Offshore structure for use in waters containing large moving ice masses
AssigneeChevron Research Company
InventorPer Baardsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An offshore structure for use in arctic waters containing large moving ice masses such as icebergs wherein the structure has a wear surface arranged around the periphery of its support portion at least in the region of the support portion of potential contact with moving ice masses. A layer of resilient material is disposed between the wear surface and the support portion in order to reduce the forces imposed on the structure by the impinging ice masses.
Claims16
An offshore structure for use in arctic waters containing relatively large moving ice masses, comprising:
- a support portion extendible into a body of water for supporting a work platform above the surface of the body of water;
- means for securing said support portion to the bottom of the body of water;
- a wear surface arranged around the entire periphery of said support portion at least in the region of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses forming a void between said support portion and said wear surface, said wear surface adapted to receive the impact of relatively large ice masses moving into contact therewith;
- and
- a layer of resilient material disposed between and in contact with said support portion and said wear surface filling said void, said wear surface transferring the forces associated with the impinging ice mass to said resilient material so that said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass and said resilient material of sufficient thickness to substantially reduce the forces imposed on the support portion by the moving ice mass.
An offshore structure for use in arctic waters containing relatively large moving ice masses, comprising:
- a support portion extendible into a body of water for supporting a work platform above the surface of the body of water;
- means for securing said support portion to the bottom of the body of water;
- a wear surface concentrically arranged around the entire periphery of said support portion at least in the region of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses forming an annular void between said support portion and said wear surface, said wear surface adapted to receive the impact of relatively large ice masses moving into contact therewith;
- means for affixing said wear surface to said support portion;
- and
- a layer of resilient material disposed between and in contact with said support portion and said wear surface filling said annular void, said wear surface transferring the forces associated with the impinging ice mass to said resilient material so that said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass and said resilient material of sufficient thickness to substantially reduce the forces imposed on the support portion by the moving ice mass.
In an offshore structure for use in a body of water which contains relatively large moving ice masses, which structure includes a support portion extendible into a body of water for supporting a work platform above the surface of the body of water, said support portion having an outer surface extendible from below the surface of the body of water to above the surface and means for affixing said support portion to the bottom of the body of water, the improvement comprising:
- a resilient material attached to the entire outer surface of said support portion at least in the region of said support portion of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses, said resilient material being deflected when impacted by a relatively large moving ice mass and said resilient material of sufficient thickness to substantially reduce the forces imposed on the structure by the ice mass moving into contact with said support portion and a wear surface arranged around said resilient material.
A method for reducing the forces imposed on an offshore structure by relatively large moving ice masses which come into contact with the support portion of the structure, comprising:
- positioning a wear surface around the entire periphery of the support portion at least in the region of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses to form a void between the support portion and said wear surface, said wear surface adapted to receive the impact of relatively large ice masses moving into contact therewith;
- disposing a layer of resilient material between and in contact with the support portion and said wear surface to fill said void, wherein said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass;
- and
- forming said resilient material of sufficient thickness so that when said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass the forces imposed on the structure by the impacting ice mass are substantially reduced.
A method for reducing the forces imposed on an offshore structure by relatively large moving ice masses which come into contact with the support portion of the structure, comprising:
- positioning a wear surface concentrically around the entire periphery of the support portion at least in the region of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses to form an annular void between the support portion and said wear surface, said wear surface adapted to receive the impact of relatively large ice masses moving into contact therewith;
- affixing said wear surface to said support portion;
- disposing a layer of resilient material between and in contact with the support portion and said wear surface to fill said annular void, wherein said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass;
- and
- forming said resilient material of sufficient thickness so that when said resilient material deflects when said wear surface is impacted by the relatively large moving ice mass the forces imposed on the structure by the impacting ice mass are substantially reduced.
A method for reducing the forces imposed on an offshore structure by relatively large moving ice masses which come into contact with the support portion of the structure, comprising:
- attaching a resilient material to the entire outer surface of the support portion in the region of the support portion of potential contact with relatively large moving ice masses, said resilient material being deflected when impacted by a relatively large moving ice mass;
- forming said resilient material of a sufficient thickness so that when said resilient material deflects when the structure is impacted by a relatively large moving ice mass the forces imposed on the structure by the impacting ice mass are substantially reduced;
- and
- arranging a wear surface around said resilient material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.