Factory to manufacture long tensile member and construction method of such factory

Abstract

To provide a factory to manufacture a long tensile member.SOLUTION: A factory 2 comprises at least one of a feeding device, a processing device, and an end joint device, for manufacturing a long tensile member. The feeding device is arranged to provide charge materials, and the charge materials include at least one load-bearing yarn, and / or at least one load-bearing wire, and / or load-bearing fibers. The processing device is arranged to wind up, and / or to twist, and / or to bundle the charge materials supplied by the feeding device. The end joint device is arranged to provide a proximal end joint and a distal end joint to the long tensile member. Moreover, the factory comprises a floating body 4 arranged to support at least one device for manufacturing the long tensile member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Detailed description of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a factory for manufacturing a long tensile member as described in the preamble of claim 1. The present invention further relates to a method for constructing such a factory as described in the preamble of claim 16.

[0002] Long tensile members are used to withstand loads, particularly tensile loads. Long tensile members can be used in various industries including, but not limited to, the offshore industry, mining, heavy cargo transportation, and construction. In the offshore industry, such tensile members may be used as mooring lines for structures such as ships and floating oil exploration / production facilities or floating wind turbines. Further examples of floating structures are tension leg platforms, and the long tensile members are used as tension legs. In mining and heavy cargo transportation, the long tensile members may be used as crane pendants. In construction, the long tensile members may be used for bridges or roofs.

[0003] An apparatus for manufacturing a long tensile member is known from WO 2017 / 099589 (A1). This document discloses manufacturing a tensile member by positioning two bobbins at a predetermined distance from each other and winding at least one thread around the bobbins until a predetermined number of turns of layers of thread are provided on both bobbins.

[0004] The length of the long tensile member is typically over 100 meters, up to 250 meters or more. Since the tensile member has a considerable length, transporting it to the deployment site, such as an offshore wind farm, is a complex and costly operation. Therefore, it is necessary to locally manufacture the tensile member. However, this requires the construction of a factory. For example, factories for wind turbine parts are generally located in coastal areas near future wind farms. This requires the use of a large amount of land, but the land may not always be available. Furthermore, once the construction of the wind farm is completed, the factory is no longer used. This is a waste of land. The authorities may also require the demolition of the factory after construction is completed, resulting in significant costs.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve these problems or at least provide an alternative means. In particular, the present invention aims to provide a factory for locally manufacturing a long tensile member that avoids waste of land and / or the costs of forced demolition or dismantling of the factory.

[0006] This object is achieved by the factory according to claim 1. The factory comprises at least one device for manufacturing a long tensile member. The at least one device comprises a supply device, a processing device, and at least one end joint device. The supply device is arranged to provide an input material. The input material includes at least one load-bearing thread and / or at least one load-bearing wire and / or load-bearing fibers. The processing device is arranged to wind and / or twist and / or bundle the input material provided by the supply device. The at least one end joint device is arranged to provide a proximal end joint and a distal end joint to the long tensile member. The factory further comprises a buoyant body arranged to support at least one device for manufacturing a long tensile member.

[0007] The factory according to the present invention enables on-site production of long tensile members. By means of a buoyant body, the factory can be transported on water, and long tensile members can be manufactured near a construction site, for example, near an offshore wind farm, without the need for an onshore construction site on land. The buoyant body comprises, for example, a ship, a large ship, or a floating platform. The factory may include propulsion means such as an engine and / or a propeller, but preferably, the factory is non-powered, that is, it does not have an engine and / or a propeller, and in that case, the factory can be transported by towing. After the construction at the construction site is completed, the factory can be transferred to another deployment site.

[0008] The long tensile member may be referred to as a cable or a tendon. The input materials include, for example, metals and / or synthetic materials and / or fibers, such as carbon fibers, basalt fibers, polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyethylene fibers, aramid fibers, para-aramid fibers, HMPE fibers, LCAP fibers, or PBO fibers.

[0009] Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following paragraphs. In one embodiment, the input material comprises at least one thread. The processing device is arranged to wind at least one thread around two sheaves provided at opposite ends of the long tensile member, from a first sheave of the two sheaves to a second sheave of the two sheaves and back to the first sheave of the two sheaves, and the winding is repeated until sufficient winding extends between the two sheaves. The proximal end joint and the distal end joint of the long tensile member comprise two sheaves. At least one end joint device comprises a first sheave holding part and a second sheave holding part provided spaced apart from each other. Each sheave holding part is designed to hold one of the two sheaves.

