Single Point Mooring (SPM) Monitoring
Harbour Marine's Single Point Mooring (SPM) monitoring philosophy is about flexibility — the flexibility to simply measure hawser loading, through to an integrated system offering load monitoring and recording, environmental and line pressure data, navigational equipment and power management with radio data transfer from the SPM to ship, shore or platform.
Single Point Mooring Buoy
CAD view of hawser mooring bridle showing load cells
All equipment is designed or selected for use in an offshore marine environment and continues Harbour Marine's reputation for reliability with mooring equipment operating in the harshest of conditions.
The basic system provides continuous real time monitoring and recording of vessel hawser loads at the SPM. Optional sensors and controls extend the range of monitoring available. The system provides the Tanker Master and/or Field/Shore Station Operator with:
- Accurate indication of mooring loads
- Audible and visual alarms
- Historic information of the hawser loads available for analysis
- Battery condition and charge monitoring
- Optional data on hawser service history and fatigue life assessment for each hawser
- Optional display of other sensors (wind, current, pipeline pressure, etc)
Overview of Buoy Unit Equipment
- Load Monitoring: Single or double load pins incorporated into connector plate/joints.
- Alarms: Audible and visual alarms on buoy with local safety override when buoy is manned. Alarm status displayed remotely via telemetry.
- Power Management:
- Charger — Marinised solar panels.
- Storage — 12V DC batteries with 7 days back up capacity.
- Telemetry: Continuous monitoring typically via UHF radio link. Range can be up to 20 kilometers over water.
- Remote Display: Hawser load dynamics, wind speed/direction, current, line pressure, temperature, alarm status, battery voltage, navigational aids operation, lighting status and manned/unmanned indicator signals can be displayed and recorded remotely.
- Environmental: Optional wind and current sensors display status remotely.
- Line Pressure: Optional flow meter measures export line pressure.
- Navigational Aids: Optional supply and interface with buoy instrumentation. Can integrate with alarm system.
- SmartCell® Load Pins: The load pin or cell which replaces the standard connector swivel pin, is instrumented to enable mooring line tensions to be measured. The Harbour Marine designed and manufactured load pins will fit the majority of connectors and may be retrofitted to existing buoys. Load cells are intrinsically safe for hazardous locations and are manufactured to suit extreme marine and offshore environments with thirty years proven performance. Redundant instrumentation provides two load monitoring gauges in a single pin.
- Base Station Instrumentation and data storage: SPM monitoring instrumentation is rack mounted incorporating a PC based graphic user interface with both analog and digital representation of load readings. Loads are date and time stamped and are output to the PC display and/or a printer. Alarm warnings require operator acknowledgement and load history is available for training purposes and analysis. Extensive data storage facilities are available, typically up to 12 months.
- On Line Telephone Support: The facility exists for system checks and diagnostics by phone modem with online support from Harbour Marine if required.
Handheld Monitors
An intrinsically safe handheld monitor is also available for remote monitoring. This receives data from SPM every 5 seconds, displays up to 4 pages of LCD data and features both audible and vibrating alarms.
