Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/30—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/14—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01D—CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, ELEVATED ROADWAYS OR VIADUCTS; ASSEMBLY OF BRIDGES
  • E01D15/00—Movable or portable bridges; Floating bridges
  • E01D15/24—Bridges or similar structures, based on land or on a fixed structure and designed to give access to ships or other floating structures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B17/00—Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
  • B63B2017/0072—Seaway compensators
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
  • B63B2021/001—Mooring bars, yokes, or the like, e.g. comprising articulations on both ends

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a mooring arrangement for mooring a marine vessel to a structure.
• the invention also relates to marine vessels and structures equipped with such a mooring arrangement.
• the mooring up of small vessels and boats to small structures at sea creates special problems, since no protection is provided against heavy sea and wind.
• the structures may be ground anchored or afloat, such as sea-based wind-power stations, lighthouses or constructions for extracting and loading oil. Due to the fact that waves and wind have a tendency to sweep around structures at sea, such structures must have a considerable horizontal extension, if they not shall be regarded as small. Except for just a short period of the year, transportation of personnel and goods is difficult, and can result in unacceptable risks. In the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Gotland, for example, the maximum wave height exceeds one meter for 80% of the hours in a year. This also is the approximate limit for the wave height at which a smaller boat can lie moored against a quay or dock. The difference in the water level further increases the difficulties of using fixed devices. This is true especially where tide water is significant.
• the mooring devices available today consist as a rule of some form of ramp, which may be lowered either from the vessel or from the construction against which the vessel is to be moored.
• U.S. patent No. 4, 133, 283 describes, for example, a hydraulic power arrangement to counteract the mooring forces between a vessel and a fixed structure when the vessel is moored. This invention is aimed at how to counteract the mooring forces after a vessel is moored. How the mooring arrangement shall be constructed so as to make mooring possible when there is a heavy sea is, however, not disclosed.
• U.S. patent No. 4, 083 072 describes a mooring arrangement comprising an attachment assembly, a swivel connection and a locking device.
• U.S. patent No. 4,011,615 relates to a gangway for transferring personnel between a ship and a fixed structure. Even this document is aimed at how the mooring forces may be counteracted after a vessel has been moored i.e. how the actual mooring assembly shall be constructed so as to carry out safe mooring is not described.
• U.S. patent No. 3,426,719 relates also to a ramp for transferring personnel between a ship and a fixed structure. Exactly as in the previous document, the ramp first and foremost is constructed to counteract mooring forces when the vessel is actually moored. The ramp, also in this case, is provided with a line as in U.S. patent No. 4,083,072 and the actual mooring functions in a corresponding manner.
• the purpose of the present invention is to achieve a safe, reliable and cheap mooring arrangement, which eliminates or reduces the problems described above.
• the invention may be applied to mooring of smaller vessels primarily to ground-anchored or floating structures in the sea, for example, sea-based wind-power stations, lighthouses or constructions for extracting and loading oil. It can also be used for mooring two vessels against each other, for example, such as a pilot boat from which, during heavy sea, personnel shall be transferred to a larger vessel.
• Figure 1 illustrates a system of co-ordinates for a vessel
• Figure 2 illustrates a mooring arrangement when mooring to a structure
• Figure 3 illustrates a mooring arrangement when the vessel is moored against the structure
• Figure 5 illustrates how the gangway is centred to the structure.
• the x-axis represents the longitudinal direction of the vessel, y-axis its transverse direction while the z-axis runs vertically.
• the movements of the vessel have a total of six degrees of freedom (translation in the x-, y- and z-directions and rotation around the x-, y- and z-axes).
• degrees of freedom translation in the x-, y- and z-directions and rotation around the x-, y- and z-axes.
• FIGS. 2 and 3 show a schematic illustration of the mooring arrangement mounted to a smaller boat 1, during a mooring manoeuvre and when moored to a structure 2, respectively.
• the structure may comprise of a ground-anchored structure or a floating structure having, within the present field, mainly vertical restricting areas.
• a connecting means 4 pivotally mounted, comprising a load-bearing girder which also may be used as a gangway for transferring personnel and goods.
• the connecting means 4 is placed at a selected angle and optionally lowered or elevated into a resting position.
• the manoeuvring member consists of a fixed support.
• a locking device 6 at the forward end of the connecting means there is one part of a locking device 6 and a control means 8, which engages with the hinge 7, which may have resilient or damping properties.
• the control means 8 may comprise one or several wheels, reels or the like.
• the control means may also be realised by giving the end of the connecting means a suitable design.
• the other part 9 of the locking device comprises an attachment means, which in this specific case is provided on the structure 2.
