Offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel for use in ice-covered and clear water applications
First Claim
1. An offshore floating production, storage and off-loading vessel structure for use in ice-prone waters and in clear waters for producing, storing and transporting oil and/or liquefied gas, comprising:
- a monolithic hull having a top wall defining a deck, a bottom wall, and a polygonal exterior side wall configuration surrounding a central moon pool opening, said side walls having an uneven number of flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure;
ballast compartments and storage compartments contained in said hull;
an adjustable ballasting system for ballasting and deballasting selected said ballast compartments and storage compartments to induce heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of said vessel to dynamically position and maneuver said vessel and carry out ice cutting, breaking and moving operations; and
said moon pool having a double tapered conical interior configuration with respect to a vertical axis for entrainment of water to selectively provide added hydrodynamic virtual mass to increase the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reduce dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An offshore floating production, storage, and off-loading vessel has a monolithic non ship-shaped hull of polygonal configuration surrounding a central double tapered conical moon pool and contains water ballast and oil storage compartments. The exterior side walls of the hull have flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure. An adjustable water ballast system induces heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of the vessel to dynamically position and maneuver the vessel to accomplish ice cutting, breaking and moving operations. The moon pool shape and other devices on the vessel provide added virtual mass capable of increasing the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reducing dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. The vessel may be moored by a disconnectable turret buoy received in a support frame at the bottom of the moon pool and to which flexible well risers and mooring lines are connected.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. An offshore floating production, storage and off-loading vessel structure for use in ice-prone waters and in clear waters for producing, storing and transporting oil and/or liquefied gas, comprising:
-
a monolithic hull having a top wall defining a deck, a bottom wall, and a polygonal exterior side wall configuration surrounding a central moon pool opening, said side walls having an uneven number of flat surfaces and sharp corners to cut ice sheets, resist and break ice, and move ice pressure ridges away from the structure; ballast compartments and storage compartments contained in said hull; an adjustable ballasting system for ballasting and deballasting selected said ballast compartments and storage compartments to induce heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of said vessel to dynamically position and maneuver said vessel and carry out ice cutting, breaking and moving operations; and said moon pool having a double tapered conical interior configuration with respect to a vertical axis for entrainment of water to selectively provide added hydrodynamic virtual mass to increase the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reduce dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. An offshore floating production, storage and off-loading vessel structure for use in producing, storing and transporting oil and/or liquefied gas, comprising:
-
a monolithic hull having a top wall defining a deck, a bottom wall, and a generally cylindrical exterior side wall configuration surrounding a central moon pool opening, said side wall having a lower portion extending upwardly from said bottom wall and an upper portion extending angularly inward and upward therefrom terminating adjacent to a bottom of said deck; ballast compartments and storage compartments contained in said hull; an adjustable ballasting system for ballasting and deballasting selected said ballast compartments and storage compartments to induce heave, roll, pitch and surge motions of said vessel to dynamically position and maneuver said vessel and carry out moving operations; and said moon pool having a double tapered conical interior configuration with respect to a vertical axis for entrainment of water to selectively provide added hydrodynamic virtual mass to increase the natural period of the roll and heave modes, reduce dynamic amplification and resonance due to waves and vessel motion, and facilitate maneuvering the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification