EP4695143A1

EP4695143A1 - A mooring connection device

Info

Publication number: EP4695143A1
Application number: EP24742650.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Timothy Warren; Timothy TWIBELL; Reuben GIBSON; Liam WARREN
Original assignee: Blackfish Engineering Design Ltd
Current assignee: Blackfish Engineering Design Ltd
Priority date: 2023-07-17
Filing date: 2024-07-04
Publication date: 2026-02-18
Also published as: AU2024292388A1; GB2631932A; GB202310903D0; GB2631932B; WO2025017277A1

Abstract

A mooring connection device (10) comprises a body (12) and a head (14) connected to the body (12). The head (14) includes a channel (16) running across the head (14) and a sloped portion (18) leading to the channel (16). The channel (16) is arranged to receive a dart (22) on a line (24) drawn through the channel (16). A catcher (20) is located in the channel (16), and the catcher (20) is arranged to receive and retain the dart (22) on the line (24) drawn through the channel (16).

Description

DESCRIPTION

A MOORING CONNECTION DEVICE

This invention relates to a mooring connection device.

A mooring connection device is a component that is used to connect something such as a vessel in a marine environment. One example of a mooring connection device is a buoy. A buoy is a floating device that can be used for many different things. Typically, a buoy is moored to an underwater surface and is placed in a specific location, primarily to perform one of two functions, either to mark a feature of the location (such as a navigational hazard) or to provide a mooring function allowing water going vessels or other components to be connected either temporarily or permanently to the buoy. For example, a buoy may be placed in an offshore location, anchored to the seabed, and used by ocean going boats to moor temporarily to the buoy. Other things can be connected to buoys, for example, a buoy that is placed in a tidal range may have an ocean-energy generator connected to the buoy on a semi-permanent basis, with the generator towed to the buoy by another vessel and then connected to the buoy and left in position. Such a generator may remain in position until it is removed for repair or servicing.

Buoys that are used for mooring are normally provided with some sort of metal ring or other structure that is integral to the buoy to which a line can be connected from the vessel or device that is being connected to the buoy. There are several common methods used to connect a line to a buoy, but generally a sailor on the vessel in question has to bring their line to the buoy and thread the line through the connecting means on the buoy to create the mooring. This process has several issues which make it more complex or more dangerous than what would be considered ideal. For example, in cold or poor weather the ability of a sailor to connect a line to the buoy in a quick and non-dangerous fashion is reduced and in some circumstances a sailor has to physically join a shackle on the buoy by hand, which can be dangerous. It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mooring connection device comprising a body, a head connected to the body, the head including a channel running across the head and a sloped portion leading to the channel, the channel arranged to receive a dart on a line drawn through the channel, and a catcher located in the channel, the catcher arranged to receive the dart on the line drawn through the channel.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising a mooring connection device according to the first aspect of the invention, and a line with a dart located thereon, wherein the line is arranged to be drawn through the channel running across the head of the mooring connection device such that the dart is received by the channel.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided method of connecting a line to a mooring connection device, the method comprising the steps of drawing the floating line towards the mooring connection device, the line including a dart located thereon, bringing the floating line into contact with a sloped portion of a head of the mooring connection device, drawing the floating line up the sloped portion of the head of the mooring connection device and into a channel running across the head of the mooring connection device, and pulling the floating line through the channel until the dart engages with the channel.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a mooring connection device that can be used for mooring a vessel or another body to the mooring connection device in a simple and safe fashion that does not require any person to physically connect or disconnect a line to any component of the mooring connection device by hand. A line with a dart thereon can be connected to the mooring connection device by looping the floating line around the mooring connection device and drawing the line to the mooring connection device, which allows the line to ride up the sloped portion of the head of the mooring connection device and drop into the channel on the head of the mooring connection device. The line can then be pulled through the channel until the dart engages with the channel. The dart is retained within the mooring connection device either by the geometry of the channel or by a specific component located within the channel that retains the dart.

