Jack-up platform with mooring system and method for mooring a floating vessel - Patents.com

Abstract

A jack-up platform is described having a horizontal working deck which can be jacked up out of the water by moving its legs into a position where it receives support on the bottom of the water. The jack-up platform further comprises a mooring system for mooring a floating vessel to a mooring side of the jack-up platform. The mooring system comprises an elongated support means for supporting a hull section of the floating vessel and a guide means connected to the hull of the jack-up platform at the mooring side. The guide means are capable of holding the elongated support means firmly in a supporting position where the elongated support means is within reach of the hull section of the floating vessel to be supported when the hull is jacked out of the water and the jack-up platform bears on its legs. A method for mooring a floating vessel using the jack-up platform is also described.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a jack-up platform with a mooring system and a method for mooring a floating vessel close to the jack-up platform. The present invention further relates to an assembly of a jack-up platform and a floating vessel moored close to each other by a mooring system. [Background technology]

[0002] The invention is particularly relevant in the context of lifting an object between a floating vessel and a jack-up platform by means of a lifting device positioned on the jack-up platform. The lifting can be carried out on coastal or offshore waters, with offshore being preferred. The jack-up platform may be floating, in a partially jacked-up position with its hull still in the water, or jacked up with its hull fully out of the water. The jack-up platform in its fully out of the water jacked-up position represents a relatively stable position for the lifting device. The jack-up platform may be self-propelled, in which case it is generally referred to as a jack-up vessel. It is expressly stated that when a jack-up platform is referred to throughout this disclosure, a jack-up vessel is also referred to.

[0003] The present invention is not limited to lifting specific objects, but can be advantageously used for lifting turbine components such as complete towers of, for example, 900 tonnes, split towers (2 pieces) of, for example, 500 tonnes each, split towers (3 pieces) of, for example, 350 tonnes each, nacelles (including rotors) of, for example, 800 tonnes, blades (or blade racks carrying a single blade or complete blade racks carrying multiple blades), and pre-assembled combinations of the above in any form. It is also possible to use the present invention for lifting wind turbine foundation components such as monopiles of, for example, 1600 tonnes, transition pieces of, for example, 500 tonnes, anode cages (or anode cage towers housing multiple anode cages), and complete jackets weighing up to 1600 tonnes or more. Apart from the above named objects, general items can also be lifted with the lifting device when using the mooring system of the present invention. Such general items include, but are not limited to, any kind of supply containers, offshore wind turbine (foundation) installation equipment, spare vessels, and equipment parts.

[0004] The reference above to wind turbine components is not meant to mean that the invention is limited thereto, and the jack-up platform and method may be applied to lift any other object, such as, but not limited to, offshore foundation structures, jetties, radars, and other towers.

[0005] A floating vessel in a body of water is subject to motions according to six degrees of freedom. The translational motions include heave, sway, and surge, where heave is a vertical motion, sway is a side-to-side or port-to-starboard motion, and surge is a front-to-back or bow-to-stern motion. The rotational motions include pitch, roll, and yaw, where pitch is the rotation of the vessel about its transverse (port-starboard) axis, roll is the rotation about its longitudinal (bow-stern) axis, and yaw is the rotation about a vertical axis. The heave, sway, surge, pitch, roll, and yaw motions are defined in a coordinate system fixed to the floating vessel and may therefore differ from the motions in the vertical and two horizontal directions defined by a coordinate system fixed to the external world.

[0006] The motion of the water body is transferred to a vessel floating on the water body. The induced vessel motion further imparts motion and acceleration to an object being transported by the vessel, or being steered in or from the vessel. For example, when an object is lifted from the deck of a floating vessel with a lifting device, the relative position between the floating vessel, including the object being lifted, and the lifting device should be fixed and maintained within a certain horizontal distance limit determined by the specifications of the lifting device. The object should preferably be positioned and maintained within a monitoring circle of the lifting device to avoid lifting the object under an angle with the vertical that is too large for the lifting device to handle. Preferably, the lifting wire of the lifting device is kept substantially vertical during the lifting operation. This is especially true when the lifting device is not provided on the floating vessel itself, but on another floating vessel and / or on a stabilized vessel or platform, such as a jack-up platform, separate from the vessel of the object.

[0007] When lifting an object from a floating vessel with a lifting device located on a jack-up platform, it is important, for example to avoid failure of the lifting device during the lifting and to ensure a safe rigging procedure, that the horizontal position (two out of three translational degrees of freedom: surge and sway) and horizontal rotational movement (one out of three rotational degrees of freedom: yaw) of the floating vessel and thus of the object it carries remain fixed within certain limits relative to the location of the lifting device. The floating vessel should preferably have a fixed position relative to the jack-up platform and the lifting device provided thereon. Also, the jack-up platform and the lifting device should preferably keep a fixed horizontal position relative to the external reference system during the lifting. Furthermore, when using a lifting device provided on a partially jacked-up or jacked-up jack-up platform, this lifting device is also fixed horizontally relative to the external reference system during the lifting. If both the floating vessel and the lifting device are horizontally fixed with respect to the same external reference system, their relative horizontal positions will also be fixed with respect to each other. Furthermore, ideally the object to be lifted should be positioned just below the connection point of the lifting device in the vertical direction. This is particularly difficult when lifting an object from a floating vessel is performed with a lifting device mounted on a fixedly positioned jack-up vessel or platform in offshore conditions.

