1. A tower for exploiting fluid through an expanse of water, comprising:
a fluid transporting pipe, designed to be submerged in the expanse of water , the transporting pipe including a lower section designed to be connected to a bottom assembly producing fluid, a flexible upper section designed to be connected to a surface assembly , and an intermediate section placed between the upper flexible section and the lower section ;
an element for anchoring the transporting pipe to the bottom of the expanse of water, connected to an upstream point of the intermediate section;
a buoy designed to be completely submerged under the surface of the expanse of water, the buoy being connected to a downstream point of the intermediate section to keep the intermediate section situated between the downstream point and the upstream point in a substantially vertical configuration under tension,
the buoy having a height, considered along a vertical axis, less than 1.5 times its maximum transverse direction, the buoy delimiting a first through passage in which the intermediate section is engaged,
wherein the buoy defines a second through passage , distinct from the first through passage , the second through passage receiving the upper section, the tower including a connecting section connecting the upper section to the intermediate section .
2. The tower according to claim 1, wherein each through passage defines a lower opening and an upper opening, the intermediate section being engaged in the first through passage from the lower opening toward the upper opening, the upper section being engaged through the through passage from the lower opening to the upper opening, the connecting section being situated above the buoy.
3. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the buoy has an upper surface supporting the connecting section, the connecting section advantageously being formed by a rigid pipe.
4. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the connecting section has a first fastening means for the intermediate section emerging across from an upper opening of the first through passage, the connecting section having a second fastening means for the upper section emerging across from an upper opening of the second through passage.
5. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the first through passage extends substantially vertically through the buoy, the second through passage extending substantially vertically through the buoy.
6. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the first through passage extends substantially vertically through the buoy, the second through passage extending at an incline with respect to the first through passage.
7. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate section is formed by a flexible pipe, the flexible pipe being capable of being wound and unwound reversibly without significant plastic deformation on a drum or a magazine.
8. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the buoy has a first guide tube defining the first through passage and a second guide tube defining the second through passage, at least one of the first guide tube and the second guide tube being an I or J tube.
9. The tower according to claim 1, wherein at least one from among the intermediate section and the upper section is provided with at least one guide member protruding radially with respect to said section to guide the movement of said section through a respective through passage.
10. An installation method for a tower for exploiting fluid through an expanse of water, comprising the following steps:
bringing a buoy into the expanse of water, substantially across from an anchoring region on the bottom of the expanse of water;
connecting, on the buoy, a downstream point of an intermediate section of a fluid transporting pipe;
connecting, on the buoy, an upstream end of an upper flexible section of the fluid transporting pipe, designed to be connected to a surface assembly;
completely submerging the buoy under the surface of the expanse of water, before or after the connecting step of the downstream point;
anchoring an upstream point of the intermediate section on an anchoring element fixed in the bottom of the expanse of water in the anchoring region;
tensing the intermediate section of the transporting pipe between the downstream point and the upstream point under the effect of the buoyancy of the buoy, to keep the intermediate section substantially vertical in the expanse of water;
connecting, on the intermediate section, a lower section of the fluid transporting pipe designed to be connected to a bottom assembly and producing fluid;
connecting the intermediate section and the upper section by a connecting section,
the buoy having a height, considered along the vertical axis, less than 1.5 times its maximum transverse direction considered transversely to the vertical axis, the step for connecting the intermediate section including engaging the intermediate section through a first through passage formed through the buoy;
wherein the upper section is engaged through a second through passage separate from the first through passage to be connected to the intermediate section by means of the connecting section.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step for connecting the intermediate section and the upper section using the connecting section is done before the step for submerging the buoy under the expanse of water.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first through passage and the second through passage each define a lower opening and an upper opening, the intermediate section being engaged in the first through passage from the lower opening toward the upper opening, the upper section being engaged in the second through passage from the lower opening toward the upper opening.