Development of a modular mooring system with clump weights

Abstract Mooring systems constitute a fundamental component of all floating systems. For port authorities and device developers, improvements in moorings and foundations allow for savings in capital costs and increased revenues. In this work, a cost effective and secure mooring system for the station keeping of commercial vessels is presented and developed. A modular arrangement constituted by a series of connecting lines and clump weights is proposed, in order to allow for its deployment by small or craft vessels, and reduce the capital, installation and maintenance costs with respect to those of traditional mooring systems. The mooring system is calibrated according to the environmental conditions of Falmouth Harbour, UK. A numerical model of the mooring system is implemented using the offshore dynamics analysis software OrcaFlex. Experimental demonstration is provided through testing of a scaled prototype. Both numerical and experimental investigations aim at a preliminary evaluation of the design proposed. The outcomes indicate the feasibility of the arrangement as a suitable alternative to conventional and more expensive mooring systems. Further areas of improvement are identified and outlined.