The invention provides a platform technology that enables connections to be made on water (such as a sea, lake or river) between a floating object (such as a wave or tidal energy converter, barge, boat, floating wind platform, floating solar platform, or similar) and a mooring connection device on the surface of the water (attached to the seabed) without the need for underwater operations (remote operated vehicles or divers), lifting operations (cranes, winches, manual), deck operations on a vessel, powered actuators in the load path or an active control system. The technology can also be applied to situations where the device to be moored can be connected to land-based infrastructure, such as a quayside and it can also be used so that two floating vessels can be connected to each other. The system can also be used to attach a vessel to other fixed and floating infrastructure (such as fixed bottom and floating wind turbine structures).

The connection is made primarily using tow rope tension and vessel manoeuvres to catch a floating line horizontally around the mooring connection device, pull in the dart to the mooring connection device and then gravity, buoyancy and geometry to make a locked and passive mechanical connection. The connection can be mechanical (for example a mooring rope), electrical power, electrical control or data, hydraulic and/or liquid or gas (fluid). In general, the surface mooring connection device is pre-installed with any mooring arrangement attaching it to the seabed, but this can be a temporary or permanent mooring. The object to be moored has a form of tender or secondary vessel in support (tug, RHIB, workboat, or any other vessel) and the mooring device is scalable to moor devices from small pleasure boat (3m long) to floating wind foundations (>100m long).

The system has several advantages including using vessel manoeuvres and tow line tension only to make a remote connection. The system uses vessel bollard pull and/or vessel tow winch to make a remote connection, either horizontally or vertically and enables the initial interface or connection with a mooring connection device by catching a horizontal line between the vessel to be moored and a tender vessel using rope tension. The mooring connection device uses specific geometry to allow a line to be guided into a location channel. Ideally the sloping portion of the mooring connection device starts below the water surface, such that the floating rope can never get caught underneath the sloping portion. Once the initial interface or connection is made and a line is located, an operator keeps pulling the rope to engage the dart, using only buoyancy, gravity, and geometry to make a positive connection that cannot come loose.

In order to release the dart from the mooring connection device several different configurations and constructions are possible. For example, to release the dart an operator may uses a release rope and a catcher that flips over, or a more complex arrangement may be used to release the dart using a secondary recovery dart that engages with the initial installation dart.

The mooring connection device includes a catcher located in the channel, where the catcher is arranged to receive the dart on the line drawn through the channel. The catcher can be a specific component that is present within the channel or can be defined by the specific geometry of the channel, for example with a defined docking area that captures the dart on the line drawn through the channel. The catcher provides the functionality within the mooring connection device that receives and retains the dart on the mooring line being connected to the mooring connection device.

Preferably, the catcher is rotationally connected at one end to the channel in which the catcher is located. By being rotationally connected to the channel, the catcher is fixed at one end, but is able to move without breaking free from the mooring connection device. The rotational movement of the catcher aids with the location of the dart on the line into the catcher and also allows the dart to be removed. In the removal operation, the catcher can be flipped up and over, allowing the dart to exit the catcher by the same opening into which the dart was originally located in the catcher. The catcher then returns to the initial position so that the process can be repeated without any manual intervention. This could be achieved by using mass, buoyancy, or physical components such as springs to create the torque required to rotate the catcher back to its original position. Ideally, the catcher comprises a cylinder open at one end to receive the dart on the line. The catcher can be in the form of a cylinder that is open at one end to provide the route for the dart to be located into the catcher. The round cross-section of the cylinder can be sized to match the external round crosssection of the dart, and this allows the dart to be located snuggly inside the cylinder. Other shapes of cross-section can be used for the cylinder, with the external shape of the dart matching the internal shape of the cylinder. The flotation properties of the dart can used to ensure that the dart is always orientated to the correct alignment with the cylinder.

Advantageously the catcher includes a flange located at an open end of the catcher and arranged to guide the dart on the line into the catcher. The provision of a flange on the open end of the catcher greatly enhances the locating of the dart within the catcher. As the line carrying the dart is brought into the channel, the dart will enter the channel and must be located in the catcher to effectively make the locking connection between the line and the mooring connection device. The flange, which can be on the top of the catcher, connects with the front of the dart as the dart is being drawn through the channel and guides the dart into the catcher.

