LOWER BEARING FOR MOORING ASSEMBLY FOR A VESSEL

Abstract

A mooring assembly for a vessel comprises a moonpool having a casing, a turret mounted in a moonpole for a rotation by upper and lower bearing assemblies. The lower bearing assembly comprises a stiff inner bearing ring attached to a lower part of the turret, an outer bearing ring attached to a casing of the moonpool and a number of circumferentially spaced bearing blocks positioned between the inner and outer bearing rings. A mounting assembly maintains a substantially fixed position of the bearing blocks relative to the outer bearing ring but allows the bearing blocks to assume a position where the load transfer between the bearing blocks and outer bearing ring occurs with a minimum of stress concentrations within the outer bearing ring and wherein the larger part of the load transfer occurs directly between the bearing blocks and outer bearing ring without being directed through the mounting assembly.

Claims

1. A mooring assembly for a vessel, comprising a moonpool in said vessel having a casing, a turret positioned in said moonpool and mounted therein for a rotation around a turret rotation axis relative to said moonpool by an upper bearing assembly and a lower bearing assembly and mooring lines attached to a lower part of the turret, wherein the lower bearing assembly comprises a stiff inner bearing ring attached to said lower part of the turret, an outer bearing ring attached to the casing of the moonpool, a number of circumferentially spaced bearing blocks positioned between the inner and outer bearing rings to transfer a load between the inner and outer bearing rings, and a mounting assembly cooperating with said bearing blocks configured to maintain a substantially fixed position of the bearing blocks relative to the outer bearing ring, wherein the mounting assembly is configured to allow the bearing blocks to carry out a settling movement relative to the outer bearing ring to assume a position in which load transfer between the bearing blocks and outer bearing ring occurs with a minimum of stress concentrations within the outer bearing ring and wherein a larger part of the load transfer occurs directly between the bearing blocks and outer bearing ring without being directed through the mounting assembly.

2. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein each bearing block is provided with an outer face directly engaging an inner face of the outer bearing ring and wherein the bearing block at least at one side is provided with a pivotal connection to the outer bearing ring.

3. The mooring assembly according to claim 2, wherein said pivotal connection comprises a pivot member that with a first end is connected to said side of the bearing block and that with an opposite second end is pivotally connected to a pivot axis attached to the outer bearing ring.

4. The mooring assembly according to claim 3, wherein the pivot member is a rod or plate.

5. The mooring assembly according to claim 2, wherein said pivotal connection comprises a flexible member that with a first end is connected to said side of the bearing block and that with an opposite second end is attached to the outer bearing ring.

6. The mooring assembly according to claim 5, wherein the flexible member is a flexible plate.

7. The mooring assembly according to claim 5, wherein said opposite second end of the flexible member is attached to an outrigger projecting inwardly from the outer bearing ring.

8. The mooring assembly according to claim 2, wherein said side of the bearing block which is provided with a pivotal connection to the outer bearing ring, is an upper side of the bearing block.

9. The mooring assembly according to claim 2, wherein two opposite sides of the bearing block are provided with a pivotal connection to the outer bearing ring.

10. The mooring assembly according to claim 9, wherein said two opposite sides are sides facing in a circumferential direction, or are sides facing upward and downward.

11. The mooring assembly according to claim 2, wherein the mounting assembly is adjustable.

12. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bearing blocks have an inner surface engaging an outer surface of the inner bearing ring and an outer surface engaging an inner surface of the outer bearing ring, wherein a coefficient of friction between the inner surface of the bearing blocks and the outer surface of the inner bearing ring is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the outer surface of the bearing blocks and the inner surface of the outer bearing ring.

13. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner bearing ring at least has an outer surface for contacting the bearing blocks which is made of a corrosive resistant hard material.

14. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bearing blocks have inner and outer surfaces for contacting the inner and outer bearing rings, respectively, and wherein at least the outer surface is made of a material with a relatively low E-modulus.

15. The mooring assembly according to claim 14, wherein both the inner and outer surfaces of the bearing block are made of such a material.

16. The mooring assembly according to claim 14, wherein the bearing blocks have a metal core.

17. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the turret is flexible for bending relative to the turret rotation axis and wherein parts of the casing connecting to the outer bearing ring are flexible for allowing a movement of the outer bearing ring relative to the moonpool, whereas the outer bearing ring itself is flexible.

18. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the turret at its lower part comprises a stiff cylindrical plate to which the mooring lines are attached and which at its outer circumference is provided with, or shaped as, the inner bearing ring.

19. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein engagement between the outer bearing ring and bearing block is more elastic and provides a higher coefficient of friction than the engagement between the inner bearing ring and bearing block.

20. The mooring assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer bearing rings are interchanged in a functional manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Hereinafter aspects of the invention will be elucidated while referring to the drawing, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross section of a state of the art mooring assembly;

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a radial cross section of a part of a mooring assembly according to the present invention in a first embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a view according to III in FIG. 2;

[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates a manner of mounting a bearing block;

[0034] FIGS. 5-8 schematically and partly show alternative embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In FIG. 1 the basic structure of a mooring assembly for a vessel of the type the invention refers to has been illustrated schematically. Such a mooring structure comprises a moonpool 1 in the vessel 2 having a casing 3. In a practical embodiment such a moonpool 1 may, for example, have a diameter between 5 and 25 meter. Within said moonpool 1 a turret 4 is positioned. At its upper part the turret 4 comprises a turntable 5 (or similar structure) which cooperates with an upper main bearing assembly 6, such that the turret 4 is capable of a rotation relative to said moonpool 1 (and the vessel 2) around a turret rotation axis 7.

[0036] As is known per se, the turntable 5 (or other structure at the upper part of the turret 4) may carry other elements, such as a swivel, hoisting equipment etcetera. The upper main bearing assembly 6 generally will carry the major part of the weight of, and axial (vertical) forces generated by, the turret 4 and the components connected thereto and carried thereby.

[0037] At a lower part of the turret 4 a lower bearing assembly 8 is provided which generally will transfer radial loads (predominantly from mooring and risers) between the turret 4 and the casing 3 of the moonpool 1 (and thus the vessel 2). It is possible that the turret 4 has a certain flexibility for bending relative to the turret rotation axis 7.

[0038] Further mooring lines 9 (for example chains) are attached to a lower part or chain table 10 of the turret 4 (and extend to a mooring point, for example on the bottom of the sea). Said chain table 10 also generally will support risers 11 with which oil or gas is transferred to or from the vessel 2. Of course such risers 11 will extend further upward along the turret 4 towards upper equipment, such as a swivel as mentioned above, but this has not been illustrated as it is known in this field and is not relevant for understanding the present invention. Also other equipment (e.g. drilling equipment) may be supported by the chain table 10.

[0039] The lower bearing assembly 8 basically comprises a stiff inner bearing ring 12 attached to the chain table 10, an outer bearing ring 13 attached to the casing 3 of the moonpool 1 and a number of circumferentially spaced bearing blocks 14 positioned between the inner and outer bearing rings 12,13 for assuring a load transfer between the inner and outer bearing rings. The inner bearing ring 12 may at least have an outer surface for contacting the bearing blocks 14 which is made of a corrosive resistant hard material, such as for example steel with clad Inconel® (or similar) resulting in a low coefficient of friction.

[0040] As a result of specific constructional measures, for example cut-outs 15 in a vessel structure 16 immediately adjacent the outer bearing ring 13, parts 3′ of the casing 3 connecting to the outer bearing ring 13 are flexible for allowing a limited movement of the outer bearing ring 13 relative to the moonpool 1. Further the outer bearing ring 13 itself is flexible for allowing it to assume a non-circular shape.

[0041] Not visible in FIG. 1, but further discussed with respect to the following figures, is mounting assembly cooperating with the bearing blocks 14 for maintaining a substantially fixed position of the bearing blocks 14 relative to the outer bearing ring 13. Such a mounting assembly is state of the art, but in accordance with the present invention have a specific design.

[0042] In FIGS. 2 and 3 a first embodiment of such a mounting assembly is illustrated. At its upper side the bearing block 14 comprises a plate 17 which with its upper end is pivotally connected to a pivot axis 18 that is supported by outriggers 19 attached to and projecting inwardly from the outer bearing ring 13. As a result the mounting assembly is devised for allowing the bearing blocks 14 to carry out a settling movement relative to the outer bearing ring 13 for assuming a position in which the load transfer between the bearing blocks 14 and the outer bearing ring 13 occurs with a minimum of stress concentrations within the outer bearing ring 13.

[0043] It is noted that although such settling movements are here a result of some kind of pivoting movement, it also is conceivable that such settling movements are a result of other types of movements, for example translations (as provided by respective translation mechanisms).

