling an upper unit of the floating installation to the mooring line;
- the at least one lower section of the mooring line consisting of a chain, the chain delimiting, after the coupling of the upper unit, a lower end of the mooring line devoid of mooring point pre-mounted on the mooring line,
- wherein trapping the at least one lower section in the ground includes placing the at least one lower section in the ground over a depth and/or a length chosen such that after coupling the upper unit to the mooring line, at least the tension applied to the lower end of the mooring line is zero, and
- wherein a chain length of the lower section is calculated prior to installation by simulating a tension extending along the chain, as a function of the upper assembly, a depth of the lower end in the ground, a value of the tension at the lower end, and a direction of the lower section at ground level.
A floating installation in a body of water, comprising:
- an upper unit and at least one mooring line coupled to the upper unit, the mooring line including an upper section operatively connected to the installation and a lower section coupled to the upper section via a connector configured to rest on the bottom of a body of water, wherein the lower section is penetrating and trapped in the ground at the bottom of the body of water;
- the lower section of the mooring line consisting of a chain, the chain delimiting, after the coupling of the upper unit, a lower end of the mooring line devoid of mooring point pre-mounted on the mooring line,
- wherein with the lower section trapped, the lower section extends in the form of a catenary between the lower end of the chain and the connector.
A method of placing at least one mooring line of a floating installation in a body of water, the method comprising:
- installing at least one lower section of a mooring line in a ground at a bottom of the body of water, the lower section of the mooring line coupled to an upper section of the mooring line via a connector;
- trapping the at least one lower section in the ground by applying traction to the connector to move the lower section into a catenary while the lower section remains in the ground;
- coupling an upper unit of the floating installation to the mooring line via the connector,
- the at least one lower section of the mooring line consisting of a chain, the chain delimiting, after the coupling of the upper unit, a lower end of the mooring line devoid of mooring point pre-mounted on the mooring line,
- wherein the lower section is configured such that friction between the lower section and sediment present in the ground and a weight of the sediment located above the lower section resists and overcomes traction forces applied to the connector thereby trapping the lower section in the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.