Preferably, the channel includes a cavity below the floor of the channel, wherein the catcher is located in the cavity. The channel in the head of the mooring connection device can be constructed so that there is a cavity present which is intended as the location for the catcher. The cavity is constructed so that it is the same length as the catcher but is not as deep as the catcher is in the depth dimension. This means that the catcher sits partially in the cavity and extends above the top line of the cavity in order to be in a position to catch the dart as the dart passes through the channel. Once the dart is in place in the catcher it cannot come backwards out of the catcher. If the catcher is so constructed that it is rotationally connected at one end to the channel and is provided with a flange at the open end, then the effect of the dart coming into contact with the flange of the catcher is to effectively lift up the catcher from the cavity and drive the dart into the catcher, which then drops back down into the cavity, once the dart is firmly located in the catcher. The mass, pivot point and the direction of the release load of the catcher means that even when the line is pulled and the buoy submerges, the line will not self-release.

Ideally the catcher includes a slit running along the length of the catcher and facing away from the body of the mooring connection device. The catcher can be provided with a slit that runs along the entire top of the catcher, as the catcher lies in the channel. The slit is present to provide a location for the line that will be brought into the channel. The line can drop through the slit and into the catcher as the line is being drawn through the channel of the head of the mooring connection device. This assists in the operation by which the dart located on the line is drawn into the catcher, as the line will have dropped through the slit in the catcher and will be running though the catcher as the line is drawn through the channel.

Advantageously, the head of the mooring connection device further includes one or more bollards adjacent to the channel running across the head. One or more bollard(s) are preferably located adjacent to the channel, on the opposite side of the channel from the sloped portion of the head. If a catcher is present, the bollards can be located on the catcher. These bollards help to locate the line in the channel when it has risen up the sloped portion, as the bollards will prevent the line from passing over the channel, rather than dropping into the channel. The head of the mooring connection device can further include two bollards adjacent to the channel running across the head, each bollard located at a respective end of the channel. The bollards also passively turn the mooring connection device as the line comes across the mooring connection device. The shape of the body of the mooring connection device can also be used to reduce the loads on the line. For example, a spar buoy shape uses buoyancy and mass to reduce the peak loads on the line by pitching over. Other buoy body shapes could be used.

If the mooring connection device is provided with only a single channel, the mooring connection device might be oriented up to 180 degrees rotationally from the intended alignment for mooring. In this case, the mooring connection device can be provided with protruding features that can be used that engage with a feature (ahead of the dart) on the floating tow line, such that the action of towing the rope past the mooring connection device engages with these features and the rotational alignment of the mooring connection device is corrected and the dart can continue to be pulled into the channel.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a mooring connection device,

Figure 2 is a top view of the mooring connection device with a line and dart,

Figure 3 is a further top view similar to Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mooring connection device of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a further perspective view of the mooring connection device,

Figure 6 is a cross-section through the mooring connection device,

Figure 7 is a further perspective view of the mooring connection device, Figure 8 is a further perspective view of the mooring connection device, Figure 9 is a top view of a second embodiment of the mooring connection device,

Figure 10 is a top view of a modification of the second embodiment of the mooring connection device,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the mooring connection device, and

Figures 12 to 17 show further cross-sections through the mooring connection device of Figure 11 .

Figure 1 shows a mooring connection device (such as a buoy) 10 in water 100. The mooring connection device 10 comprises a body 12 and a head 14 that is connected to the body 12. The head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 is above the level of the water 100 and the body 12 of the mooring connection device 10 is below the level of the water 100. The mooring connection device 10 floats in the water 100 and is anchored to the seabed 102 via a suitable anchor chain 104 (not shown to scale). Figure 2 shows the mooring connection device 10 of Figure 1 from above. The head 14 includes a channel 16 running across the head 14 and has a sloped portion 18 leading to the channel 16. A catcher 20 is located in the channel 16 and the catcher 20 is arranged to receive a dart 22 on a line 24 drawn through the channel 16.

