CA2532748A1 - Loading and offloading system - Google Patents
Loading and offloading system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2532748A1 CA2532748A1 CA 2532748 CA2532748A CA2532748A1 CA 2532748 A1 CA2532748 A1 CA 2532748A1 CA 2532748 CA2532748 CA 2532748 CA 2532748 A CA2532748 A CA 2532748A CA 2532748 A1 CA2532748 A1 CA 2532748A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- hydrocarbon
- tanks
- inflow
- vessel
- outflow line
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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- Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a vessel comprising a hull and within said hull a number of cylindrical tanks, each tank having a first and a second opening and respective valves closing each opening, wherein the tanks are supported by a support structure in the hull, the first openings of the tanks being connected to a hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line, the second openings of the tanks being connected to a displacement fluid inflow/outflow line, at least one pump being connected to the displacement fluid inflow/outflow and/or to the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line, a control means being connected to the at least one pump and to the valves for controlling:
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a hydrocarbon into the tanks via one of the displacement fluid flow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line, while - opening the valve of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a hydrocarbon into the tanks via one of the displacement fluid flow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line, while - opening the valve of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
Description
Loading and offloading system The iuventlon relates to a loading and offloading system on a vessel comprising a hull and within said hull a number of cylindrical tanks.
S A tan7cer comprising s number of cylindrical tanks is described in 'WO
OOI7313~1, rn the known tanks, which are made of a composite material, the structural integration with the hull of the vessel may lead to fatigue problems during the service Life of the vessel. Especially in high sea slates, partially filled tanks may lead to sloshing of the contents and. relatively high mechanical loads on the ta~ol~s, In case a hydrocarbon is stored in the tanks, the atmosphere above the hydrocarbon. in the lank is formed by an inert gas, which prevents explosive mixtures to be formed iri axder to reduce the risk of explosions, Furthermore, the loading level o'f the tanks will determine the drab of the vessel, which may vary.
It is an object of the present invention to pxovide a loadingloffloading system in which the above problems are mitigated, Thereto the present invention is characterised by each tank havil~g a first and a second opening and respective valves closing each opening, wherein the tanks are supported by a support stntoiut~ in the hull, fine first openings of the tanks being connoted to a hydrocarbon intlow/outflow line, the second openings of the tanks being connected to a displacement fluid inflow/outflow line, at least ono pump being connected to the displacement fluid ixd'lowloutflow andlo;r to the hydrocarbon inflowloutflow line, a control means being connected to the at least ox~e pump and to the valves for controlling;
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a l~ydxocarbon into the tanks via oxie of the di.spla~cemant fluid in:~lowJoutflow line and the hydrocarbon 111'~OWIOlItflO'V~ lixle, while .. opening the valve of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/ou't,~l.ow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
Because the tanks are formed by separate units that are supported within the hull, they da not contribute to the slx~ctural integrity of the vessel iti a.
significant manner.
The hull can hence be constructed in a more lilt-weight manner witbout a reduction ixr safety of containment. Pressure fluctuations inside the tanks will nqt cause any bezidi.ng stresses in the hull, Ian a preferred embodiment, fine tanks are formed by cylindric~.l to ks with spherical end faces to form a pressure vessel. A single layer hull 'will suffice to provide a reliable containment. 'Upon eonsn'uction or during charage~out and repair, the tanks can be separately installed, replaced andlor serviced.
S rn a preferred embodimezlt, the level to ~crluch the tanks are filled is substantially constant. 'When oil is removed, the displacement fluid, such as for instance sea water, takes up the volume that is freed by the oil, such that the tanks are filled to a constant level. This has an advantage that reduced sloshing of the tank contents occurs, which reduces fatigue problems. Furthermore, since the tanks are filled to a Substantially constant level, no inert gases need to be utilised in order to avoid problems with vola'dle organies compounds. Furthermore, corrosion of the tazaks, in case they era made of metal such as carbon steel, is reduced as no interfaoe of the container contents with air is formed.
By keeping a substantially constant level of fluid in the tanks, a substantially 1 S constant draft can be achieved, This is particularly advantageous in case the vessel is moored to the sea bed, and is attached to a sub sea well via a hydrocarbon riser, such as in case of an p'1'S~.
rn a preferred embodiment, a heat insulating material iS present at the interface of the hydrocarbon and the expulsion fluid, itt case the hydrocarbon is formed by oil, ZO which is transported. upward from a sub sea oil well, and the fluid is formed by sea water, the oil may have a temperature of for ir~,stance 65°C, whereas the sea water is about 10°C. In order to avoid heat loss which would negatively affect the oil viscosity and its flow properties, a movable separating member may be situated in each tank, at the interface of the hydrocarbon and the displacement fluid, of substantially equal site 25 and shape as the cross-section of tank. Such au ins~.laiing member has a further advantage that oil-water mixing at the interface is reduced.