[0010] In the context of this specification, a thread is defined as an untwisted / twisted fiber or a bundle of one or more filaments. Preferably, the thread comprises a bundle of untwisted fibers.

[0011] In this embodiment, at least one device manufactures a long tensile member by a process called infinite winding. The tensile member manufactured by infinite winding exhibits high strength and long life compared to, for example, a steel wire rope or a rope made of twisted and / or braided plastic fibers.

[0012] Preferably, the processing device includes a long guide and a carriage, and the supply device is connected to the carriage. The long guide and the carriage are movably connected to each other such that the carriage can move in the length direction of the long guide with respect to the long guide. The supply device includes at least one spool holder for holding a spool having at least one thread, and an output guide for guiding at least one thread to the long tensile member during winding. The output guide and the first single holder and the output guide and the second single holder are movable relative to each other at least in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the long guide, and during winding, at least one thread is guided to make a half turn around each of the first single of the two singles and the second single of the two singles.

[0013] As an alternative to infinite winding, the long tensile member includes a rope such as a wire rope or a plastic rope, and the input material includes a metal wire (such as a steel wire) or a fiber (such as a plastic fiber, a basalt fiber, or a carbon fiber). In this alternative embodiment, the processing device is arranged to twist or braid the metal wire or the fiber.

[0014] In one embodiment, the buoyant body is a ship including a hull and an upper deck. In a further embodiment, at least one device is arranged inside the hull of the ship and below the upper deck. By arranging at least one device inside the hull, at least one device is protected from salt water that would otherwise cause corrosion of the components of the device. Further, the hull can be climate-controlled, for example, by a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which is beneficial for the personnel operating at least one device.

[0015] In a further embodiment, a reel is provided on the upper deck of the ship for winding one or more elongate tension members thereon, and the upper deck comprises a hatch for supplying an elongate tension member manufactured by at least one device in the hull to the reel on the upper deck. In this way, the tension members can be stored on the upper deck and transported from there to a nearby deployment site. Preferably, the elongate tension members are corrosion-resistant and can be stored on the upper deck without being affected by salt water. For example, the input material for the tension members is corrosion-resistant (e.g., synthetic fiber), and / or the tension members are provided with a protective cover (e.g., synthetic material).

[0016] In one embodiment, the hull of the ship comprises a double hull at least partially filled with ballast containing a flowable solid material and / or fresh water. Conventionally, seawater has been used as ballast, but it has the drawback of causing corrosion of the hull. The inventors have recognized that the floating factory of the present invention can be permanently ballasted because the load carried by the ship does not change significantly over time compared to, for example, a container ship or an oil tanker. Therefore, the ship can be ballasted with fresh water, which is less corrosive than seawater, thereby extending the life of the factory. In one embodiment, the ship is ballasted with a flowable solid material. The flowable solid material includes one or more of sand, concrete, and stone. For example, the flowable solid material may include gravel or crushed stone / angular stones. A further advantage of sand is that it has a lower thermal conductivity than water, and thus provides insulation to the hull and reduces the energy consumption in climate control of the hull.

[0017] In one embodiment, the ship is a modified powered ship, and the engine of the powered ship is removed from the engine room of the ship, and preferably the engine room is reused as a storage room for storing input materials. Preferably, the ship is towed to a desired location.

[0018] In one embodiment, the ship is a modified oil tanker, such as a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). The hull of the ship has a tank structure, and at least one internal deck is attached to the tank structure to provide a plurality of manufacturing compartments, and at least one device is provided in one of the manufacturing compartments. The inventors have found that the tank structure of an oil tanker is particularly suitable for attaching one or more internal decks to form, for example, a plurality of manufacturing floors within the ship.

[0019] In particular, the tank structure typically includes vertical stiffeners. In one embodiment, at least one internal deck is attached to the vertical stiffeners. The internal deck attached to the vertical stiffeners may be referred to as a "vertical stiffener deck". Preferably, a plurality of vertical stiffener decks are provided within the hull of the ship.

