Vessel mooring system and method for its installation

A method of installing a mooring system in newly constructed vessels and retrofitting into existing vessels, said vessels having unitary bow and stern sections comprising:

• installing a vertical well extending from the deck of the vessel to the bottom plates of the vessel, the ratio of the opening of the well to the width of the deck adjacent said well being in the range of about 1:5 to 1:10;
• connecting a lower bearing ring to the underside of said bottom plates said lower bearing ring circumscribing said well;
• supporting a lower turret unit substantially within said lower bearing ring, said lower turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-sectional area, in a plane perpedicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well;
• placing a middle turret unit substantially within said well;
• connecting said middle turret unit to said lower turret unit;
• connecting an upper bearing ring to the top of the deck, said upper bearing ring circumscribing said well;
• connecting an upper turret unit to said middle turret unit, said upper turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-sectional area, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well, said upper turret unit supported and guided by
• said upper bearing ring, whereupon the assembly of said upper, middle, and lower turret units is supported and guided by said interaction between said upper bearing ring and said upper turret unit, and said assembly is further guided by said lower bearing ring, for continuous mooring of the entire vessel in seas having wave heights which could be as great as ninety to one hundred feet;
• mounting a lower roller assembly on said lower turret unit in operative engagement with an arcuate surface of said lower bearing ring for resisting the component of forces exerted on said lower turret unit in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• resilently mounting rollers circumferentially spaced on the outer surface of said lower turret unit;
• installing a roller support structure with individual pillars disposed at circumferentially spaced intervals from each other, each pillar having a substantially vertical and horizontal bearing surface, said roller support structure being installed onto said deck after connecting said upper turret unit to said middle turret unit;
• individually resiliently mounting thrust rollers at spaced intervals to a circular structural support member connected to said deck around said well for contact with said upper turret unit for transmitting loads on said upper turret unit in a direction from said deck to said bottom plates of said vessel and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• resilently mounting uplift rollers to each of said horizontal bearing surface of said pillars, said uplift rollers in contact with said upper turret unit for resisting forces on said upper turret unit in a direction extending from said bottom plates of said vessel to said deck, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• and
• resiliently mounting a lateral roller to each vertical bearing surface on each of said pillars, each such roller in contact with said upper turret unit and resisting components of forces exerted on said upper turret unit in a direction prependicular to the longitudinal axis of said well.

A vessel mooring system for newly constructed vessels and for retrofitting on existing vessels, said vessels having a unitary bow and stern section and having a deck, bottom plates, and a well extending substantially vertically from said deck to said bottom plates below the vessel's water line comprising:

• lower bearing means circumscribing said well and extending below said bottom plates, said lower bearing means connected to said bottom plates of said vessel;
• a lower turret unit rotatably mounted to said lower bearing means below said bottom plates, said lower turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-sectional area in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well;
• a middle turret unit connected to top of said lower turret unit and disposed substantially within said well, said middle turret unit having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said lower turret unit in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• an upper turret unit connected to said middle turret unit and disposed substantially above said deck of said vessel, said upper turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-section area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well;
• the ratio of the opening of said well to the width of the deck adjacent said well being in the range of about 1:5 to 1:10;
• mooring means extending from said upper turret unit through said middle and lower turret units for continuously mooring said entire vessel to the bottom of a body of water in seas having wave heights which could be as great as ninety to one-hundred feet;
• and
• upper bearing means mounted to the top of said deck circumscribing said well for supporting and guiding above said deck the connected assembly of said upper, middle, and lower turret units in resisting forces imposed on said assembly by said mooring means.

A vessel mooring system for newly constructed vessels and for retrofitting on existing vessels, said vessels having a unitary bow and stern section and having a deck, bottom plates, and a well extending substantially vertically from said deck to said bottom plates below the vessels's water line comprising:

• lower bearing means circumscribing said well and extending below said bottom plates, said lower bearing means connected to said bottom plates of said vessel;
• a lower turret unit rotatably mounted to said lower bearing means below said bottom plates, said lower turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-sectional area in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well;
• a middle turret unit connected to the top of said lower turret unit and disposed substantially within said well, said middle turret unit having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said lower turret unit in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• an upper turret unit connected to said middle turret unit and disposed substantially above said deck of said vessel, said upper turret unit having an annular shape with a larger cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well, than said well;
• the ratio of the opening of said well to the width of the deck adjacent said well being in the range of about 1:5 to 1:10;
• mooring means extending from said upper turret unit through said middle and lower turret units for continuously mooring said entire vessel to the bottom of a body of water in seas having wave heights which could be as great as ninetly to one hundred feet;
• upper bearing means mounted to the top of said deck circumscribing said well for supporting and guiding above said deck the connected assembly of said upper, middle, and lower turret units in resisting forces imposed on said assembly by said mooring means;
• said upper bearing means further includes:
• thrust rollers individually resiliently mounted to said deck and spaced at fixed intervals for contact with said upper turret unit for supporting the weight of said upper, middle and lower turret units and resisting forces exerted by said mooring means directed toward the bottom of the body of water in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• said upper bearing means further includes:
• a plurality of bearing support pillars connected to said deck each pillar adjacent one of said individual resiliently mounted thrust rollers, each of said pillars having a vertical and horizontal bearing mounting surface;
• resiliently mounted uplift rollers on at least one of said horizontal bearing mounting surface of each of said pillars, said uplift rollers in contact with said upper turret unit to resist uplift forces exerted on said lower, middle and upper turret units in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• resiliently mounted lateral rollers on at least one of each vertical bearing surface of each of said pillars in contact with said upper turret unit for resisting forces exerted by said mooring means on said upper turret unit in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said well;
• said lower bearing means further includes:
• resiliently mounted rollers at spaced intervals on the outer periphery of said lower turret unit;
• and
• an arcuate bearing surface connected adjacent to
• said bottom plates in contact with said rollers on said lower turret unit for resisting lateral forces imposed by said mooring means on said lower turret unit in a direction perepedicular to the longitudinal axis of said well.