Tn a preferred embodinner~t the tanks are connected in groups, for instance of tanks each, to a manifold for admission and removal of oil and water. The tanks may have other shapes than cylindrical, such as spherical or rectangular, and may be 30 supported in a honeycomb structure or a rectangular matri;r, Such as a space frame structure.
Some embodiments of a vessel according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawixigs. In the drawings:
., li'ig. 1 shows a sol~~.~c side view of an FPSO conxprising multiple cylindrical tanlcs according to the present invention, Fig. 2 and 3 show a partial perspective view of a number of tanks according to the pxeSent invention, Figs. 4a~4g show a sequence of loading and offloading using a vessel according to the present invention, and Fig. 5 shows a lay,QUt of multiple interconnected 'lacks.
Figure 1 shows a vessel (1), such as an FPSO, oomprisiug a hull 3 with a number of cylindrical tanl~s 4,~. The vessel 1 comprises a turret 7 which is atvchored to the seabed 8 via anchor lines 9, The hull 3 can weathervane around the turret: 7 depending on the wind and current directions. A hydxocarbon riser 11 is connected to a sub sea hydrocarbon well 13, such as an oil well. Oil is for instance transferred from the well 13 to the tanks 4, 5, via a swivel 15 which connects product piping on the veSSel with the geostationary riser on the turret 7. The oil can via the oil inflow/outfilow line 17 and Che valves 18, 19 be transported into and out of the tat~,s 4, 5.
'Via a pump zl and a water ir~letJoutlet line 22, sea water can be pumped, into and out of the tanks A,S via valves 23,25. The pump 21 and the valves 18,19,23,25 are controlled by a control unit 27, such as a computer, wbiel~ is attached via electrical or eleetro-optical cables 29, 30, 31 to the pump 21 and ~ valves 18-25.
figure 2 slows a number of tanks 4, 5 placed on a grid of stiffener beams 33 which provide a hull reinfarcement in th.e longitudinal amd in the transverse directions.
The tanks are connected via a top manifold 35 to main transport ducts 37, and at the bottom to main transport duels 39. As spawn in figure 3, a top grid structure 40 is situated over the tanks 4, 5 and carries the deck 41, below which the manifoldxng 35 2S anal the main transparl ducts 37 are situated.
Figure 4a shows at the tank 4 after offloading, wZ~erein the majority of the tank is filled with seawater 47. A separator, such as a circular floater 42, separates i:'he oil 45 from the seawater 47. D~u~ing loading of the tank 4, such as shown in figures 4b and 4c, the water 4'1 is removed via valves 23, and the oil is admitted via valves 18.
For offloading, as shown in figures 4d and Vie, oil is removed via valves 18, and water is admitted via valves 23.
In figure elf, the control unit 2'~ is seexr, controlling the pump 21. and the valves 18 and 23. Two level sensors 49,50 are connected to the control unit 27 for providing input tp the control unit about the level of ail and water in the tank ~, A tank radar transducer S 1 is coupled to the control knit 27 for providing a position control signal of the floater ~2 in the tank, As ~s schematically indicated in figure ~4g, tilting of the vessel does not result in any sloshing of liquids in the tank A~.
Finally, figure S shows a group 60 of ten tanks, which have a common loadingloffloading duct 51 for hydrocarbons 61 and a common supply and discharge line 62 for seawater, which is taken in from the sea aria seawa~er inlet chests 64,65 i~
the hull of the vessel 1.
S A tan7cer comprising s number of cylindrical tanks is described in 'WO
OOI7313~1, rn the known tanks, which are made of a composite material, the structural integration with the hull of the vessel may lead to fatigue problems during the service Life of the vessel. Especially in high sea slates, partially filled tanks may lead to sloshing of the contents and. relatively high mechanical loads on the ta~ol~s, In case a hydrocarbon is stored in the tanks, the atmosphere above the hydrocarbon. in the lank is formed by an inert gas, which prevents explosive mixtures to be formed iri axder to reduce the risk of explosions, Furthermore, the loading level o'f the tanks will determine the drab of the vessel, which may vary.