[0020] In one embodiment, at least one internal deck is provided on a buoyant body (such as the hull of a ship). In one example, a plurality of internal decks are provided. Each of the one or more internal decks includes a plurality of devices for manufacturing a long tensile member. The plurality of devices are arranged parallel to each respective internal deck to form parallel manufacturing lanes. Preferably, at least one internal deck further includes a braiding machine for braiding a protective cover around the long tensile member. The braiding machine is movable between at least two manufacturing lanes. For example, the braiding machine includes wheels and / or guide rails so that it can move between the manufacturing lanes. The braiding may be referred to as a "fabric", and the braiding machine may be referred to as a "loom".

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of internal decks each having one device for manufacturing a long tensile member are provided on a buoyant body (such as a ship). In one embodiment, the buoyant body (e.g., a ship) is equipped with solar panels and / or wind turbines, preferably vertical axis wind turbines. Preferably, the solar panels and / or wind turbines are mounted on the top surface of the buoyant body (e.g., the upper deck of the ship). Optionally, the buoyant body (e.g., a ship) is equipped with batteries. Preferably, the factory further comprises a hydrogen production facility and / or a hydrogen storage and / or a hydrogen fuel cell. In this way, the entire factory may be run using renewable energy. If the factory comprises a hydrogen production facility, hydrogen fuel cells are used to generate electricity for the factory operation.

[0022] The invention further relates to a method for constructing a factory for manufacturing long tensile members as claimed in claim 16. Such a method provides the same technical effects as those defined above for the factory of the invention. Furthermore, the preferred and / or optional features defined above for the apparatus are likewise preferred and / or optional features for the method.

[0023] The method includes providing at least one apparatus for manufacturing an elongate tensile member. The at least one apparatus comprises a feeding device, a processing device, and at least one end fitting device. The feeding device is arranged to provide an input material. The input material comprises at least one load bearing yarn, and / or at least one load bearing wire, and / or load bearing fiber. The processing device is arranged to wind and / or twist and / or bundle the input material provided by the feeding device. The at least one end fitting device is arranged to provide a proximal end fitting and a distal end fitting to the elongate tensile member. The method further comprises providing a buoyant body and locating at least one device in or on the buoyant body.

[0024] This method results in a factory having the same or similar technical effects as those described above. In one embodiment, providing the buoyant body comprises modifying a marine vessel comprising a hull and an upper deck, preferably the marine vessel is an oil tanker.

[0025] In one embodiment, modifying the ship includes removing the engine of the ship from the engine room and preferably reusing the engine room as a storage room for storing input materials.

[0026] In one embodiment, modifying the ship includes filling at least partially the double hull of the ship with a ballast material containing a flowable solid material and / or fresh water, and the flowable solid material preferably includes at least one of sand, concrete, and stones.

[0027] In one embodiment, modifying the ship includes attaching to the ship at least one internal deck for supporting at least one device, and preferably, at least one internal deck is attached to a vertical pipe of the tank structure of the ship.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] The present invention, its effects and advantages will be described in more detail based on schematic diagrams.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 4 show a factory according to an embodiment of the present invention, equipped with a ship indicated as a whole by reference numeral 2. In this example, the ship 2 is a converted oil tanker 2, and more specifically, a converted very large crude carrier (VLCC).

[0030] The ship 2 includes a hull 4 and an upper deck 6. The upper deck 6 is provided with a reel 8 for storing long tensile members manufactured by the hull 4 of the ship (details will be described later). In this example, two cranes 10 for lowering the manufactured tensile members from the ship 2 are provided on the upper deck 6. The reel 8 and the cranes 10 are located at the bow of the ship 2 and form part of the loading / unloading area 11 of the ship 2. The reach of the crane is indicated by reference numeral 13 in FIG. 4. In this example, the crane 10 can carry 40 tons and has a reach of 40 meters.

[0031] In this example, the upper deck 6 further includes a solar panel 12 and a vertical axis wind turbine 14 for generating electrical energy for operating the ship 2. The ship further optionally includes a battery (not shown) for storing electrical energy.

[0032] The ship 2 is moored to a single point mooring system 18 via a mooring line 16. Personnel can enter the ship 2 through the ramp 20 connected to the berth 22. In this example, the ship 2 further includes an optional helicopter platform 24.