In Figure 2, the line 24 is shown as not yet engaged with the mooring connection device 10. The line 24 is at this point floating on the surface of the water 100 and has been brought round the mooring connection device 10. As the line 24 is brought closer to the mooring connection device 10 (as indicated by the arrow in the Figure) and eventually into contact with the mooring connection device 10, the line 24 will ride up the sloped portion 18 and drop into the channel 16, as shown in Figure 3. Once the line 24 has dropped into the channel 16, then as the line 24 is drawn through the channel 16 (as indicated by the arrow in the Figure), the dart 22 will be drawn into the channel 16.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the mooring connection device 10, in the same configuration of the plan view of Figure 3. This perspective view shows more detail of the mooring connection device 10. The sloped portion 18 is a flat surface that angles upwards from the lower part of the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 towards the channel 16. The mooring connection device 10 also comprises hoops 19 that extend from the head 14 and provide an additional slope adjacent to the sloped portion 18. Preferably, the sloped portion 18 starts below the water level, so that as the line 24 is brought towards the head 14 the floating line 24 does not catch under the sloped portion 18. The inlet channel 16 also starts below the water line on the same principle, so that as the floating dart 22 is brought into the channel 16, the dart 22 does not catch under the channel 16. The head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 further includes two bollards 32 adjacent to the channel 16 running across the head 14. Each bollard 32 is located at a respective end of the channel 16 and each bollard 32 is located on the opposite side of the channel 16 to the sloped portion 18 leading to the channel 16.

The dart 22 is brightly coloured and highly buoyant so that the dart 22 sits high in the water and can be clearly seen. The dart 22 is formed integrally with the line 24 as part of the towing set up to minimise tasks associated with the mooring action. The dart 22 is preferably chamfered on the front and provided with front protection bars to limit any damage on impact, when the dart 22 comes into contact with the mooring connection device 10.

Figure 5 again shows the mooring connection device 10 in perspective view, with the line 24 being further drawn through the channel 16, so that the dart 22 has now entered the channel 16 on the top of the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10. As the line 24 continues to be pulled through the channel 16, then the dart 22 will engage with the catcher 20. The secure engagement between the dart 22 and the catcher 20 will cause the line 24 to be retained by the mooring connection device 10. The dart 22 is being held by the catcher 20, and the line 24 cannot be pulled any further through the mooring connection device 10, once the dart 22 has engaged with the catcher 20. The physical size and shape of all of the features associated with the catcher 20 and mooring connection device 10 are sized to ensure that the line 24 cannot get caught, snagged or trapped when the line 24 is brought into contact with the mooring connection device 10. The size of any gaps in the structure has to be less than the size of the line 24 being used to prevent snagging.

Figure 6 shows a cross-section through the mooring connection device 10. This view shows the dart 22 being retained within the catcher 20. Other more specific details of the catcher 20 are shown in this Figure. The catcher 20 is rotationally connected at one end to the channel 16 in which the catcher 20 is located. The catcher 20 comprises a cylinder 20 open at one end to receive the dart 22 on the line 24. The catcher 20 includes a flange 26 located at an open end of the catcher 20 and arranged to guide the dart 22 on the line 24 into the catcher 20. The channel 16 includes a cavity 28 below the floor of the channel 16, wherein the catcher 20 is located in the cavity 28. The catcher 20 also includes a slit running along the length of the catcher 20 and facing away from the body 12 of the mooring connection device 10.

The catcher 20 is rotationally connected to the channel 16. This means that the catcher 20 is fixed at one end but is able to move without breaking free from the mooring connection device 10. The rotational movement of the catcher 20 assists with the locking operation that guides the dart 22 on the line 24 into the catcher 20. The rotation of the catcher 20 also allows the dart 22 to be removed (as explained in more detail below). In the removal operation, the catcher 20 can be flipped up and over, allowing the dart 22 to exit the catcher 20 by the same opening into which the dart 22 was originally located in the catcher 20.

The catcher 20 includes a flange 26, which is located at the open end of the catcher 20. The principal purpose of the flange 26 is to guide the dart 22 on the line 24 into the catcher 20. The flange 26 is present on the open end of the catcher 20 in order to enhance the locating of the dart 22 within the catcher 20. As the dart 22 is brought into the channel 16, the dart 22 will enter the channel 16 and has to be located in the catcher 20 to make an effective locking connection between the line 24 and the mooring connection device 10. The flange 26, which is on the top of the catcher 20, connects with the front nose of the dart 22 as the dart 22 is being drawn through the channel 16 and guides the dart 22 into the catcher 20.

