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US 5,704,307 AGranted
Taut leg mooring system
AssigneeAker Marine, Inc.
InventorsJohannes Jacobus Treu, Peter George Scott Dove
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A taut leg bow mooring system (40) includes an anchor (42) positionable on the floor of the sea. A riser line (44) secured to and extending upwardly from the anchor, and a submerged buoy (46) secured to the end of the riser line from the anchor. The ratio of the net buoyancy of the surface buoy to the buoyancy of the submerged buoy is at least 2 to 1. A buoyant connector line (50) is secured to and extends upwardly from the submerged buoy. A surface buoy (52) is secured to the end of the connector line remote from the submerged buoy, and a hawser (56) is secured to and extends from the surface buoy.
Claims20
A taut leg bow mooring system comprising:
- an anchor having a total weight sufficient to remain fixed on the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension, said anchor positionable on the sea floor;
- a riser line secured to and extending from the anchor;
- a submerged buoy secured to an upper end of the riser line, said submerged buoy positioned substantially below the surface of the water body both when the mooring system is connected to a vessel and when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension and in a substantially vertical position when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, thereby minimizing flexure wear of a lower portion of the riser line;
- a floating connector line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- and
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at a maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to a distal end of the floating connector line remote from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body.
3 more elements
A taut leg bow mooring system comprising:
- an anchor having a total weight sufficient to remain fixed on the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension, said anchor positionable on the sea floor;
- a riser line secured to and extending from the anchor;
- a submerged buoy secured to an upper end of the riser line, said submerged buoy positioned substantially below the surface of the water body both when the mooring system is connected to a vessel and when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy around 10 to 20 kips above the weight of the riser line, said first predetermined bouyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension and in a substantially vertical position when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel;
- a connector line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- and
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at a maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to a distal end of the connector line remote from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body.
3 more elements
A taut leg bow mooring system comprising:
- an anchor having a total weight sufficient to remain fixed on the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension, said anchor positionable on the sea floor;
- a riser line secured to and extending from the anchor;
- a submerged buoy secured to an upper end of the riser line, said submerged buoy positioned substantially below the surface of the water body both when the mooring system is connected to a vessel and when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension and in a substantially vertical position when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel;
- a connector line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at a maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to a distal end of the connector line remote from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body;
- and
- having a ratio of buoyancy of the surface buoy to the ratio of the bouyancy of the submerged buoy of at least 2 to 1.
4 more elements
A taut leg bow mooring system comprising:
- an anchor having a total weight sufficient to remain fixed on the water body floor under predetermined maximum riser line tension, said anchor positionable on the sea floor;
- a riser line secured to and extending from the anchor;
- a submerged buoy secured to an upper end of the riser line, said submerged buoy positioned substantially below the surface of the water body both when the mooring system is connected to a vessel and when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, said submerged buoy having a first predetermined buoyancy sufficient to maintain the riser line in tension and in a substantially vertical position when said mooring system is not connected to a vessel, thereby minimizing flexure wear of a lower portion of the riser line;
- a floating connector line having a proximate end secured to the submerged buoy and extending therefrom;
- and
- a surface buoy positioned on the surface of the water and having a second predetermined buoyancy sufficient to prevent submergence of the surface buoy at a maximum vessel offset, said surface buoy secured to a distal end of the floating connector line remote from the submerged buoy, said surface buoy adapted to float on the surface of the water body.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.