A towed vessel suitable for containing and transporting various liquids is disclosed. The vessel further comprises various features useful in the transportation, navigation, and storage of the towable vessel, both when in use for transporting fluids and when transported in an emptied state. Such features include navigational and positioning devices and methods, power supply devices and methods, and means for filling, inflating, emptying, and deflating a non-rigid, towed vessel. Aspects of embodiments of the present invention further include features useful for purifying or preserving the purity of the fluid to be transported.

A towed vessel suitable for containing and transporting various liquids is disclosed. The vessel further comprises various features useful in the transportation, navigation, and storage of the towable vessel, both when in use for transporting fluids and when transported in an emptied state. Such features include navigational and positioning devices and methods, power supply devices and methods, and means for filling, inflating, emptying, and deflating a non-rigid, towed vessel. Aspects of embodiments of the present invention further include features useful for purifying or preserving the purity of the fluid to be transported.

A floating hydrocarbon processing/storage structure with a first and second assembly, each including a hull having side walls, one or more storage tanks and a deck structure, a connection structure interconnecting the hulls, processing equipment situated on the deck structures, at least one riser connected to a subsea hydrocarbon well and to the processing equipment and/or storage tanks, with a mooring system connecting the processing/storage structure to the sea bed, each hull including a hull deck structure bridging the side walls, the connection structure including a central deck extending at or near the height of the hull deck structures along at least 70% of the length of the hulls, the central deck supporting at least one of: risers vertically extending from the central deck between the hulls to the sea bed, fluid ducts horizontally supported on the central deck, and at least one drilling/work-over rig or crane.

A floating hydrocarbon processing/storage structure with a first and second assembly, each including a hull having side walls, one or more storage tanks and a deck structure, a connection structure interconnecting the hulls, processing equipment situated on the deck structures, at least one riser connected to a subsea hydrocarbon well and to the processing equipment and/or storage tanks, with a mooring system connecting the processing/storage structure to the sea bed, each hull including a hull deck structure bridging the side walls, the connection structure including a central deck extending at or near the height of the hull deck structures along at least 70% of the length of the hulls, the central deck supporting at least one of: risers vertically extending from the central deck between the hulls to the sea bed, fluid ducts horizontally supported on the central deck, and at least one drilling/work-over rig or crane.

To provide a transportation system that can transport renewable energy from a power generation facility to an energy consumption location. The system consists of a power generator that generates and stores electricity from a renewable energy, a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by electrolysis of water using electricity obtained from the power generator, a methane synthesizer that generates methane by the Sabatier reaction using the hydrogen and a recycled CO.sub.2 as raw materials, and a methane transportation system that transports the methane without emitting CO.sub.2 to the atmosphere, a methane transportation system that transports the methane without emitting CO.sub.2 into the atmosphere, a power generation and carbon capture unit that generates electricity by reacting the transported methane with oxygen and captures CO.sub.2 discharged during the power generation as recycled CO.sub.2, a CO.sub.2 transportation system that transports the recycled CO.sub.2 to the methane synthesis site without emitting CO.sub.2 to the atmosphere.

To provide a transportation system that can transport renewable energy from a power generation facility to an energy consumption location. The system consists of a power generator that generates and stores electricity from a renewable energy, a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by electrolysis of water using electricity obtained from the power generator, a methane synthesizer that generates methane by the Sabatier reaction using the hydrogen and a recycled CO.sub.2 as raw materials, and a methane transportation system that transports the methane without emitting CO.sub.2 to the atmosphere, a methane transportation system that transports the methane without emitting CO.sub.2 into the atmosphere, a power generation and carbon capture unit that generates electricity by reacting the transported methane with oxygen and captures CO.sub.2 discharged during the power generation as recycled CO.sub.2, a CO.sub.2 transportation system that transports the recycled CO.sub.2 to the methane synthesis site without emitting CO.sub.2 to the atmosphere.

A hull support structure of a liquefied gas tank has a foundation deck disposed around a liquefied gas tank; a skirt which supports the liquefied gas tank on the foundation deck; an inner bottom plate extending in a hull length direction, at a location that is below the liquefied gas tank; and a pair of bilge hopper plates each of which is provided between the foundation deck and corresponding one of both end portions of the inner bottom plate, wherein a plate connection section at which each of the pair of bilge hopper plates is connected to the foundation deck is disposed outward in a hull width direction, relative to a skirt connection section at which the skirt is connected to the foundation deck.

A hull support structure of a liquefied gas tank has a foundation deck disposed around a liquefied gas tank; a skirt which supports the liquefied gas tank on the foundation deck; an inner bottom plate extending in a hull length direction, at a location that is below the liquefied gas tank; and a pair of bilge hopper plates each of which is provided between the foundation deck and corresponding one of both end portions of the inner bottom plate, wherein a plate connection section at which each of the pair of bilge hopper plates is connected to the foundation deck is disposed outward in a hull width direction, relative to a skirt connection section at which the skirt is connected to the foundation deck.

A system and method of reducing corrosion in the ballast tanks of a ship is comprised of a central inert gas manifold extending down into the furthest reaches of the ballast tank, a plurality of lateral gas distribution manifolds extending away from the central manifold, and a plurality of downwardly projecting diffusers connected to the lateral gas distributors that release the inert gas at multiple simultaneous points within the ballast tank space. A method is further presented for using the diffuser array to sparge the ballast water with the inert gas to inhibit microbiological induced corrosion.

A system for collection of rainwater in the open ocean may include: (a) one or more ocean-going vessels, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured to drift with surface ocean currents in order to navigate to one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery location is on or near to a land mass; and (b) one or more delivery stations located at the one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery station is configured to receive stored rainwater from one or more of the ocean-going vessels.