As can be seen in the cross-section, the channel 16 includes a cavity 28 below the floor of the channel 16. The catcher 20 is located in the cavity 28. The channel 16 is constructed so that there is a cavity 28 present which is the normal location for the catcher 20. The cavity 28 is constructed so that it is roughly the same length as the catcher 20. The cavity 28 is not as deep as the catcher 20 and this means that the catcher 20 sits partially in the cavity 28 and extends above the top line of the cavity 28. This arrangement is so that the catcher 20 is in a position to catch the dart 22 as the dart 22 passes through the channel 16. The effect of the dart 22 coming into contact with the flange 26 of the catcher 20 is to lift up the catcher 20 from the cavity 28 and direct the dart 22 into the catcher 20. The catcher 20 then drops back down into the cavity 28, as shown in Figure 6, once the dart 22 is firmly located in the catcher 20.

When the line 24 is to be released from the mooring connection device 10, then the catcher 20 has to be flipped over, so that the dart 22 can be released from the catcher 20, which allows the line 24 to be released. Figure 7 shows the beginning of this process, with the line 24 being brought over the head 14 so that the dart 22 is lifted up, which results in the rotation of the catcher 20. In this embodiment of the system, which comprises the mooring connection device 10 and the dart 22, the dart 22 is provided with a tail 34, on which is mounted a weight 36. Prior to the removal operation, the weight 36 helps to maintain the dart 22 in the catcher 20, as the weight 36 tends to prevent the catcher 20 from moving, thereby preventing the release of the dart 22 from the catcher 20.

In the removal operation, the dart tail 34, with the weight 36 attached, is lifted up and over in order to perform the release operation, using the tow line 24 that was used for installation. This line 24 can either be passed to the moored asset and be pulled, or the line 24 can be removed upon connection and reattached when disconnection is required. In the case of a vessel being moored to the mooring connection device 10, a secondary vessel can approach the mooring connection device 10 and a sailor can perform the flipping operation on the line 24 by lifting up the weight 36 on the line 24 (either directly or indirectly). The release load is less than the mooring load, so the dart 22 can always be released under load. The geometry of the catcher 20, dart 22 and dart tail 34 can be optimised to reduce or increase this release load.

Figure 8 shows the continuation of this process, where the catcher 20 has been pulled over, so that the dart 22 is now being released from the catcher 20. The dart 22 is preferably designed to that it has a rounded or bull nose features on the front to protect the line from being bent too tightly. Once the catcher 20 has rotated sufficiently, the dart 22 slides out. Once the catcher 20 has reached the position that is shown in Figure 8, then the line 24 will be released from the mooring connection device 10, as the catcher 20 is no longer securing the dart 22 in position. The dart 22 exits the catcher 20 and the line 24 is pulled away from the mooring connection device 10. The catcher 20 automatically returns to its initial position using the mass of the catcher 20 and the position of the centre of gravity of the catcher 20, relative to the hinge which connects the catcher 20 to the mooring connection device 10. The catcher 20 returns to its rest position, which is that shown in Figure 6.

The mooring connection device 10 of Figures 1 to 8 is provided with a single channel 16 running across the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10. The line 24 is brought towards the device 10 during the mooring connection process. It is possible that the dart 22 is on the wrong side of mooring connection device 10, in the sense that the dart 22 would approach the exit of the channel 16 rather than the entrance of the channel 16. To deal with this situation, the line 24 could be provided with an additional fixed element, such as ball that is connected to the line 24 ahead of the dart 22. This ball is designed to connect to a socket (or fingers or the like) on the mooring connection device 10 and will turn the device 10 around (as the line 24 is pulled) so that the entrance to the channel 16 is turned to face the dart 22.

