Abstract: An arrangement for connecting and disconnecting two pipe sections in a fluid transfer system. Each section includes a butterfly valve with a disk pivotally mounted inside, rotating about a swivel axis between a closed position closing the cross-section of the fluid flow and an open position opening the cross-section of the fluid flow. The swivel axes extend perpendicular to the pipe axis and parallel to each other. The swivel axes of the disks are eccentric relative to the axes of the sections to reduce the space between the disks in their closed position, when the sections are connected. The invention is useful for transferring liquefied natural gas.

Abstract: The invention concerns a system comprising a device (11) for transferring the product between the ship and the installation, which is supported at one end by a support structure and whereof the other end is capable of being connected to the ship's manifold device (8). The system is characterised in that the support structure comprises a berth (5) the ship, a boom (8) carrying a transfer pipe (10), and mounted on the berth (5), rotatable about a vertical axis above the ship, and a deformable transfer device (11) one end of which is connected to the pipe (10), while the other end is mobile between a stowed position advantageously proximate to the boom (8) and a position for connection to the ship's manifold device (15). The invention is useful for transferring liquefied natural gas.

Abstract: A system for transferring a fluid product between a carrier, such as a vessel, and an installation, in particular a fixed installation, for processing and storing the product. The system includes a tubular structure for conveying the product between the vessel and the installation, a device for connection to a manifold of the vessel and a flexible transfer pipe connected to the installation. The connection device and the pipe are connectable to each other at free ends for transferring the fluid product between the vessel and the installation. At least the free end of the flexible transfer pipe includes a product handler for displacing the free end between a position for connection to the connection device and a disengaged position for storage. The invention enables the transfer of cryogenic liquefied natural gas.

Abstract: An arrayed waveguide device comprises a plurality of input/output 2-dimensional optical waveguides optically that are coupled, by a radiative star coupler 1-dimensional waveguide region, with an arrayed waveguide grating constituted by a set of retro-reflector terminated 2-dimensional optical waveguides in side-by-side array so as to define a set of reflex optical paths extending from that star coupler region, each path being of incrementally greater optical path length from a shortest value at one side of the array to a longest value at the other.