[0008] Known methods and systems for keeping a floating vessel positioned offshore next to a jack-up vessel include an anchoring system in a first location. The floating vessel can then be equipped with an anchor that is released. Usually, a support vessel (anchor lifting vessel) needs to be used alongside, which is costly. Also, positioning the floating vessel with the anchor takes time. The support vessel picks up the anchor from the floating vessel and positions it in the correct place on the seabed. Having several anchor lines going out in different directions keeps the floating vessel or barge positioned in a more or less stable position. Anchoring systems are not ideal when used in combination with a jack-up vessel or platform, particularly when trying to position the floating vessel as close as possible to the jack-up vessel. Depending on the size of the jack-up vessel and the floating vessel, and depending on the relative positions of both vessels, the anchor lines can collide with the legs of the jack-up vessel, which represents a significant hazard. If the anchor rope breaks, the position of the floating vessel will become uncontrollable and there may even be a collision between the floating vessel itself and the legs of the jack-up vessel or platform when the lift is carried out as the jack-up vessel or platform is being jacked up to a height where the floating vessel fits under the jack-up vessel or platform. Indeed, such a collision may quickly compromise the integrity of the jack-up vessel or platform. Also, typically the anchor is fixed to the seabed, which may cause interference with existing (buried) structures on the seabed, such as, for example but not limited to, cables, pipelines, other debris. Prior investigation is required.

[0009] Other known methods and systems use floating vessels equipped with automatic Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems, which also require a certain size of propulsion equipment capable of holding the floating vessel in a fixed position. As the DP system possesses more power, it can more accurately maintain a specific position up to the planned sea state. However, more power entails a higher cost. The positioning accuracy should preferably be high when lifting an object from the floating vessel using a lifting device fixed to a stationary jack-up platform, which requires a propulsion equipment with a larger power. Using a floating vessel equipped with a DP system in close proximity to another structure (e.g., an elevated jack-up platform, offshore foundation, or other) can also be dangerous. The power of the DP system adapts continuously to deal with external forces (water, wind, other). As the system is operating close to the structure, the force of its own propulsion equipment can contact the fixed structure and induce forces reflected from the structure. This can cause the DP system to cause the structure to apply a direct force to the floating vessel (even though no physical connection between the floating vessel and the jack-up vessel has been made). As a reaction, the DP system will try to react against this "false" external force by exerting a larger force in the direction of the structure. This can cause the DP system to actually move the floating vessel towards the structure, potentially causing the floating vessel to collide with the structure. Naturally, this is highly undesirable.

[0010] Although known systems can be used in some circumstances, as mentioned above, they generally have drawbacks: the capacity of the lifting device on the jack-up platform may not be fully utilized, since in the known methods the floating vessel must always leave some distance to the (legs of) the jack-up platform, and indeed, when the floating vessel approaches too close to the (legs of) the jack-up platform, it may for example slip partially under the jacked-up platform and hit the legs, endangering the overall stability of the jack-up platform.

[0011] US 6,313,633 discloses an oil drilling rig comprising a jack-up platform on which several support legs are provided, from which the oil drilling string is suspended and supported by a vertical guide consisting of several H-shaped sections reaching to the bottom, reinforced by cylindrical cross members and on which a delicate centering system is mounted.

[0012] US Patent No. 5,399,933 also discloses an oil drilling rig on which legs and a drilling module are mounted. A cross member is provided between the legs to support a production line. The cross members can be supplied with vessels that can pass between the two legs and to a position below the deck of the platform. Each cross member is then hooked to two legs of the platform with fasteners and hoisted to a desired height.

[0013] US Patent No. 5,399,633 discloses a floating mobile drilling platform with a lateral gap in which a permanent drilling platform is removably placed. The mobile drilling platform is used to transport the permanent drilling platform to a location that exhibits the presence of gas or oil, where the permanent drilling platform is permanently installed. The permanent drilling platform is not suitable for mooring a barge against the legs, since the legs are intended to carry the permanent drilling platform and should not be exposed to the risk of possible damage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0014] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 4,480,944 [Patent Document 2] GB 2065198 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,529 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an adapted jack-up platform and method which makes it feasible to safely lift an object offshore from the deck of a floating vessel which is directly alongside the jack-up vessel in a jacked-up position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] For this and other purposes, provided is a jack-up platform according to claim 1. A jack-up platform is provided which comprises a hull, a horizontal working deck and a number of vertical legs connected to the working deck through a jack system, each jack of the jack system being configured to move the legs between a lower position in which the legs are supported on the bottom of the water and the hull of the jack-up platform is raised out of the water, and an upper position in which the legs are free from the bottom of the water and the hull of the jack-up platform is floating on the water, the jack-up platform further comprising a mooring system configured to moor a floating vessel at a mooring side of the jack-up platform, the mooring system comprising elongated support means for supporting a hull part of the floating vessel and guiding means connected to the hull of the jack-up platform at the mooring side and configured to hold the elongated support means firmly in a supporting position in which the elongated support means are within reach of the hull part of the floating vessel to be supported when the hull of the jack-up platform is raised out of (part of) the water and the jack-up platform bears against its legs.

[0017] The elongated support means of the mooring system may be embodied in many forms. The elongated support means may be shaped as a wall or otherwise shaped. A practical embodiment of the elongated support structure comprises legs, optionally with legs of a similar structure to those of a jack-up platform. The elongated support means may comprise a full steel structure of any cross-sectional shape, or may comprise a lattice structure of any cross-sectional shape, for example a triangular or square cross-section. The support structure is elongated in the sense that it is configured to be provided in a body of water over a distance that may cover a substantial water depth, more than 50%, more preferably more than 60%, more preferably more than 70%, even more preferably more than 80% or even more preferably more than 90% of the water depth at the offshore mooring location, and even more preferably up to 100% of the water depth, which is the distance from the water line to the seabed. At the mooring position of the floating vessel, said floating vessel will be able to come into contact with the elongated support structure. In another embodiment of the invention, the elongated support may be driven into the soil or otherwise provided into the soil. In such an embodiment, the support structure may extend beyond 100% of the water depth.