Figure 9 shows a top view of a second embodiment of the mooring connection device 10. In this embodiment, the head 14 includes a second channel 16 running across the head 14 and has a further sloped portion 18 leading to the second channel 16. The mooring connection device 10 further comprises a second catcher 20 located in the second channel 16, with the second catcher 20 arranged to receive a dart 22 on a line 24 drawn through the second channel 16. The first channel 16 and the second channel 16 are parallel to each other and the second catcher 20 located in the second channel 16 faces in the opposite direction to the first catcher 20 in the first channel 16. This allows connection of a line 24 and a dart 22 from both directions. The two bollards 32 lie in-between the two channels 16. The slit 30 in the top of the respective catchers 20 can also be seen from this top view.

Figure 10 shows a modification of the second embodiment of the mooring connection device 10. There are two channels 16 running across the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 in opposite directions. There is a catcher 20 located at an end of each of the respective channels 16. The line 24 is brought into a channel 16 via the sloped portion 18 as described above. Each channel 16 is formed of two parts that are at an angle from each other with a relatively large opening area of each channel 16. The effect of the arrangement is such that each the two catchers 20 are aligned (or at least very closely aligned) with a radial line running through the dead centre of the head 14. This helps to prevent any wear on the line 24 running through the channel 16, as the mooring connection device 10 (floating on water) will tend to turn under the action of the line 24 and would otherwise run against the shoulder of the channel 16. Figure 10 also shows the channels 16 with blended and rounded features that ensure the line 24 cannot be damaged or abraded.

Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the mooring connection device 10. This mooring connection device 10 differs from the previous two embodiments in several ways, as described in detail below, but still functions in the same overall fashion in that a dart 22 on a line 24 is guided by a sloped surface 18 into a channel 16 that can retain the dart 22, thereby creating a secure connection between the mooring connection device 10 and an external vessel or component, via the line 24. A release mechanism is also present to allow the line 24 to be released from the mooring connection device 10. The dart 22 is formed of two parts, one part of which is designed to remain within the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 after the connection is made between the line 24 and the mooring connection device 10, the other part being pulled free.

Figures 1 to 10 show a mooring only connection system through the mooring connection device 10. Figures 11 onwards show a more complicated arrangement that allows electrical, hydraulic and other fluid connections, but the principle of operation remains the same. The connection operation works by catching a line 24 using tension between two vessels (or a vessel and a drag device) and the specific geometry on the mooring connection device 10. The line 24 slides up an angled surface 18 into a central channel 16. The line 24 is pulled (from either direction) to pull a buoyant dart 22 into the channel 16 and the arrangement uses gravity latching to prevent the dart 22 from coming loose, although additional active systems can be used as well. Two vessels can be used in the connection operation or a single vessel and a drag device. In this latter arrangement, the system uses a drogue or drag device to provide the function of the second vessel.

For the disconnection operation of the mooring only connection system (Figures 1 to 10), the operator passes the release line back to vessel, if not already done so, pulls the release line and the catcher 20 flips over the top and the dart 22 is released. For the disconnection operation for the more complex electrical and/or hydraulic and/or fluid connection, this uses the same principle of line catching, but in this system catches a second line 24 that becomes located in the front of the first connected dart 22. An operator pulls on the line using one or two vessels, to pull a buoyant “recovery dart” into the front of the already installed “installation dart” 22. The recovery dart becomes mechanically engaged with the installation dart 22, via a gravity latch. The operator keeps pulling on the line to pull both the recovery dart and installation dart 22 out of the mooring connection device 10. This process can be carried out from a tender if necessary. Disconnection can also be done without a recovery dart if necessary.

As discussed above, the mooring connection device 10 shown in Figure 11 differs from the previous embodiments of the buoys 10 in that it is designed to provide an electrical connection between the mooring connection device 10 and an external component. This can be useful in many types of situations. For example, in an off-shore ocean-power installation, the units that are deployed to harness the wave power need to be able to transmit that power to an on-shore unit so that the harnessed power can be used in a power network. There are also situations where a vessel or component connected to a mooring connection device 10 may need to draw power from the mooring connection device 10 in order to function, so an electrical connection is needed to be made to the mooring connection device 10.