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the intermediate section is flexible over substantially the entire length thereof between the downstream point and the upstream point, the intermediate section being gradually deployed in the expanse of water between the downstream point fixed on the buoy and a floating placement structure on the expanse of water during the deployment step, the intermediate section being unwound from the placement structure on which it is transported while being wound on a placement drum or on a magazine.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein it includes a step for gradual ballasting of the buoy, after the steps for connecting the intermediate section and the upper section on the connecting section to lower the upstream point toward the anchoring element, the method advantageously comprising pulling the upstream point toward the anchoring element using a pulling line engaged on a return member supported by the anchoring element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for oxygenating blood and delivering the oxygenated blood to a patient, the system comprising:
a blood pump assembly coupled to a supply of blood;
a blood oxygenation assembly coupled to the blood pump assembly, the blood oxygenation assembly receiving the blood from the blood pump assembly and oxygenating the blood, the blood oxygenation assembly comprising a membrane oxygenator comprising:
a housing having a first end portion and a second end portion;
a plurality of tubular membranes disposed in the housing, each of the plurality of tubular membranes having an internal surface and an external surface;
a first inlet in the housing adapted to deliver oxygen gas stream into contact with only the external surface of each of the plurality of tubular membranes;
a second inlet in the housing adapted to deliver the blood into contact with only the internal surface of each of the plurality of tubular membranes, wherein the oxygen gas diffuses through the tubular membranes and into the blood to form the oxygenated blood; and
an outlet in the housing for expelling the oxygenated blood;
a delivery assembly coupled to the outlet, the delivery assembly being adapted to deliver the oxygenated blood to a patient; and
a control assembly couple to the blood pump.
2. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the oxygenated blood is hyperoxic.
3. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the oxygenated blood is hyperbaric.
4. The system, as set forth in claim 1, comprising a display coupled to the control assembly.
5. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the blood pump receives the blood from the patient.
6. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the oxygen gas is supplied to the membrane oxygenator at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and less than about 50 p.s.i.a.
7. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tubular membranes comprise a solid material or a microporous material.
8. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a regulated oxygen bottle provides the oxygen gas.
9. The system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tubular membranes are secured within the housing by a potting material.
10. A system for oxygenating blood and delivering the oxygenated blood to a patient, the system comprising:
a blood pump assembly coupled to a supply of blood;
a blood oxygenation assembly coupled to the blood pump assembly, the blood oxygenation assembly receiving the blood from the blood pump assembly and oxygenating the blood, the blood oxygenation assembly comprising a membrane oxygenator comprising:
a housing having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an oxygen gas inlet port;
a plurality of hollow fibers disposed within the housing, the plurality of hollow fibers generally extending between the first end portion and the second end portion of the housing, the plurality of hollow fibers being adapted to pass fluid from the first end portion of the housing to the second end portion of the housing while permitting oxygen gas diffusion therethrough, wherein the oxygen gas is in a gas stream;
a first seal disposed about the plurality of hollow fibers in the first end portion of the housing and a second seal disposed about the plurality of hollow fibers in the second end portion of the housing, the first and the second seal defining therebetween a gas chamber within the housing, the gas chamber being coupled to the oxygen gas inlet port;
a first end cap disposed on the first end portion of the housing, the first end cap having a blood inlet port and defining a blood inlet manifold between the first end cap and the first seal; and
a second end cap disposed on the second end portion of the housing, the second end cap having a blood outlet port and defining a blood outlet manifold between the second end cap and the second seal;
a delivery assembly coupled to the blood outlet port, the delivery assembly being adapted to deliver the oxygenated blood to a patient; and
a control assembly coupled to the blood pump.
11. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the oxygenated blood is hyperoxic.
12. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the oxygenated blood is hyperbaric.
13. The system, as set forth in claim 10, comprising a display coupled to the control assembly.
14. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the blood pump receives the blood front the patient.
15. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the oxygen gas is supplied to the membrane oxygenator at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and less than about 50 p.s.i.a.
16. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the hollow fibers comprise a solid material or a microporous material.
17. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein a regulated oxygen bottle provides the oxygen gas.
18. The system, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the hollow fibers are secured within the housing by a potting material.