Floating production, storage and offloading vessel for hydrogen and ammonia production

Abstract

A floating hull for use as a hydrogen and / or ammonia floating production storage and offloading vessel, comprising: an inner hull wall, at least two bulkheads, the at least two bulkheads disposed within the inner hull wall to form at least three separate storage spaces; a series of cross members disposed between the at least two bulkheads to provide support and stability to the at least two bulkheads; a deck supported by and disposed above the at least two bulkheads; and the at least three separate storage spaces configured to contain gases and / or liquids.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments provided herein relate to floating vessels. More particularly, embodiments provided herein are directed to floating vessels for producing and storing hydrogen and / or liquid ammonia. [Background technology]

[0002] According to the World Bank, the world currently flares approximately 3.25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually. The World Bank is seeking support to end this flaring by 2030, and many countries and companies have signed on to this initiative. While significant progress has been made, much remains to be done. Additionally, trillions of cubic feet of natural gas remain stranded in harsh environments in remote locations around the world where traditional capture solutions are currently not feasible. While the oil and gas industry has embraced the use of floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) solutions for oil processing, it struggles to find commercially viable solutions for processing, storing, and offloading associated natural gas when oil fields are far from consumers, associated gas rates are relatively low, or the gas is heavily contaminated with undesirable components that make it difficult to process offshore. In some cases, when field operators cannot find a solution to do so, the associated gas is flared. For example, at the Campeche oil field off the coast of Mexico, PEMEX flared 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day in 2022, emitting 15,000 tonnes of unwanted greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, there are many small pockets of non-associated gas discoveries around the world that are not commercially viable to monetize on their own development.

[0003] While the concept of floating natural gas liquefaction (FLNG) has gained some traction in recent years, technical limitations remain, preventing widespread deployment. Furthermore, the LNG process requires the removal of undesirable components (e.g., water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur) and hydrocarbons with carbon chain lengths longer than propane (C3) to very low levels (i.e., parts per million), which is commercially difficult to achieve offshore. Industry has also attempted to monetize gas by converting it into liquids such as diesel and methanol, but these solutions have not proven commercially viable on a large scale. Gas consumption ultimately produces carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas. A recent directive issued by the European Union (EU) proposes taxing gas end-users / consumers of up to 75 euros per ton of CO2 emitted to encourage carbon capture and permanent sequestration, since gas is typically consumed in the presence of air and is therefore 79% nitrogen. Therefore, post-combustion emissions are mostly nitrogen (N2), making separation and sequestration of the CO2 produced difficult and expensive.

[0004] In recent years, hydrogen and ammonia have gained popularity as carbon-free fuels, and efforts are underway to develop renewable offshore hydrogen or ammonia solutions that involve electrolyzing seawater to separate hydrogen and oxygen, then either exporting the hydrogen directly via pipeline or combining it with nitrogen from ambient air to produce ammonia. In this scenario, the electricity needed to produce hydrogen would be transported to the facility via power cables. Some solutions under consideration propose using renewable energy sources such as solar, wave, and wind energy, which are by their nature intermittent. While electrolysis processes can adapt to power intermittency, ammonia processes cannot. Therefore, it is generally prudent to ensure smooth, continuous operation by including buffer volumes for the primary reactants (hydrogen, nitrogen, and freshwater) in the overall production facility design.

[0005] Also gaining attention is a process sometimes called "blue ammonia," which involves producing ammonia from natural gas using a conventional process and then sequestering the carbon dioxide produced in underground reservoirs. Both the green and blue ammonia processes require fresh water (either electrolysis in green ammonia or steam reforming in blue ammonia).

[0006] However, each of the aforementioned concepts requires specific, non-interchangeable production, storage, unloading, loading, and transportation systems.

[0007] Offshore oil and gas has numerous potential technological solutions, ranging from shallow-water fixed platforms and jack-ups to deepwater semi-submersibles and FPSOs. In developed offshore areas, fixed platforms and jack-ups are traditional shallow-water solutions that can transport produced oil to onshore facilities, while floating storage and offloading vessels (FSOs) and FPSOs have become the preferred solution in areas without existing onshore terminals. In FPSO and FSO strategies, oil is stored on the hull and exported directly to trading tankers, either side-by-side or in tandem. FPSOs require significantly larger volumes of seawater ballast than trading tankers for a variety of reasons. Due to the nature of their design, it is fairly easy to allocate some of the storage tanks to alternative services, such as primary reactant or ballast storage, in traditional crude oil carrier designs.