It is an object of the present invention to pxovide a loadingloffloading system in which the above problems are mitigated, Thereto the present invention is characterised by each tank havil~g a first and a second opening and respective valves closing each opening, wherein the tanks are supported by a support stntoiut~ in the hull, fine first openings of the tanks being connoted to a hydrocarbon intlow/outflow line, the second openings of the tanks being connected to a displacement fluid inflow/outflow line, at least ono pump being connected to the displacement fluid ixd'lowloutflow andlo;r to the hydrocarbon inflowloutflow line, a control means being connected to the at least ox~e pump and to the valves for controlling;
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a l~ydxocarbon into the tanks via oxie of the di.spla~cemant fluid in:~lowJoutflow line and the hydrocarbon 111'~OWIOlItflO'V~ lixle, while .. opening the valve of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/ou't,~l.ow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
Because the tanks are formed by separate units that are supported within the hull, they da not contribute to the slx~ctural integrity of the vessel iti a.
significant manner.
The hull can hence be constructed in a more lilt-weight manner witbout a reduction ixr safety of containment. Pressure fluctuations inside the tanks will nqt cause any bezidi.ng stresses in the hull, Ian a preferred embodiment, fine tanks are formed by cylindric~.l to ks with spherical end faces to form a pressure vessel. A single layer hull 'will suffice to provide a reliable containment. 'Upon eonsn'uction or during charage~out and repair, the tanks can be separately installed, replaced andlor serviced.
S rn a preferred embodimezlt, the level to ~crluch the tanks are filled is substantially constant. 'When oil is removed, the displacement fluid, such as for instance sea water, takes up the volume that is freed by the oil, such that the tanks are filled to a constant level. This has an advantage that reduced sloshing of the tank contents occurs, which reduces fatigue problems. Furthermore, since the tanks are filled to a Substantially constant level, no inert gases need to be utilised in order to avoid problems with vola'dle organies compounds. Furthermore, corrosion of the tazaks, in case they era made of metal such as carbon steel, is reduced as no interfaoe of the container contents with air is formed.
By keeping a substantially constant level of fluid in the tanks, a substantially 1 S constant draft can be achieved, This is particularly advantageous in case the vessel is moored to the sea bed, and is attached to a sub sea well via a hydrocarbon riser, such as in case of an p'1'S~.
rn a preferred embodiment, a heat insulating material iS present at the interface of the hydrocarbon and the expulsion fluid, itt case the hydrocarbon is formed by oil, ZO which is transported. upward from a sub sea oil well, and the fluid is formed by sea water, the oil may have a temperature of for ir~,stance 65°C, whereas the sea water is about 10°C. In order to avoid heat loss which would negatively affect the oil viscosity and its flow properties, a movable separating member may be situated in each tank, at the interface of the hydrocarbon and the displacement fluid, of substantially equal site 25 and shape as the cross-section of tank. Such au ins~.laiing member has a further advantage that oil-water mixing at the interface is reduced.
Tn a preferred embodinner~t the tanks are connected in groups, for instance of tanks each, to a manifold for admission and removal of oil and water. The tanks may have other shapes than cylindrical, such as spherical or rectangular, and may be 30 supported in a honeycomb structure or a rectangular matri;r, Such as a space frame structure.
Some embodiments of a vessel according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawixigs. In the drawings:
., li'ig. 1 shows a sol~~.~c side view of an FPSO conxprising multiple cylindrical tanlcs according to the present invention, Fig. 2 and 3 show a partial perspective view of a number of tanks according to the pxeSent invention, Figs. 4a~4g show a sequence of loading and offloading using a vessel according to the present invention, and Fig. 5 shows a lay,QUt of multiple interconnected 'lacks.
Figure 1 shows a vessel (1), such as an FPSO, oomprisiug a hull 3 with a number of cylindrical tanl~s 4,~. The vessel 1 comprises a turret 7 which is atvchored to the seabed 8 via anchor lines 9, The hull 3 can weathervane around the turret: 7 depending on the wind and current directions. A hydxocarbon riser 11 is connected to a sub sea hydrocarbon well 13, such as an oil well. Oil is for instance transferred from the well 13 to the tanks 4, 5, via a swivel 15 which connects product piping on the veSSel with the geostationary riser on the turret 7. The oil can via the oil inflow/outfilow line 17 and Che valves 18, 19 be transported into and out of the tat~,s 4, 5.
'Via a pump zl and a water ir~letJoutlet line 22, sea water can be pumped, into and out of the tanks A,S via valves 23,25. The pump 21 and the valves 18,19,23,25 are controlled by a control unit 27, such as a computer, wbiel~ is attached via electrical or eleetro-optical cables 29, 30, 31 to the pump 21 and ~ valves 18-25.
figure 2 slows a number of tanks 4, 5 placed on a grid of stiffener beams 33 which provide a hull reinfarcement in th.e longitudinal amd in the transverse directions.