Since the mooring connection device 10 is anchored to the seabed 102, an undersea power cable can be connected to the mooring connection device 10 via the same route that provides the anchoring via the chain 104. This cable can transmit power in either direction, depending upon the requirements of the vessels and components that will connect to the mooring connection device 10. The mooring connection device 10 shown in Figure 11 has such an electrical connection and the configuration of the mooring connection device 10 allows the dart 22, as well as being on the line 24 for the purpose of making a physical connection to the mooring connection device 10, to be part of an electrical connection. The line 24 includes an electrical cable that terminates in the dart 22. As can be seen in Figure 11 , the mooring connection device 10 comprises a body 12 with a head 14 connected to the body 12. The head 14 includes a channel 16 running across the head 14 and has a sloped portion 18 leading to the channel 16. The channel 16 is arranged to receive a dart 22 on a line 24 drawn through the channel 16. The operation of the connection between the dart 22 and the mooring connection device 10 will be explained in more detail below, but in essence, the function of connecting a line 24 to the mooring connection device 10 follows the same process as shown in Figures 2 and 3 with respect to the first embodiment of the mooring connection device 10.

Figure 12 shows a vertical cross-section through part of the mooring connection device 10 of Figure 11 , after the line 24 has been drawn into the mooring connection device 10, with the dart 22 on the line 24 entering the channel 16 within the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10. In this embodiment of the mooring connection device 10, the channel 16 is provided with a catcher 20 that is sized and shaped to match the external shape and configuration of the dart 22 thereby trapping the dart 22 in the channel 16 as the line 24 is passed through the mooring connection device 10. Unlike in the embodiments of the earlier Figures, this embodiment does not have a movable catcher 20, the catcher 20 is defined by the geometry of the dart 22. The dart 22 hits an end stop within the channel 22 to prevent the dart 22 passing through the mooring connection device 10.

Once tension is released on the line 24, then the back of the dart 22 drops into a catcher 20 of the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10, which is shown in Figure 13, which shows a further cross-section through part of the mooring connection device 10. This creates an electrical connection between the dart 22 and the mooring connection device 10 as a male member on the dart 22 connects to a corresponding female member present on the mooring connection device 10. The front half 22a of the dart 22 is released automatically by mechanical means, leaving the rear half 22b of the dart 22 in place within the catcher 20, as shown in Figure 14. The rear half 22b of the dart 22 creates both a physical connection and an electrical connection between the line 24 and the mooring connection device 10. The rear half 22b of the dart 22 is locked in place in the catcher 20 and an electrical connection is made which allows the transfer of power between the mooring connection device 10 and the line 24. There can also be a notch cut into the bell mouth 18 that protects any electrical, hydraulic or mooring cable carried by the dart 22 from being impacted by the connection between the dart 22 and the mooring connection device 10.

Figure 15 shows a further cross-section through the mooring connection device 10. To release the dart 22 from the mooring connection device 10, a recovery dart 42 is pulled in front of the installation dart 22 on a recovery line 44 and, when connected to the installation dart 22, disengages a mechanical latch, which frees the dart 22 from the catcher 20 of the mooring connection device 10. The head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 can include a release channel which is perpendicular to the channel 16, through which the recovery line 44 can travel bringing the recovery dart 42 into contact with the installation dart 22. A vessel that has brought the recovery dart 42 to the mooring connection device 10 can then move forward to pull both darts 22 and 42 free from the mooring connection device 10. Figure 16 shows the recovery dart 42 connected to the installation dart 22 and two darts 22 and 42 are locked together and the installation dart 22 can now be pulled free from the mooring connection device 10.

Figure 17 shows the dart 22 being pulled free of the mooring connection device 10 and the connection cable falls free of the mooring connection device 10 via an opening 40 in the side of the mooring connection device 10. In this way the connecting line 24 and the dart 22 are removed from the mooring connection device 10 and any additional lines (such as power cables) that are connected to the mooring connection device 10 via the dart 22 are also disconnected in the same process. The recovery dart 42 has locked into the installation dart 22 and under tension pulls the installation dart free from the mooring connection device 10.