[0008] While most ocean-going vessels are not designed to support major equipment on deck, FPSOs are specifically designed to perform narrowly tailored tasks. While vessels (ships) exist that can easily be converted into FPSOs for oil and gas, they cannot be easily converted into FPSOs specifically for ammonia. Ammonia cannot be stored in the same way as oil and requires dedicated tanks and reservoirs. Very large gas carriers (VLGCs) exist that can transport up to 80,000 cubic meters of liquefied ammonia in these specialized tanks and reservoirs. Due to the nature of their design, they cannot be easily converted into top-deck mounted support equipment or modules. Therefore, existing ammonia storage-capable vessels have minimal equipment on the top deck, none, or a single central support bulkhead. This lack of multiple internal bulkheads means that the primary structural support for the deck-mounted production equipment must span the entire width of the vessel, proportionally reducing the weight (and therefore capacity) that can be allocated to the production equipment and making the solution commercially unviable. Furthermore, unlike crude oil carriers, gas carriers offer limited opportunities to distribute or convert some of the tanks to store primary reactants or ballast. Significantly longer vessels make construction extremely difficult, both in terms of cost and available dry dock locations.

[0009] Therefore, a hull design is required that can adequately and safely store ammonia, intermediate buffer reactants (hydrogen, nitrogen, freshwater), and ballast, while also supporting a full array of ammonia production and greenhouse gas sequestration facilities on top, and export hydrogen and / or ammonia. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0002141 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 10,597,301 Summary of the Invention

[0011] A floating vessel for use as an ammonia floating production storage and offloading vessel, comprising: an inner hull wall, at least two bulkheads, the at least two bulkheads disposed within the inner hull wall to form at least three separate storage spaces; a series of cross members disposed between the at least two bulkheads to provide support and stability to the at least two bulkheads; and a deck supported by and disposed above the at least two bulkheads. The floating vessel may further include an optional fourth storage space extending from bow to stern and port to starboard below and / or around the primary storage space used for ballast. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, according to standard industry practice, the various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an FPSO hull, according to one or more embodiments provided herein. [Figure 2] 1 shows a partial cross section of an illustrative midship of an FPSO vessel, according to one or more embodiments provided herein. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an illustrative top view of a hull 100 at midship section of a vessel according to one or more embodiments provided herein. [Figure 4] Illustrative midship isomers are depicted in Figures 2-3 according to one or more embodiments provided herein. [Figure 5] Illustrative plan views of the deck depicted in Figures 1, 2 and 4 are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A floating vessel is provided herein. The floating vessel can be used as a hydrogen and / or ammonia floating production, storage, and offloading vessel and greenhouse gas sequestration vessel. In at least one embodiment, the floating vessel can be used to produce a desired amount of hydrogen from natural gas or water. In at least one other embodiment, the vessel can also be used to produce a desired amount of ammonia from natural gas, storing the produced ammonia in a liquid state at temperatures below -33°C at atmospheric pressure, or at pressures above 17 bar, at standard temperature, or any other suitable combination of temperature and pressure for storage, and compressing the produced carbon dioxide for sequestration. In one or more embodiments, the vessel can have an inner hull and at least two bulkheads positioned within the inner hull wall, defining at least three separate storage spaces therebetween. The vessel can further have at least two cross members positioned between the at least two bulkheads to provide additional support and stability to a deck located above the hull. The deck can be supported by and positioned above the at least two bulkheads. The storage space may be used to contain one or more liquids, such as liquid ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG"), natural gas liquids ("NGL"), or water, and compressed or liquefied gases, such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon dioxide.

[0015] One or more support stools can be positioned on deck directly above, near, or around the two longitudinal bulkheads or longitudinal double hull sides. The support stools can be used to support and secure any number of production facilities to the deck. Additional cross members are sized and designed to provide the strength necessary to position and operate any production facility on the vessel's top deck. Such production facilities can be modular or skid-mounted, allowing them to be easily removed, relocated, or installed anywhere on the top deck.