[0018] The guiding means is connected to the jack-up platform. The guiding means may for example be welded to the side of the hull of the jack-up platform or may be connected to a part of the jack-up platform in any other suitable way. Alternatively, the guiding means may be arranged horizontally on the working deck and hinged to the jack-up platform at its edge. So that during operation the guiding means can be deployed overboard to the side of the jack-up platform, for example by hydraulic or other power provided on the jack-up vessel or by a lifting device, which may be the same lifting device used to lift objects from the deck of a floating vessel.

[0019] The guiding means can be embodied in many different ways, as long as it is configured to hold the elongated support means in a supporting position within reach of the hull part of the floating vessel to be supported when the vessel is lifted out of the water and the jack-up platform bears on its legs. Suitable embodiments of the guiding means comprise a circumferential body into which the elongated support structure can be guided or slid, a ladder system on which the elongated support structure can be guided or slid, a column-shaped body over which the elongated support structure can be guided or slid, etc. A person skilled in the art can design several embodiments of such a guiding means without difficulty.

[0020] The present invention allows a floating vessel to be stabilized, at least in a horizontal plane, against a jack-up platform, for example in a jacked-up position, carrying a lifting device for lifting objects from the floating vessel. When the jack-up vessel is pre-loaded and jacked up to a certain working height above the waterline, a direct mooring of a floating vessel, for example a barge, against the jack-up vessel is almost impossible. Since the height of the hull of the jack-up platform is partially or completely raised out of the water and the floating body, and the hull of the floating body is partly submerged and partly above the waterline, both hulls cannot be directly connected to each other with a fender between them. The jack-up platform with the mooring system of the present invention solves this problem.

[0021] Known methods of positioning a floating vessel next to a jack-up vessel are all based on having a main position keeping system in the control panel of the floating vessel itself. This has the drawback that one must always find a floating vessel that has one of these installed systems or invest in having the floating vessel thus equipped with one of the position keeping systems. In offshore operations, selecting a floating vessel of the correct size for the purpose is important for cost reasons. It is not advisable to use a floating vessel that is equipped with a position keeping system but is of an inappropriate size. The jack-up platform of the present invention can be used in conjunction with virtually any floating vessel of any suitable size. Using this system allows a wide range of floating vessels to be positioned offshore next to a jack-up vessel without further investment in floating vessels. This safeguards the ability to find a suitable sized floating vessel, which may be different for each activity, project, making the project still cost-effective. The jack-up platform further allows for relatively close positioning (even contact) of the floating vessel with the jack-up platform, whereas typical anchor and DP systems require a larger space between both vessels for safety reasons. Mooring both vessels directly together and relatively close to each other means that the lifting equipment capabilities of the jack-up vessel can also be deployed more efficiently.

[0022] The inventive mooring system on the jack-up platform allows limited movements of the floating vessel in the horizontal plane relative to the fixedly positioned jack-up platform and, by extension, relative to the lifting device (and hook) provided on the jack-up vessel or platform. Yaw, surge and sway movements are not completely limited by the invention, but are sufficiently reduced for offshore lifting and moving of objects and components, as well as for other purposes. During the lifting operation, it is preferred to counteract heave movements in order to avoid the object hitting the floating vessel again in the first phase of the lifting. Such heave counteracting can be provided by other systems known per se. Furthermore, roll and pitch movements can also create potential problems when lifting components from floating bodies with fixed lifting devices. These movements can, for example, initiate a swaying movement of the lifted object, since these rotational movements create a certain angle of the floating vessel, and thus of the object being carried, with respect to the absolute horizontal plane. Lifting an object while the floating body and said object are provided under an angle to the horizontal plane can result in initial swaying movements of the object after lifting. These movements can be avoided, for example, by using motion-counteracting platforms or subsea fastenings under the object being lifted. It is also possible to control and damp these movements by using a tag line system.

[0023] A jack-up vessel or platform combined with a mooring system according to the present invention may mitigate some of the roll, pitch and possibly heave movements, but not completely, and other systems such as those described above may need to be used in conjunction with the mooring system of the present invention.

[0024] The present invention has been created to safely position a floating vessel in a body of water next to a jacked-up vessel and to mitigate surge, sway and yaw motions to a large extent and roll and pitch motions to a certain extent without endangering the integrity of the jacked-up vessel. More specifically, the present invention can be used to safely lift objects from a floating vessel without having side-off lead angles that are too large for the lifting equipment to handle.

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention provides a jack-up platform further comprising a lifting device configured to lift the elongated support means from a bearing position on the working deck and to provide the elongated support means to the guiding means to its supporting position. The lifting device may be different or the same as the lifting device configured to lift the object from the floating vessel. This embodiment allows the elongated support means in a disassembled state to be transported from the guiding means, for example to a storage means provided separately from the guiding means on the working deck. In this embodiment, the lifting device on the jack-up platform can be used to lower or raise the elongated support structure to the guiding means and temporarily hold its position at a specific required vertical position (height), after which a locking mechanism of the guiding means is automatically or manually activated and the elongated support structure is released from the lifting device.

[0026] In another embodiment, a jack-up platform is provided, wherein the guide means is hingedly connected to the hull of the jack-up platform, the jack-up platform further comprising a lifting device configured to erect the elongated support means from a bearing position on the working deck around the guide means to its supporting position.

[0027] In another embodiment, the elongated support means may be pre-installed on the guiding means, which may already be connected to the side of the hull, for example hinged around a hinge location, so that it can be stored horizontally on deck during transport. In such an embodiment, the guiding means and the elongated support means are preferably deployed overboard at the same time. This embodiment differs from another embodiment in which the elongated support means, regardless of how the guiding means is made, is always stored horizontally on deck, for example during transport, and may be inserted into the guiding means before using the system.

