SBM Offshore released this video demonstrating its new ARCA (articulated rod connecting arm) chain connector. The ARCA won accolades at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference’s Spotlight on Technology Awards.
SBM Offshore was motivated to create the new technology in order to improve the integrity and safety of mooring lines and make maintenance and repair simpler.
“Even 10 years ago design life of most systems is 15 years. Now we’re designing for 40,” says Andrew Newport – technology director, Monaco regional center, SBM Offshore.
A common problem for mooring lines within the offshore industry is fighting both fatigue and corrosion. Newport highlighted two industry drivers for creating this device, cutting out the need for both diver intervention (for connection and disconnection) as well as needing to facilitate longer design life.
The ARCA system places the chain articulation in the mooring lines allowing them to be recovered for inspection and maintenance, while enabling diverless connection and disconnection.
The device uses longer hawse pipes to prevent out-of-plane (OPB) bending fatigue. However, since the hawse pipes tend to be 7-11m, a length many quaysides cannot accommodate, Newport says, the ability to pull the chain up eliminating the need to use seafasteners, and then a diver to remove them.
Newport highlighted potential cost-savings since the articulations are removed from the turret chaintable, this could lead to a smaller turret diameter size.
The ARCA, Newport says, completed full scale prototype testing with 154 mm chain under 200-tonne pretension, both vertically and in usual FPSO angles.