VESSEL PROVIDED WITH A MOON POOL

• US 20180134345A1
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gustomsc B.V. (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gustomsc Resources B.V. (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: HENDRIKS, Sjoerd Maarten, KRIJGER, Jan-Willem, CHALKIAS, Dimitrios
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/32 Other means for varying the inherent hydrodynamic characteristics of hulls
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2003/147 Moon-pools, e.g. for offshore drilling vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 3/14 Hull parts hull armour B63B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/03 Pipe-laying vessels laying pipes under water F16L1/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/4413 Floating drilling platforms, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/10 Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls

Abstract

The invention relates to a vessel (1), especially a drillship or so-called drilling ship. The vessel comprises a hull (3) having a bottom surface (5) and a deck (7). Said vessel is provided with a moon pool (2), which extends from said bottom surface of the hull in an upward direction through the hull. Further, said vessel is provided with a cavity (10) located at a front side of the moon pool. Said cavity is at least partly open at a bottom side thereof in order to allow water to flow into said cavity. Moreover, said cavity is at least partly open at a rear side of said cavity in order to allow water to flow directly from said cavity into the moon pool, as a result of which moon pool sloshing can be diminished and the mean flow resistance of the vessel when sailing can be reduced.

Claims

1. A vessel, comprising a hull having a bottom surface and a deck, wherein said vessel is provided with a moon pool extending from said bottom surface of the hull in an upward direction through the hull, characterized in that said vessel is further provided with a cavity located at a front side of the moon pool, wherein said cavity is at least partly open at a bottom side thereof in order to allow water to flow into said cavity, and wherein said cavity is at least partly open at a rear side of said cavity in order to allow water to flow directly from said cavity into the moon pool.

2. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is further provided with a second cavity, wherein the second cavity is located at a rear side of the moon pool, wherein said second cavity is at least partly open at a front side of said second cavity in order to allow water to flow from said moon pool directly into said second cavity, and wherein said second cavity is at least partly open at a bottom side thereof in order to allow water to flow out of said second cavity.

3. The vessel according to claim 2, wherein the second cavity is at least partly defined by means of a trailing wall sloping downwards in a rearward direction, e.g. in a direction substantially extending from the moon pool towards a portion of the bottom surface of the hull located at a rear side of the moon pool.

4. The vessel according to claim 3, wherein the trailing wall substantially forms a chamfer connecting a rear wall of the moon pool with the bottom surface of the hull.

5. The vessel according to claim 3, wherein the second cavity is at least partly defined by means of a ceiling connecting a rear wall of the moon pool with the downwardly sloping trailing wall.

6. The vessel according to claim 3, wherein the connection between the downwardly sloping trailing wall and the bottom surface of the hull, or at least a part and preferably substantially the complete downwardly trailing wall, is formed by a fillet, spline or any continuous curve.

7. The vessel according to claim 2, wherein a lower end of the rear wall of the moon pool is during use, e.g. during sailing, located below the water line.

8. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the the first cavity is at least partly defined by means of a leading wall sloping upwards in a direction substantially extending from a portion of the bottom surface of the hull located at a front side of the moon pool towards the moon pool.

9. The vessel according to claim 8, wherein the connection between said upwardly sloping leading wall of the first cavity and the bottom surface of the hull, or at least a part and preferably substantially the complete upwardly sloping leading wall, is formed by a fillet, spline or any continuous curve.

10. The vessel according to claim 8, wherein the connection between said upwardly sloping leading wall of the first cavity and the front wall of the moon pool is substantially formed as an edge, especially a relatively sharp edge.

11. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the first cavity is at least partly defined by means of a ceiling extending substantially horizontally and a front wall extending substantially upwardly from the bottom surface of the hull towards said ceiling of the first cavity.

12. The vessel according to claim 11, wherein the connection between the front wall of the first cavity and the bottom surface of the hull is substantially formed as an edge, especially a relatively sharp edge.

13. The vessel according to claim 11, wherein the first cavity has a length measured from the front wall of said cavity to the front wall of the moon pool, which length is greater than a height of said first cavity measured from the level of the bottom surface of the hull to the ceiling of said first cavity, preferably wherein the proportion of length/height is at least 1.5, more preferably at least 2, 2.5 or 3.

14. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein a front wall of the moon pool extends further downwards than a rear wall of said moon pool.

15. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the first cavity and/or the second cavity is flaring outwardly.

16. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the vessel is a drillship or so-called drilling ship.

17. Use of a vessel according to claim 1, wherein the use comprises sailing with said vessel, especially while keeping the moon pool of said vessel open.