Icebreaking vessel and method of breaking ice
AssigneeMaersk Supply Service A/S
InventorNiels Peter Elmbo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To keep the water around an off-shore installation (1) free from a harmful impact of ice, a vessel (5) is used to deploy an anchor (6) in a position at a distance from the off-shore installation (1) and in a direction which, seen from the off-shore installation (1), is substantially in parallel with the direction of movement (P) of the ice. By means of the machinery of the vessel, which preferably comprises azimuth propellers, the direction of the anchor line is adjusted and so is the orientation of the vessel relative to the anchor line to the effect that the propellers can be used to crush and dispose of the ice without using energy to hold the vessel up against the pressure of the ice.
Claims21
An icebreaking vessel for eliminating or rendering ice harmless in a surface area of water in proximity of an off-shore installation, said vessel comprising:
- an anchor configured to be deployed in an anchor line at a distance from the vessel;
- motive force means that provide power for moving the vessel while it is anchored;
- an anchor handling winch configured to wind or unwind the anchor line through a substantially straight internal passage extending from each of a first opening and a second opening in the vessel arranged below the motive force means of the vessel through to an opening arranged in a top most deck of the vessel, wherein the hull is a mono hull and the first and second openings are arranged in a flat portion defined on the bottom of the hull;
- wherein said vessel includes a bow and a stern, both of which are configured with a portion configured to break ice upon contact with the portion while the vessel remains stationary, wherein the vessel is capable of performing icebreaking tasks while it is anchored, said vessel being, by means of the motive force means or the anchor handling winch, movable across a surface area of the bed of the sea which has a significantly larger expanse than the expanse of the vessel, whereby the vessel is capable of eliminating or rendering the ice harmless in a surface area of the sea, wherein said first opening is arranged between the midship point of the vessel and the bow of the vessel, and said second opening is arranged between the midship point of the vessel and the stern of the vessel.
An icebreaking vessel for eliminating or rendering ice harmless in a surface area of water in proximity of an off-shore installation, said vessel comprising:
- an anchor configured to be deployed in an anchor line at a distance from the vessel;
- motive force means that provide power for moving the vessel while it is anchored;
- an anchor handling winch configured to wind or unwind the anchor line through a substantially straight internal passage extending from each of a first opening and a second opening in the vessel arranged below the motive force means of the vessel through to an opening arranged in a top most deck of the vessel, the first and second openings being arranged between a midsection of the vessel and one of a bow and a stern of the vessel, wherein the hull is a mono hull and the first and second openings are arranged in a flat portion defined on the bottom of the hull;
- wherein the bow and the stern of the vessel each comprises a portion configured to break ice upon contact with the portion while the vessel remains stationary, wherein the vessel is capable of performing icebreaking tasks while it is anchored, said vessel being, by the motive force means or the anchor handling winch, movable across a surface area of the bed of the sea which has a significantly larger expanse than the expanse of the vessel, whereby the vessel is capable of eliminating or rendering the ice harmless in a surface area of the sea.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.