The tanks are connected via a top manifold 35 to main transport ducts 37, and at the bottom to main transport duels 39. As spawn in figure 3, a top grid structure 40 is situated over the tanks 4, 5 and carries the deck 41, below which the manifoldxng 35 2S anal the main transparl ducts 37 are situated.
Figure 4a shows at the tank 4 after offloading, wZ~erein the majority of the tank is filled with seawater 47. A separator, such as a circular floater 42, separates i:'he oil 45 from the seawater 47. D~u~ing loading of the tank 4, such as shown in figures 4b and 4c, the water 4'1 is removed via valves 23, and the oil is admitted via valves 18.
For offloading, as shown in figures 4d and Vie, oil is removed via valves 18, and water is admitted via valves 23.
In figure elf, the control unit 2'~ is seexr, controlling the pump 21. and the valves 18 and 23. Two level sensors 49,50 are connected to the control unit 27 for providing input tp the control unit about the level of ail and water in the tank ~, A tank radar transducer S 1 is coupled to the control knit 27 for providing a position control signal of the floater ~2 in the tank, As ~s schematically indicated in figure ~4g, tilting of the vessel does not result in any sloshing of liquids in the tank A~.
Finally, figure S shows a group 60 of ten tanks, which have a common loadingloffloading duct 51 for hydrocarbons 61 and a common supply and discharge line 62 for seawater, which is taken in from the sea aria seawa~er inlet chests 64,65 i~
the hull of the vessel 1.
Claims (5)
1. Vessel (1) comprising a hull (3) and within said hull a number of cylindrical tanks (4, 5), each tank having a first and a second opening and respective valves (18, 19; 23, 25) closing each opening, wherein the tanks are supported by a support structure in the hull, the first openings of the tanks being connected to a hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line (17), the second openings of the tanks being connected to a displacement fluid inflow/outflow line (22), at least one pump (21) being connected to the displacement fluid inflow/outflow and/or to the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line, a control means (27) being connected to the at least one pump (21) and to the valves (18, 19, 23, 25) for controlling;
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a hydrocarbon into the tanks via one of fine displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line (22), while - opening the valve (18, 19; 23, 25) of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
- pumping a first volume of displacement liquid or a hydrocarbon into the tanks via one of fine displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line (22), while - opening the valve (18, 19; 23, 25) of the other of the displacement fluid inflow/outflow line and the hydrocarbon inflow/outflow line and removing a second volume of hydrocarbon or displacement fluid out of the tank via the valve.
2. Vessel (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second volumes are substantially equal.
3. Vessel (1) according to claim 1 or 2, the combined volume of hydrocarbon and displacement fluid in each tank being substantially constant.
4. Vessel (1) according to any of the preceding claims, a movable separating member (42) being situated in each tank, at the interface of the hydrocarbon and the displacement fluid, of substantially equal size and shape as the cross-section of tank.
5. Vessel (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vessel is anchored to the set bed (8), a sub sea riser (11) extending from a sub sea hydrocarbon well (13) to the vessel (1) for supplying the hydrocarbon to the tanks (4, 5).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP05075104.9 | 2005-01-14 | ||
| EP05075104 | 2005-01-14 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2532748A1 true CA2532748A1 (en) | 2006-07-14 |
Family
ID=36676955
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2532748 Abandoned CA2532748A1 (en) | 2005-01-14 | 2006-01-13 | Loading and offloading system |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2532748A1 (en) |
| NO (1) | NO20060225L (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008109011A2 (en) * | 2007-03-02 | 2008-09-12 | Enersea Transport Llc | Apparatus and method for flowing compressed fluids into and out of containment |
-
2006
- 2006-01-13 CA CA 2532748 patent/CA2532748A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-01-16 NO NO20060225A patent/NO20060225L/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008109011A2 (en) * | 2007-03-02 | 2008-09-12 | Enersea Transport Llc | Apparatus and method for flowing compressed fluids into and out of containment |
| WO2008109011A3 (en) * | 2007-03-02 | 2010-01-07 | Enersea Transport Llc | Apparatus and method for flowing compressed fluids into and out of containment |
| US8281820B2 (en) | 2007-03-02 | 2012-10-09 | Enersea Transport Llc | Apparatus and method for flowing compressed fluids into and out of containment |
| US8607830B2 (en) | 2007-03-02 | 2013-12-17 | Enersea Transport Llc | Apparatus and method for flowing compressed fluids into and out of containment |
| US9033178B2 (en) | 2007-03-02 | 2015-05-19 | Enersea Transport Llc | Storing, transporting and handling compressed fluids |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| NO20060225L (en) | 2006-07-17 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |