Patent AT171856B successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0071406A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0071406A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tube mooring line
Assignee: UK Secretary of State for Energy
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Filing: 1982-07-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A tie line in the form of a mooring line comprising a tube 10 of elastomeric material 14 reinforced with coaxial layers 16, 17 of helically wound relatively inelastic filaments. Adjacent pairs of layers 16, 17 are spaced apart by the elastomeric material 14 and their filaments 18 are wound in oppositely handed helices. The tube 10 contains a pressurized fluid which supplements the elastic properties of the tube 10 in resisting an axial load on the tube 10. The mooring line may be used to moor a buoyant wave energy device, and may be combined with a turbine 60 to form an electric power system.
Inventors
- 👤 Cecil Alastair Comyns Carr
- 👤 Stuart Hall Guy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 07:14
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03B; F03B13/00; F03B13/12; F03B13/14; F03B13/16; F03B13/18; F03B13/1885; F03B13/1895; B; B63; B63B; B63B21/00; B63B2021/001; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A mooring line including a tube (10, 10a) comprising elastomeric material (14) incorporating relatively inelastic filaments (18) to reinforce the elastomeric material (14), which filaments (18) extend helically along the length of the tube (10, 10a) in at least two layers (16, 17) radially displaced from each other by the elastomeric material (14), the filaments (18) in a layer (16, 17) extending in an oppositely handed helix with respect to the filaments (18) in an adjacent layer (17, 16), each helix having a plurality of turns, and at least a substantial proportion of the turns making an angle to the axis of the helix less than the "neutral angle" (as herein defined), characterised by the tube (10, lOa) being adapted to contain a pressurized fluid, and port means (24) for connection to means (25, 51) for pressurizing the fluid, whereby the pressurized fluid supplements the elastic properties of the tube (10, lOa) in resisting an axial load on the tube (10, l0a).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A mooring line including a tube (10, 10a) comprising elastomeric material (14) incorporating relatively inelastic filaments (18) to reinforce the elastomeric material (14), which filaments (18) extend helically along the length of the tube (10, 10a) in at least two layers (16, 17) radially displaced from each other by the elastomeric material (14), the filaments (18) in a layer (16, 17) extending in an oppositely handed helix with respect to the filaments (18) in an adjacent layer (17, 16), each helix having a plurality of turns, and at least a substantial proportion of the turns making an angle to the axis of the helix less than the "neutral angle" (as herein defined), characterised by the tube (10, lOa) being adapted to contain a pressurized fluid, and port means (24) for connection to means (25, 51) for pressurizing the fluid, whereby the pressurized fluid supplements the elastic properties of the tube (10, lOa) in resisting an axial load on the tube (10, l0a).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 1, further characterised in that the port means (24) includes obturating means (23) for closing the port means (24) after the fluid has been pressurized.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, further characterised in that the pressurizing fluid comprises a gas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised in that the pressurizing fluid includes a liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 1, further characterised in that the fluid comprises a gas, and the pressurizing means comprises a source (25) of pressurized gas connected to the port means (24).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 1, further characterised in that the fluid comprises a liquid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 6, further characterised in that a source (25) of pressurized gas is arranged to pressurize the liquid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 7, further characterised by a hydro-pneumatic accumulator (51) connected to the port means (24), and the source (25) of the pressurized gas being connected to the accumulator (51).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 8, further characterised in that the accumulator (51) comprises a cylindrical chamber having a port (53, 54) at each end of the chamber, and a piston member (55) arranged to be displaced by the liquid and the gas in the chamber, and to close the respective port (53, 54) of the chamber at the respective end of the stroke of the piston member (55).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 9, further characterised by the liquid being at a lower pressure than the gas pressure at zero extension of the tube (10, 10a), so as to pre-load the tube (10, l0a).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
ll. A mooring line as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 10, further characterised by the port means (24) of the tube (10, 10a) including flow restricting means (23), so as to damp the elastic action of the tube (10, l0a).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
A mooring line as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, further characterised in that at least at one end (82) of the tube (10a), a ferrule (84) of wedge cross-section is incorporated in the tube (10a), so as to produce a conical outer surface of the tube (10, lOa) at the end (82) of the tube (lOa).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 12, further characterised in that at least some of the filaments (18) in a layer (16, 17) extend round the ferrule (84) and then extend at least partially back along the tube (10a).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
143 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 12, or Claim 13, further characterised by coupling means (70) at the end (82) of the tube (l0a), the coupling means (70) comprising a truncated conical plug member (72) at least partly of truncated conical form and having a bore (80) therethrough and about which plug member (72) the tube (10a) is locatable, an end member (78) against which end member (78) the plug member (72) is locatable in sealing engagement, the end member (78) having a duct (98) communicable with the bore (80) of the plug member (72), and a clamping member (88) adapted to engage the end member (78) and to bear against the conical outer surface of the end (82) of the tube (10a) so as to urge the tube (10a) on to the plug member (72) and towards the end member (78).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the inner surface (87) of the ferrule (84) is of conical form and of the same conical angle as that of the plug member (72).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
A mooring line as claimed in Claim 14, or Claim 15, further characterised in that sealing means (92) are located adjacent to the end (82) of the tube (10a) so as to be urged against the end member (78) by the tube (10a) when the clamping member (88) engages the end member (78).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electric power system, characterised by a mooring line as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 16, and a turbine means (60) arranged to be driven by fluid displaced by the mooring line (10, 10a).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A tie line characterised by a tubular elastic member (10, 10a) arranged to be internally pressurised by fluid means (25).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A tie line characterised by a tubular elastic member (10, 10a) arranged to be internally pressurised by fluid means (25).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
A mooring system characterised by a plurality of mooring lines as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16, the pressure and the volume of the fluid pressurizing the mooring lines being adjusted to provide a required stiffness of the mooring system.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
59 words
A mooring system characterised by a plurality of mooring lines as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16, the pressure of the fluid in individual said mooring lines being adjusted with respect to the fluid pressure in other said mooring lines, thereby to adjust the lengths of the mooring lines to effect positional control of the system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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