[0028] Yet another embodiment provides a jack-up platform in which the guide means holds the elongated support means. In such an embodiment, the elongated support means is held by the guide means during transportation. This allows for quicker deployment of the elongated support means at the offshore location of the mooring.

[0029] The mooring system can accommodate floating vessels of different sizes. A particularly advantageous embodiment in this respect provides a jack-up platform, in which the guiding means, preferably comprising jacks, is configured to hold the elongated support means and to move it between different vertical positions. The guiding means is in this embodiment configured to guide the elongated support structure during its movement between its different vertical positions and to lock the elongated support structure in each desired vertical position. Mechanical, hydraulic, electrical systems, combinations of such systems or others may be incorporated in the guiding means to enable (automatic) lowering, lifting and / or locking of the elongated support means in different vertical (or height) positions.

[0030] According to the invention, the elongated support means is held in a supporting position, in which it is within reach of the hull part of the floating vessel to be supported when the vessel is raised out of the water and the jack-up platform bears on its legs. In an embodiment, the length of the elongated support means, such as the legs, is preferably selected such that the minimum length of the elongated support means can encompass the length between the top of the guiding means and the bottom of the floating vessel's hull, including the required working height of the working deck of the jack-up vessel above the water level (clearance) and taking into account the changing tides. In this way, contact between the elongated support means and the floating vessel is always ensured over the full depth of the floating vessel's hull. More preferably, an additional safety length can be taken into account. This reduces the risk of the floating vessel slipping under the elongated support means.

[0031] Another useful embodiment of the present invention provides a jack-up platform in which the elongated support means receives support on or in the underwater bottom at the support position. In this embodiment, the elongated support means may be as long as or longer than the length of the legs of the jack-up platform. As with the legs of the jack-up platform, the lower part of the elongated support means may be pinned to the seabed, so that part of the horizontal loads acting from the floating vessel to the jack-up vessel are directly transferred to the seabed and only another part of these loads are transferred to the jack-up vessel itself. In this embodiment, the horizontal forces are not absorbed much through the jacking system (jacks) of the jack-up platform, which is mainly designed to deal with vertical forces instead of horizontal forces. This embodiment may be engineered in detail based on a specific evaluation of the site, since the soil properties of the seabed or other underwater bottom may differ at each offshore location. The horizontal forces that the jack-up platform can absorb depend on the lifting capacity, which may therefore depend on the soil properties. The contribution and ability of the forces to be directly transmitted through the elongated support means to the seabed at each different location is generally soil dependent and unpredictable and therefore should be engineered separately for each site. The embodiment in which part of the forces are redirected directly through the elongated support system to the seabed soil is beneficial for the present invention since the horizontal forces acting on the jacking system of the jack-up vessel are reduced as much as possible.

[0032] Another useful embodiment of the present invention provides a jack-up platform, the vertical legs of which comprise a laterally extended foot support and an elongated support means, and which, in the support position, receives support on or in the laterally extended foot support. The laterally extended foot support is also technically referred to as a footing, shoe or spudcan. Instead of pinning the elongated support means to the seabed soil, the elongated support means in this embodiment is further optionally connected to spudcans or shoes of the legs of the jack-up vessel. These shoes or spudcans are located on the bottom side of the legs of the jack-up platform. In this embodiment, part of the horizontally induced load in the elongated support means may be directly transferred to the bottom of the legs of the jack-up platform, which comprise spudcans or shoes fixed on or in the seabed soil. The part of the horizontal load that is transferred through the hull and the actual jacking system of the jack-up vessel and the part that is redirected directly through the elongated support means to the footing of the jack-up vessel can be calculated based on knowledge of the length of the elongated support means extending below the hull of the jack-up vessel and knowledge of the relative connected height of the floating vessel. This embodiment reduces the horizontal forces absorbed by the jacking system of the jack-up vessel and is also independent of uncertainties regarding the seabed soil conditions.

[0033] Another embodiment provides a jack-up platform further comprising a coupling structure configured to couple the elongated support means with the vertical legs of the jack-up platform while moving the elongated support means between different vertical positions, this embodiment allowing a portion of the horizontal forces experienced by the elongated support means to be transferred to the legs of the jack-up platform.

[0034] Although the elongated support means of the mooring system of the present invention may in embodiments extend at a non-zero angle to the vertical, a useful embodiment of the present invention provides a jack-up platform in which the elongated support means extends vertically at the support position.

[0035] From the definition of a jack-up vessel or platform, only the part of the jack-up platform in the jack-up state that is installed at the same vertical height as the floating vessel comprises the legs of the jack-up vessel that actually connect the raised hull structure of the jack-up platform with the seabed. It is conceivable that the floating vessel can be directly tethered to the legs of the jack-up platform. However, the legs are designed to mainly deal with vertical forces and less with horizontal forces that may be induced by the moored floating vessel. The impact of the floating vessel on the legs of the jack-up platform may be the worst for the stability of the jack-up platform. Also, due to the more inboard position of these legs relative to the working deck of the jack-up platform and the sides of the hull of the jack-up platform, tethering the floating vessel directly to the legs of the jack-up platform may mean that the hull of the floating vessel is partially positioned below the hull of the jack-up vessel or platform. In this way, valuable deck space in the floating vessel is lost. An embodiment of the present invention provides a jack-up platform in which the guiding means comprises a vertical leg of the jack-up platform, preferably two legs of the jack-up platform positioned on the mooring side. The elongated support means provides the desired space between the hull of the jack-up platform and its legs and the hull of the floating vessel and its legs, this embodiment may in some cases provide a useful and cost-effective solution to the problem. The elongated support means in this embodiment may be provided between and guided by the two legs of the jack-up platform. In another embodiment, each leg guides one elongated support means.