[0016] In one embodiment, the vessel may be a converted ore carrier typically used to transport ores, such as coal or iron ore, potentially conducive to conversion into a hydrogen / ammonia FPSO. Ore carriers, such as Newcastlemax, very large ore carriers (VLOCs), and Balemax vessels, range in width from approximately 50 to 65 meters and in length from approximately 300 to 360 meters. The hulls provided herein range in width from 45, 50, or 55 meters to 60, 65, or 68 meters, and in length from 255, 270, or 285 meters to 350, 360, or 380 meters, and can support deck-mounted facilities of any significant size, thus making them commercially viable as hydrogen / ammonia FPSOs. In at least one embodiment, the hull may be approximately 65 meters wide and approximately 360 meters long.

[0017] A more detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention is provided below with reference to the figures provided. It should be understood that the following disclosure describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures, or functions of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify the disclosure. However, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in various embodiments and throughout the figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purposes of simplicity and clarity and does not, in itself, dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations. Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any manner, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0018] Additionally, the following description uses certain terms that purport to refer to specific components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component by different names, and therefore, the naming conventions for elements described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise expressly defined herein. Furthermore, the naming conventions used herein are not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but do not function.

[0019] Furthermore, in the following discussion and claims, the terms "include" and "including" are used in an open-ended format and, therefore, should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to."

[0020] The term "or" is intended to encompass both exclusive and inclusive cases, i.e., "A or B" is intended to be synonymous with "at least one of A and B," unless expressly specified otherwise herein.

[0021] The indefinite articles "a" and "an" refer to both singular (i.e., "one") and plural referents (i.e., one or more) unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, embodiments using "gas" include embodiments in which one, two, or more gases are used, unless specified to the contrary or the context clearly indicates that only one gas is intended.

[0022] Unless otherwise indicated herein, all numerical values ​​are "approximate" or "approximate" to the indicated value, meaning that they take into account experimental error, machine tolerances, and other variations that one of ordinary skill in the art would expect. It should also be understood that the exact numerical values ​​used in the specification and claims constitute specific embodiments. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of example data. However, it should be understood that measured data inherently contain a certain level of error due to the limitations of the techniques and equipment used for measurement.

[0023] Each appended claim defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claim. Depending on the context, all references to the "invention" may, in some cases, refer only to specific embodiments. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the "invention" refer to one or more of the described subject matter, but not all, of the claims. Each of the inventions is described in more detail below, including specific embodiments, versions, and examples; however, the inventions are not limited to these embodiments, versions, or examples; these embodiments, versions, or examples are included to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, when the information in this disclosure is combined with publicly available information and technology.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic isometric view of an FPSO hull according to one or more embodiments. The FPSO has a single continuous deck 101 for supporting one or more processing modules. The deck 101 is disposed on a hull 100 having a stern section 102 and a storage section 104 between the bow section 103 and the stern section 102. The storage section 104 may be contained and / or confined by sides 205 and a bottom 206 of the hull 100. The sides 205 and bottom 206 may be double-walled and may provide empty voids or spaces therein. As described in more detail below, these voids and / or empty spaces may function as ballast for the vessel. The hull 100 may be of steel construction or any other suitable marine construction material, or any combination thereof.

[0025] 2 illustrates a partial cross-section of the hull 100 at the midship section of the storage section 104, according to one or more embodiments. Any one or more production modules 210 (four levels of production modules are shown 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D) may be located, positioned, attached, or otherwise supported on or above the upper deck 101. The storage section 104 may be located below the upper deck 101 and may include at least two longitudinal bulkheads 202 disposed therein. The longitudinal bulkheads 202 may extend longitudinally of the vessel (i.e., from the stern 102 to the bow 103). In one embodiment, the hull 100 may have a longitudinal length of approximately 360 meters, and the transverse distance between the longitudinal bulkheads 202 may range from 10 meters, 12.5 meters, or 15 meters to 17.5 meters, 20 meters, or 22.5 meters. The longitudinal bulkhead 202 may be positioned any desired distance from the side 205 of the hull 100. For example, the longitudinal bulkhead 202 may be positioned approximately 13 meters, 15 meters, or 17 meters, 20 meters, 25 meters, or 27.5 meters from the side 205 of the hull 100. In one embodiment, the longitudinal bulkhead 202 may be positioned between 10 meters, 12 meters, or 15 meters and 20 meters, 25 meters, or 28 meters from the side 205 of the hull 100.

