| 20090288587 | Trim for Use with Watercraft | November, 2009 | Butters |
| 20080110386 | Rubber for ships | May, 2008 | Kluge et al. |
| 20030213423 | Convertible boat | November, 2003 | Hess |
| 20090126617 | Docking and Drilling Stations for Running Self-Standing Risers and Conducting Drilling, Production and Storage Operations | May, 2009 | Millheim |
| 20080173228 | BOAT WITH STOWABLE ENCLOSURE | July, 2008 | Burroughs |
| 20040133999 | Underwater cleaning and scrubbing apparatus | July, 2004 | Walton |
| 20080121166 | Modular kayak | May, 2008 | Yaron et al. |
| 20090038524 | PLASTICIZED AND ASSEMBLEABLE COVER SUCH AS FOR USE WITH WATERWAY CONSTRUCTED TRANSPORT BARGES | February, 2009 | Linares |
| 20020139286 | Heave-damped caisson vessel | October, 2002 | Lee et al. |
| 20070151500 | Pontoon and a carrier element for pontoon | July, 2007 | Jansson |
| 20090260539 | MODULAR VIBRATORY FLOOR | October, 2009 | Poncet |
[0001] Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/391,276, filed Jun. 25, 2002, incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed.
[0002] Not applicable
[0003] Not applicable
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to storage and transportation of compressed natural gas under pressure in a self-sustaining module housing a continuous pipeline. The modular system can be used for the storage of compressed natural gas in a marine environment or in a terrestrial environment. Moreover, through the use of a specially configured new, purpose built, or existing, semi-submersible heavy lift vessel, heavy lift vessel or other special built transport vessel (collectively herein also referred to as “transport vessel”), the modular system can also be used for transportation of compressed natural gas in a marine environment. A heavy lift vessel is designed to carry very large, bulky cargoes on an open deck and a semi-submersible vessel is designed with a ballast system to enable the cargo deck or weather deck to submerge below the water, allowing the floating cargo to be positioned over the weather deck area and secured on the deck when the vessel is de-ballasted and the deck rises above the water.
[0006] More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for 1) storage of compressed natural gas in a module housing a pipeline at the source of natural gas, 2) transportation of compressed natural gas using a specially configured new, purpose built, or existing, semi-submersible heavy lift vessel, heavy lift vessel or other special built transport vessel that carries such module housing a pipeline and 3) offloading and storage of compressed natural gas in a module housing a pipeline at the terminal location or destination, while the module is 1) in a floating mode on the surface of the water, or 2) suspended beneath the surface of the water, or 3) supported with a specially configured new, purpose built, or existing vessel. The module can be transferred to or from the marine transport or storage vessel from a dock or from an adjacent waterway having sufficient draft to float the module and to float the specially configured new, purpose built, or existing, semi-submersible heavy lift vessel or other special built transport vessel (herein also referred to as “transport vessel”). The module may also be removed from the marine transport vessel and utilized for free standing storage of compressed natural gas on land or in a marine environment either on the surface or submerged below the water surface. The module has an interior with a continuous pipeline comprised of metal and/or light weight composite material that includes multiple layers, each layer having generally straight sections and curved sections that are preferably formed by induction bending of the metal pipe, with or without composite reinforcing, or custom built using only light weight composite material, or a combination of metal and light weight composite material. The contained pipeline is continuous and is supported, in layers, by a pipe support system that is also the subject of this invention.
[0007] 2. General Background of the Invention
[0008] Marine vessels have been used to transport compressed gas in the medium known as liquid petroleum gas (LPG) typically in a mixture of c2, c3, and c4 linear saturated hydrocarbons at a relatively low pressure and at ambient temperature. In such a situation, the marine vessel typically has a plurality of containers that carry the compressed gas.
[0009] In the prior art, ship based systems have been proposed for transporting compressed natural gas (comprising chiefly methane (c1) with small quantities of c2 through c4 saturated hydrocarbons). Such systems have typically proposed a plurality of containers that are in fluid communication using a manifold system. One system employs a spool with pipe wrapped upon the spool, each layer contacting the previous layer.
