System for transferring fluid between a ship and a facility, such as a client ship

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086914-B2
Application number	US-201515126498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A system for transferring fluid between a ship and a facility has a mast with a proximal end pivotally mounted on a deck of the ship and a distal end, a fluid-transfer line extending along the mast, a flexible pipe with a first end connected to the fluid-transfer line and a second end connected to a manifold of the facility, the flexible pipe being equipped with a connecting device having an emergency cut-off comprising two elements which are capable of automatically separating in a separation direction, when a separating force which is above a threshold is exerted, and a guide element supported by the mast, and comprising a convex surface for guiding the flexible pipe which is capable of absorbing a pulling force of the flexible pipe such that this force is exerted on the connecting device having an emergency cut-off in the separation direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for transferring a fluid between a ship and a facility, the system comprising:
a mast comprising a proximal extremity intended to be pivotally mounted on a deck of the ship and a distal extremity;
a fluid transfer line extending along the mast;
a flexible pipe comprising a first extremity connected to a fluid transfer line and a second extremity intended to be connected to a manifold of the facility during a fluid transfer operation, the flexible pipe being fitted with an emergency disconnection connecting device comprising two elements capable of separating automatically in a direction of separation d when a separating force greater than a threshold is exerted, the direction of separation d extending along a length direction of the flexible pipe, the two elements being attached to each other by means of an attachment member that is designed to break when a separation force greater than the threshold is exerted; and
a guide element, carried by the mast, comprising a convex guide surface for the flexible pipe which is arranged so that the flexible pipe is pressed against the said convex guide surface when a pulling force is exerted between the first and second ends of the flexible pipe and which is capable of taking up a pulling force on the flexible pipe exerted between the first and second ends of the flexible pipe when the pulling force presses the flexible pipe against the convex guide surface, the convex guide surface being arranged in relation to the emergency disconnection connecting device in such away that when a pulling force exerted between the first and second ends of the flexible pipe presses, the flexible pipe is against the convex guide surface, the direction of separation d in which the separable elements separate extends tangentially to the said convex guide surface in such a way that the said pulling force is exerted on the emergency disconnection connecting device in the direction of separation d.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide element is carried by the mast at a distance from the distal extremity of the mast, the system comprising a saddle suspended from the distal extremity of the mast and comprising a convex upper surface supporting the flexible pipe.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the saddle is suspended from the distal extremity of the mast by means of a lifting device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the distance between the guide element and the distal extremity of the mast is such that when the mast is located in an extreme raised position the flexible pipe forms a loop between the guide element and the saddle, the radius of curvature of which is greater than or equal to a minimum permissible radius of curvature for the flexible pipe.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide element has a radius of curvature greater than or equal to a minimum permissible radius of curvature for the flexible pipe.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in a connection zone between the flexible pipe and the fluid transfer line, the fluid transfer line is orientated, in relation to an end direction of the fluid transfer line having a longitudinal component in relation to the axis of the mast, directed toward one of the distal or proximal extremities of the mast and wherein the convex guide surface has a convexity of which is directed toward said distal or proximal extremity of the mast toward which the longitudinal component of the end direction of the fluid transfer line is directed.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the direction of the end of the fluid transfer line is orientated tangentially to the convex guide surface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the emergency disconnection connecting device is located at the first end of the flexible pipe to connect the flexible pipe and the fluid transfer line.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flexible pipe comprises a first flexible portion extending between its first end and the emergency disconnection connecting device and a second flexible portion extending between the emergency disconnection connecting device and its second end.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second flexible portion of the flexible pipe is associated with a buoy.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a plurality of fluid transfer lines extending along the mast and a plurality of flexible pipes each comprising a first end connected to the fluid transfer line, a second end intended to be connected to a manifold of the facility and an emergency disconnection connecting device comprising two elements which can separate automatically in a direction of separation d when a separation force greater than a threshold is exerted, the convex guide surface being arranged in relation to the emergency disconnection connecting devices in such a way that when the pulling forces acting between the first and second ends of the flexible pipes press the flexible pipes against the convex guide surface the directions of separation d in which the separable elements separate extend tangentially to said convex guide surface so that the pulling forces act on the emergency disconnection connecting devices in the direction of separation d.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein for each flexible pipe the convex guide surface comprises a guide groove, each of the guide grooves being edged by separating walls.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide element is in the shape of a hollow bell portion comprising a summit equipped with an opening for passage of the flexible pipes.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide surface is covered with a non-stick coating.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide surface is fitted with a plurality of rollers mounted so as to rotate.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a braking device to control the rate of fall of the flexible pipe during emergency disconnection, the braking device comprising:
a drum;
a cable wound around the drum and also attached to one of the separable elements of the emergency disconnection connecting device;
a shaft, which can move in rotation, associated with the drum so that rotation of the drum in a direction in which the cable unwinds causes the shaft to rotate;
a metering pump fitted with a rotor rotationally coupled to the shaft; and
a closed-loop hydraulic circuit associated with the metering pump and fitted with a flow regulator.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 , comprising a plurality of fluid transfer lines extending along the mast and a plurality of flexible pipes each comprising a first end connected to the fluid transfer line, a second end intended to be connected to a manifold of the facility and an emergency disconnection connecting device comprising two elements capable of separating automatically; the braking device comprising for each flexible pipe a drum and a cable wound around said drum and firmly attached to one of the separable elements of the emergency disconnection connecting device of said flexible pipe; each drum being associated with the shaft by means of a device having a wheel free to move in one direction or non-return device such that rotation of the drum in a direction in which the cable unwinds causes the shaft to rotate in a first direction of rotation and that the shaft can turn freely in the first direction of rotation without causing the drum to rotate in the direction in which the cable unwinds.

18. The system as

Assignees

• Gaztransport Et Technigaz

Inventors

• Gelin Guillaume
• Englebert Patrick

Classifications

• B63B22/00

  Buoys ({floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06;} means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; {mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12}) · CPC title

• B63B27/34 Primary

  using pipe-lines {(anchoring arrangements for special vessels with mooring turrets B63B21/507; buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids B63B22/021)} · CPC title

• B67D9/00

  Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids when loading or unloading ships (ship-based equipment B63B27/00) · CPC title

• B63B27/24 Primary

  of pipe-lines · CPC title

• B67D9/02

  using articulated pipes · CPC title