[0026] Any of the bulkheads 202, 207 may be affixed to the bottom 206 of the hull 100 using any one or more bulkhead supports or gussets 203. Any of the bulkheads 202, 207 may also be attached to the top deck 101 using any one or more bulkhead supports 203. The bulkhead supports 203 may be any suitable shape configured to provide strength, reinforcement, and / or buckling prevention to the two longitudinal bulkheads 202. For example, the bulkhead supports 203 may be triangular, concave arc, convex arc, rectangular, or a combination thereof. When multiple bulkhead supports 203 are used, two or more bulkhead supports 203 may be spaced along the bulkheads 202, 207 on one or both sides of the bulkheads 202, 207. In one or more embodiments, two or more bulkhead supports 203 may be spaced at regular intervals on either side of each of the bulkheads 202, 207. In one or more embodiments, two or more septum supports 203 can be positioned at both the top and base of each septum 202, 207. In one or more embodiments, two or more septum supports 203 can be positioned at the same height or at different heights on each of the septums 202, 207. In at least one embodiment, multiple septum supports 203 can be positioned at the same height on each of the septums 202, 207 using the same spacing.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates another exemplary partial longitudinal cross-section showing a top perspective view of the storage section 104 of the hull 100 amidships of the vessel shown in FIG. 2 , according to one or more embodiments. The hull 100 may include two, three, four, five, or more transverse bulkheads 207 in the storage section 104. The transverse bulkheads 207 may be spaced 30 meters, 35 meters, 40 meters, 45 meters, and / or 50 meters apart. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , one or more cross-members 201 may be positioned between two longitudinal bulkheads 202 to provide additional support and stability to the deck 101 located on top of the hull 100. The cross-members 201 may be any suitable shape capable of providing strength, reinforcement, buckling prevention, etc. to the two longitudinal bulkheads 202, such as I-frames, T-frames, H-frames, triangular solids, rectangular solids, etc., or combinations thereof. The cross-members 201 may be continuous and run the entire length of the bulkheads 202. The cross members 201 may be arranged as ribs and may run only a portion of the length of the bulkhead 202. Similarly, the cross members 201 may run the entire height of the bulkhead 202 or only a portion of the height. In one or more embodiments, each cross member 201 may be generally planar and horizontal, and if two or more are used, the cross members 201 may be spaced apart along the length of the longitudinal bulkhead 202.

[0028] FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative isomer of the midship section depicted in FIGS. 2-3, according to one or more embodiments. One or more cross members 201 can function as a crossbar or cross beam between any two bulkheads 202. One or more cross members 201 and bulkheads 202 can be integral with one another to form a plate-like structure and stacked together within the hull 100. In some embodiments, the cross member 201 can be welded or otherwise affixed to the bulkhead 202. In some embodiments, one or more bulkhead supports 203 can be used to attach the cross member 201 to the bulkhead 202 to provide additional support.

[0029] As described above, any number of support stools 204 may be positioned on deck 101. Support stools 204 may be used to support and secure any number of production equipment 210 to the single continuous deck 101. Support stools 204 may be positioned directly above, near, or around transverse bulkheads 207, longitudinal bulkheads 202, and / or sides 205 of the hull 100. In alternative embodiments, bulkheads 202, 207, and / or sides 205 of the hull 100 may extend above deck 101 to act as supports 202A and 205A for production equipment 210. Referring to FIG. 3 , the upper or first ends 202A, 205A of bulkheads 202, 207, and / or sides 205 of the hull 100 may extend above deck 101 and provide a support surface for connecting and / or supporting upper deck production equipment 210. Such production facilities 210 may be modular or skid-mounted and easily removed, relocated, or installed anywhere along the top deck 101. In at least one embodiment, the storage 104 may be configured to store liquid ammonia, LPG, compressed hydrogen, compressed nitrogen, purified water, ballast, or natural gas liquids (hereinafter "NGLs"), etc. In one or more embodiments, the hull 100 may be insulated using any suitable type of insulation. In one or more embodiments, cargo storage may be between 25,000 tons, 40,000 tons, or 55,000 tons and 90,000 tons, 120,000 tons, or 180,000 tons. In one or more embodiments, ballast may store up to 20,000 tons, 40,000 tons, or 70,000 tons.

