IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0485830
(2009-06-16)
|
등록번호 |
US-8215256
(2012-07-10)
|
우선권정보 |
NZ-520450 (2002-07-30) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Montgomery, Peter James
- Rossiter, Bryan John
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Cavotec MoorMaster Limited
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
21 |
초록
▼
A vessel mooring system which includes at least two mooring robots that can be secured to a terminal and/or a vessel, each robot includes an attractive force attachment element and a base structure. The attachment element can be engaged with a vertically extending side surface and to exert an attrac
A vessel mooring system which includes at least two mooring robots that can be secured to a terminal and/or a vessel, each robot includes an attractive force attachment element and a base structure. The attachment element can be engaged with a vertically extending side surface and to exert an attractive force normal to the surface. Each robot can measure the attractive force between the attachment element and the surface to provide an “attractive force capacity reading”. The force between the attachment element and the fixed structure of the mooring robot can be measured to provide a “normal force reading”. From monitoring of the relationship between the attractive force capacity reading and the normal force a control of the mooring robot can be provided such that if there is a tending to separate the attachment elements from said vessel the attractive force may be increased and/or alarm is sounded.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of controlling a vessel mooring system, said system including at least a first mooring robot for releasably fastening a vessel floating at the surface of a body of water to a terminal, the first mooring robot including an attractive force attachment element displaceably engaged to a base
1. A method of controlling a vessel mooring system, said system including at least a first mooring robot for releasably fastening a vessel floating at the surface of a body of water to a terminal, the first mooring robot including an attractive force attachment element displaceably engaged to a base structure of said first mooring robot, said base structure being affixed to said terminal, said attractive force attachment element being releasably engageable with a vessel surface for making fast the vessel with said terminal, the first mooring robot providing active translational movement of the attractive force attachment element relative to the base structure to allow thereby the movement of a vessel in a direction selected from any one or more of (i) an athwartship direction,(ii) a longitudinal direction, and(iii) a vertical directionwherein said method, after the associating of the vessel with the mooring system by allowing the vessel surface to be engaged by the attractive force attachment element and the establishing of an attractive force between said vessel and said first mooring robot, comprises the steps of:(a) measuring the attractive force between the vessel surface and the attractive force attachment element, for the purposes of determining the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element;(b) measuring the loading forces between the attractive force attachment element and the base structure of the first mooring robot in a direction selected from any one or more of three orthogonal directions;(c) monitoring the relationship between the attractive force and the loading forces, wherein an alarm signal is sent when any one or more of the loading forces in one or more directions holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element in that direction to thereby allow relative movement between the vessel and the attractive force attachment element wherein said alarm signal actuates any one or more selected from: i) varying said attractive force of the attractive attachment element of the first mooring robot,ii) triggering an alarm,iii) controlling of the displacement of the attractive force attachment element of the first mooring robot relative to its base structure, to move it in a direction to prevent relative movement between said vessel and said attractive force attachment element; andiv) controlling of the displacement of the attractive force attachment element of a second mooring robot relative to its base structure to increase the loading force on a second mooring robot, thereby to reduce the loading force on the first mooring robot to assist in preventing relative movement between said vessel and said attractive force attachment element of said first mooring robot;v) controlling of the displacement of the attractive force attachment element to cause the variation of the attractive force exerted by the attractive force attachment element of said second mooring robot; andvi) generating of a signal. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the attractive force is carried out for the purposes of determining the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element in a direction selected from at least one or more of three orthogonal directions. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the three orthogonal directions are at least one or more of: (a) a direction generally parallel to the attractive force direction;(b) a direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and horizontally; and(c) a direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and vertically. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of measuring the loading forces between the attractive force attachment element and the base structure of the first mooring robot is measured in one or more of the directions that the holding capacity is determined for. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the loading forces between the attractive force attachment element and the base structure of the first mooring robot is measured in a direction selected from any one or more of: (a) the direction generally parallel to the attractive force direction;(b) the direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and horizontally; and(c) the direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and vertically. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element comprises a variable attractive force attachment element, and wherein, when any one or more of the loading forces approaches a predefined limit that may result in-relative movement between the variable force attractive element and the vessel in a direction parallel to such loading force(s) measured, the alarm signal actuates the controlling of attractive force attachment element to cause the variation of the attractive force between the vessel surface and the variable attractive force attachment element in response to the loading force(s). 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element comprises a variable attractive force attachment element, and wherein when any one or more of the loading forces approach a predefined limit that may result in relative movement between the variable force attractive element and the said vessel in a direction parallel to such loading force(s) measured, the alarm signal actuates the controlling of the attractive force attachment element to cause the variation of the attractive force between the vessel surface and the variable attractive force attachment element proportionally to the loading force(s). 