Patents by Inventor Peter F. Poranski, Sr.

Peter F. Poranski, Sr. 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).

  • Patent number: 5927224
    Abstract: An improved vessel mooring system in which a storage vessel (10) weathervanes about a mooring base (16, 27) supported by the vessel for relative rotation. A plurality of flexible tubular dual function mooring lines (20) extend from the mooring base (27) to the sea floor (14) and thence to a subsea production facility (40). The dual function mooring lines (20) have collars (34) thereon which are anchored to the sea floor (14) by anchors (38). Product from a subsea production facility (40) is transported through the dual function mooring lines (20) to storage areas in the vessel (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventors: Charles O. Etheridge, Peter F. Poranski, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5893334
    Abstract: A system for mooring a floating storage vessel (10) in the open sea for remaining on station at all times without any disconnection of the vessel (10) from the mooring system. The mooring system includes a plurality of anchor legs (26) connected to a turret (20) in the well (18) of the vessel (10) with at least one submerged support buoy (28) for each anchor leg (26). The submerged support buoy (28), by supporting a substantial portion of the weight of the associated anchor leg (26), reduces the vertical loads on the turret bearings (46, 48) and permits the turret (20) to be easily rotated from the torque exerted by the anchor legs (26) without any separate turret drive means. The system includes in FIG. 5 an embodiment in which a plurality of support buoys (28A) are provided for each anchor leg (26A). The system includes in FIG. 6 an embodiment in which the floating storage vessel (10B) is permanently moored to a mooring buoy (25B) secured by a plurality by anchor legs (26B) to the sea bed (16B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventor: Peter F. Poranski, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5873395
    Abstract: A method for mooring a floating storage vessel (10) in the open sea for remaining on station at all times without any disconnection of the vessel (10) from the mooring system. The mooring system includes a plurality of anchor legs (26) connected to a turret (20) in the well (18) of the vessel (10) with a submerged support buoy (28) for each anchor leg (26). The submerged support buoy (28), by supporting a substantial portion of the weight of the associated anchor leg (26), reduces the vertical loads on the turret bearings (46, 48) and permits the turret (20) to be easily rotated from the torque exerted by the anchor legs (26) without any separate turret drive means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Inventor: Peter F. Poranski, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5678503
    Abstract: A method of mooring a storage vessel in the sea is provided. A turret is mounted in a well forward of the vertical center-line of the vessel. A plurality of anchor legs are disposed between the sea bed and the turret. Each anchor leg is fixedly secured to the turret. A mooring buoy is fixedly secured at a submerged position in each anchor leg. The position and buoyancy of the buoy is selected so that normal anchor leg catenary forces which are largely vertical at the connection to a turret have enhanced horizontal components due to the buoyancy of the buoy holding up the anchor leg at a submerged position in the sea. Such enhanced horizontal components enable sufficient torque to be developed between the vessel and the turret so that the vessel may weathervane due to environmental forces such as wind and current. Accordingly, the vessel may be maintained on station and achieve a heading toward environmental forces without the need for auxiliary thrusters or separate turret drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: FMC Corporation
    Inventor: Peter F. Poranski, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5316509
    Abstract: An improved detachable mooring system is disclosed of the kind including a rotatable turret mounted on the vessel and a buoyant spider buoy, secured by mooring legs to the sea floor, which may be selectively connected by means of a hydraulic connector to the bottom of the turret. One improvement relates to apparatus for establishing pre-load tension between a collet flange hub of the spider buoy and a hydraulic powered connector at the bottom of the turret. Another improvement relates to apparatus for remotely sensing the level of pre-load tension in the connector. Another improvement relates to a self-aligning support arrangement for supporting the collet connector to the bottom of the turret. Another improvement relates to an axial load bearing arrangement for supporting the turret with respect to the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Sofec, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Terry Boatman, Charles O. Ethridge, Kristen I. Pedersen, Peter F. Poranski, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5129848
    Abstract: A mooring system and method of anchoring a buoyant module (16) in a submerged location in the sea for supporting an underwater structure such as a plurality of acoustical arrays (18) for receiving and transmitting acoustical signals is disclosed. The buoyant module (16) is held in a submerged position by at least one anchor leg or line (46) anchored to the sea floor and of a variable length to permit controlled movement of the module (16) to the sea surface (10) for servicing. The single anchor line (46) is a stretchable line and includes an upper segment (56) formed of a Kevlar material and a lower segment (58) formed of a nylon material. Line 46 may stretch easily for a length of 400 feet, a preferred submerged depth of the module (16). Module (16) includes a constant buoyant material (36) and a source of compressed gas (32) controlled by a remotely actuated valve (40) to provide a variable buoyancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Sofec, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles O. Etheridge, Peter F. Poranski, Sr.