[0036] The number of elongated support means may be selected depending on the requirements of the situation at the offshore location. Preferred are embodiments of the jack-up platform in which the number of elongated support means is at least two, preferably at least three. A plurality of elongated support means may optionally be provided along a line extending parallel to the mooring side of the jack-up platform's hull.

[0037] Another aspect of the invention relates to the assembly of a jack-up platform comprising the mooring system of the invention and a floating vessel moored against the jack-up platform by the mooring system.

[0038] As already mentioned above, a vessel, when floating on water, is subject to motions presenting six degrees of freedom, including three translational and three rotational motions. In a Cartesian coordinate system associated with the vessel and defining a z-axis extending vertically, an x-axis extending longitudinally of the vessel, and a y-axis extending transversely of the vessel, the translational motion of the x-axis is technically called surge, the translational motion of the y-axis is called sway, and the translational motion of the z-axis is called heave. The rotational motion of the vessel about the x-axis is called roll, the rotation about the y-axis is called pitch, and the rotation of the vessel about the z-axis is called yaw. It should be noted that the (x,y) plane formed by the vessel's deck may not be precisely parallel to a plane extending parallel to the bottom of the water, due to the vessel's motion on the water. The mooring system of the present invention works in particular by restricting the motions of the moored vessel in the (x,y) plane. The heave or z-axis movements of the moored vessel are not significantly affected by the mooring system of the present invention: in fact, the hull of the moored vessel can slide relatively unhindered against the elongated support means in the heave direction apart from the friction generated by parts of the mooring system such as fenders.

[0039] The actual connection between the floating vessel or barge and the elongated support means may be realised using conventional mooring lines and winches which may be located either on the floating vessel, the jack-up vessel or may be incorporated into one or more of the elongated support means. To limit peak loads on the elongated support means, a shock absorber may be incorporated between the elongated support means and the floating vessel, for example but not limited to a fender such as a Yokohama fender in standard practice.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention relates precisely to a method for mooring a floating vessel at a mooring side of a jack-up platform provided with a mooring system of the invention, said method comprising: - moving the legs of the jack-up platform from an upper position in which the legs are free from the bottom of the water and the hull is floating on the water to a lower position in which the legs are supported on the bottom of the water and the hull is jacked out of the water; - providing elongated support means for supporting a hull section of the floating vessel at a support location within reach of the hull section of the floating vessel to be supported by guiding means connected to the hull of the jack-up platform at the mooring side; - holding the elongated support means firmly in a supporting position by means of guiding means; - mooring the floating vessel against the elongated support means; Includes.

[0041] The object of the invention is to help lift objects from moored floating vessels that may not themselves have a lifting device suitable for lifting the object, by using a lifting device provided on another platform or vessel against which the floating vessel is moored. After lifting the object from the floating vessel, it can be placed directly on or in the underwater bottom. However, the object may also be placed on the deck of the floating vessel itself, on a vessel or platform that holds the lifting device, or on the deck of yet another support platform within the reach of the lifting device, which may be the deck of another floating or jack-up vessel or platform. Another possibility is to place the object on a pre-installed Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) part, or on a quay, jetty, oil drilling platform, etc.

[0042] The present invention can be used to lift any object offshore in a safe manner. Examples of such objects include, but are not limited to, turbine components such as towers (parts), complete towers, split towers (e.g., two or three pieces), nacelles (optionally provided with a rotor), blades (or blade racks, provided with a single blade or containing multiple blades), and pre-assembled combinations of the above in any form; wind turbine foundation components such as monopiles, transition pieces, anode cages (or anode cage towers, containing multiple anode cages), and jacket foundations of all kinds; and general items such as, but not limited to, any kind of supply containers, offshore wind turbine (foundation) installation equipment, and spare vessels and equipment parts. The weight of the object is not critical to the present invention, but objects of 350 tons (e.g., split tower pieces), 1600 tons (e.g., monopiles or jacket foundations), and greater weights can be lifted with the support of the device of the present invention.

[0043] The lifting location may be located anywhere on the object to be lifted or may comprise the lifting surface, such as when a hanging frame or sling is used for lifting. The lifting location preferably includes an upper portion or end of the object.

[0044] The accurate positioning of the object to be lifted may be enhanced by an embodiment of the inventive assembly in which the floating vessel is equipped with an automatic pointing (DP) or mooring system. Such systems, known per se, are capable of maintaining the vessel in a relatively constant position relative to the bottom of the water and / or in a relatively constant position relative to the lifting device, at least within some tolerances, without the use of spud columns, such as for example in a jack-up platform. The mooring system of the jack-up platform may comprise several mooring lines provided at one end with suitable means for connecting to the floating vessel and at the other end around a winch or other suitable pay-in / pay-out means. The number of mooring lines may be conveniently selected between one and any number, for example 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or even more. The purpose of the mooring system is to keep the actual position of the floating vessel relative to the bottom of the water or to the lifting device used for the lifting within a safe distance from the position of the lifting device, allowing a safe lifting operation.

[0045] The apparatus is particularly useful for lifting a foundation element of a wind turbine, optionally for providing the foundation element from the deck of a moored floating vessel to the underwater bottom, according to the method as set out in the appended claims.

[0046] It is expressly stated that the embodiments of the invention described in this patent application may be combined in any possible combination of these embodiments and that each embodiment may individually form the subject matter of a divisional patent application.

