Offshore personnel transfer system
OwnerGeorge J Greene, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An Offshore Personnel Transfer System moving men and materials between an offshore platform, or any oil and gas facility such as semi-submersibles, jack-ups, and the like, and a workboat is disclosed. The system does NOT require any special equipment on the workboat and is self powered deriving its energy from standard energy sources found on offshore facilities. Furthermore the system is comprised of standard off-the-shelf components.
Claims22
A personnel transfer system for transferring men and materials between an offshore facility and a floating vessel that requires no specialized attachment points for receiving the transfer system comprising:
- a shuttle;
- first hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a hoist mode which substantially raises or lowers said shuttle vertically with respect to the facility;
- second hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a lateral mode which substantially moves said shuttle horizontally with respect to the facility;
- means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a float mode, said float mode substantially allowing said shuttle to follow the fluctuating motion of the floating vessel induced by wave motion when said shuttle is resting on the floating vessel;
- power means for supplying power to said shuttle.
A personnel transfer system for transferring men and materials between an offshore facility and a floating vessel that requires no specialized attachment points for receiving the transfer system comprising:
- a shuttle;
- first hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a hoist mode which substantially raises or lowers said shuttle vertically with respect to the facility;
- second hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a lateral mode which substantially moves said shuttle horizontally with respect to the facility;
- third hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a float mode, said float mode substantially allowing said shuttle to follow the fluctuating motion of the floating vessel induced by wave motion when said shuttle is resting on the floating vessel;
- control means associated with said shuttle and said first and second hoist means for controlling said float mode or said hoist and lateral modes;
- and,
- power means supplying energy to said control means.
A personnel transfer system for transferring men and materials between an offshore facility and a floating vessel that requires no specialized attachment points for receiving the transfer system comprising:
- a shuttle;
- a hoist cable having two ends;
- a hoist winch attached to one end of said hoist cable, wherein said other end of said hoist cable is attached to the facility;
- a hoist motor for powering said hoist winch thereby operating said shuttle in a hoist mode which substantially raises or lowers said shuttle vertically with respect to the facility;
- a lateral cable having two ends;
- a lateral winch attached to one end of said lateral cable, wherein said other end of said lateral cable is attached to the facility;
- a lateral motor for powering said lateral winch thereby operating said shuttle in a lateral mode which substantially moves said shuttle horizontally with respect to the facility;
- reduced torque hoist means associated with said shuttle for operating said shuttle in a float mode, said float mode substantially allowing said shuttle to follow the fluctuating motion of the floating vessel induced by wave motion when said shuttle is resting on the floating vessel;
- control means associated with said shuttle and said first and second hoist means for choosing said float mode or said hoist and lateral modes;
- and,
- power means supplying energy to said first, second, and reduced torque hoist means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.