A system and method for mooring of and supply electrical power to a vessel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for mooring of and supply electrical power to a vessel, the system comprising a mooring buoy, a mooring connection being a combined mooring and electrical connection by comprising a mooring line and an electric conductive cable for supply of said electrical power and a retractable vessel connector provided at an end of the mooring connection, wherein the vessel connector is a combined mooring connector and electrical connector. The system further comprising or involves a gripping device arranged on a vessel wherein the gripping device is configured to grip and lock said vessel connector to moor said vessel to said mooring buoy.

1 . A system for mooring of and supply electrical power to a vessel, the system comprising:
 a mooring buoy being configured to float on a sea surface and to be anchored to a seabed;   a mooring connection being a combined mooring and electrical connection by comprising a mooring line and an electric conductive cable for supply of said electrical power, wherein said mooring line is configured to take-up tension arising from a vessel being moored to said mooring buoy by use of the mooring connection while essentially no mooring tension is applied to the electrical conductive cable, said mooring line is connected to said mooring buoy or anchored to the seabed at the seabed;   a retractable vessel connector provided at an end of the mooring connection, said vessel connector being a combined mooring connector and electrical connector, and   a gripping device arranged on a vessel, said gripping device being configured to grip and lock said vessel connector to moor said vessel to said mooring buoy or to the seabed.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector comprising an electrical plug and/or electrical socket to which the electric conductive cable is electrically connected. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mooring connection further comprising a tubular jacket enclosing at least a section of the mooring line and the electric conductive cable and extending from vessel connector. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mooring line and the electric conductive cable are co-axially arranged with electric conductive cable arranged inside said mooring line or are arranged side-by-side preferably without being intertwined and/or meshed. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the gripping device comprising one or more engaging element(s) configured to engage the vessel connector to grip and lock said vessel connector. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the engaging element is retractable from a first position where it engages said vessel connector to a second position where it does not engage said vessel connector. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprising a winch configured to reel-in a rope, cord, cable, wire or the like connected to said vessel connector, said winch being positioned relatively to the gripping device so that the winch upon reeling-in pulls the vessel connector to the gripping device. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector further comprising a pick-up line connected to the vessel connector, said pick-up line being dimensioned to allow for the vessel connector to be hoisted or winched on-board said vessel, said pick-up line having a positive buoyancy and/or being provided with buoyancy elements to prevent fully submerge of the pick-up line, when the pick-up line is in water. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector has a longitudinal axis along which the vessel connector extends, a proximal end from which the mooring connection extends towards the mooring buoy and a distal end opposite the proximal end, wherein
 the vessel connector comprises at a distance from the proximal end an elongate section comprising a protrusion arranged closer to the distal end than the elongate section, and   the gripping device comprising two prongs dimensioned and shaped to receive the elongate section while preventing the protrusion to pass in-between the prongs.   
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector has a longitudinal axis along which the vessel connector extends, a proximal end from which the mooring connection extends towards the mooring buoy and a distal end opposite the proximal end, wherein the vessel connector comprising an outwardly tapering section extending from the proximal end towards the distal end, the outwardly tapering section has a smallest cross section at the proximal end. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector comprising a shell construction defining at least an outer contour or an outer shell of the vessel connector, said shell construction comprising.
 an interior placed mechanical connection point or area to which the mooring line is mechanically connected, and   
       an interior placed electrical connection point or area to which cords of the electrical conductive cable is electrically connected. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the vessel connector is rotational symmetric around a longitudinal axis of the vessel connector. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the mooring buoy comprising a floatable body having a vertical through-going opening, as viewed from a position with the mooring buoy floating on a horizontal sea surface, wherein the vessel connector and the said vertically through-going opening are mutually shaped and dimensioned to releasable accommodate at least a part of the vessel connector in said vertical through-going opening. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 13 , wherein the mooring line extends in its retractable position in a loop a distance downwards through the through the vertical through-going opening. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the buoyancy of the mooring buoy is larger than the total gravitational forces of the mooring buoy, the vessel connector and preferably also the mooring connection. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said mooring line is configured to take-up at least a substantial amount of tension arising from a vessel being moored to said mooring buoy by use of the mooring connection while essentially no mooring tension is applied to the electrical conductive cable. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said mooring line is configured to take-up the whole amount of tension arising from a vessel being moored to said mooring buoy by use of the mooring connection while essentially no mooring tension is applied to the electrical conductive cable. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said mooring line is configured to take-up tension arising from a vessel, having a gross-tonnage larger than 50 GT, such as larger than 200 GT, preferably larger than 500 GT and smaller than 400,000 GT, preferably smaller than 300,000 GT being moored to said mooring buoy by use of the mooring connection while essentially no mooring tension is applied to the electrical conductive cable. 
     
     
         19 . A vessel connector having a longitudinal axis along which the vessel connector extends, a proximal end configured to receive a mooring connection and a distal end opposite the proximal end, wherein
 the vessel connector comprising at a distance from the proximal end an elongate section comprising a protrusion arranged closer to the distal end than the elongate section, said protrusion being configured to co-operate with a gripping device comprising two prongs dimensioned and shaped to receive the elongate section while preventing the protrusion two pass in-between the prongs.   
     
     
         20 . A vessel connector according to  claim 19 , wherein the elongated section is flexible/bendable. 
     
     
         21 . A method of mooring and supply electrical power to a vessel, the method comprising:
 providing a system according to  claim 1  at an off-shore position and anchoring the mooring buoy to the seabed;   connecting the electrical conductive cable to an electric power supply;   navigating a vessel to position in close proximity to the off-shore position to allow access from the vessel to the vessel connector;   hoisting or winch the vessel connector on-board a vessel and to the gripping device;   engage the gripping device to grip the vessel connector;   connect the electric conductive cable to a distribution board of the vessel, which distribution board is configured to distribute electrical power to one or more electrical power consuming devices on-board the vessel.