[0047] The present invention will now be elucidated with reference to the following figures, but without being limited thereto. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a jack-up platform with a floating vessel moored alongside, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the jack-up platform shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the jack-up platform shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the jack-up platform shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 with a floating vessel moored alongside. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a jack-up platform with a floating vessel moored alongside, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the jack-up platform shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a jack-up platform with a floating vessel moored alongside, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the jack-up platform shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6. [Figure 8A] A top view showing, in schematic form, method steps including lifting an elongated support means from a pressing position on a working deck of a jack-up platform with a lifting device and providing the elongated support means to a guide means to its supporting position according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] A top view showing, in schematic form, method steps including lifting an elongated support means from a pressing position on a working deck of a jack-up platform with a lifting device and providing the elongated support means to a guide means to its supporting position according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8C]A top view showing, in schematic form, method steps including lifting an elongated support means from a pressing position on a working deck of a jack-up platform with a lifting device and providing the elongated support means to a guide means to its supporting position according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8D] A top view showing, in schematic form, method steps including lifting an elongated support means from a pressing position on a working deck of a jack-up platform with a lifting device and providing the elongated support means to a guide means to its supporting position according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8E] A top view showing, in schematic form, method steps including lifting an elongated support means from a pressing position on a working deck of a jack-up platform with a lifting device and providing the elongated support means to a guide means to its supporting position according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] 8B is a schematic side view of the method step shown in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9B] 8C is a schematic side view of the method step shown in FIG. 8B. [Figure 9C] 8D is a schematic side view of the method step shown in FIG. 8C. [Figure 9D] 8E and 8F are schematic side views of the method steps shown in FIG. 8D. [Figure 9E] 8F and 8F are schematic side views of the method steps shown in FIG. 8E. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a jack-up platform with a floating vessel moored alongside, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a jack-up platform with a floating vessel moored alongside, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] 1 and 2, a jack-up vessel or platform 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a hull 10, a horizontal working deck 11 and several vertically extending legs 12 connected to the working deck 11 through jacking systems 13 provided at the corners of the hull 10. Each jacking system 13 is configured to move the legs 12 between an upper position, in which the legs 12 are free from the underwater bottom 2 and the hull 10 is floating on the water 3, and a lower position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the lower position of the legs 12, each leg 12 is supported on or in the underwater bottom 2 and the hull 10 is raised out of the water over a distance 14 between the bottom of the hull 10 and the water surface 30. The legs 12 shown are in the form of a lattice and are provided with shoes or spud cans 120 on the bottom side. However, the legs 12 may be embodied differently, for example with rigid legs, optionally without shoes 120.

[0050] The jack-up platform 1 further comprises a mooring system 4. The mooring system 4 is configured to moor a floating vessel 5 at the mooring side 15 of the jack-up platform 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the mooring system 4 comprises three elongated support means in the form of a lattice or other leader legs 40 of a triangular or other cross-sectional shape, and a guiding means which may be in the form of a jack system 41 rigidly connected to the hull 10 of the jack-up platform 1 along a line extending parallel to the mooring side 15 of the hull 10. The connection may be welded or may be embodied in any other suitable manner of connection. Each guiding means 41 holds an elongated leader leg 40 during operation and allows the leader leg 40 to be moved up and down between different vertical positions, as indicated diagrammatically by arrows 43 in FIG. 1. Each guide means 41 is configured to hold the elongated leader leg 40 securely in the support position shown in Figures 1 and 2, in which each elongated leader leg 40 (or at least a part of these legs 40) is within reach of the hull section 50 of the floating vessel 5 to be supported when the vessel 10 is raised out of the water 3 over a distance 14 and the jack-up platform 1 bears against the legs 12. In the support position, each leader leg 40 is jacked down sufficiently to be able to support said hull section 50 of the floating vessel 5 moored against the jack-up platform 1. In the support position, each leader leg 40 extends into the water 3 over a distance 42 (see Figure 2) to a depth sufficient to be able to support the hull section 50 of the floating vessel 5 in the mooring position. The outer end of each leader leg 40 hangs freely in the water 3.

[0051] At the mooring position of the floating vessel 5, the connection between the floating vessel or barge 5 and the leader leg 40 can be accomplished using a conventional mooring line 51 and winch 52 provided on the floating vessel 5. The winch can be provided on the jack-up vessel 1 or can be incorporated into one or more of the leader legs 40. The winch 52 is configured to pay out a length of the mooring line 51 to move the vessel 5 closer to the leader leg 40 in the direction of the arrow 53 in FIG. 3B until the hull section 50 contacts the leader leg 40. Paying out a length of the mooring line 51 can move the floating vessel 5 away from the mooring side 15 of the jack-up platform. To prevent peak loads on the leader legs 40, a buffer such as a fender 54 can be incorporated between each leader leg 40 and the hull section 50 of the floating vessel 5.

