A method includes calculating a frequency and a phase of a vibration of a floating vessel, generating a control signal based on the vibration frequency and the vibration phase, operating a motion compensation system of the floating vessel during an i.sup.th control cycle using the control signal to mitigate the vibration of the floating vessel, calculating a first vibration amplitude based on the control signal, updating one or more parameters including a magnitude of the control signal, a decay rate of the vibration, the vibration phase, and the vibration frequency using the first vibration amplitude, updating the control signal based on the one or more updated parameters, and operating the motion compensation system based on the updated control signal during an (i+1).sup.th control cycle.

A semi-submersible floating structure for the drilling and production of offshore oil and gas is provided. The semi-submersible floating structure includes a pontoon having a plurality of pontoon sections, an outer edge, and an inner edge, the pontoon sections defining an interior space. The semi-submersible floating structure further includes a plurality of columns extending vertically upward from the pontoon. Each column has an upper section having an upper column width; and a lower section. The lower section has a bottom end coupled to the pontoon and aligned with the outer edge of the pontoon, the bottom end having a lower column width greater than the upper column width, at least part of the bottom end protruding into the interior space. The lower section further has a flared portion between the upper section and the bottom end; the flared portion having a width that varies from the upper column width at the upper section to the lower column width at the bottom end. A pontoon center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing sections of the pontoon is greater than a corresponding column center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing upper sections of the columns coupled to the opposing sections of the pontoon.

Marine geophysical damper system. At least some of the example embodiments are methods of manufacturing a geophysical data product including obtaining geophysical data by a sensor streamer; and recording the geophysical data on a tangible computer-readable medium. The obtaining may include: towing a sensor streamer and a dilt buoy, the dilt buoy coupled to a proximal end of the sensor streamer by a line, the sensor streamer is submerged in a body of water and the dilt buoy is disposed at the surface the body of water; and during the towing measuring movement of the dilt buoy caused by surface wave action; and selectively damping relative movement between the dilt buoy and the sensor streamer, the relative movement caused by the surface wave action, and the selectively damping by a damper associated with the line.

The invention is a vehicle control system which is envisaged to be used in high speed planing watercraft which has a means of control about three axes where the invention controls the said watercraft about at least two axes by actuating control surfaces. The invention uses a microchip based processor (1) to actuate control surfaces based on input from various sensors (3). The invention also uses a three dimension time of flight imaging subsystem (8) to read information of the oceanic wave conditions.

Techniques are disclosed herein for minimizing movement of an offshore wind turbine. Using the technologies described, a wind turbine may be mounted on a marine platform that is constructed and deployed to reduce environmental loads (e.g., wind, waves, . . . ) on the platform in both shallow and deep water. In some configurations, a fully restrained platform (FRP) is configured to support a wind turbine. According to some examples, moorings are attached to the FRP and/or the structure of the wind turbine structure to reduce movement in six degrees of freedom.

A mobile, wave motion-isolated, waterborne device having a platform with a plurality of support members extending beneath the platform configured to receive an articulated joint. The device further includes a plurality of corresponding clusters of spar buoys, wherein each spar buoy has an articulated joint at a first end of the spar buoy and a ballast operably configured at the second end. The articulated joint of each spar buoy within the cluster corresponds to a swivel footing configured to receive an articulated joint. The swivel footing itself includes an articulating joint. Each articulated joint of the swivel footing corresponds to one of the support members of the platform. The cluster of spar buoys can optionally move between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation. An optional movable ballast may be used in place of a stationary ballast. The invention also includes optional thrust/propulsion, steering, and damping features.

A semi-submersible floating structure for the drilling and production of offshore oil and gas is provided. The semi-submersible floating structure includes a pontoon having a plurality of pontoon sections, an outer edge, and an inner edge, the pontoon sections defining an interior space. The semi-submersible floating structure further includes a plurality of columns extending vertically upward from the pontoon. Each column has an upper section having an upper column width; and a lower section. The lower section has a bottom end coupled to the pontoon and aligned with the outer edge of the pontoon, the bottom end having a lower column width greater than the upper column width, at least part of the bottom end protruding into the interior space. The lower section further has a flared portion between the upper section and the bottom end; the flared portion having a width that varies from the upper column width at the upper section to the lower column width at the bottom end. A pontoon center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing sections of the pontoon is greater than a corresponding column center-to-center distance between central axes of opposing upper sections of the columns coupled to the opposing sections of the pontoon.

A mobile, wave motion-isolated, waterborne device having a platform with a plurality of support members extending beneath the platform configured to receive an articulated joint. The device further includes a plurality of corresponding clusters of spar buoys, wherein each spar buoy has an articulated joint at a first end of the spar buoy and a ballast operably configured at the second end. The articulated joint of each spar buoy within the cluster corresponds to a swivel footing configured to receive an articulated joint. The swivel footing itself includes an articulating joint. Each articulated joint of the swivel footing corresponds to one of the support members of the platform. The cluster of spar buoys can optionally move between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation. An optional movable ballast may be used in place of a stationary ballast. The invention also includes optional thrust/propulsion, steering, and damping features.

A floating marine structure which includes a first float disposed at the center and a plurality of second floats disposed around the first float, where the first float has a floating body made of a floatable material in a polygonal prism shape, a damping unit coupled to the bottom of the floating body at the center, having the same cross-section as the floating body, having a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the floating body, and reducing a shake of the first float in the sea, and at least one coupling hole formed at each side of the floating body. The second float has the same shape as the floating body and has coupling protrusions formed at sides facing the sides of the floating body and inserted in the coupling holes, and wherein the coupling holes are formed at alternate sides of the floating body.

A suspension system for a marine vessel, the marine vessel including a body portion at least partially supported relative to at least a left hull and a right hull by the suspension system, the left and right hulls being moveable relative to each other and the body, the suspension system including resilient supports between the body portion and the left and right hulls. The suspension system providing at least a roll stiffness being arranged to provide a roll moment distribution (RMD) of the suspension system wherein roll forces effectively act at a position disposed within a longitudinal distance along the marine vessel from a steady state position of the resultant pressure forces acting on the left and right hulls when the marine vessel is operating in a planing or semi-planing mode. The longitudinal distance can be 20% or less of a waterline length of one of the at least a left and a right hull at design load in displacement mode.