SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING MAJOR LOADS, IN PARTICULAR BETWEEN A FLOATING UNIT AND A TURRET PIVOTABLY MOUNTED IN THE FLOATING UNIT AND MOORED TO THE SEABED

摘要

The invention relates to a system for transferring major loads, in particular between a first unit (1) such as a floating unit with rotary mooring to a single point and a second unit (2) substantially immobile relative to the seabed and pivotably mounted in the first unit, such as a turret pivotably mounted in a well (3) passing through the shell of the floating unit, moored to the seabed, the system including an arrangement for guiding the turret including rotary elements inserted between the two units as well as a means for absorbing deformations, mainly of the first unit. The system is characterised in that the guide arrangement includes an axial abutment (9) which contains a large number of rotary elements (15), regularly distributed to form at least one crown (14) coaxial with the axis of rotation, and in that the rotary elements (15) are capable of deforming elastically in order to absorb said loads. The invention can be used for floating units with a single-point rotary mooring system.