Patents by Inventor Hein Wille
Hein Wille has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9933119Abstract: The present invention relates to a floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100) comprising a converted LNG carrier with a hull and a plurality of LNG storage tanks (4, 104) wherein in that the floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100) comprises: —at least one sponson (2, 2?, 3, 3?, 102, 103) on the side of the hull, for creating additional hull volume, —process equipment (110) for LNG processing on the floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100), and—a reservoir for storing fluids separated during the LNG processing, wherein said reservoir is formed by the ballast tank or in the space reserved for the ballast tank of the original LNG carrier.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2011Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings, Inc.Inventors: Adam Bernays, Hein Wille, Jeremy Duncan Stuart Joynson
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Patent number: 9458700Abstract: A system for developing offshore hydrocarbon fields includes a floating hydrocarbon processing unit moored to the seabed and connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir via a riser and a wellhead on the seabed, the unit receiving and processing the hydrocarbon mixture received from the reservoir via the riser, and having equipment to separate the hydrocarbon mixture into oil, water and gas and store them in storage tanks. A gas storage buffer reservoir is placed at a distance from and isolated from the hydrocarbon reservoir. A gas export riser is connected to the floating hydrocarbon processing unit and the gas buffer reservoir to export separated gas and inject it into the gas buffer reservoir. A gas riser has one end connected to the gas buffer reservoir and another end connected to the floating gas processing unit for processing gas received from the gas buffer reservoir for enabling transportation to shore.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2010Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein Wille, Harke Jan Meek
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Patent number: 9297350Abstract: A combined offshore system for generating electricity includes of an offshore windmill unit with a generator for extracting power from wind and transferring it into electricity, a electricity export cable connected to the windmill for exporting produced electricity to offshore or onshore consumers, and at least one offshore wave power unit for extracting power from waves. This offshore wave power unit is characterized in that electricity produced by the wave power unit is transferred via the same electricity export cable as the electricity generated by the windmill unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein Wille, Sophie Boureau
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Patent number: 8740583Abstract: A system wherein cold water from near the sea floor is pumped through a primarily vertical pipe (12) to a body (14) floating at the sea surface so energy can be obtained from water temperature differences. A pump (50) located at the bottom of the pipe, is part of a pump module (46) that can be inserted and removed horizontally through a slot (44) in a bottom structure (22) lying at the bottom of the pipe. The top of the pipe is sealed to a movable pipe connector, by a U-shaped elastomeric seal (110). The pipe can include a short top pipe section (126) and a long bottom pipe section (127) of smaller diameter (D), whose upper portion can be pulled up through the top pipe section when the top pipe section is damaged.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings, Inc.Inventors: Jack Pollack, Hein Wille
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Patent number: 8729723Abstract: A floating energy generating device includes at least two wind turbines mounted on a floating open structure, the floating open structure being moored to the seabed with a mooring system, each wind turbine featuring in operation mode a blade and rotor part mounted at the top of a tower and being connected via a cable to a central control power electronic unit on the floating open structure, the central control power unit being connected to a submerged high voltage power export cable for exporting the electricity generated by the at least two windmills, characterized in that the floating open structure being connectable to or disconnectable from the mooring system and that when disconnected from the mooring system, the center of gravity of the floating open structure is at or below its center of buoyancy.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2011Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Sophie Boureau, Hein Wille
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Publication number: 20140091576Abstract: A combined offshore system for generating electricity includes of an offshore windmill unit with a generator for extracting power from wind and transferring it into electricity, a electricity export cable connected to the windmill for exporting produced electricity to offshore or onshore consumers, and at least one offshore wave power unit for extracting power from waves. This offshore wave power unit is characterized in that electricity produced by the wave power unit is transferred via the same electricity export cable as the electricity generated by the windmill unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2013Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein WILLE, Sophie BOUREAU
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Patent number: 8624416Abstract: A combined offshore system for generating electricity includes of an offshore windmill unit with a generator for extracting power from wind and transferring it into electricity, a electricity export cable connected to the windmill for exporting produced electricity to offshore or onshore consumers, and at least one offshore wave power unit for extracting power from waves. This offshore wave power unit is characterized in that electricity produced by the wave power unit is transferred via the same electricity export cable as the electricity generated by the windmill unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2009Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Hein Wille, Sophie Boureau