[0010] An example of a ship based system for a compressed natural gas transport is U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,005 issued to Stenning et al. The Stenning '005 patent discloses a ship based system for compressed natural gas transport that utilizes a ship having a plurality of gas cylinders. The plurality of gas cylinders are configured into a plurality of compressed gas storage cells. Each compressed gas storage cell consists of between 3 and 30 gas cylinders connected by a cell manifold to a single control valve. A high pressure manifold is provided including means for connection to(shore terminals. A low pressure manifold is provided including means for connection to shore terminals. A sub manifold extends between each control valve to connect each storage cell to both the high pressure manifold and the low pressure manifold. Valves are provided for controlling the flow of gas through the high pressure manifold and the low pressure manifold.
[0011] Two additional Stenning et al. patents have issued that are directed to a ship based gas transport system. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,839,383 and 6,003,460. In the Stenning '383 and '460 patents, a gas storage system formed of continuous pipe is wound in plural layers, each layer having plural loops. The pipe is said to be distributed within a container, which may serve as a carousel for winding the pipe and as a gas containment device. When containers, each containing a continuous pipe are stacked upon each other, the weight of upper containers is said to be born by the walls of lower containers, thus preventing lower layers of pipe from suffering stresses due to crushing by upper layers. The Stenning '383 and '460 patents disclose a method of transporting gas to a gas distribution facility including obtaining a supply of gas at a gas supply point remote from the gas distribution facility, injecting the gas into a continuous pipe bent to form plural layers, each layer including plural loops of pipe, transporting the continuous pipe along with the gas to the gas distribution facility preferably in a ship and discharging the gas at the gas distribution facility. It is preferred that cooling of the pipe during discharging of the gas be conserved so that during subsequent filling the pipe is initially cool. During filling, the gas pressure is said to be maintained as constant as possible for example by controlled release of an incompressible liquid from the pipe as the pipe is filled with gas. Energy from the incompressible liquid may then be recovered or dissipated outside of the pipes.
[0012] A report entitled “Clarification of Certain Issues Pertaining to the Marine Transportation of C.N.G.” was prepared for Entergy Power Group by Bill Bishop, then of PB-KBB, an engineering firm with offices in Houston, Texas, in August of 1995. The Bishop report provides a design of a pipe storage transportation system for gas. The report also considers the option of using a ship or a barge for this purpose.
[0013] Patent application No. 2002/0046457A1 was published Apr. 25, 2002, naming inventors as William Bishop, Charles White and David Pemberton. The published Bishop et al. patent application discusses methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas. The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas include a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is said to be preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. This publication states that by knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe may be calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The publication states that the gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vessel for transporting the gas to the storage system. Since the pipe provides a bulkhead around the gas, the gas storage system may be used in a single hull vessel. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in a chilled nitrogen atmosphere. A displacement fluid may be used to offload the gas from the gas storage system. A vessel with the gas storage system designed for a particular composition gas produced at a given location is used to transport gas from that producing location to offloading ports hundreds, or thousands, of miles from the producing location.
[0014] The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for transporting compressed natural gas in a marine environment and storing compressed natural gas in a marine environment or terrestrial environment. The method of the present invention includes the step of providing a heavy lift vessel that has a weather deck or lower deck area. This weather deck or lower deck is bounded by port and starboard sides that extend above the weather or lower deck.
[0015] A hollow buoyant module is provided that contains a pipeline, the pipeline including multiple layers, each layer having alternating straight pipe sections and bend sections. The pipeline can be continuous pipeline or comprised of various joints of pipe. Preferably the pipeline will have a bore of a substantially constant diameter. The pipeline can include multiple substantially straight metal pipe sections having bends at either end portion that are formed using induction bending. The pipeline can include straight or bend sections manufactured using metallic pipe wrapped with light-weight, high strength composite materials composed of carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid or other high tensile strength filaments bound by polymeric resin.
[0016] The pipeline can include straight or bend sections manufactured using light-weight, high strength composite materials composed of carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid or other high tensile strength filaments bound by polymeric resin.