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element comprises a variable attractive force attachment element, and wherein, when any one or more of the loading forces reach a maximum limit of a predetermined range in a direction generally parallel to the loading force(s) measured, the alarm actuates the controlling of the attractive force attachment element to cause the variation of the attractive force between the vessel surface and the variable attractive force attachment element. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading force(s) between the attractive force attachment element and the base structure is determined from a signal from one or more transducers. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element is displaceably engaged to a base structure of said mooring robot by at least one hydraulic ram, and the pressure signal is indicative of the pressure within the hydraulic ram. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transducer is a pressure transducer, and the method includes the step of sending a pressure signal. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the pressure transducers measure the pressure of the fluid in the hydraulic ram. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the transducers further comprises at least one or more of: (a) a linear transducer for measuring displacement and the method includes the step of sending a linear displacement signal indicative of the linear displacement of the hydraulic ram relative to an index. 14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of: (a) receiving one or more signals selected from the pressure signal, and linear displacement signal for determining of any one or more of the loading force(s). 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the vessel mooring system comprises an accumulator that acts as a resilient damping means for damping movement of the hydraulic ram, and the method includes the step of using the pressure signal from the pressure transducer in a control loop to control damping of movement of the hydraulic ram. 16. The method of claim 12, further including the step of using the determined relationship between the attractive force and the loading force(s) in the control loop to control damping of the hydraulic ram. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading force(s) are monitored and determined from a force signal responsive to a transducer, and wherein said signal from said transducer is displayed on a control system visually, to indicate the loading force(s). 18. The method of claim 1, wherein said system comprises a plurality of spaced apart mooring robots, each presenting an attractive force attachment element for engagement with a surface of said vessel, and wherein when any one or more of the loading forces of one of said mooring robots reaches a predetermined proportion of the holding capacity of that mooring robot in the direction of the loading force the alarm signal actuates the controlling of at least one of the other mooring robots for movement of its attractive force attachment element relative to its base structure in a direction to reduce the loading force said first mooring robot. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein said system includes a plurality of spaced apart mooring robots, each presenting a variable attractive force attachment element to engage to a surface of said vessel, and wherein said method further includes, when any one or more of the loading forces of one of said mooring robots may result in relative movement between the variable force attractive element and the vessel in a direction generally parallel to such loading force(s) at least one of the other mooring robots is controlled to cause a variation of its attractive force. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force between each attractive force attachment element and the vessel surface is measured and a signal corresponding to the measured attractive force is transmitted for display on a control system. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force between said attractive force attachment element and the vessel surface is measured, and a signal corresponding to the measured attractive force is transmitted for comparison with the measured loading force(s), and wherein an alarm is triggered when any one or more of the loading forces reaches a predetermined proportion of the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element in the direction of the loading force, which holding capacity is dependent on attractive force measured. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force between said attractive force attachment element and the vessel surface is measured and a signal corresponding to the measured attractive force is transmitted for comparison with the measured loading force(s), and wherein the attractive force is varied when any one or more of the loading forces reaches a limit corresponding to a force required to result in relative movement between said attractive force attachment element and said vessel, which holding force is dependent on the measured attractive force. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element is engageable with a planar surface of said vessel with its attractive force acting normal only to said planar surface, and wherein the attractive force between each attractive force attachment element and the planar surface is measured and a signal corresponding to the measured attractive force is transmitted for determination of the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element and comparison with the loading force measured in the direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and horizontally, and wherein an alarm is triggered when said loading force reaches a predetermined proportion of the holding capacity of said attractive force attachment element with said vessel as determined from the measured attractive force. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the attractive force attachment element is engageable with a planar surface of said vessel with its attractive force acting normal only to said planar surface and comprises a variable attractive force attachment element, wherein the attractive force between each attractive force attachment element and the planar surface is measured and a signal corresponding to the measured attractive force is transmitted for comparison with the loading force measured in the direction generally normal to the attractive force direction and horizontally, and wherein, when said loading force reaches a predetermined proportion of the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element in that direction, the attractive force is varied. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the force between the mooring robot and the vessel parallel to the direction of loading force measured in the direction generally parallel to the attractive force direction exceeds a first threshold at which the attractive force attachment element may separate from said vessel, the mooring robot adopts a safe mode wherein the attractive force between the vessel surface and the attractive force attachment element changes to a maximum attractive force. 