[0030] In certain embodiments, the hull 100 may be configured to provide one, two, or more self-contained tanks confined within the bulkheads 202, 207, sides 205, bottom 206, and / or deck 101. The void space formed by the bottom 206 and bulkheads 202, 207 may provide storage for intermediate reactants (hydrogen, nitrogen, and water). The void space created by the crossmembers 201 and bulkheads 202 may provide space for pipe and cable racks 209, which may extend all or part of the length of the hull 100. The storage 104 may provide one or more ballast stores 208 within the sides 205 and / or bottom 206 of the hull 100.

[0031] One or more self-contained storage tanks may also be located within the hull 100. The storage tanks may be permanently affixed within the hull 100 or may be removably affixed within the hull 100. The storage tanks may be constructed, for example, as Type B tanks, Type C tanks, or Type C bilobe tanks.

[0032] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the deck 101 can be configured to support a weight of between 9,000 metric tons, 10,000 metric tons, or 11,000 metric tons and 45,000 metric tons, 55,000 metric tons, or 65,000 metric tons of production equipment. In one or more embodiments, the single continuous deck 101 can be configured with support stools 204 that support and attach production equipment to the single continuous deck 101. In at least one embodiment, the support stools 204 can support at least 10 metric tons, 100 metric tons, 1,000 metric tons, or 10,000 metric tons of production equipment as skids, packages, towers, or modules. The support stools 204 can be configured according to the location of bulkheads 202, 207, deck framing, deck layout, and production facility geometry. The support stools 204 can be used to removably attach production equipment to the deck 101 by any suitable method. For example, an exemplary production facility 210 for generating hydrogen and / or ammonia onboard a vessel may include any one or more of the following equipment and / or units: nuclear reactors, compressors, separators, syngas reformers, electricity, power, air separation units, cranes, laydowns, E-houses, power plants, and / or other utilities, piping, controls, etc. Further details of ammonia production facilities are disclosed and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0002141, U.S. Patent No. 10,597,301, etc., all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0033] The FPSO may also include a living quarters 107 in the aft section 102 of the FPSO. In one or more embodiments, the living quarters 107 may include accommodation for between 20 personnel, 25 personnel, or 30 personnel and 220 personnel, 240 personnel, or 260 personnel. The living quarters may include one or more offices, workshops, spare parts storage, communications (satellite, VHF, fiber optic, etc.) galleys, and control rooms. In one embodiment, the living quarters are unmanned, and the FPSO is remotely monitored and / or controlled using telecommunications, etc. Additionally, the living quarters 107 may include a lifeboat 108 mounted on the side of the living quarters 107. In at least one embodiment, the living quarters 107 can accommodate at least 140 personnel, 150 personnel, or 160 personnel and can include any suitable lifeboats 108 mounted to the side of the living quarters 107, a helideck 106 mounted on top of the living quarters 107, and a minimum of 4 x 50% or 2 x 100%.

[0034] The FPSO may also include any suitable mooring system, such as an internal turret, an external turret, spread mooring, tower yoke, or any combination thereof. The FPSO may be moored to a pier or bottom-grounded, as in the case of a gravity-based structure. In one or more embodiments, the hull may be large enough to support any suitable mooring system to accommodate any mooring system requirements for each project. The FPSO may also include a riser system that matches the mooring system used. In one or more embodiments, the hull may be configured to support any suitable riser system that matches one or more suitable mooring systems as needed for each project.

[0035] Further embodiments of the present disclosure include: Embodiment 1: A floating vessel for use as an ammonia floating production storage and offloading vessel, comprising: a hull having two opposing double sidewalls and a double bottom wall; at least two longitudinal bulkheads disposed within the hull defining at least three separate storage spaces; at least two transverse bulkheads located between the at least two longitudinal bulkheads located within the hull; a series of cross-members disposed between any of the at least two longitudinal or transverse bulkheads to provide support and stability to the bulkheads; a deck at least partially disposed on the hull and at least partially supported by the at least two longitudinal bulkheads, transverse bulkheads, or a combination thereof; at least one void located inside the double sidewalls or double bottom wall of the hull; and at least one void used for ballast; and the at least three separate storage spaces configured to contain one or more liquids, pressurized gases, or a combination thereof.

