| 摘要 |
A floating unit for producing and storing hydrocarbons has a compartment and an opening that allows water flow into and out of the compartment. The unit is arranged to selectively control water flow into and out of the compartment and hence control the level of water in the compartment. By allowing water flow into and out of the compartment and controlling that flow, the weight of the floating unit can be controlled and hence the draft of the floating unit (i.e. extent to which the floating unit is submerged in the water) can be controlled. That is, the depth at which the floating unit sits in the surrounding water can be controlled via the amount of water in the compartment. Because the draft of the floating unit affects the stability (i.e. the heave, pitch and roll) of the floating unit in the water, controlling the draft of the floating unit enables the stability of the floating unit to be optimized. |