[0033] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 shows the engine room 26 with the engine removed when the oil tanker is converted into a factory for manufacturing long tensile members. In this example, the engine room 26 is reused as a storage room for storing the input materials for manufacturing long tensile members. The propeller of the ship 2 located at reference numeral 28 is also removed during the conversion of the ship 2. This reduces the hull resistance when towing the ship 2. Preferably, the shaft connecting the propeller and the engine is also removed. In this case, the stern tube 30 that previously held the propeller shaft is blocked.

[0034] In the example of the figure, the chimney for exhaust gas is also removed from the ship 2 during the conversion. The chimney was previously located in the area indicated by reference numeral 31. Removing the chimney provides additional space on the upper deck 6. In this example, this additional space is used to accommodate the crew quarters.

[0035] FIG. 3 further illustrates a plurality of internal decks 32, 34, 36 constructed during the conversion of the ship 2. In this example, three internal decks 32, 34, 36 are provided. The internal decks 32, 34, 36, together with the tank top 37 of the ship 2, provide four floors inside the ship 2. Stairs 38 are provided so that personnel can access each manufacturing floor.

[0036] The bow V (FIG. 3) is shown in detail in FIG. 5. The upper deck 6 includes a hatch 40 for winding the tensile members manufactured in the hull 4 of the ship 2 onto the reel 8. The tensile members are indicated by reference numeral 42. In the bow V, the internal decks 32, 34, 36 include openings 44 for sending the manufactured tensile members 42 to the reel 8 on the upper deck 6. In this example, the reel 8 can accommodate tensile members up to 1000 meters in length, for example, four tensile members each up to 250 meters in length. In this example, the diameter of the reel 8 is 4 meters.

[0037] Figures 6 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the rear, middle, and front parts of the ship 2, respectively. The rear, middle, and front parts are also called the web frame part, the corrugated partition part, and the bow part, respectively. A plurality of endless winding devices 46, 48, 50 for manufacturing long tensile members are provided on each floor of the ship 2. In this example, a total of 44 endless winding devices are shown. The devices 46, 48, 50 have different lengths but are otherwise identical in this embodiment.

[0038] An example of the endless winding device 50 is shown in FIGS. 9A to 9B. This device corresponds to the endless winding device of International Publication No. 2017 / 099589 (A1) described above, but other types of endless winding devices can be used according to the present invention. The device 50 is designed to manufacture an endless cable 42 (FIG. 9B) by winding at least one thread, in this embodiment, up to 10 threads simultaneously, around two thimbles 52, 54 provided at opposite ends of the cable 42. The device 50 includes a long guide 56, a carriage 58, a thread feeding device 60, a first thimble holding part 62, and a second thimble holding part 64. In this embodiment, the long guide 56 includes two long I-shaped profiles 57. The long guide 56 is suspended from the upper wall of each section of the ship 2, for example, the lower side of the upper deck 6 or the lower walls of the inner decks 32, 34, 36.

[0039] The thread feeding device 60 includes, in this embodiment, 10 spool holding parts, each designed to hold a spool 70. Each of the 10 spools 70 holds a thread. The thread feeding device 60 further includes an output guide 72 for guiding all 10 threads to the cable 42 during winding. The output guide 72 of this embodiment includes rollers for guiding 10 threads and is in a fixed position relative to the thread feeding device 60. This fixed position is offset from the center of the thread feeding device 60.

[0040] In this embodiment, the yarn feeding device 60 is connected to the carriage 58 via a swivel shaft 74, and the swivel shaft is located at the center of the yarn feeding device 60. As a result, the yarn feeding device 60 can rotate about a vertical axis with respect to the carriage 58. As a result of this rotation, the output guide 72 moves along an arc, in this case a semi-circle, with respect to the long guide 56, and thus the first single holding portion 62 and the second single holding portion 64. This semi-circle includes movement in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the long guide 56, and when the output guide 72 just crosses one of the two singles 52, 54 during winding, the output guide 62 can guide the yarn to rotate semi-circularly around each of the first single 52 of the first single holding portion 62 and the second single 54 of the second single holding portion 64.

