Dynamic Mooring for Hydrocarbon Loading in Ice Prone Waters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current offshore hydrocarbon loading systems face challenges in adapting to extreme ice and open sea conditions, requiring robustness and flexibility to prevent oil spills and ensure safe, efficient operations in changing weather and shallow waters.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring an icebreaking vessel moored to the seabed with a turret-based mooring system, using thrusters to create a wider ice channel and employing a shuttle tanker moored with hawsers that can adjust length to compensate for wave motions, along with a dynamic positioning system and protective nets to safeguard against ice impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed mooring system is used for hydrocarbon loading, then the system structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to changing ice and open sea conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic mooring system where the distance between the icebreaker and shuttle tanker is adjustable based on conditions. During ice operations, vessels are in physical contact; during open sea operations, they operate at a distance. The hawser length between vessels is dynamically adjusted to compensate for wave motions, transforming a static system into an adaptive one that responds to environmental changes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vessels operate at a distance during open sea conditions, then wave impact is reduced, but connection stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of hawser length dynamically. During open sea operations with large waves, the hawsers are extended to allow greater distance between vessels, reducing wave impact. The system maintains connection stability through active tension control and winch systems that adjust the hawser length in real-time to compensate for wave motions while maintaining secure connection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If vessels are in physical contact during ice operations, then connection stability is improved, but ice impact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the hawser as an intermediary element between the icebreaker and shuttle tanker during ice operations. Instead of direct rigid contact, the flexible hawser mediates the connection, allowing the vessels to remain in physical contact for stability while absorbing and distributing ice impact forces. The hawser's elasticity and tension control system protect the vessels from direct ice impact damage.
4Adaptability or versatility
If loading operations are performed in shallow waters, then access to resources is improved, but system installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mooring system into multiple independent components: turret-based mooring for the icebreaker, separate hawsers for connecting vessels, and independent winch systems. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for shallow water operations and enables flexible configuration adapted to specific site conditions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
System for loading and unloading of hydrocarbons in waters with varying conditions, comprising an icebreaking vessel (10) moored to a sea bed (12) by a turret buoy (11) and where a tanker (16) by at least one hawser (17) is moored with its bow to the aft end of the icebreaker either at a distance from the icebreaker (10) in situations without influence from ice, or in physical contact with the icebreaker in situation when ice is present. The system further comprises at least one hose (24) and valve system for transferring hydrocarbons from the icebreaker (10) to the tanker (16).