[0036] Embodiment 2: The floating vessel of embodiment 1, wherein the bulkhead is insulated to maintain the temperature or pressure, or both, of the cargo liquid.

[0037] Embodiment 3: The floating vessel of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein at least two bulkheads are separated from each other by a distance that is shorter than the distance between any bulkhead and the nearest inner wall.

[0038] Embodiment 4: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1 to 3 further comprising a bow and a stern, and at least two bulkheads extending longitudinally between the bow and the stern.

[0039] Embodiment 5: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-4, wherein the deck is configured to support a weight of at least 50,000 tons.

[0040] Embodiment 6: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-5, wherein the liquid is ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas, or natural gas liquids, and the pressurized gas is selected from the group consisting of H2, N2, O2, CO2, and water.

[0041] Embodiment 7: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-6, wherein the deck includes at least one accommodation configured for accommodation or office personnel.

[0042] Embodiment 8: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-7, wherein the floating vessel is remotely operated.

[0043] Embodiment 9: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-8, wherein the deck comprises a helideck.

[0044] Embodiment 10: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-9, wherein each bulkhead includes a bulkhead support attached to the base of the bulkhead, the top of the bulkhead, or both the base and the top of the bulkhead.

[0045] Embodiment 11: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-10, wherein the bulkhead is free-standing within the inner hull wall.

[0046] Embodiment 12: The floating vessel of any one or more of embodiments 1-11, wherein the bulkhead defines an integrally insulated tank disposed within the inner hull wall.

[0047] All patents and patent applications, test procedures (e.g., Act, UL Act), and other documents cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent such disclosure does not contradict this disclosure and in all jurisdictions where such incorporation is permitted.

[0048] Certain embodiments and features are described using a set of upper numerical limits and a set of lower numerical limits. It should be understood that ranges including combinations of any two values ​​are contemplated unless otherwise indicated, e.g., any lower value with any upper value, any two lower values, and / or any two upper values. Specific lower limits, upper limits, and ranges are set forth in one or more claims below.

[0049] The above also outlines features of some embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use this disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other methods or apparatuses for carrying out the same purposes and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the scope of which is determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. Our main points are: Floating hulls for use as ammonia floating production, storage and offloading vessels, including: A hull having two opposing double side walls and a double bottom wall. At least two longitudinal bulkheads located within the hull define at least three separate storage spaces within the hull. at least two transverse bulkheads located between at least two longitudinal bulkheads located within the hull; a series of cross members disposed between at least two of either the longitudinal or transverse bulkheads to provide support and stability to the bulkheads; a deck at least partially disposed on the hull and at least partially supported by at least two longitudinal bulkheads, transverse bulkheads, or a combination thereof; and At least one void located inside the double sidewall or double bottom wall of the hull, at least one void used for ballast; The at least three separate storage spaces are configured to contain one or more liquids, pressurized gases, or combinations thereof.

2. The floating vessel of claim 1 further comprises at least one freestanding tank located below the deck and within the hull.

3. 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the at least two bulkheads are spaced apart by a distance less than the distance between any one bulkhead and the nearest inner wall.

4. 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the inner hull wall has first and second sides, and the inner hull wall is supported by a plurality of transverse bulkheads extending from the first side of the inner hull wall to the second side of the inner wall.

5. 10. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the deck is configured to support a weight of at least 50,000 tons.

6. The liquid is ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas, or natural gas liquids, and the pressurized gas is H ２ , N ２ , O ２ , CO ２ 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of:

7. 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the deck comprises a building configured as a personnel accommodation or office.

8. 10. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein said floating vessel is remotely monitored.

9. 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the deck comprises a helideck.

10. In the floating vessel of claim 1, each bulkhead includes a bulkhead support attached to the base of the bulkhead, the top of the bulkhead, or both the base and the top of the bulkhead.

11. 2. The floating vessel of claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is freestanding within the inner wall.

12. 2. The floating vessel according to claim 1, wherein the insulated tank with the bulkhead integrated therein is disposed within the vessel's inner wall.

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