[0041] The devices 46, 48, 50 extend over a major part of the length of the ship 2. In this example, the devices extend over more than 50% of the length of the ship 2. In this example, the ship 2 has a length of 340 meters, a width of 60 meters, and a depth of 31 meters. The devices 46, 48, 50 have a length of 190 - 250 meters, and in particular the long guide 56 has a length of 190 - 250 meters. In the example of the figure, the device 50 (e.g., 250 meters) in the central part of the ship 2 is longer than the devices 46, 48 (e.g., 190 - 235 meters) in the left and right parts of the ship 2.

[0042] In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, the devices 46, 48, 50 each include a vertically extending framework 51 for positioning the yarn feeding device 60 at a height of 1.5 - 2.5 meters so that an operator can easily reach it. In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, the yarn feeding device 60 is connected to the carriage via a vertically extending framework 51.

[0043] The tension member 42 is provided with a protective cover using a braiding machine 76 (Fig. 8) located at the bow of the ship. In this example, one braiding machine 76 that can move in the lateral direction of the ship 2 (across the hull) is provided on each floor. In this way, one braiding machine 76 can be used for all the endless winding devices 46, 48, 50 on the same floor. Each of the endless winding devices 46, 48, 50 forms a production lane, and the braiding machine 76 is movable between the production lanes. Typically, since the braiding process takes less time than the endless winding process, the manufacturing time does not increase even when one braiding machine is used for multiple endless winding devices. For example, the braiding machine 76 is provided with guide rails and / or wheels to enable movement between the production lanes. Optionally, the braiding machine can also move in the longitudinal direction of the ship.

[0044] Fig. 10 illustrates one end of a long tension member, and in this embodiment, shows an endless cable 42 having a thimble 52, manufactured by one of the endless winding devices 46, 48, 50 and the braiding machine 76.

[0045] Referring again to the cross-sectional views of Figs. 6 - 8, the ship 2 is provided with a double hull (also called a double-wall hull). The double hull provides a space 78 for ballast material between its two walls. In this example, the ballast is composed of sand.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 6 - 8, the ship 2 has a structure with a longitudinal bulkhead 80 that divides the hull into three tank compartments: a port tank P, a center tank C, and a starboard tank S. The structure of the ship further includes a transverse bulkhead 82 shown in Fig. 5.

[0047] Fig. 11 shows a part of the tank structure of the oil tanker 2 before modification in a top view. In particular, it illustrates the structure of the center tank C. Fig. 11 shows the longitudinal bulkhead 80 and the transverse bulkhead 82. In this embodiment, the transverse bulkhead 82 is a corrugated bulkhead. The longitudinal bulkhead 80 includes a horizontal reinforcing rib 84 and a web frame 86 extending vertically.

[0048] Before the modification, the vertical bulkhead 80 is provided with vertical through members 88 that extend horizontally along the vertical bulkhead 80 and connect the vertical bulkheads 80 to each other. The vertical through members are provided at regular height intervals. In this embodiment, the height between the vertical through members 88 is 4 meters.

[0049] FIG. 12 shows the tank structure of FIG. 11 after the modification. An internal deck 90 is attached to the vertical through member 88. Further, an opening 92 is formed particularly at the lower part of the vertical bulkhead 80, enabling personnel to move between the port, center, and starboard sections of the tank structure, thereby providing access to all manufacturing lanes on the same floor (see also FIG. 6 showing the opening 92).

[0050] FIG. 13 shows the bottom view of the tank structure of the oil tanker before the modification, and FIG. 14 shows the state after the modification. Particularly, FIG. 14 shows that an opening 94 is formed in the transverse bulkhead 82 during the modification. FIG. 14 shows one such opening 94, and FIG. 5 shows a plurality of openings 94. Reinforcing members 96 are provided along the edge of the opening 94 to ensure sufficient rigidity of the tank structure.

[0051] Variations of the disclosed embodiments of the present apparatus and method are fully possible within the scope of the appended claims. One or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment. The features of the above embodiments may be replaced with any other features within the scope of the appended claims, for example, the features described in the following paragraphs.

[0052] In the example of the figures, the ship is shown to accommodate 44 devices for manufacturing long tensile members. However, any suitable number, particularly a smaller number of devices, can be provided. In the presently preferred embodiment, 3 to 5 devices are provided per floor. It is not necessary to provide such devices on each floor, and some floors may be used for other purposes. In an alternative embodiment, at least one device is provided on the upper deck.

