Hydrocarbon fluid transfer system
AssigneeSingle Buoy Moorings Inc.
InventorsLeendert Poldervaart, Jack Pollack
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a fluid transfer system, in particular for LNG in which an articulated vertical and horizontal mooring arm are suspended from a support on the processing vessel. Independently moveable ducts, for instance cryogenic hard piping are placed parallel to the mooring arms such that a transfer system is obtained in which is the mooring forces are insulated from the fluid transfer line with which rapid connection and disconnection is possible and which provides a large yaw resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the mooring system comprises two vertical arms connected to a triangular horizontal yoke attached to the bow of the LNG-carrier for improved yaw resistance.
Claims10
Hydrocarbon transfer system (1) comprising a processing vessel (8) and a tanker vessel (7), having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis and a vertical axis, the tanker vessel being moored to the processing vessel via a mooring device comprising a support structure (2) on one of the vessels, a substantially vertical first arm (4, 4′) suspended from the support structure (2) and a substantially horizontal second arm (5, 5′) with a coupling end part (25) which is connected to the other of the vessels via a mechanical connector (13) comprising an articulation joint allowing rotation of the second arm (5, 5′) relative to the connector (13) around a longitudinal axis (27), a transverse axis (28) and a vertical axis (26), the second arm (5, 5′) being with a restoring end part (15, 15′) connected to a lower end part of the first arm (4, 4′) in an articulation joint (16, 16′) allowing rotation of the second arm around a transverse axis (18), the restoring end part of the second arm and/or the end part of the first arm comprising a counterweight (6, 6′), characterized in that a fluid transfer line (35, 36, 39, 40) is connected to and supported by the mooring device comprising a first transfer line part (35, 36) extending along the first arm (4, 4′) and a second transfer line part (39, 40) extending along the second arm (5, 5′), the second transfer line part (35, 36) being connected to the second arm at or near the mechanical connector (13) and comprising a fluid connector (43), wherein the fluid transfer line is supported at or near the support structure (2) and at or near the mechanical connector (13), the fluid transfer line not being rigidly connected to the first and second arms (4, 4′, 5, 5′) at or near the lower end part and the restoring end part (15, 15′) of said arms.
Hydrocarbon transfer structure comprising a processing vessel (8) and a tanker vessel (7), having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis and a vertical axis, the tanker vessel being moored to the processing vessel via a mooring device comprising a support structure (2) on one of the vessels, a substantially vertical first arm (4, 4′) suspended from the support structure (2) and a substantially horizontal second arm (5, 5′) with a coupling end part (25) which is connected to the other of the vessels via a mechanical connector (13) comprising an articulation joint allowing rotation of the second arm (5, 5′) relative to the connector (13) around a longitudinal axis (27), a transverse axis (28) and a vertical axis (26), the second arm (5, 5′) being with a restoring end part (15, 15′) connected to a lower end part of the first arm (4, 4′) in an articulation joint (16, 16′) allowing rotation of the second arm around a transverse axis (18), the restoring end part of the second arm and/or the end part of the first arm comprising a counterweight (6, 6′), wherein the mooring device comprises two spaced apart first arms (4, 4′), which at a top end are connected to the support structure (2) in an articulation joint (22, 22′) to be rotatable around a longitudinal (24) and a transverse axis (23), two second arms (5, 5′) being connected to the respective first arms (4, 4′) in an articulation joint (16, 16′) near the lower ends to be rotatable relative to the first arms around a longitudinal (19), a transverse (18) and a vertical (17) axis, the two second arms (5, 5′) being attached to the mechanical connector (13).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.