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: A urea production process comprises a step of synthesis of urea by reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide, where at least part of the carbon dioxide for the urea reaction synthesis is produced in an oxy-combustion process; the oxy-combustion process is specifically a flameless oxy-combustion process.

Abstract: A method of connecting together two unit elements (4, 4?) of a fluid transport pipe, each unit pipe element being covered in an outer insulating coating (6, 6?) made of a thermoplastic material, with the exception of an end portion that does not have an outer insulating coating. The method includes: a step of welding together two abutting unit pipe elements; a step of positioning an annular sleeve (14) around a cut-back and in part around the outer insulating coatings of the two unit pipe elements, the sleeve being made of a thermoplastic material; a step of fastening the sleeve in sealed manner by weld bonding on the outer insulating coatings; and a step of applying an external pressure on the sleeve to enable it to be deformed elastically and match the shape of the respective end portions of the two unit pipe elements.

Abstract: A method of laying an off-shore pipeline (1) comprises: —installing on the seabed (3) a fixed receiving structure (4) having a redirecting device (5), —paying-out from a laying vessel (7) a pipeline (1) with the pipeline end termination device (9) vertically towards the seabed (3), —extending a damping cable (6) from the pipeline end termination device (9) through the redirecting device (5) to an underwater damping buoy (14), —connecting an underwater suspension buoy (15) to the pipeline end termination device (9), —inclining the pipeline (1) from a vertical orientation towards the horizontal orientation, using: —the suspension buoy (14) to counterbalance at least part of the weight of the pipeline end termination device (9), —the damping buoy (14) for damping the pipeline (1).

Abstract: The invention concerns an underwater water treatment unit which has specific cleaning means which are suitable for cleaning filtration membranes in the unconventional conditions associated with use at great or very great depths, as well as a method for cleaning the membrane of the underwater water treatment unit.

Abstract: A welding support block supports, from the rear surface of a joint to be welded, a weld pool created during a welding process. The welding support block comprises a block of metal and an outer layer of ceramic material providing a supporting surface. The ceramic material layer has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 1.5 mm. The metal material immediately beneath the ceramic material layer is made of steel. An internal line-up clamp for holding pipes in end-to-end alignment ready for welding may include multiple such welding support blocks. The use of such welding support blocks is particularly useful when laying a sour service carrying pipeline (high H2S content).

Abstract: A method approximates and connects an off shore riser duct to a floating unit, includes installing a tubular coupling recipient on the floating unit at a riser coupling level, the coupling recipient having an annular side wall extending around a longitudinal axis. A pulling device is on the floating unit at a pulling device level above the riser coupling level. The pulling device pulls a line extended through the coupling recipient and connected to a pulling head at a riser duct upper end. The riser duct upper end is pulled into the coupling recipient, providing a locking mechanism to lock a coupling adapter against downward withdrawal. Extending the line along a curved deviating surface deviates the pulling direction. The curved deviating surface is formed by a deviating member connected to the coupling recipient at a distance from the longitudinal axis smaller than an annular side wall to longitudinal axis distance.

Abstract: A method of aligning first and second pipes end-to-end in a position ready for welding. Each pipe has an end bevelled with a shape scanned and stored in memory of a control unit. At least one of the pipes has machine readable codes distributed around their circumference of the pipe. The method includes effecting relative movement of the ends of the first and second pipes towards each other, reading at least one of the codes with a reader, and ascertaining the relative movement required to align the pipes in accordance with a target orientation. The relative movement is ascertained with information provided by the read code and the shapes of the bevelled ends stored in the control unit memory. In other aspects, a closed loop control method and machine-learning may be used to align the pipes. A pipe-laying vessel including pipe handling equipment and the control unit is also provided.

Abstract: A method of heating an inner pipe of a set of coaxial pipes, wherein the inner pipe is heated by induction using an electromagnetic induction coil (5) surrounding the outer pipe coaxially, the coil passing electrical power at a frequency lower than 100 Hz optimized for maximum energy efficiency of Joule effect heating of the inner pipe. A device (8) is also provided for induction heating an inner pipe of coaxial pipes, the device has a) an induction heater having at least one electromagnetic induction coil (5) coaxially surrounding the outer pipe of the coaxial pipes, and b) a raising device (9) for raising a portion (1-2) of coaxial pipes (1) above the sea bed (13) together with the induction coil(s) (5) surrounding it.

Abstract: A system for power and data transmission in a body of water to unmanned underwater vehicles comprises a floating surface station for generating electric energy and receiving and transmitting data; an underwater station connectable to at least one unmanned underwater vehicle; at least one submerged depth buoy; and an umbilical, which comprises a power transmission line and a data transmission line, is mechanically and electrically connected to the surface station and to the underwater station, and is mechanically coupled to the depth buoy so that the umbilical comprises a first umbilical section that is stretched between the underwater station and the depth buoy and a second umbilical section that extends loose between the depth buoy and the surface station.

