| 摘要 |
An offshore system is described, of the type that includes a turret (20) anchored to the sea floor and connected by at least an upper bearing assembly (34) to the vessel hull (14) so the hull can weathervane about the turret, wherein the upper bearing assembly is of moderate cost and high reliability. In one construction, the upper bearing assembly includes upper and lower slider bearing rings (40, 42) that lie facewise adjacent at an interface (44), with the upper bearing ring fixed to the turret and the lower bearing ring supported on the hull through quantities of elastomeric material (102). The elastomeric material permits slight tilt of the turret upper portion without opening a gap at one side of the interface. The lower bearing ring is divided into segments (112A, 112B), and large turret tilt allows pressured lubricant to escape from only one or a few segments that begins to lift up during turret tilt. In another construction, a circle of bearing devices (202) is provided, wherein each device includes a cylinder (224) and piston (226) and a source of pressured fluid that is applied to the device. |
