Patent ID: 7789588

Claim:
A subsea system for transferring hydrocarbons between a seabed system at a seabed and a surface system at a sea surface, said subsea system comprising: a flexible pipe extended in a catenary between said seabed system and said surface system, said pipe having an intermediate portion; a curvature limiter operable for holding an intermediate portion of said flexible pipe suspended between said seabed system and said surface system and for preventing curvature of said intermediate portion from being below a given radius of curvature; said curvature limiter comprising a flexible tubular member having two opposite ends, said intermediate portion of said pipe being in said flexible tubular member, said flexible tubular member comprising a plurality of successive substantially cylindrical portions, articulated relative to one another with a predetermined maximum displacement by articulation; a link joining said two opposite ends of said tubular member to hold said ends to cause the curvature of said intermediate portion of said flexible pipe, said plurality of cylindrical portions being driven relative to one another to their predetermined maximum displacement defining a mean plane in such a way that said tubular member is held in a fixed position of mean curvature substantially in said mean plane, wherein said mean curvature has said given radius of curvature; and a buoy connected to said curvature limiter and operable to raise it above the seabed.