| 摘要 |
A vessel adapted for mooring to a submerged mooring element comprises a water intake formed in a bottom surface of the hull, wherein a mooring area on the hull surrounding the water intake is adapted to receive an upper portion of a mooring element coupled to the sea floor by a plurality of mooring tethers. The vessel also includes a pump for rapidly drawing seawater through the water intake to reduce the downward hydrostatic pressure acting on the mooring element. The pump produces a first differential between the ambient pressure and the pressure in the mooring area to immobilize the mooring element with respect to the bottom surface of the vessel and a smaller second differential to maintain the mooring element in sliding contact with the bottom surface of the vessel. The vessel also includes means for detecting a displacement of the mooring element from a desired position of the mooring element on the bottom surface of the vessel and a tank coupled to the water intake by a first passage. When a first valve disposed within the first passage is in an open position, the tank and the water intake are in fluid communication via the first passage and, when the first valve is in a closed position, the tank is sealed with respect to the water intake.
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