Variable-Length Mooring Chain Layout for Offshore Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore mooring systems face high construction costs and inefficiencies in actively moving mooring chains to avoid collisions with drifting ships, as they require securing lengthy chains that occupy space and increase maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A floating offshore mooring chain apparatus with a buoyant body and spider buoys that allow mooring chains to extend and retract, enabling active movement of the buoyant body to avoid collisions by varying the length of the mooring chains, which are fixed to the seabed, reducing weight, space, and maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a symmetrical mooring chain is installed alone to secure the position change, then the mooring chain can maintain the position of the offshore structure, but it is difficult to actively move the position on the surface of the sea, having the risk of collision with the transport ship drifting on the surface by environmental forces
Solution Approach 1:
The mooring chain system is transformed from a static fixed-length configuration to a dynamic variable-length configuration. The payout mechanism allows the mooring chain length to be actively adjusted, enabling the offshore structure to move its position on the water surface while maintaining stable mooring. This resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptable to changing environmental conditions and ship positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The key parameter of the mooring chain system changed from fixed length to variable length. By introducing a payout mechanism that can actively control the chain length, the system gains the ability to adjust its configuration in real-time, allowing position changes while maintaining stable mooring connection to the seabed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the length of the preliminary mooring chain is secured in consideration of the position change, then the mooring chain can accommodate position changes, but it increases the cost of securing the weight and accommodation space and requires extended mooring chains
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a excessively long mooring chain to accommodate all possible position changes, the system uses a payout mechanism that allows the chain length to be dynamically adjusted. This eliminates the need to pre-secure excessive chain length, reducing the quantity of mooring chain material required while maintaining full position change capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The payout mechanism enables the mooring chain system to serve itself by actively managing its own length according to actual operational needs. The system can pay out or retrieve chain as required, eliminating the need to pre-provision excessive chain length for all potential scenarios.
3Productivity
If a fixed-type structure method is used, then the utilization rate of oil unloading is high and maintenance cost is low, but the initial facility investment cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed-type structure is segmented into a floating body and a separate mooring chain system with payout capability. This segmentation allows the use of a more cost-effective floating structure while maintaining the operational reliability needed for high utilization rates through active position control and collision avoidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable-length mooring chain system acts as an intermediary between the floating offshore structure and the seabed. It provides the necessary stability and position control while allowing the floating body to be more cost-effective than a fixed structure, thus reducing initial investment while maintaining operational efficiency.
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 apparatus effectively prevents collisions with drifting ships by allowing active movement of the offshore structure without the need for lengthy preliminary mooring chains, reducing costs and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyant body floating on the water surface to transfer resources to a transport ship
Data Source
AI summary
A floating offshore mooring chain apparatus for preventing collision with a ship is proposed. The mooring chain apparatus includes a buoyant body floating on the water surface to transfer resources to a transport ship, a plurality of mooring chains fixed to the seabed to locate the buoyant body in position on the water surface, and a plurality of spider buoys disposed to a lower portion of the buoyant body such that the mooring chains laterally penetrate through the spider buoys, respectively, and extend toward the seabed in different directions, so that the mooring chains are moved by a rotating force along the extension directions thereof to displace the buoyant body.