[0053] In one embodiment, the factory is equipped with 12 devices for manufacturing long tensile members. For example, the factory is composed of a ship with 4 floors, and each floor is equipped with 3 devices.

[0054] In this example, it is shown in the figure that 3 internal decks are provided in the hull of the ship to provide 4 manufacturing floors. However, any suitable number of internal decks may be provided. For example, there are 1 or 2 internal decks in an existing ship, or they are installed on an oil tanker to form 2 or 3 floors.

[0055] One or more braiding machines can be provided per floor. The figure shows endless winding devices of different lengths. Alternatively, devices having the same length can be provided.

[0056] In one embodiment, one or more reels for holding the finished tensile member have a diameter of more than 4 meters, for example 5 or 6 meters. In one embodiment, the single holding part of the endless winding device is connected to the long guide of the device. In another embodiment, the single holding part of the endless winding device is connected to the internal deck of a buoyant body (such as a ship).

[0057] In one embodiment, a battery for storing electrical energy (produced, for example, by solar panels and / or wind turbines) is arranged in the empty engine room.

[0058] In one embodiment, a hydrogen production facility, a hydrogen storage tank, and / or a hydrogen fuel cell are arranged in the empty engine room. In an alternative embodiment, the hydrogen storage tank is provided in the existing tank space of a (modified) large ship, such as a fuel or diesel tank or a ballast tank.

[0059] Preferably, at least one of the devices for manufacturing long tensile members is suitable for manufacturing tensile members of different lengths. For example, in the case of the above-mentioned endless winding machine, the distance between the two single holding parts may be adjustable so as to set the desired length for the tensile member.

Claims

1. A factory (2) for manufacturing elongated tensile members (42), said factory comprising: At least one apparatus (46, 48, 50) for manufacturing the elongated tensile member (42), the at least one apparatus (46, 48, 50) comprising: A feeder (60) arranged to provide an input material, said input material comprising: At least one load-bearing thread, and / or At least one load-bearing wire, and / or Load-bearing fibers, including A supply device (60); a processing device (56, 58) arranged to wind and / or twist and / or bundle the input material provided by the supply device (60); at least one end coupling device (62, 64) arranged to provide a proximal end coupling (52) and a distal end coupling (54) for the elongate tension member; At least one device (46, 48, 50); a buoyant body (4) arranged to support said at least one device (46, 48, 50) for manufacturing said elongated tension member (42); A factory (2) equipped with:

2. A factory (2) according to claim 1, the input material comprises at least one thread; the processing device is arranged to wind the at least one thread around two thimbles (52, 54) provided at opposite ends of the elongated tensile member (42), from a first one of the two thimbles (52), to a second one of the two thimbles (54), and back to the first one of the two thimbles (52), the winding being repeated until a sufficient number of winds extend between the two thimbles (52, 54); the proximal and distal end joints of the elongate tension member include the two thimbles (52, 54); The at least one end coupling device includes a first thimble retaining portion (62) and a second thimble retaining portion (64) spaced apart from each other and each designed to retain one of the two thimbles (52, 54).

3. A factory (2) according to claim 2, The processing device includes a long guide (56) and a carriage (58), The supply device (60) is connected to the carriage (58); the elongated guide (56) and the carriage (58) are movably connected to one another such that the carriage (58) can move relative to the elongated guide (56) in a longitudinal direction of the elongated guide (56); the feeder (60) comprising at least one spool holder for holding a spool (70) having the at least one length of yarn and an output guide (72) for guiding the at least one length of yarn onto the elongated tension member (42) during winding; the output guide (72) and the first thimble holding portion (62), and the output guide (72) and the second thimble holding portion (64) are movable relative to each other at least in a direction perpendicular to the length of the elongated guide (56) to guide the at least one thread to make a half turn around each of the first thimble (52) of the two thimbles and the second thimble (54) of the two thimbles during winding; Factory (2).

4. A factory (2) according to claim 1, The plant (2), wherein the elongated tensile member (42) comprises a rope, the input material comprises a fiber or metal wire, and the processing device is arranged to twist or braid the fiber or metal wire.