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Publication number: 20130283825Abstract: The present invention relates to a floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100) comprising a converted LNG carrier with a hull and a plurality of LNG storage tanks (4, 104) wherein in that the floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100) comprises:—at least one sponson (2, 2?, 3, 3?, 102, 103) on the side of the hull, for creating additional hull volume,—process equipment (110) for LNG processing on the floating LNG plant (1, 1?, 100), and—a reservoir for storing fluids separated during the LNG processing, wherein said reservoir is formed by the ballast tank or in the space reserved for the ballast tank of the original LNG carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: Adam Bernays, Hein Wille, Jeremy Duncan Stuart Joynson
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Patent number: 8414342Abstract: A steel pipeline (22) extends in a shallow catenary curve between two floating structures (12, 14). The pipeline is connected to each floating structure in a joint (60, 60B) that has a center lying on or very close to the pitch and roll axes (54, 56, 54B, 56B) of the corresponding structure hull. A first structure has a recess (52) extending upward from the bottom of the first structure hull to at least the pitch and roll axes of the hull. The shallow catenary curve pipeline extends at an incline (C) of many degrees to the vertical into the recess, and the pipeline end (30) connects to a pipe connector (70) lying on the pitch and roll axes. The pipe connector preferably allows free relative pivoting of a plurality of degrees about horizontal axes between itself and the first pipe end.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2008Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings, Inc.Inventors: Hein Wille, Jack Pollack
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Patent number: 8142108Abstract: A riser installation method including the steps of providing a first vessel situated over a hydrocarbon well, supporting a hydrocarbon transfer duct from the first vessel by a first end that is attached to a lowering device on the first vessel, and attaching a second end of the hydrocarbon duct to a second vessel, at a position near the first vessel. The method also includes the steps of lowering the transfer duct, increasing the distance of the second vessel from the first vessel, pulling the transfer duct until the second vessel is near the third vessel, contacting a section of the transfer duct with the sea bed, displacing the second end of the transfer duct from the first vessel, returning the second end of the transfer duct to the mooring position, and bringing the second end of the hydrocarbon transfer duct in fluid communication with the third vessel.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2006Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Jack Pollack, Hein Wille
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Publication number: 20120024391Abstract: A system for developing one or more offshore hydrocarbon fields includes at least one floating hydrocarbon processing unit moored to the seabed and connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir via a riser and a wellhead on the seabed, the unit receiving and processing the hydrocarbon mixture received from the reservoir via the riser, and having equipment to separate the hydrocarbon mixture into oil, water and gas and store them in storage tanks. A gas storage buffer reservoir is placed at a certain distance from and isolated from the hydrocarbon reservoir. A gas export riser is connected to the floating hydrocarbon processing unit and the gas buffer reservoir to export separated gas and inject it into the gas buffer reservoir. A gas riser has one end connected to the gas buffer reservoir and another end connected to the floating gas processing unit for processing gas received from the gas buffer reservoir for enabling transportation to shore.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2010Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein Wille, Harke Jan Meek
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Patent number: 8074687Abstract: A flexible cryogenic transfer hose for connecting two cryogenic facilities, has a length of at least 20 m, and: an inner flexible hose with at least two segments, interconnected via at least two transverse inner connecting members, an outer hose surrounding the inner hose and including a watertight elastomeric or composite material, the outer hose having at least two segments mutually connected via two outer connecting members, the outer hose having a wall thickness of at least 2 cm, a bend radius of at least 2 m, and an internal diameter of at least 20 cm, the inner hose being kept at a distance from the outer hose via spacer elements bridging a distance between the outer wall of the inner hose and an inner wall of the outer hose, which distance is between 0.1 and 0.8 times the internal diameter dio of the inner hose.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2006Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Jean-Pierre Queau, Jack Pollack, Hein Wille, Liselotte Van Dijk
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Publication number: 20110298215Abstract: Systems are described for obtaining energy from water movements in shallow waters, using panels (4) that are pivotally mounted (13) near the sea floor in shallow water and that extend up to the sea surface, or that are pivotally mounted above the sea surface and extend down into the sea. As water near the sea surface moves in ellipses (48), or largely back and forth, the panel pivots back and forth. A cylinder (8, 18) with one end (7?) mounted on a stationary base and an opposite end (7) connected to the panel, carries at least one sheet (70) of elastomeric material that has electrodes (72, 74) at its opposite faces, with an electrical charge between the electrodes. As the panel pivots back and forth, the sheet is repeatedly stretched and relaxed to vary the voltage between the electrodes in order to generate electricity. A cylinder (8) can be used whose ends move toward and away from each other, or a cylinder (18) can be used whose ends pivot about a cylinder axis relative to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Inventors: Hein Wille, Sophie Boureau
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Publication number: 20110241347Abstract: A floating energy generating device includes at least two wind turbines mounted on a floating open structure, the floating open structure being moored to the seabed with a mooring system, each wind turbine featuring in operation mode a blade and rotor part mounted at the top of a tower and being connected via a cable to a central control power electronic unit on the floating open structure, the central control power unit being connected to a submerged high voltage power export cable for exporting the electricity generated by the at least two windmills, characterized in that the floating open structure being connectable to or disconnectable from the mooring system and that when disconnected from the mooring system, the center of gravity of the floating open structure is at or below its center of buoyancy.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Sophie BOUREAU, Hein WILLE
