Abstract:
A system configured to execute an underwater well drilling program in the bed of a body of water has a jack-up having a floating structure and a drilling installation supported on the floating structure; and an auxiliary floating unit connectable selectively to the jack-up to enable transfer of the jack-up over the body of water, even in very shallow water.
Abstract:
A stinger extends away from an end of a vessel, and a pipeline passes over the stinger as the pipeline is laid from the vessel. The inclination of the pipeline increases as the pipeline passes along the stinger and after leaving the stinger until the pipeline reaches an inflection point beyond the end of the stinger at which inclination is at a maximum. Inclination of the pipeline thereafter reduces until the pipeline touches down on the seabed. A method of S-laying the pipeline includes providing guides on the stinger that limit lateral movement of the pipeline relative to the stinger and moving the vessel and the stinger during S-laying to an orientation in which the longitudinal axis of the stinger is inclined to the path of the pipeline just laid. The vessel and the stinger are rotated about a vertical axis passing through or adjacent to the inflection point.
Abstract:
A process for regasifying a fluid and generating electrical energy includes subjecting an operating fluid to 1) pumping, the pumping step including a low pressure pumping step 1a) and a high pressure pumping step 1b), 2) heating in a recuperator to obtain a heated flow, the heating step including a low temperature heat recovery step 2a) and a high temperature heat recovery step 2b), 3) further heating through a high temperature source to obtain a further heated flow, 4) expanding in a turbine, with generation of electrical energy to obtain an expanded flow, 5) cooling by heat exchange to obtain a cooled flow, and 6) condensing the flow of the operating fluid and regasifying the fluid. After low pressure pumping, a portion of the flow of the operating fluid is subjected to recompression to obtain a flow combined with the flow of the operating fluid obtained from step 2a).
Abstract:
A riser termination connects a steel riser duct to an I-tube or J-tube connecting interface of a floating unit, and includes an upper hang off portion, lower coupling adapter, steel termination conduit having an upper conduit end connected to the upper hang off portion and a lower conduit end connected to the steel riser duct. The termination conduit extends axially slidable through the coupling adapter. A circular cylindrical bearing seat is formed inside the coupling adapter and defines a bearing seat diameter, a bearing body having a bearing body diameter and protruding outward from the termination conduit inside the bearing seat. The bearing body diameter is smaller than the bearing seat diameter. A gap between the bearing body and the bearing seat allows relative sliding and rotation. The termination conduit includes a variable cross-section conduit portion having a diameter and wall thickness decreasing from the bearing body.
Abstract:
An anti-collision method includes storing information on a current position of at least one vehicle within a target work volume, scanning the target work volume by a radiofrequency radiation signal to detect the presence of at least one human operator within the target work volume, determining the current position of the at least one human operator within the target work volume, comparing the current position of the at least one human operator with the current position of the at least one vehicle, and, if the current position of the at least one human operator at least partially overlaps the current position of the at least one vehicle, activating at least one safety device.
Abstract:
A multi-functional clamp for the installation of a wind turbine on an offshore substructure by a crane vessel equipped with a lifting crane, the multi-functional clamp having: a main body configured to selectively clamp and unclamp the lower part of the tower of a wind turbine and is shaped so as to couple with the crane vessel so as to define a given position for the tower with respect to the crane vessel; and a plurality of hooking members extending from the main body and configured to secure and release the free ends of a rigging assembly of the lifting crane to the main body so as to lift the multi-functional clamp by the lifting crane.
Abstract:
A laying tower for laying pipelines on the bed of a body of water has a supporting structure extending along a longitudinal axis and provided with guides parallel to the longitudinal axis; a first clamp, which is mounted on the supporting structure and configured for selectively clamping and releasing the pipeline in a given point along the longitudinal axis; and a second clamp, which is selectively movable along a path, which extends along a first section above the first clamp; and a second section below the first clamp and, partly, below the supporting structure and configured for selectively clamping and releasing the pipeline along the path.
Abstract:
A method for laying a pipeline on the bed of a body of water comprises assembling a pipeline on a laying vessel; launching the pipeline from the laying vessel; identifying a zone of the bed of the body of water that causes stresses greater than a threshold value determined for the pipeline; progressively laying the pipeline on the bed of the body of water by advancing the laying vessel; and making, through controlled plastic deformation, at least one curved section along the pipeline with a curvature concordant with the curvature assumed by the pipeline in proximity to said zone, when the pipeline is at least partly laid on the bed of the body of water and partly suspended with respect to the bed of the body of water in proximity to said zone.
Abstract:
An underwater storage tank having a flexible multilayer tank containing a working liquid is provided. The flexible multilayer tank has at least one internal electrical insulating layer in contact with the working fluid, at least one external electrical insulating layer in contact with sea water, and at least one intermediate electric conductive layer sealed between the at least one internal electrical insulating layer and the at least one external electrical insulating layer. At least one first electrical connection means is connected to the at least one intermediate electric conductive layer, the least one first electrical connection means being electrically connectable to an electrical grounded measurement instrument to assess physical integrity of the flexible multilayer tank.