ELASTIC
MOORING ARRAYS
For
nearly 25 years BuoyTec has been designing and manufacturing compliant,
Elastic Mooring Arrays for customers, worldwide. BuoyTec's Elastic Mooring
Arrays contribute dramatically in three specific ways to buoy system
performance: SURVIVABILITY, STABILITY and STATION KEEPING.
The
substantial compliance provided by the elastic components greatly reduces
the fatigue loading and 
mechanical
shock to buoys and mooring components,
which are frequent causes of failure in conventional moorings.
The
Elastic Mooring Array has sufficient elastic capacity
(250% Elongation) to accommodate
large water level changes, permitting the buoy to ride smoothly over
a constantly changing sea surface. BuoyTec systems have withstood full-force
ocean storms and routinely survive 15-25 meter wave environments.
In
addition to elastic capacity, these arrays supply considerable tension
to the buoy/mooring system at all times. The result is a large downward
force (righting moment) that greatly improves buoy stability. This righting
moment permits large payloads on relatively small platforms, and these
platforms may be safely boarded at sea for routine maintenance and/or
data retrieval.
The
large righting moment has a dramatic effect on buoy roll. In most cases,
the Elastic Mooring Array limits average buoy roll to less than 10 degrees,
in a fully developed sea, enhancing data quality and telemetry.
The
continuous mooring tension greatly limits the horizontal excursion of
the buoy/mooring system in the presence of current and or wind. BuoyTec
systems have very small "watch-circles" (10 percent, or
less, of depth) and minimum mooring tilt making them ideal
for accurate marking and precise underwater positioning of hydrophones,
ADCP's, etc.
With
its in-house numerical model, STATMOOR, BuoyTec designs each
Elastic Mooring Array for the specific conditions of deployment site.
By taking into account expected wave height, tidal range, water current
speed and depth, each mooring is optimized for the particular task at
hand. Recent interest in world wide shallow water CO2 monitoring applications
utilize the in-house numerical model, BI-MOOR2 for designing
extremely shallow two point mooring arrays.
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Generally,
the Elastic Mooring Array consists of a bundle of parallel
elastic elements in a single-point mooring configuration, although
in some circumstances, multiple leg mooring arrays are required.
BuoyTec
Elastic Mooring Arrays generally have an in-water life
of at least two years, after which the mooring should be recovered
and components inspected and replaced as necessary. In regions
where bio-fouling is severe, yearly inspection is recommended.
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