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Patent number: 7975769Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrocarbon exploration system, comprising a first vessel (1) having a turret (3) around which the vessel can weathervane, the turret being moored to the sea bed (4), and a second vessel (7) connected with at least one riser (12) to a subsea well (5), the first vessel (1) being connected to the second vessel via a fluid transfer duct (20) comprising a first end section (23) attached to the turret of the first vessel (1), a substantially horizontal mid section (24), and a second end section (22) attached at or near the second vessel (7), the second vessel (7) weighing between 2,000 and 15,000 ton its base being attached to the sea bed via taut tendons (9), the weight exerted by the fluid transfer duct (20) on the second vessel being below 1,000 ton, a power generator being situated on the first vessel (1), power being transferred from the power generator via an electrical swivel on the first vessel.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2004Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Jack Pollack, Hein Wille
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Publication number: 20110067768Abstract: A system wherein cold water from near the sea floor is pumped through a primarily vertical pipe (12) to a body (14) floating at the sea surface so energy can be obtained from water temperature differences. A pump (50) located at the bottom of the pipe, is part of a pump module (46) that can be inserted and removed horizontally through a slot (44) in a bottom structure (22) lying at the bottom of the pipe. The top of the pipe is sealed to a movable pipe connector, by a U-shaped elastomeric seal (110). The pipe can include a short top pipe section (126) and a long bottom pipe section (127) of smaller diameter (D), whose upper portion can be pulled up through the top pipe section when the top pipe section is damaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2010Publication date: March 24, 2011Inventors: Jack Pollack, Hein Wille
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Publication number: 20110037266Abstract: A combined offshore system for generating electricity includes of an offshore windmill unit with a generator for extracting power from wind and transferring it into electricity, a electricity export cable connected to the windmill for exporting produced electricity to offshore or onshore consumers, and at least one offshore wave power unit for extracting power from waves. This offshore wave power unit is characterized in that electricity produced by the wave power unit is transferred via the same electricity export cable as the electricity generated by the windmill unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2009Publication date: February 17, 2011Applicant: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein Wille, Sophie Boureau
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Patent number: 7793723Abstract: An offshore system allows a vessel (12) to sail to a predetermined sea location (14), quickly set up a loading system and start the transfer of hydrocarbons to or from a pipeline (22), and then quickly disconnect and sail away. The vessel is a DP (dynamic positioning) vessel that does not require mooring or anchor lines, so the only apparatus to install is a conduit (30) that can be picked up by the vessel to extend between a stationary pipe end (24) that lies at the sea floor and the vessel. The conduit includes primarily a flexible hose (70) that extends in a sine wave with two loops (80, 82). The conduit includes a rigid reinforced hose section (34) that is pivotally connected to the sea floor. A chain (114) can be provided with a portion of the chain lying on the sea floor, to help the disconnected hose coupling (42D) remain at a stable position above the sea floor.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2007Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings, Inc.Inventors: Stein Vedeld, Pierre Balleraud, Hein Wille
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Patent number: 7793605Abstract: The invention relates to a mooring system with a first vessel for containing hydrocarbons having at its bow and/or stern a transverse arm and a fluid transfer mechanism of a duct connected to a tank on the first vessel and a coupling end for connecting to a second vessel. The second vessel is moored alongside the first vessel and is attached via at least one cable, extending from its bow in the length direction of the vessel, to a mooring end of the arm. The mooring end of the arm is situated at or near a longitudinal centerline of the second vessel. The arm, during use, is in a fixed position and a pulling force element is attached to the cable for applying a pulling force on the cable upon relative movement of the second vessel with respect to the arm. The force element allows a predetermined maximum displacement of the second vessel.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2005Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings Inc.Inventors: Leendert Poldervaart, Jack Pollack, Hein Wille, Hein Oomen
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Publication number: 20100186965Abstract: An off-shore structure is installed in a body of water. The body of water extends above a floor, such as a seabed, and has a water surface. A buoyant pontoon and a top structure are provided separately from each other. The top structure has a deck, a plurality of legs that are connected to the deck, and a jacking system for displacing the legs relative to the deck. The pontoon is submerged below the water surface. The submerged pontoon is connected to the floor with tendons. The top structure is aligned above the submerged pontoon connected to the floor. Then, the legs are jacked-down relative to the deck until the legs abut against the submerged pontoon connected to the floor. Subsequently, the jacked-down legs are attached to the submerged pontoon and the deck is jacked-up relative to the pontoon until the deck is standing above the water surface. A number of risers are installed for providing a fluid communication between the floor and the deck after jacking up the deck above the water surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2008Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS INC.Inventors: Hein Wille, Jack Pollack