Concept development of new type anchoring system for a tanker

Abstract Ships and offshore structures use anchors for safe mooring or emergency maneuvers to stop the vessel’s operation in critical situations. Among the anchoring types, vessels with large block coefficients (e.g., tankers and LNG carriers) use bell mouth types made of cast iron installed between the hull exterior and the anchor. However, since these are made from cast steel, operational issues frequently arise due to discrepancies between the planned dimensions and the actual dimensions compared to steel cutting and processing. To address these problems, this study has developed a new anchoring system that modifies the vessel’s bow structure and does not require a bell mouth. Before applying it to actual vessels, a mock up test was conducted to examine the anchor’s motion and identify critical structural points in the developed anchoring system. Future research will focus on evaluating the structural strength of the vessel’s bow equipped with the new anchoring system using Korean Register’s structural analysis program, See Trust Hull Scan. The newly developed type of anchoring system is expected to resolve operational issues in advance through 3D simulations and reduce costs by doing away with the need for continuous mock up testing.