Reliability of an engineering system under a strong earthquake with application to offshore platforms

This paper presents a method developed for the performance evaluation of an engineering system during a strong earthquake. The seismic reliability of the system is evaluated by considering the different possible failure modes, and seismic reliability of the components of the system. The method is applied to the oil production system at the Statfjord Field in the North Sea. The objective of the analysis is to document the reliability of oil production from the field in the event of an exceptionally large earthquake, and to investigate the effect of spatial variation of earthquake loading parameters on the computed system reliability. It is shown that, with a realistic model of the spatial variation of earthquake motion, there is very little correlation between the earthquake loading parameters at different platform locations. The main consequence of this lack of correlation is that the computed failure probability of the oil production system under the design earthquake is about one order of magnitude smaller than the probability of failure of individual platforms at the Statfjord Field.     

Picosecond Fluorescence Spectroscopy in the Analysis of Structure and Motion of Biopolymers

INTRODUCTION

The dynamic aspects of molecular structures at atomic resolution have become of increasing importance. The analysis of molecular motions of individual residues and structural domains of biomolecules is essential for an understanding of the functional aspects of biopolymers at the molecular level.     

Random Lock-In Intervals for Tubular Structural Elements Subject to Simulated Natural Wind

This paper reports on wind tunnel experiments with an elastically suspended circular cylinder vibrating under the excitation of natural wind of high turbulence degree. The natural wind turbulence was simulated by superposing the low frequency part of the natural wind turbulence on the background high frequency turbulence of the wind tunnel flow. This was done by controlling the propeller rotation speed according to an artificially generated low frequency speed sample function drawn from a suitable random process model. The experiment provided statistical data on the intermittent random occurrence and size of strong lock-in vibrations in resonance with the vortex shedding excitation. The purpose of the experiment was to obtain data to support the formulation of a sufficiently detailed stochastic model to allow computer simulation of reasonably realistic fatigue damage accumulation at “hot spots” of tubular structural elements subject to the natural wind. The engineering relevance of the investigation is supported by comparing it with the unrealistic highly conservative rules of wind-induced fatigue commonly given in codes of practice. The stochastic lock-in model as well as the related fatigue calculation procedure is reported in the paper.     

Influence of crosslinking on the characteristics of thermally expandable microspheres expanding at high temperature

Free‐radical suspension polymerization was used to synthesize thermally expandable microspheres (TEMS); in this process, a poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐methacrylonitrile) shell encapsulated isooctane. Different amounts of dimethacrylate, diacrylate, or divinyl ether functional crosslinker were added to investigate the effects on the crosslinking density of the polymer and the expansion properties of the TEMS. The optimum amount of crosslinker was found to be approximately 0.05–0.1 mol %. However, a significantly better expansion could be obtained with 1,4‐butanediol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker, compared to 1,4‐butanediol divinyl ether or 1,4‐butanediol diacrylate. From monitoring the conversion of monofunctional analogues by gas chromatography, we suggest that the differences in expansion obtained with different crosslinkers, originated from the difference in the reactivity of the radicals in the system toward the vinyl functionalities of the crosslinkers. This regulated the incorporation of the crosslinker into the polymer and, thereby, the mechanical properties of the microsphere shell. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Absorption spectrometry by narrowband light in optically saturated and optically pumped collision and Doppler broadened gaseous media under arbitrary optical thickness conditions

This work examines absorption spectrometry by narrowband light in gaseous media with arbitrary optical thickness when the light induces optical saturation or optical pumping. Two quantities are defined: the observed absorbance, A(obs), and the true absorbance, A(true). The former is the absorbance that is measured under the existing conditions, whereas the latter represents the absorbance one would measure if the light acted solely as a probe of the populations of the various levels, and it is therefore directly proportional to the concentration or density of absorbers. A general integral equation for the propagation of light in media of arbitrary optical thickness in which the light influences the populations of the levels involved is derived. This expression is transcendental in the observed absorbance and cannot be solved analytically. It is shown that an analytical expression can be derived by investigating the inverse relationship, i.e., A(true) = f(A(obs)). Inasmuch as collision and Doppler broadened media react differently to optical saturation, they are considered separately. It is shown that a nonlinear response results if the medium is optically saturated (or pumped) and not optically thin. Expressions for the error introduced if the technique of standard additions is uncritically applied to such a system are derived.     

Effects of experimental CO2 leakage on solubility and transport of seven trace metals in seawater and sediment

The impact of CO₂ leakage on solubility and distribution of trace metals in seawater and sediment has been studied in lab scale chambers. Seven metals (Al, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) were investigated in membrane-filtered seawater samples, and DGT samplers were deployed in water and sediment during the experiment. During the first phase (16 days), “dissolved” (< 0.2 µm) concentrations of all elements increased substantially in the water. The increase in dissolved fractions of Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the CO₂ seepage chamber was respectively 5.1, 3.8, 4.5, 3.2, 1.4, 2.3 and 1.3 times higher than the dissolved concentrations of these metals in the control. During the second phase of the experiment (10 days) with the same sediment but replenished seawater, the dissolved fractions of Al, Cr, Cd, and Zn were partly removed from the water column in the CO₂ chamber. DNi and DCu still increased but at reduced rates, while DPb increased faster than that was observed during the first phase. DGT-labile fractions (Me_DGT) of all metals increased substantially during the first phase of CO₂ seepage. DGT-labile fractions of Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were respectively 7.9, 2.0, 3.6, 1.7, 2.1, 1.9 and 2.3 times higher in the CO₂ chamber than that of in the control chamber. Al_DGT, Cr_DGT, Ni_DGT, and Pb_DGT continued to increase during the second phase of the experiment. There was no change in Cd_DGT during the second phase, while Cu_DGT and Zn_DGT decreased by 30% and 25%, respectively in the CO₂ chamber. In the sediment pore water, DGT labile fractions of all the seven elements increased substantially in the CO₂ chamber. Our results show that CO₂ leakage affected the solubility, particle reactivity and transformation rates of the studied metals in sediment and at the sediment-water interface. The metal species released due to CO₂ acidification may have sufficiently long residence time in the seawater to affect bioavailability and toxicity of the metals to biota.     

Fire research in scandinavia—A long-term program

The author contends a great imbalance exists between two fundamental concepts in designing buildings. On the one hand, considerable care and thought go into designing for static and dynamic loads; but design for fire resistance is dealt with in an extremely conventional and stereotyped way. He feels it is essential—in Scandinavian and in other countries—that long-term experimental and theoretical research programs be undertaken so that design for fire resistance can be carried out in conformity with fundamental principles conventionally used in static design of load-bearing structures. Note: This article is based on Proceeding No. 129 (1964), “General Programme for Scandinavian Long-term Research,” of the National Swedish Institute for Materials Testing, (Statens Provningsanstalt), Stockholm, Sweden.     

Model of observed stochastic balance between work and free time supporting the LQTAI definition

A balance differential equation between free time and money-producing work time on the national economy level is formulated in a previous paper in terms of two dimensionless quantities, the fraction of work time and the total productivity factor defined as the ratio of the Gross Domestic Product to the total salary paid in return for work. Among the solutions there is one relation that compares surprisingly well with the relevant sequences of Danish data spanning from 1948 to 2003, and also with similar data from several other countries except for slightly different model parameter values. Statistical analysis reveals a data structure that allows the formulation of a simple stochastic model for the development of the data sequences with the year. Simulations with the stochastic model show sample curve behavior of the same fluctuating appearance as the factual data. This indicates that there are no other significant systematically balance influencing parameters on the macro economical level than those considered in the definition in the previous paper of the Life Quality Time Allocation Index.