Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a mooring system suitable for a converted tanker in a water depth of 400 m under severe environmental conditions typical of the North Atlantic.
a) Single BUOY Moorings is confident that engineering of the five mooring concepts developed could take place by scaling-up proven components with no novel technology required.
b) The required hard ware development for the North Atlantic environment would be least for DSM II (an articulated anchor leg with catenary legs) and the Bow turret because of their lower mooring forces.
c) For Mediterranean conditions conventional systems could be designed and engineered without any significant scaling problems. It concerns mainly:
- SBS system (a buoy anchored by six or eight chaincatenaries)
- SALS system (an articulated anchor leg connected to a base on the seabed)
d) The vessel size (within a practicable range) is not the main parameter for mooring system forces in 400 m water depth.
e) The slow drift behaviour of permanently moored tankers is over estimated when extrapolating previous tests with smaller waves. However the other motions and the general level of loads have beenwell predicted using techniques developed by SBM.
f) Installation techniques were studies in sufficient depth to show that all the systems were feasible to install in deep water.
In order to widen the possible future applications, the effects of a milder environment typical of the mediterranean have also been considered.
This project has had three-key-objectives:
- to develop a permanent tanker mooring system For use in deep water and rough sea conditions.
- to examine the deep water system in milder sea conditions.
- to develop the system to a point where subsequent commercial Development can begin.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
TW1 3SN Twickenham
United Kingdom