Design of moored buoy system in shallow waters

Surface moored data buoys have been deployed in shallow waters in the East China Sea and the Adriatic Sea to provide meteorological and oceanographic data for use in weather forecasting and climatological studies. The buoys are of thick discus hull configuration with a diameter from 6.1 to 10 meters. The extreme conditions of large waves, high current and shallow water depth create a design problem different from that of deep water moorings. An extensive computer simulation study was conducted using the method of characteristics to determine the dynamic loads of the mooring lines, whereas the method of imaginary reaction was used to predict the watch circles of the mooring systems. The effects of the mooring scope, line size, and ocean environment on the design configuration are discussed. The buoy systems designed have been deployed successfully.