Different arrangements for the head 14 of the mooring connection device 10 are possible, as long as there is either head geometry and/or a physical component that can retain the dart 22 in the channel 16. For example, there could be a pocket that retains the dart 22. The dart 22 could be provided with a weight such as a heavy chain in front of the dart 22 that helps to retain the dart 22 in position. Rubber flaps could be provided that effectively provide a nonreturn gate through which the dart 22 is drawn. The line 24 or a components on the line 24 in front of the dart 22 could be caught in a physical system within the head 14 to retain the dart 22. The dart 22 could be retained by spring loaded retainer within the channel 16. Locking pins could be provided as an alternative to the retaining of the dart 22 in the channel 16. A cavity could be provided in the channel 16 that is angled downwards towards the entrance to the channel 16 that retains the dart 22 and the dart 22 could be provided with an articulated tail to help locate and retain the dart 22 in the channel 16. The mooring connection device 10 can be provided with standard mooring cleats or bollard features that allow conventional mooring to the connection device 10. The darts 22 are designed to be highly visible and float high in the water to simplify the marine operations. The dart 22 can also be fully integrated into the tow line 24 as a single assembly. The dart 22 can also contain geometrical features on the front that improve the introduction of the dart 22 into the channel 16. This also includes impact protection features to prevent damage.

Claims

1 . A mooring connection device (10) comprising:

• a body (12),

• a head (14) connected to the body (12), the head (14) including a channel (16) running across the head (14) and a sloped portion (18) leading to the channel (16), the channel (16) arranged to receive a dart (22) on a line (24) drawn through the channel (16), and

• a catcher (20) located in the channel (16), the catcher (20) arranged to receive the dart (22) on the line (24) drawn through the channel (16).

2. A mooring connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the catcher (20) is rotationally connected at one end to the channel (16) in which the catcher (20) is located.

3. A mooring connection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the catcher (20) comprises a cylinder (20) open at one end to receive the dart (22) on the line (24).

4. A mooring connection device according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the catcher (20) includes a flange (26) located at an open end of the catcher (20) and arranged to guide the dart (22) on the line (24) into the catcher (20).

5. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the channel (16) includes a cavity (28) below the floor of the channel (16), wherein the catcher (20) is located in the cavity (28).

6. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the catcher (20) includes a slit (30) running along the length of the catcher (20) and facing away from the body (12) of the mooring connection device (10).

7. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10) further includes one or more bollards (32) adjacent to the channel (16) running across the head (14).

8. A mooring connection device according to claim 7, wherein the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10) further includes two bollards (32) adjacent to the channel (16) running across the head (14), each bollard (32) located at a respective end of the channel (16).

9. A mooring connection device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the or each bollard (32) is located on the opposite side of the channel (16) to the sloped portion (18) leading to the channel (16).

10. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein an opening of the channel (16) is funnel-shaped.

11. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the head (14) includes a second channel (16) running across the head (14) and a further sloped portion (18) leading to the second channel (16),

12. A mooring connection device according to claim 11 , and further comprising a second catcher (20) located in the second channel (16), the second catcher (20) arranged to receive a dart (22) on a line (24) drawn through the second channel (16).

13. A mooring connection device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first channel (16) and the second channel (16) are parallel to each other and the second catcher (20) located in the second channel (16) faces in the opposite direction to the first catcher (20) in the first channel (16).

14. A mooring connection device according to any preceding claim, wherein the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10) further includes a release channel perpendicular to the channel (16), the release channel arranged to receive a recovery line (44) carrying a recovery dart (42) into contact with the dart (22) on the line (24).

15. A system comprising a mooring connection device (10) according to any preceding claim, and a line (24) with a dart (22) located thereon, wherein the line (24) is arranged to be drawn through the channel (16) running across the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10) such that the dart (22) is received by the channel (16).

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the dart (22) is released from the channel (16) by the line (24) being brought over the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10).

17. A method of connecting a line (24) to a mooring connection device (10), the method comprising the steps of:

• drawing a floating line (24) towards the mooring connection device (10), the line (24) including a dart (22) located thereon,

• bringing the floating line (24) into contact with a sloped portion (18) of a head (14) of the mooring connection device (10),

• drawing the floating line (24) up the sloped portion (18) of the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10) and into a channel (16) running across the head (14) of the mooring connection device (10), and

• pulling the floating line (24) through the channel (16) until the dart (22) engages with the channel (16).