Floating offshore platform and centralized open keel plate

摘要

The disclosure reduces vertical movement of a floating offshore platform by including a centralized open keel plate coupled to the hull that allows water below and above the keel plate. As the floating platform moves vertically, the keel plate separates the water and causes drag on the platform. The water moving vertically with the plate also increases the dynamic mass. The drag results in less vertical movement of the offshore platform without the need to extend legs of the platform to gain an equivalent reduction in vertical movement. The added dynamic mass increases the natural period of the vertical motion away from the wave excitation period to minimize the wave driven motion. The keel plate generally is above or at the same level of the keel, and therefore would not reduce the clearance between the seabed and the keel of the hull at the quayside.

主权项

1. A floating offshore platform, comprising:
a floating hull comprising:
a plurality of vertically extending columns;a plurality of pontoons coupled to the vertically extending columns that are configured to be disposed at least partially below a surface of water in which the offshore platform is disposed; and a keel plate disposed in a central open area of the hull between the pontoons, and one or more braces coupled between the keel plate and the pontoons, columns, or a combination thereof, the keel plate being configured to be disposed at least partially below a surface of water in which the offshore platform is disposed, and having a gap between at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the keel plate and an inner perimeter of the hull, the gap being measured between an outer perimeter of the keel plate and an inner perimeter of a pontoon in a direction perpendicular to the inner perimeter of the pontoon.