• the locking device 6 may for example have the form of a clutch 11, which grips a round rod. The rod runs around and is concentrically fastened at a predetermined distance from the structure 2 and constitutes the corresponding part of the locking device 9.
• mooring may take place from any chosen direction.
• the vessel will passively follow, when the wind and waves change direction.
• the illustrated locking device is preferably locked automatically upon contact between the two parts. Unintentional unlocking is prevented, for example, by the clutch 11 being provided with a spring (not shown). Disengagement may be triggered from an optional site, for example, by actuating a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). Thereafter the vessel may leave the site immediately.
• the round rod of the locking device 9 is replaced by a steel cable, mounted between supports, which are fixed to the tower in a similar manner as the round rod. Since the steel cable is flexible, this normally provides an advantageous load condition, which can lead to reduction in material and costs.
• the locking device may be provided in connection with the attachment means 3, whereby the gangway 7 provides permanent connection between the connecting means 4 and the structure 2.
• the remaining parts should then be adapted to this embodiment.
• the attachment means which normally allow certain rotation in three degrees of freedom, may also be arranged so as to manage a limited translation in up to three degrees of freedom.
• the attachment means may, furthermore, be provided with dampers and springs, to restrain movements even more and to create a return movement.
• the manoeuvring member 5, whose primary function is to place the connecting means 4 at a selected angle consists of a hydraulic cylinder, which when combined with restrictions, has a damping function and when combined with hydraulic accumulators, has a spring action.
• a platform 10 which has a position and form adapted to the girder 4.
• the vessel moves forward in the water at a certain speed, i.e. in the x-direction according to the system of co-ordinates in Figure 1.
• the connecting means 4 normally is placed at such a positive angle that its forward end will meet the structure well below the locking device 9. It may be positioned at angles against the horizontal plane (xy-plane) at between 0 and 90 degrees; a typical value when mooring is 45 degrees.
• the end of the connecting means comes into contact with the structure, as a consequence of the remaining movement of the vessel in the x-direction, this then will move upwards in the z-direction. If the manoeuvring member 5 has a damping function, the vessel's movement will thereby be slowed down.
• connection means 4 is positioned at a corresponding negative angle to the horizontal plane. Then the forward end of the connecting means will move downward during the mooring and locking procedure.
• the round rod or the steel cable of the locking device will instead then be arranged at the lower area of the structure 2.
• Figure 5 illustrates how, by arranging the wheels 8 at a suitable angle ( ⁇ ) outwardly in relation to the movement of the connecting means when mooring (toe-out) the connecting means 4 may be centred on the structure 2, provided that the structure within the actual area has a convex cross section.
• the toe-out angle means that the forward end of the connecting means may be guided to the corresponding side of the structure, until also the other wheel of the wheel pair makes contact, whereby the side conveyance of both wheels compensate each other and the connecting means continues to move to centre. So as to compensate for great side miscalculations it may be suitable to arrange several pairs of wheels.
• a vertical plane having an attachment means 9 crosswise to the direction of movement and at a suitably height. Mooring preferably takes place by a smaller vessel moving up to be parallel with the larger vessel. This will proceed until the forward part of the connecting means 4 makes contact with the vertical plane and attachment means 9, in an analogue manner as the foregoing description of mooring to a fixed or floating structure.
• the invention allows a mooring vessel to approach near to the structure and moor in one direction against the prevalent wave and wind direction, which means that one does not have to risk that the vessel shall be thrown against the structure by a breaker.
• the longitudinal direction is adapted passively after the prevailing direction of wind and waves.
• the moored vessel moves unevenly and it is difficult to steer with precision into a locking device.
• the present invention allows for considerable miscalculations in height due to adjustment errors, wave movement and water height.
• the invention allows that one may unmoor and move away from the site in a simple and safe manner.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Wind Motors (AREA)
• Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
• Ropes Or Cables (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
• Vibration Prevention Devices (AREA)
• Buildings Adapted To Withstand Abnormal External Influences (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=20412634

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (26)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1998
  • 1998-09-17 SE SE9803166A patent/SE517178C2/sv unknown
• 1999
  • 1999-09-16 DK DK99951326T patent/DK1113957T3/da active
  • 1999-09-16 WO PCT/SE1999/001617 patent/WO2000015489A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1999-09-16 EP EP99951326A patent/EP1113957B1/de not_active Revoked
  • 1999-09-16 AT AT99951326T patent/ATE265958T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-09-16 JP JP2000570043A patent/JP2002524354A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-09-16 DE DE69917050T patent/DE69917050T2/de not_active Revoked

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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