Solar
Pontoon
Mooring selection
The solar pontoons could be provided with different mooring systems depending on the location, water depth and the environment. The different mooring systems that could be best used for the Solar pontoons will be discussed below. For the solar pontoons it was found that the following two mooring system are the most suitable.
Spread mooring
A system that is composed of a set of mooring lines that are arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The mooring lines are directly connected to the Solar Pontoon at both the stern and bow of the vessel. The Solar Pontoon is kept on location with a fixed heading.
Taut wire
The Solar Pontoon provided with the taut wire system is positioned using tensioned mooring lines. The tensioning of the mooring lines is realised by the use of winches. The Solar Pontoon can be relocated to another place with more sun within a certain area by adjusting the winches. After a while when the Solar Pontoon isn’t required anymore tugs could be used to reposition the anchors. In the taut wire system the elasticity of the mooring lines generates the restoring force.
Catenary
The name catenary comes from the shape of the anchor lines, a line hanging freely between two points. The anchor lines arrive horizontally at the seabed, which results in just a transfer of the horizontal force to the anchor. In this system the restoring force will be generated from the weight of the anchor lines. The video below is an example of how the catenary mooring system works.
Single point mooring system
A single point mooring (SPM) system is made up of mooring lines, anchor and connectors, and is used for station keeping of a ship or floating platform like the Solar Pontoon. The mooring line connects an anchor on the seafloor to a floating structure. This means that the Solar Pontoon can be moored on location and may be removed if needed by towing to a dry dock for maintance and later towed back to the initial location.
The SPM system could be connected like the spread mooring system using tensioned mooring lines and caternary line. Each system has its own characteristics and fields of application.
Less suitable systems
Pile system
In this system the pontoon uses spud piles that penetrate into the seabed for position keeping. In the case the solar pontoon needs to move to a new location the spud piles are jacked up and tugboats are used for the relocation. The solar pontoons with pile system are best applicable in shallow waters with a soft seabed.
Dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning is a system to automatically maintain a ship’s position and heading by using her own propellers and thrusters. By providing the solar pontoons with propellers and thrusters dynamic positioning could be realized. The solar pontoons with dynamic positioning could be used in areas where mooring or anchoring is not feasible due to different reasons such as large water depth, congestion on the sea bottom.
Tug Boat
The solar pontoon could be kept in position by thug boats. The large investment for tug boats makes it an unattractive solution. Because of the high costs of the system it should only be used in case mooring by other means is very difficult or impossible.
The tugboat can be used to manoeuvre, primarily by towing or pushing to the solar pontoon.