[0052] The jack-up platform 1 further comprises a lifting device 6, the boom 60 of which is pivotally mounted around a lifting device base 61 supported on the working deck 11 of the jack-up platform 1. The lifting device 6 is further provided with a lifting cable 62, which at its free outer end is associated with a lifting block 63 with a hook from which an object (not shown) can be suspended. In an embodiment, the lifting device 6 may be used to lift several leader legs 40 from a pressing position on the working deck 11, to present each leader leg 40 to its corresponding guiding means 41, and to lower each leader leg 40 to its supporting position. Alternatively, the leader legs 40 and the guiding means 41 are configured to be pre-assembled and stand together overboard, whereby the guiding means 41 are provided with a hinge position on the side of the hull 10. This embodiment is shown in Figures 8A-8E and 9A-9E. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the three leader legs 40 are provided in a pressed-down position on the working deck 11 of the jack-up platform 1. This may also be the position of the leader legs 40 during transportation to an offshore site of interest. In the pressed-down position, the leader legs 40 may, for example, be provided horizontally (as shown) with suitable storage means. As shown in Figures 8B and 9B, the lifting device 6 is lifted and the lifting frame 64 connected to the lifting block 63 is taken to the leader legs 40, which are then attached to the three cables 65 of the lifting frame 64 at the port side of the jack-up platform 1. It is noted that the lifting frame 64 and the mooring system may also be provided at the starboard side of the jack-up platform 1. 8C and 9C, the lifting device 6 erects the three leader legs 40 suspended from the frame 64 and brings them to the starboard side of the jack-up platform, which in the illustrated embodiment corresponds to the mooring side 15 of the jack-up platform 1.The leader legs 40 are raised together with their respective guiding means 41 and further lowered to their supporting position as shown in Figures 8D and 9D. Each leader leg 40 is clipped by its corresponding guiding means 41 and held firmly in this supporting position. As shown in Figures 8E and 9E, the floating vessel 5 may then be moored against the elongated leader legs 40 with suitable auxiliary equipment such as winches, mooring lines and fenders as already described above. As shown in Figure 8E, the floating vessel 5 may be provided with an object to be lifted, which in the illustrated embodiment includes a wind turbine blade 7 and a nacelle 8 carried on the deck 55 of the vessel 5.

[0053] In another embodiment, the guide means 41 is provided with an optional hinge location at the side of the hull 10 and the leader legs 40 positioned on the deck separately from the guide means 41. Thus, the leader legs 40 can be picked up by the lifting device 6, inserted into the guide means 41 and taken overboard.

[0054] Figures 4 and 5 show yet another embodiment of the present invention. Here, a jack-up platform is provided with the same features as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, but the three leader legs 40 extend to the underwater bottom 2 at a distance 44 in the support position to obtain support on the underwater bottom 2. In this embodiment, the forces exerted on the leader legs 40 by the moored vessel 5 are not only absorbed by the guiding means 41 and directed to the hull 10 of the jack-up platform 1, but also absorbed to the underwater bottom 2 by the fixing of the leader legs 40. To facilitate the plunge of the leader legs 40 into the underwater bottom 2, the leader legs 40 may be provided with a pointed end 45 at their bottom side.

[0055] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 6 and 7. Here, a jack-up platform is provided having the same features as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, but the three leader legs 40 extend, in the support position, to the enlarged foot or shoe 120 of each vertical leg 12 of the jack-up vessel or platform 1. Thus, in the support position of the leader legs 40, each leader leg 40 at the mooring side 15 of the jack-up vessel or platform 1 receives support at its corresponding spud leg shoe 120 provided at the mooring side 15. In this embodiment, the forces exerted on the leader legs 40 by the moored vessel 5 are not only absorbed by the guiding means 41 and directed to the hull 10 of the jack-up platform 1, but also absorbed by the fixation of the leader legs 40 to the shoe 120. The connection between the lower portions of the leader legs 40 and the shoe 120 may be permanent, for example by welding, or may be removable, for example by providing holes in the shoe 120 into which the lower portion of each leader leg 40 may be received and optionally secured. This embodiment has the added advantage of not having to rely on the sometimes uncertain or changing properties and adhesion of the underwater bottom 2.

[0056] FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the jack-up platform 1 and mooring system 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the jack-up platform 1 further comprises a connection structure 9 with a steel brace or beam 90, which is configured to connect the leader leg 40 with the vertical spud legs 12 of the jack-up platform 1. The connection structure 9 connects with each spud leg 12 through a guide 91 provided at each end of the brace or beam 90. The guide 91 allows the leader leg 40 to move between different vertical positions relative to the spud legs 12 of the jack-up platform 1. In this embodiment, forces exerted on the leader leg 40 by the moored vessel 5 are not only absorbed by the guide means 41 and directed towards the hull 10 of the jack-up platform 1, but also absorbed by the spud legs 12 at the mooring side 15, or alternatively by spud legs provided on other sides than the mooring side 15. Forces are transferred through the linkage structure 9 to the spud legs 12. The linkage structure 9 is shown with one brace 90, but may include multiple braces at different heights (vertical heights).

[0057] As shown in Figure 11, another embodiment comprises a jack-up platform 1 in which the guide means actually comprises a vertical spud leg 12 provided on the mooring side 15 of the jack-up platform 1 and its corresponding jack system 13. The elongated leader legs 40 in this embodiment extend vertically along the mooring side spud leg 12 in the support position. The leader legs 40 are attached to the mooring side spud leg 12 through leader leg guides 47 fixedly provided at each end of each leader leg 40, and upper and lower leader leg sliding guides 47 of the leader legs 40 are provided around the spud leg 12 to move the leader legs 40 between different vertical positions relative to the spud leg 12 of the jack-up platform 1. At least the upper or lower leader leg guides 47 (or both) may be fixed to the leg 12 in the support position of the leader leg 40. In this embodiment, the forces exerted by the moored vessel 5 on the leader leg 40 are not absorbed by the guide means 41 but are directed towards the hull 10 of the jack up platform 1. Instead, the forces are absorbed by the jack system 13 of the spud legs 12 at the mooring side 15. This may be a practical solution as long as the expected mooring forces are not increased to a level where the integrity of the spud leg 12 system may be compromised.

[0058] The jack-up platform 1 of the present invention may be advantageously used to moor a floating vessel 5 thereto. An assembly of the jack-up platform 1 of the present invention and such a floating vessel 5 is shown, for example, in Figures 1, 3B, 4, 6, 8E, 9E, 10 and 11, and represents a relatively stable assembly due to the stabilizing effect of the spud legs 12 and mooring system 4 on the assembly (1,5). The floating vessel 5 may be equipped with an automatic station-keeping (DP) system 56, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 8E.