[0044] As one can see clearly in FIG. 2, the bearing block 14 is provided with an outer face directly engaging an inner face of the outer bearing ring 13. As a result the larger part of the load transfer occurs directly between the bearing block 14 and outer bearing ring 13 without being directed through the mounting means (plate 17, pivot axis 18 and outriggers 19).

[0045] It is noted that the plate 17 also may be substituted by another part, such as for example a rod.

[0046] The bearing block 14 has an inner plate 20 (for example made of a synthetic or other bearing material) with an inwardly directed surface for engaging an outer surface of the inner bearing ring 12 (which, as mentioned above, may be made of a corrosive resistant hard material, such as for example steel with clad Inconel® (or similar) resulting in a low coefficient of friction), and an outer plate 21 (for example also made of elastic material) with an outwardly directed surface engaging an inner surface of the outer bearing ring 13. Preferably the coefficient of friction between the inner surface of the inner plate 20 and the outer surface of the inner bearing ring 12 is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the outer surface of the outer plate 21 and the inner surface of the outer bearing ring 13.

[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 a core 22 (for example made of a metal, such as steel) is positioned between the inner plate 20 and outer plate 21. In another embodiment (not illustrated) such a core 22 may be omitted.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a mounting process of a bearing block 14. The pivot axis 18 is defined by two shiftable pins 18′. In a position in which the pins 18′ are shifted towards each other (see bearing block 14′), the bearing block is lowered between two outriggers 19 (for example using a hoisting line 23 of a hoisting mechanism which may be attached to the casing 3 at a higher level in the moonpool 1). Once lowered and in the correct position between the outriggers 19, the pins 18′ are shifted away from each other and fixed (as represented by pins 18″ of bearing block 14″).

[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates very schematically a different embodiment, in which the movable connection between the bearing block 14 and outer bearing ring 13 (or adjacent casing part 3′) which allows a settling, comprises a flexible member 24, for example a flexible plate, that with a first, here lower, end is connected to the upper side of the bearing block 14 and that with an opposite second, here upper, end is attached to the outer bearing ring 13 (directly or, as illustrated here, through an additional member, such as an outrigger 25 and casing part 3′).

[0050] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate two different embodiments in which not only one but two, opposite, sides of the bearing block 14 are provided with mounting means 26 for providing a movable connection to the outer bearing ring 13. In FIG. 6 said opposite sides are sides facing upward and downward, and in FIG. 7 said opposite sides are sides facing in a circumferential direction. The mounting means 26 may have different embodiments.

[0051] Finally, FIG. 8 is provided for schematically showing the possibility that the mounting assembly (or movable connection) is adjustable. In the illustrated embodiment the bearing block 14 is attached to plate 17 which may pivot around pivot axis 18 which is supported in outriggers 19. As indicated schematically by setting screws 27, the position and/or orientation of the pivot axis 18 may be changed (it is noted that such a setting may occur in any direction, notwithstanding the present illustration which basically shows a setting in a vertical direction). After the required position of the pivot axis 18, and thus of the bearing block 14, has been achieved a (semi) permanent chocking may be carried out, for example using a chocking material such as an epoxy resin named Chockfast Orange®. Of course such an adjustment of the bearing blocks 14 also may be carried out with other embodiments of the mounting assembly.

[0052] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described before which may be varied widely within the scope of the invention as defined by the appending claims. Thus, although the bearing blocks are described as being carried by the outer bearing ring, it also is conceivable that they are carried by a casing part immediately adjacent the outer bearing ring. Further, although the invention is defined with respect to a vessel comprising a moonpool, its principles and scope too apply to a situation in which no classic moonpool is provided but in which the vessel comprises an extension which acts in a manner similar to such a moonpool. Finally it is noted, that the present invention also intends to cover embodiments in which the inner ring has taken the functional place, and is provided with the functional properties of the outer ring as described above, and vice versa (and thus are interchanged in a functional manner). Thus, in such embodiments the mounting means may be devised for allowing the bearing blocks to carry out a settling movement relative to the inner bearing ring for assuming a position in which the load transfer between the bearing blocks and inner bearing ring occurs with a minimum of stress concentrations within the inner bearing ring and wherein the larger part of the load transfer occurs directly between the bearing blocks and inner bearing ring without being directed through the mounting means. Further, in such embodiments the engagement between the inner bearing ring and bearing block may be more elastic and provide a higher coefficient of friction than the engagement between the outer bearing ring and bearing block.