26. A vessel mooring system, suitable for mooring a vessel to a terminal, said vessel mooring system comprising: (a) a first mooring robot secured to the terminal, the first mooring robot including: (i) a base structure fixed relative to the terminal; and(ii) an attractive force attachment element moveably engaged to the base structure, said attractive force attachment element being releasably engageable with an adjacent vessel surface to secure the vessel to said terminal, said attractive force attachment element capable of exerting an attractive force normal to said vessel surface at which it is to be attached for counteracting external loading forces being exerted on the vessel; and(iii) actuators for actuating movement of the attractive force attachment element relative to the base structure in at least a direction selected from any one or both of: (1) an athwartship direction; and(2) a longitudinal direction;(b) a measuring device to measure the attractive force between the attractive force attachment element of each mooring robot and the vessel in a direction generally parallel to said normal to provide an attractive force capacity signal indicative of the attractive force;(c) a measuring device to measure, and provide one or more force signal(s) indicative of the loading force between said attractive force attachment element and the associated base structure of said first mooring robot ;and(d) at least one controller for: (i) monitoring the relationship between said attractive force capacity signal and any one or more of said loading force(s) to provide at least one or more mooring status signal(s); and(ii) initiating, when any one or more of said mooring status signal(s) reaches a predefined limit, at least one or more selected from the following: (1) an alarm signal;(2) controlling of the displacement of the attractive force attachment element of the first mooring robot relative to its base structure, in a direction to prevent relative movement between said vessel and said attractive force attachment element;(3) controlling of the attractive force exerted by the attractive force attachment element of said first mooring robot to cause the variation of the attractive force;(4) controlling of the displacement of the attractive force attachment element of a second mooring robot relative to its base structure in a direction to increase the loading force on a second mooring robot, thereby to reduce the loading force on the first mooring robot to assist in preventing relative movement between said vessel and said attractive force attachment element of said first mooring robot;(5) controlling of the attractive force exerted by the attractive force attachment element of said second mooring robot to cause the variation of the attractive force; and(6) generating of a signal. 27. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein said controller is for determining and generating attractive force capacity signals indicative of the holding capacity of the attractive force attachment element in at least three orthogonal directions. 28. The vessel mooring system of claim 27, wherein said any one or more of three orthogonal directions are selected from one or more of: (a) a direction generally parallel to the said normal;(b) a direction generally horizontal and perpendicular to said normal; and(c) a direction generally vertical and perpendicular to the normal. 29. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein said measuring device provides loading signals for loading forces in at least one or more directions corresponding to the direction in which the attractive force capacity signals are determined in. 30. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein said measuring device provides force signals indicative of the loading forces acting any one or more direction selected from: (a) a direction generally parallel to the said normal;(b) a direction generally horizontal and perpendicular to said normal; and(c) a direction generally vertical and perpendicular to the normal. 31. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein the attractive force attachment element is capable of varying its attractive force, and the controller is for initiating a variation of the attractive force exerted by the attractive force attachment element between no force and a maximum attractive force. 32. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein said attractive force attachment element comprises a vacuum pad or cup, and the system further comprises: a vacuum system in fluid communication with said vacuum cup; anda vacuum generator. 33. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein a bow set at least two mooring robots are provided to be engaged proximate more to the bow of a said vessel, and wherein a stern set at least two mooring robots are provided to be engaged proximate more to the stern of said vessel, and wherein said controller is for controlling any of the mooring robots, so that when the attractive force applied to the vessel surface by at least one of said mooring robot of each set reaches a first threshold, the controller operates to normalise the attractive force of each robot of each set. 34. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein at least one measuring device comprises one or more selected from: (a) a pressure transducer;(b) a strain gauge;(c) a linear transducer for measuring displacement. 35. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the actuators is a hydraulic ram. 36. The vessel mooring system of claim 35, wherein the pressure transducer is for measuring pressure inside the hydraulic ram. 37. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein the vessel mooring system comprises an accumulator connected to at least one hydraulic ram that is actuatable to damp movement of said vessel. 38. The vessel mooring system of claim 35, wherein a pressure measured in a hydraulic ram is also used in a control loop for purposes of damping movement of said vessel. 39. The vessel mooring system of claim 35, wherein a linear transducer for measuring displacement detects the linear displacement of the hydraulic ram. 40. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein the controller is for processing signals from one or more of the pressure transducer, strain gauge, linear displacement transducer for measuring displacement, and angular measurement means to determine the loading forces. 41. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein the controller is for controlling the actuators of a plurality of mooring robots to normalise the loading forces of each mooring robot. 42. The vessel mooring system of claim 26, wherein the controller is for controlling the actuators of a plurality of mooring robots to maximize the difference between the attractive force holding capacity and the loading forces of each mooring robot, to thereby prevent relative movement between said attractive force attachment element and said vessel.
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