Adaptive Mooring Damping for Floating Body Wave Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anchoring devices for floating bodies are often not suited to varying sea and wind conditions, leading to instability and high costs, and it is difficult to select the correct anchoring device for specific conditions, especially in ports where exposure to weather varies by location.
Innovation Solution
An anchoring device with a geolocation system, constraint apparatus, and shock absorber that adjusts damping based on real-time wave and wind data, allowing for safe and stable anchoring regardless of conditions, using a constraint apparatus with attachments that allow mutual motion between the floating body and ground fixing structure, and a control unit that adjusts damping dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional anchoring devices are selected in the initial phase based on predetermined conditions, then the anchoring setup is simple and costs are reduced, but the anchoring device becomes unsuitable when sea conditions vary, leading to instability and potential damages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the damping characteristic of the shock absorber adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically modifies the damping parameter based on real-time sea condition data (wave height, wave period, wind speed) received from detection devices, allowing the anchoring device to adapt to varying environmental conditions while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing the damping parameter of the shock absorber to be modified based on detected sea conditions. The control unit receives data about wave height, wave period, and wind speed, then adjusts the damping parameter accordingly. This enables the same anchoring device to perform optimally across different sea states without requiring complex device selection or replacement.
2Reliability
If oversized anchoring devices are used to guarantee stability in critical sea conditions, then the required stability is achieved, but installation and management costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics to allow the shock absorber's damping characteristic to change in real-time based on sea conditions. Instead of using a permanently oversized device, the system dynamically adjusts the damping parameter to provide high stability when needed (through increased damping) while maintaining cost-effectiveness by using a standard-sized device with adaptive control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using detection devices to continuously monitor sea conditions (wave height, wave period, wind speed) and feeding this information to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the damping parameter accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that automatically optimizes stability based on actual environmental conditions, eliminating the need for oversized anchoring devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If simple metal spring shock absorbers are used, then the device complexity is low and costs are reduced, but the ability to adapt to varying wave and wind conditions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the shock absorber a multi-functional device that can operate effectively across different sea conditions. By integrating a control unit with adjustable damping capability, the shock absorber serves both as a simple mechanical element and as an adaptive system that responds to varying wave and wind conditions, eliminating the need for different shock absorber types for different conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by connecting the shock absorber to a control system that receives real-time data about wave height, wave period, and wind speed. The control unit automatically adjusts the damping parameter of the shock absorber based on these conditions, enabling the simple mechanical device to adapt its behavior without requiring complex manual intervention or multiple specialized components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The anchoring device provides safe and stable anchoring across varying sea and wind conditions, reduces costs by optimizing anchoring setup, and allows for quick and easy deployment, with predictive analysis of wave impact to adjust damping accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
the shock absorber 23 constraints therebetween, directly or indirectly, the attachments 21 and 22 by allowing said mutual motion between the attachments 21 and 22 at least along a motion axis 2a as a function of a wave incident on said floating body 1a and/or of the wind incident on said floating body 1a
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A device (1) for anchoring a floating body (1a) is provided comprising an apparatus (2) for constraining the floating body (1a) to a ground fixing structure (1b) comprising a first attachment (21) to the floating body (1a), a second attachment (22) to the ground fixing structure (1b); the attachments (21, 22) defining a mutual motion thereof along a motion axis (2a); the constraint apparatus (2) further comprises a shock absorber (23) configured to command a variation in the damping of the mutual motion between the attachments (21, 22); the anchoring device (1) also comprises a member (3) for detecting a wave; and a control unit (4) configured to identify the propagating function of the wave detected by the detection member (3) and to command to each constraint apparatus (2) a variation in the damping as a function of the propagating function, of the physical-mechanical features of the floating body (1a) and of the position of the motion axis (2a).