Tension Leg Platform With Improved Hydrodynamic Performance
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tension leg platform (10) comprising:
- a hull (11, 11a, 11b) including a plurality of vertical columns (12, 112), a pontoon structure (14, 114) disposed inboard of said columns and adjoined to said columns at lower ends (12a, 112a) thereof, each of said columns having a horizontal cross-sectional shape that defines a major axis A1) that is oriented radially outward from a center point (C) of said hull;
a deck (13) supported at upper ends (12b, 112b) of said columns; and
a plurality of tendons (17) connected under tension between said columns and the seabed for maintaining said tension leg platform above a desired subsea location and substantially restraining said tension leg platform from vertical heave motions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tension leg platform that is stable with a quayside-integrated deck without the use of temporary stability modules or specialized installation techniques. The hull preferably consists of four radially-oriented vertical corner columns connected with four central ring pontoon segments. The vertical columns are fixed to the outer periphery of the central pontoon. The columns are characterized by a major radial axis and a minor transverse axis. The mooring system includes tendons supported at tendon porches directly at the four column outboard lower corners, without additional radially-extending tendon support structures.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A tension leg platform (10) comprising:
-
a hull (11, 11a, 11b) including a plurality of vertical columns (12, 112), a pontoon structure (14, 114) disposed inboard of said columns and adjoined to said columns at lower ends (12a, 112a) thereof, each of said columns having a horizontal cross-sectional shape that defines a major axis A1) that is oriented radially outward from a center point (C) of said hull; a deck (13) supported at upper ends (12b, 112b) of said columns; and a plurality of tendons (17) connected under tension between said columns and the seabed for maintaining said tension leg platform above a desired subsea location and substantially restraining said tension leg platform from vertical heave motions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A tension leg platform (10) comprising:
-
a hull (11, 11a, 11b) including a pontoon structure (14, 114) having an outer periphery surrounding a central vertical axis (C), vertical columns (12, 112) each adjoined at a lower end (12a, 112a) to said pontoon structure outer periphery, said pontoon structure disposed inboard of said columns, each of said columns defining a vertical column axis (VC) located radially outward from said central vertical axis (C) a first non-zero distance (D1) from said outer periphery of said pontoon structure; a deck (13) supported by upper ends (12b, 112b) of said columns; and tendons (17) under tension connected at upper ends to said columns by tendon porches (18) mounted directly to said columns (12, 112) and at lower ends to the seabed for maintaining said tension leg platform above a desired subsea location and substantially restraining said tension leg platform from vertical heave motions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A tension leg platform (10) comprising:
-
a ring pontoon structure (14) surrounding a central opening (14c) and formed by a plurality of segments (14a, 14b) which in transverse cross section define a horizontal center line (HC); vertical columns (12, 112) each adjoined at a lower end (12a, 112a) to an outboard side of said pontoon structure (14) so that said pontoon structure is disposed inboard of said columns, each of said columns defining a central vertical longitudinal axis (VC) disposed radially outward from a platform center (C) a distance (D2) from said horizontal axial center line (HC) so as not to intersect therewith; and vertical mooring tendons (17) connected between said columns and the seabed.
-
Specification