A drilling rig includes a drill floor with a well center opening, a derrick having a drilling machine which is suspended above the well center opening, a pipe supply area which is arranged adjacent to the well center opening on the drill floor, and a pipe handling machine. The pipe supply area has at least one pipe rack which horizontally stores pipe sections. The pipe handling machine moves at least one of the pipe sections between a horizontal storage position in the at least one pipe rack and a vertical position or a substantially vertical position above the well center opening.

A system for transmission of power offshore comprises two or more power stations operably connected with a high voltage cable system. The high voltage cable system may comprise a dynamic, dry type high voltage submarine cable of varying length configured to transmit at least about 45 megawatts of power. In some cases the dynamic, dry type high voltage submarine cable comprises a first end connected to an offshore power station and second end connected to a static submarine cable system which is connected to an onshore power station. The systems may facilitate transmission of power for applications such as compressing and/or pumping subsea natural gas in deep water.

Described herein are watercraft comprising a hull comprising a first hull assembly, and a second hull assembly opposite the first hull assembly and parallel to the first hull assembly; and a frame configured to couple the first hull assembly to the second hull assembly. In sonic embodiments, the first hull assembly comprises a first quarter hull coupled to a second quarter hull, and the second hull assembly comprises a third quarter hull coupled to a fourth quarter hull. In some embodiments, the first and third quarter hulls are substantially reflectively duplicative of the second and fourth quarter hulls. In some embodiments, the first hull assembly is substantially reflectively symmetrical to the second hull assembly. Various embodiments may further include a roof comprising one or more energy harvesting arrays thereon. The roof may be movable, in various embodiments, between a closed configuration and an open configuration.

Described herein are watercraft comprising a hull comprising a first hull assembly, and a second hull assembly opposite the first hull assembly and parallel to the first hull assembly; and a frame configured to couple the first hull assembly to the second hull assembly. In sonic embodiments, the first hull assembly comprises a first quarter hull coupled to a second quarter hull, and the second hull assembly comprises a third quarter hull coupled to a fourth quarter hull. In some embodiments, the first and third quarter hulls are substantially reflectively duplicative of the second and fourth quarter hulls. In some embodiments, the first hull assembly is substantially reflectively symmetrical to the second hull assembly. Various embodiments may further include a roof comprising one or more energy harvesting arrays thereon. The roof may be movable, in various embodiments, between a closed configuration and an open configuration.

A flexible floating reservoir for storing liquids denser than the environmental body of water, such as sea salt brine, is provided. The flexible floating reservoir is adaptable to environmental body waves, such as sea waves. A method for operating the flexible floating reservoir and an underwater energy storage system that uses the flexible floating reservoir are also provided.

A flexible floating reservoir for storing liquids denser than the environmental body of water, such as sea salt brine, is provided. The flexible floating reservoir is adaptable to environmental body waves, such as sea waves. A method for operating the flexible floating reservoir and an underwater energy storage system that uses the flexible floating reservoir are also provided.

A wind-wave-resistant floating offshore photovoltaic device includes a photovoltaic array and a mooring unit; the mooring unit used for limiting the position of the photovoltaic array is arranged on two sides and the head of the photovoltaic array, the photovoltaic array includes a breaking-wave base device arranged on a wave facing face, resonance wave absorbing floating body units arranged in a middle and common floating body units arranged on a wave shielding face, and the whole formed by connecting the plurality of resonance wave absorbing floating body units is connected to the breaking-wave base device by means of rubber ring type connectors.

A wind-wave-resistant floating offshore photovoltaic device includes a photovoltaic array and a mooring unit; the mooring unit used for limiting the position of the photovoltaic array is arranged on two sides and the head of the photovoltaic array, the photovoltaic array includes a breaking-wave base device arranged on a wave facing face, resonance wave absorbing floating body units arranged in a middle and common floating body units arranged on a wave shielding face, and the whole formed by connecting the plurality of resonance wave absorbing floating body units is connected to the breaking-wave base device by means of rubber ring type connectors.

This invention relates generally to geotechnical rig systems and methods. In one embodiment, a cone penetration testing system includes, but is not limited to, a frame; at least one rotatable reel; at least one movable roller; and at least one sensor, wherein the at least one movable roller is configured to adjust a bend radius of at least one tube coiled about the at least one rotatable reel based at least partly on data received from the at least one sensor.

Exemplary inventive practice provides a structure that is attributed with superior resistance to loading. For example, an inventive structure includes two coaxial axisymmetric (e.g., cylindrical) shells and a granulation-filled matrix material occupying the peripheral space between the shells. According to some inventive embodiments, the granulation-filled matrix material has a loading-responsive matrix (e.g., shear-thickening fluid or highly rate-sensitive polymer) and granules dispersed therein. When the inventive structure encounters pressure loading at its exterior shell, the consistency of the loading-responsive matrix becomes thicker or firmer and thereby promotes, among the granules, interactive mechanisms (e.g., friction and/or arching) that reinforce the granulation-filled matrix material. According to some inventive embodiments, the granulation-filled matrix material has a magnetic-field-responsive matrix and magnetizable granules dispersed therein, and is magnetically fortified via application of a magnetic field (e.g., continuously applied where the matrix is magnetorheological fluid, or temporarily applied where the matrix is rheological fluid containing diamagnetic particles).