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Stabilized floating platformRelated Patent Categories: Ships, Floating PlatformStabilized floating platform description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060225634, Stabilized floating platform. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY STATEMENT [0001] This application claims the priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/663,736, filed on Mar. 22, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. BACKGROUND [0002] Typical floating platforms acquire their floatation forces by directly displacing the water with their hulls. A pneumatic floating platform utilizes indirect displacement, in which the platform rests on trapped air that displaces the water. The primary buoyancy force is provided by air pressure acting on the underside of the deck. [0003] A pneumatically stabilized platform (PSP) is a type of pneumatic platform that includes cylindrically shaped cells packed together in a rectangular pattern to form a module. Each cylinder is sealed at the top, open to the ocean at its base, and contains air at a pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure. [0004] As needed, air is allowed to flow from a cylinder to its neighbors through a manifold or connecting orifices. The airflow provides a mechanism to help reduce the peaks in the pressure distribution beneath the structure and provide platform stability as well as a mechanism for dissipating wave energy. [0005] An assembly of cylinders results in enclosed interstitial regions between cylinders, which may be filled with air, foam or other material. These regions are isolated from the air pockets within the cylinders to provide additional buoyancy and righting moment. As long as design loads are not exceeded, this feature can enable the PSP to endure catastrophic air pressure loss. The distribution of the flotation force in a PSP can be modified as needed to minimize the hogging moment or in response to large concentrated loads on the deck. Further, it is possible, for a given sea state, to tune the oscillation of the water columns inside the cylinders to minimize the overall hydrodynamic loading to which the platform is subjected. SUMMARY [0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a floating structure floatable in a body of liquid and stabilized with respect to at least one of roll and pitch. Such a structure can include: a hull including compartments, each compartment being open at the bottom thereof relative to a horizontal plane, and being adapted to accommodate ingress by the body of liquid; a negative pressure source to negatively pressure a volume above a level of the liquid in at least one of the compartments; and one or more arrangements by which at least one or more other of the compartments can be made to exhibit a positive buoyancy. [0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides a floating structure floatable in a body of liquid and stabilized with respect to at least one of roll and pitch. Such a structure can include: a hull including a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open at the bottom thereof relative to a horizontal plane, and being adapted to accommodate ingress by the body of liquid; a negative pressure source to induce a negative buoyancy, relative to a net positive buoyancy of the structure as a whole, in at least one of the compartments; and one or more arrangements by which at least one or more other of the compartments can be made to exhibit a positive buoyancy, relative to the net positive buoyancy of the structure as a whole. [0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of stabilizing, with respect to at least one of roll and pitch, a structure that floats in a body of liquid, the method comprising: providing a hull; configuring the hull to include a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open at the bottom thereof relative to a horizontal plane, and being adapted to accommodate ingress by the body of liquid; negatively pressuring a volume above a level of the liquid in at least one of the compartments; and inducing a positive buoyancy in at least one other of the compartments. [0009] An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of stabilizing, with respect to at least one of roll and pitch, a structure that floats in a body of liquid, the method comprising: providing a hull; configuring the hull to include a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open at the bottom thereof relative to a horizontal plane, and being adapted to accommodate ingress by the body of liquid; inducing a negative buoyancy, relative to a net positive buoyancy of the structure as a whole, in at least one of the compartments; and inducing a positive buoyancy, relative to the net positive buoyancy of the structure as a whole, in at least one other of the compartments. [0010] Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments, the accompanying drawings and the associated claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0011] The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. [0012] FIG. 1 is a top view of a stabilized floating platform according to an example embodiment of the present invention. [0013] FIG. 2 is a side cross-section of a stabilized floating platform according to an example embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2 corresponds to view line II-II' depicted in FIG. 1. [0014] FIG. 3 is a side cross-section of another stabilized floating platform according to an example embodiment of the present invention. [0015] The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS [0016] It will be understood that if an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "against," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, then it can be directly on, against connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, then there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. [0017] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", "upper" and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, term such as "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. [0018] Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, it should be understood that these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention. [0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes" and/or "including", when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Continue reading about Stabilized floating platform... Full patent description for Stabilized floating platform Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Stabilized floating platform patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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