5. A factory (2) according to any one or more of the preceding claims, The buoyant body is a ship having a hull (4) and an upper deck (6), the factory (2).

6. A factory (2) according to claim 5, The at least one device (46, 48, 50) is located within the hull (4) below the upper deck (6), the factory (2).

7. 7. The factory according to claim 6, a reel (8) is provided on the upper deck (6) for winding one or more long tension members (42) onto the reel (8), the upper deck (6) having a hatch (40) for supplying the long tension members (42) manufactured by the at least one device (46, 48, 50) inside the hull (4) to the reel (8) on the upper deck (6).

8. A factory (2) according to claim 5, 6 or 7, The ship (4) comprises a double hull at least partially filled with ballast comprising flowable solid material and / or fresh water, the factory (2).

9. Factory (2) according to claim 8, The ballast comprises a flowable solid material selected from the group consisting of sand, concrete and stone.

10. A factory (2) according to any one or more of claims 5 to 9, The vessel is a converted power vessel, the engine of the power vessel being removed from the engine room (26) of the vessel, preferably reusing the engine room (26) as a storage room for storing the input materials, the factory (2).

11. A factory (2) according to any one or more of claims 5 to 10, The ship is a converted oil tanker, the hull (4) comprising a tank structure to which at least one interior deck (90) is attached providing a plurality of production compartments, and the at least one apparatus (46, 48, 50) is provided in one of the production compartments, the factory (2).

12. A factory (2) according to claim 11, The tank structure comprises a stringer (88), and the at least one interior deck (90) is attached to the stringer (88).

13. A factory (2) according to any one or more of claims 1 to 12, At least one internal deck (90) is provided on the buoyant body, the at least one internal deck (90) comprising a plurality of devices (46, 48, 50) for manufacturing elongated tensile members (42), the plurality of devices (46, 48, 50) being arranged parallel to one another to form parallel manufacturing lanes, preferably the at least one internal deck (90) further comprising a braiding machine (76) for braiding a protective covering around the elongated tensile members (42), the braiding machine (76) being movable between at least two manufacturing lanes.

14. A factory (2) according to any one or more of claims 1 to 13, The buoyant body is equipped with solar panels (12) and / or wind turbines (14), preferably vertical axis wind turbines, preferably the solar panels (12) and / or wind turbines (14) are provided on the upper surface (6) of the buoyant body and optionally batteries are provided in the factory (2).

15. Factory (2) according to claim 14, Further comprising a hydrogen production facility and / or a hydrogen storage facility and / or a hydrogen fuel cell; Factory (2).

16. A method for constructing a factory (2) for manufacturing elongated tension members (42), the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one apparatus (46, 48, 50) for manufacturing the elongated tension member (42), the at least one apparatus (46, 48, 50) comprising: A feeder (60) arranged to provide an input material, said input material comprising: At least one load-bearing thread, and / or At least one load-bearing wire, and / or Load-bearing fibers, including A supply device (60); a processing device (56, 58) arranged to wind and / or twist and / or bundle the input material provided by the supply device (60); at least one end coupling device (62, 64) arranged to provide a proximal end coupling (52) and a distal end coupling (54) for the elongate tension member; Providing at least one device (46, 48, 50); Providing a buoyant body (4); Installing said at least one device (46, 48, 50) in or on said buoyant body (4); A method comprising:

17. 17. The method of claim 16, The method, wherein providing the buoyant body (4) comprises adapting a marine vessel comprising a hull (4) and an upper deck (6), preferably the marine vessel being an oil tanker.

18. 20. The method of claim 17, The method, wherein converting the vessel includes removing the vessel's engine from an engine room (26) and preferably reusing the engine room as a storage room for storing the input materials.

19. 19. The method of claim 17 or 18, 20. The method of claim 19, wherein converting the vessel comprises at least partially filling a double hull of the vessel with ballast material, the ballast material comprising a flowable solid material and / or fresh water, the flowable solid material preferably comprising at least one of sand, concrete and stones.

20. A method according to any one or more of claims 17 to 19, comprising The method of claim 1, wherein converting the vessel comprises attaching at least one interior deck (90) to the vessel for supporting the at least one device (46, 48, 50), preferably the at least one interior deck (90) being attached to a stringer (88) of a tank structure of the vessel.

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