Abstract: A connection device for joining two pipe sections in a body of water has a first tubular body having a spherical face; a second tubular body having at least one spherical face; a tubular pusher arranged about the second tubular body and having a spherical face; a first mechanism for coupling the second tubular body between the first tubular body and the tubular pusher and providing a spherical coupling between the first and the second tubular body; and a second mechanism for blocking any movement about the spherical coupling of the second tubular body with respect to the first tubular body and the tubular pusher.

Abstract: A system for temporarily connecting an underwater station arranged on the bed of a body of water and a surface facility has an elongated conducting member with one end connected to the underwater station and one free end selectively and temporarily connectable to the surface facility; a marker buoy; and a cable connected to the free end of the elongated conducting member and to the marker buoy to quickly recover the free end of the elongated conductor element when it is necessary to connect the underwater station via the elongated conducting member to the surface facility.

Abstract: Intensification techniques are described for enhancing biocatalytic CO2 absorption operations, and may include the use of a rotating packed bed, a rotating disc reactor, a zig-zag reactor or other reactors that utilize process intensification. Carbonic anhydrase can be deployed in the high intensity reactor free in solution, immobilized with respect to particles that flow with the liquid, and/or immobilized to internals, such as packing, that are fixed within the high intensity reactor.

Abstract: A method of connecting together two unit elements (2, 4) of an undersea fluid transport pipe that is subjected to fatigue, by welding together two metallic or bi-metallic unit pipe elements that have been put into abutment via their respective free ends (2a, 4a), the welding being done by making three distinct weld beads (6, 8, 10), with a last weld bead (8) being deposited between two lateral first weld beads (6, 10), and being followed directly by controlled sanding of the weld beads in order to apply compression stresses on them.

Abstract: A floating support structure for an offshore wind turbine, comprises a float intended to be partly immersed and on which a wind turbine mast is intended to be assembled, and a counterweight connected to the float and intended to be immersed under the float. The float comprises a toroid or polygon-shaped main structure with at least five sides, a central tubular structure having a diameter adapted to receive the mast of the wind turbine and comprising a section able to be ballasted in order to adjust the waterline of the float, a first series of horizontal struts distributed about a vertical axis and connecting the main structure to the central structure, and a second series of oblique struts distributed about a vertical axis and connecting the main structure to the central structure at an angle comprised between 15° and 60° with the horizontal struts.

Abstract: A machine for making a protective joint has a guide system, which is selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides with respect to the annular junction portion and configured for defining an annular path about the annular junction portion; at least one heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured for heating the annular junction portion and moveable along the annular path; at least one spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured for applying at least one polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured for applying a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for treatment of process vapours coming from a vacuum concentration section of a urea plant, comprising a vacuum system having a plurality of successive condensation stages, connected in series by respective line portions and crossed in series by process vapours to be treated; the apparatus has at least one primary steam condensate inlet for feeding steam condensate to the vacuum system and positioned, with reference to a circulation direction of the process vapours in the vacuum system, upstream of at least one selected condensation stage, or in at least one selected condensation stage.

Abstract: A method for assembling two tubes (1, 2) made from thermoplastic materials, that involves welding by heating two applied rotational contact surfaces of two parts of two tubes (1, 2), respectively, arranged end to end or overlapping coaxially (XX?). The method involves induction heating of at least one conductive welding element (4), arranged at the interface (3) between the two contact surfaces, by generating a magnetic field at said conductive welding element or elements, such that the melting of the thermoplastic materials constituting said contact surfaces produces a continuous and sealed weld at said interface on at least one closed loop along the entire perimeter of said interface.

Abstract: A junction part having a differential pressure valve (100) for an undersea fluid transport pipe, the valve having a valve body (102) with an internal chamber (106) opening out at one end into the pipe and at another end to the outside, a piston (110) arranged to subdivide the internal chamber into an admission chamber (106a) and a discharge chamber (106b), the piston being movable between an open position where admission chamber and the discharge chamber communicate with each other, and a closed position where the admission chamber and the discharge chamber are scaled from each other, a rating screw (112) screwed into the valve body and including a bore (114) within which there slides a rod (116) of the piston (110), and at least one hole (118) opening out into the discharge chamber and open to the outside, and a spring (120) rated so as to hold the piston in the closed position below a predetermined threshold pressure inside the admission chamber.

Abstract: A desulfurization gas process includes water vapor, CO2 and SOx (x=2 and/or 3). In a treatment unit, the gas contacts a cooled alkaline aqueous solution having a temperature lower than an initial gas temperature, water and a carbonate of an alkali metal, to cool the gas, condense some water vapor and absorb SOx in the carbonate-containing solution, produce an SOx-depleted gas and an acidic aqueous solution including sulfate and/or sulfite ions. The SOx-depleted gas and a portion of the acidic aqueous solution can then be withdrawn from the treatment unit. Carbonate of the alkali metal can be added to remaining acidic aqueous solution to obtain a made-up alkaline aqueous solution. This solution can be cooled and reused as the cooled alkaline aqueous solution. An SOx absorbent solution includes a bleed stream from a CO2-capture process, sodium or potassium carbonate, and an acidic aqueous solution obtained from desulfurization.