[0017] The multiple pipeline layers are supported at differing elevations within the module. The module can then be transferred to the transport vessel. The transport vessel, equipped with module and pipeline, can then travel to a natural gas source and be loaded with compressed natural gas.
[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the transfer of the module to the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel includes the step of ballasting the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and module relative to one another.
[0019] In the method of the present invention, the buoyant module preferably provides a top, bottom and a plurality of side walls.
[0020] In the preferred method, the transport vessel is a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and the method includes ballasting the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel relative to the module when the module is to be loaded on the transport vessel or unloaded from the transport vessel.
[0021] Ballasting of the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel is preferably used to lower the weather deck a selected distance so that the weather deck is submerged and the module can be safely floated over the weather deck for transfer to the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel. The semi-submersible heavy lift vessel then can be de-ballasted up until the weather deck area is above sea level. In this position, the weather deck supports the module so that the combination of semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and module can travel to or from a selected natural gas source.
[0022] In one embodiment, the method of loading the module can include sliding the module from land to the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel weather deck area.
[0023] In another embodiment, the method of loading involves lifting multiple modules into a purpose-built, non-semi-submersible hull, utilizing a lifting device or devices that provide, e.g. external crane capacity.
[0024] In the method of the present invention, the module may be unloaded from the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel by ballasting methods in the water or by sliding the module onto land, in a reverse operation from the loading steps described above. Thereafter, the module may be used for static storage in a permanent or semi-permanent location on land or on the surface of the water or underwater, either suspended below the surface or resting on the bottom of the waterway, lake, bay or ocean.
[0025] For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
[0026]
[0027]
[0028]
[0029] FIGS.
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
[0035]
[0036]
[0037]
[0038]
[0039]
[0040]
[0041]
[0042]
[0043]
[0044]
[0045]
[0046] FIGS.
[0047] The semi-submersible heavy lift vessel
[0048] In order to load module
[0049] In
[0050]
[0051] Tn FIGS.
[0052] The pipeline layers are supported by a plurality of pipe supports
[0053]
[0054] In the embodiment shown in FIGS.
[0055] As part of the method of the present invention, sections of pipe can be prefabricated to provide either an asymmetric bending of metal pipe or pipe that is custom built from light weight composite material, in the case of 90 degree bends; or a symmetric bend section using induction bending of metal pipe or pipe that is custom built from light weight composite material, in the case of 180 degree bends. A section of pipe that is, for example, 40 or 50 or 60 feet long is induction bent, in case of metal, or custom built with a bend (in case of composite material), at one end portion to provide a prefabricated bend. The prefabricated pipe section containing a bend and one or more long straight pieces (e.g.
[0056] FIGS.
[0057] In order to load or offload compressed natural gas, a mooring or unloading arm
[0058] A module can be placed on the FPSO for the purpose of providing storage of compressed natural gas from oil and gas production at an offshore location.
[0059] A module can be-placed on the surface of the water or submerged below the surface for the purpose of providing storage of compressed natural gas.
[0060] In FIGS.
[0061] The following is a list of suitable parts and materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0062]
[0063]
[0064]
[0065]
[0066]
[0067]
[0068]
[0069]
[0070]
[0071]
[0072]
[0073]
[0074]
[0075]
[0076]
[0077]
[0078]
[0079]
[0080]
[0081]
[0082]
[0083]
[0084]
[0085]
[0086]
[0087]
[0088]
[0089]
[0090]
[0091]
[0092]
[0093]
[0094]
[0095]
[0096]
[0097]
[0098]
[0099]
[0100]
[0101]
[0102]
[0103]
[0104]
[0105]
[0106]
[0107]
[0108]
[0109]
[0110]
[0111]
[0112]
[0113]
[0114]
[0115]
[0116]
[0117]
[0118]
[0119]
[0120]
[0121]
[0122]
[0123]
[0124]
[0125]
[0126]
[0127]
[0128]
[0129]
[0130]
[0131]
[0132]
[0133]
[0134]
[0135]
[0136]
[0137]
[0138]
[0139]
[0140]
[0141] The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.