[0059] The assembly (1,5) of the floating vessel 5 moored against the jack-up platform 1 under the intervention of the mooring system 4 can safely lift an object such as a wind turbine blade 7 or a nacelle 8 from the deck 55 of the moored floating vessel 5. Also other systems may be used to safely lift the object. Another benefit of the mooring system of the invention is that the floating vessel is kept horizontally positioned as close as possible to the jack-up platform 1 and its lifting device in order to maximize the efficiency of the lifting device. Having the mooring system of the invention on the vessel of the lifting device means that the mooring system can be used with all different types of floating vessels without having to be adapted to the floating vessel. The lifted object may be mounted on the working deck 11 of the jack-up platform 1 or on another substrate such as a foundation element of a wind turbine (not shown) mounted on the underwater bottom 2. It goes without saying that other objects may be lifted such as monopiles, transition pieces, wind turbine components and other objects used when installing wind turbines offshore.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes modifications of those embodiments to the extent that they fall within the scope of the claims appended below. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1, 5 assembly 1 Jack-up vessel or platform 2. The bottom of the water 3 water 4 Mooring System 5 Floating vessels and barges 6 Lifting device 7. Wind Turbine Blades 8 Nacelle 10. Hull 11 Horizontal work deck 12 Vertical legs, spud legs 13 Jack System 14 distance 15 Mooring side 30 water surface 40 Elongated support means, leader leg 41 Guide means, jack system 44 distance 45 Pointed Ends 47 Leader leg guide 50 Hull 51 Mooring line 52 Winch 54 Fender 55 Deck 56 Automatic Fixed Point Holding (DP) System 60 Boom 61 Lifting device foundation 62 Lifting Cable 63 Lifting Block 64 Lifting Frame 65 Cable 90 Braces, beams 91 Information Department 120 Shoe, spud can, enlarged foot part

Claims

1. A jack-up platform comprising a hull, a horizontal working deck and several vertical legs connected to the working deck through jack systems, each jack system configured to move the legs between a lower position in which the legs are supported on the bottom of the water and the hull is lifted out of the water and an upper position in which the legs are free from the bottom of the water and the hull is floating on the water, the jack-up platform further comprising a mooring system configured to moor a floating vessel at a mooring side of the jack-up platform, the mooring system being configured to allow the floating vessel to slide partially under the jack-up platform when jacked up and to support the floating vessel at the mooring side of the jack-up platform. at least two elongated support means for supporting a hull part of the floating vessel, provided to prevent the jack-up platform from hitting the legs and endangering the overall stability of the jack-up platform, whereby at least two elongated support means are provided along a line at the mooring side of the hull of the jack-up platform, and guiding means are connected to the hull of the jack-up platform at the mooring side, configured to hold the elongated support means firmly in a supporting position, in which the elongated support means are within reach of the hull part of the floating vessel to be supported, when the hull is lifted out of the water and the jack-up platform bears against its legs, the guiding means is configured to comprise a jack system to hold the elongated support means and to move the elongated support means between different vertical positions; The jack up platform further comprises a coupling structure configured to couple an elongated support means with a vertical leg of the jack up platform while allowing the elongated support means to move between different vertical positions.

2. 2. The jack-up platform of claim 1, further comprising a lifting device configured to lift said elongated support means from a resting position on said working deck and present said elongated support means to said guide means to its supporting position.

3. 2. The jack-up platform of claim 1, wherein the guide means is hingedly connected to the hull of the jack-up platform, the jack-up platform further comprising a lifting device configured to erect the elongated support means from a bearing position on the working deck about the guide means to its supporting position.

4. A jack-up platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, at said support location, elongated support means receives support on or in the submerged bottom.

5. 5. A jack-up platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vertical legs of the jack-up platform comprise laterally extended foot supports and elongated support means, and in the supporting position receive support on or in the laterally extended foot supports.

6. A jack-up platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide means comprises a vertical leg of the jack-up platform.

7. 7. The jack-up platform of claim 6, wherein the guiding means comprises two vertical legs of the jack-up platform positioned on the mooring side.

8. A jack-up platform as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the elongated support means extends vertically at the support location.

9. 9. An assembly of a jack-up platform according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and a floating vessel moored against said jack-up platform by a mooring system.

10. 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the mooring system, the jack up platform, and / or the floating vessel are provided with auxiliary equipment including winches, mooring lines, and fenders.

11. 11. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the floating vessel is equipped with an automatic stationary positioning (DP) system.

12. A method for mooring a floating vessel at a mooring side of a jack-up platform according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: - moving the legs of the jack-up platform from an upper position in which the legs are free from the bottom of the water and the hull is floating on the water, to a lower position in which the legs are supported on the bottom of the water and the hull is jacked out of the water; providing a mooring system arranged for mooring the floating vessel at the mooring side of the jack-up platform, the mooring system being provided to prevent the floating vessel from slipping partly under the jack-up platform when jacked up and hitting the legs of the jack-up platform and endangering the overall stability of the jack-up platform, the mooring system comprising at least two elongated support means along a line at the mooring side of the hull of the jack-up platform for supporting the hull part of the floating vessel in a support position within reach of the hull part of the floating vessel supported by guiding means connected to the hull of the jack-up platform at the mooring side; - holding said elongate support means firmly in said support position by said guiding means; - mooring said floating vessel against said elongated support means; The method includes:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of lifting an object from a deck of the moored floating vessel and providing the object to the working deck or other substrate of the jack up platform.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the object comprises a foundation element of a wind turbine.

15. 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, further comprising the step of lowering the object onto and into the bottom of the water.

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