After the accident in May 2002, it was
decided to ask for two independent engineering studies,
the aim of which being to improve the confidence into
the design of the buoy and to provide advice for the
construction of the buoy. These two studies were performed
by the Institut Français
de Recherce pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)
and the Marine
Technology Research Institute (MARINTEK),
and have eventually confirmed the feasibility and pertinence
of this new concept. They have recommended to use either
foam or steel for the construction of the main buoyancy
sphere. The second option has been retained, and a special
designed has been prepared, with a segmentation of the
complete volume into seven pressure-resistant and watertight
compartments. This design minimizes the risk of rapidly
loosing a large part of the buoyancy in case a leakage
would occur.
In addition, a strain gauge is installed at the base
of the buoy, just at the beginning of the mooring cable.
Because the tension in the cable that is recorded by
the gauge is, by definition, equal to the buoyancy of
the entire mooring, any change in this buoyancy can be
immediately detected.
IFREMER report
MARINTEK report
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