Offshore Drilling Vessel Mobile Working Deck for Heavy Equipment Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiple firing line hoist systems on monohull drilling vessels are not optimized for efficient use, particularly in handling heavy equipment like BOPs and riser strings, leading to operational challenges and safety concerns due to the height requirements and space constraints.
Innovation Solution
A monohull offshore drilling vessel design featuring a multiple firing line hoist system with a mobile working deck and BOP storage, allowing for the efficient handling and positioning of heavy equipment by utilizing a mast with hollow construction, winches, and a skidding structure, enabling the deck to be at a low height for operations and accommodating split BOPs and riser strings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional elevated deck is used for handling heavy equipment like BOPs and riser strings, then the equipment can be positioned at a higher level for operational access, but the vessel requires greater overall height and increased structural complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the working deck mobile rather than fixed. The deck can be raised to provide operational access to heavy equipment like BOPs and riser strings, then lowered to reduce the vessel's overall height when not in use. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize for both ease of operation and compact stature at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical dimensionality by raising and lowering the working deck along the mast structure. This allows the deck to move between a lowered position (reducing vessel height) and a raised position (providing operational access), effectively using the vertical dimension to resolve the contradiction between compact size and operational accessibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed elevated working deck is implemented, then equipment handling is facilitated, but the deck cannot be repositioned to accommodate different operational configurations or reduce height when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The working deck is designed as a mobile, dynamic structure that can be raised and lowered along the mast, enabling the vessel to adapt to different operational configurations. When the deck is raised, it provides access for equipment handling; when lowered, it reduces the vessel's profile. This dynamic capability enhances adaptability without requiring multiple fixed decks.
Solution Approach 2:
The single mobile working deck serves multiple functions: it provides operational access to heavy equipment when raised, reduces vessel height when lowered, and can be positioned at different levels along the mast to accommodate various operational needs. This multi-functionality increases adaptability while avoiding the complexity of multiple fixed decks.
3Ease of operation
If heavy equipment like BOPs and riser strings is handled at elevated positions, then operational access is improved, but the structural load and stability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile working deck allows heavy equipment to be accessed at elevated positions only when needed, and the deck can be lowered to reduce structural load when not in use. The mast structure provides guided support during movement, distributing loads more effectively than a permanently elevated deck would require.
Solution Approach 2:
The mast structure acts as an intermediary between the heavy equipment and the vessel hull. It provides a guided pathway and support structure that distributes the loads from raised and lowered equipment operations, reducing the direct structural demands on the vessel's main body compared to a fixed elevated deck system.
4Length of stationary object
If the working deck is positioned at low height, then the vessel maintains a compact profile, but the deck cannot provide adequate access for handling heavy equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The working deck transitions from a static low-positioned structure to a dynamic system that can be raised along the mast when equipment handling is required. This allows the vessel to maintain a compact profile at rest while providing adequate operational access when needed, resolving the contradiction between compact size and operational capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boom being pivotable between a storage position generally parallel to the side of the hull and an operative position wherein the boom is directed away from the hull, the burner boom in the storage position being lower than the level of the main deck.