| 摘要 |
<p>PCT No. PCT/NO96/00149 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 19, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 19, 1998 PCT Filed Jun. 19, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO97/00805 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 9, 1997A rotating connector comprising a swivel device (5, 6) having a number of fluid courses (16) for interconnecting a buoy (1) and a pipe system on a floating vessel for production of hydrocarbons, wherein the swivel device comprises a female member (5) and a male member (6) which may be introduced axially into or withdrawn from each other, the female member (5) being permanently fixed to a bottom-anchored centre member of the buoy. One of the fluid courses is arranged for transferring liquefied natural gas (LNG) between the vessel and the transfer line (13) through the buoy, and for this purpose is thermally and physically separated from the other courses. The LNG course is a pipe course or an annular course (43) in a separate unit (40) placed centrally within or surrounding the male swivel member (6), the unit comprising an insulating cofferdam having an annulus (45) for insulation between the LNG course (43) and the male swivel member (6), and an additional annulus (47) for insulation between the LNG course (43) and the female swivel member (5) when the unit (40) surrounds the male swivel member (6). The annulus or annuluses (45, 47) is/are open towards the surroundings via a peripheral annular opening (52, 53) which in operation is sealed against the surroundings by seals (54, 55) for control of a possible LNG leakage via LNG seals (51) between the LNG course (43) and its connection with the transfer line through the buoy.</p> |
