Load compensating mooring hooks
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsKeith Gill, Roald T. Lokken
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mooring apparatus that includes an actuator connected to a mooring hook and the mooring base. The actuator provides translational movement of the mooring hook towards the mooring base. The mooring apparatus also includes a vessel motion detection system and a mooring apparatus control system. The mooring apparatus may include a mooring line tension gauge. The vessel motion detection system provides an input indicative of vessel motion to the mooring apparatus control system. The mooring apparatus control system then provides an output signal to the appropriate mooring system(s) which results in adjustment of the mooring line tension in the appropriate mooring system(s). Methods for use thereof are also disclosed.
Claims19
A method of controlling a mooring system comprising:
- mooring a vessel to a terminal using one or more mooring lines;
- providing a vessel motion detection system;
- providing a mooring control system operatively connected to the one or more mooring lines and operatively connected to the vessel motion detection system;
- determining vessel motion data which comprises determining one or more of vessel direction, speed and acceleration;
- determining which of the one or more mooring lines oppose the direction of the motion of the vessel;
- and
- operating at least one of the one or more mooring lines by the mooring control system based on the vessel motion data, the mooring control system configured to control translational movement of one or more mooring hooks of the mooring system, wherein the one or more mooring lines that oppose the direction of the motion of the vessel are retracted at least in part by translational movement of the associated one or more mooring hooks to oppose the detected motion of the vessel.
A mooring apparatus comprising:
- one or more mooring hooks for connecting one or more mooring lines,
- a mooring base;
- an actuator operatively connected to each of the one or more mooring hooks and the associated mooring base, wherein the actuator provides translational movement of the mooring hook towards the mooring base;
- a vessel motion detection system for determining vessel motion data, the vessel motion data comprising one or more of vessel direction, speed and acceleration;
- and
- a mooring apparatus control system operatively connected to each actuator and operatively connected to the vessel motion detection system to control translational movement of the one or more mooring hooks in response to input from the vessel motion detection system, wherein mooring hooks connected to mooring lines which oppose the direction of the motion of the vessel are retracted by the mooring apparatus control system to oppose detected motion of the vessel.
A method of controlling a mooring system comprising:
- means for mooring a vessel to a terminal using one or more mooring lines;
- means for providing a vessel motion detection system;
- means for providing a mooring control system operatively connected to the one or more mooring lines and operatively connected to the vessel motion detection system;
- means for determining vessel motion data, the vessel motion data comprising one or more of vessel direction, speed and acceleration;
- means for determining which of the one or more mooring lines oppose the direction of the motion of the vessel;
- and
- means for operating at least one of the one or more mooring lines by the mooring control system based on the vessel motion data, the mooring control system configured to control translational movement of one or more mooring hooks of the mooring system, wherein the one or more mooring lines that oppose the direction of the motion of the vessel are retracted at least in part by translational movement of the associated one or more mooring hooks to oppose the detected motion of the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.