Innovative Thermofluids Experiments for Modern Mechanical Engineering Education

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rodgers ◽  
Shrinivas Bojanampati ◽  
Afshin Goharzadeh ◽  
Arman Molki ◽  
Valerie Eveloy
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Electronics Cooling ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Conductive Heat ◽  
Pipe Network ◽  
Hands On

One of the primary objectives of the Petroleum Institute (PI) is to prepare future mechanical engineers to assume successful career paths in the oil and gas industry. Hands-on laboratory skills play a vital role in providing students with a sound understanding of the scientific fundamentals and their application in solving real-life engineering problems. The Institute’s undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum incorporates a one-semester junior level course titled Core Measurements, which is taught in a state-of-the-art measurement laboratory. This course includes two innovative hands-on experiments related to experimental heat transfer and fluid dynamics, with the objective of familiarizing the students, through simple projects, with the characterization of fundamental thermofluid phenomena. Each hands-on project consists of design, fabrication, data acquisition and validation of a simple experiment, with a formal report submitted on completion. Each project is undertaken by groups of four students over a five-week period. The first experiment characterizes conductive heat spread within a heat-source-substrate assembly representative of electronics cooling applications. The effects of heat source foot print, substrate geometry and thermal conductivity, and convective cooling conditions are investigated. The temperature distribution on the source and substrate surfaces are measured using thermocouples and infrared thermography, with substrate thermal resistance calculated and compared with analytical solutions. The second experiment aims to enhance student’s learning of internal pipe flows. Single phase flows in a pipe network are characterized for different flow regimes. The pipe network consists of different diameter lines with valves for regulating and directing the flow to make up various series and parallel piping combinations. The relation between head loss due to fluid friction and velocity, pressure drop empirical laws, valve characteristics, and loss coefficient of fittings are investigated using various pressure and flow measuring techniques, including laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). The paper documents the experiments and the teaching strategy employed to integrate fundamental theories with hands-on experiences. Sample measurement and analysis results are reported. The effectiveness of the proposed experiments in enhancing student learning of thermofluids, engineering analysis of discrepancies between predictions and measurements, and project management skills is highlighted.

Teaching of Multimode Heat Transfer Through Laboratory Experiments

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rodgers ◽  
Shrinivas Bojanampati ◽  
Valerie Eveloy ◽  
Afshin Goharzadeh ◽  
Arman Molki
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Test Configuration ◽  
Hands On

Hands-on laboratory skills play a vital role in providing mechanical engineering students with a sound understanding of the scientific fundamentals and their application in solving real-life engineering problems. This paper describes a hands-on laboratory thermofluid project which is taught as part of a one-semester, junior-level mechanical engineering course titled Core Measurements Laboratory. The experiment focuses on characterization of heat transfer from a cartridge-heated, isothermal cylinder inside a circular enclosure, by conduction, natural convection and radiation. The project consists in the design and fabrication of the test facility, data acquisition and comparison of experimental results with analytical predictions, with a formal report submitted on completion. The project is undertaken by a team of four students over a five-week period. Emphasis is placed on highlighting potential discrepancies between measurement and analytical predictions, which are inherent in the test configuration considered, reflecting realistic engineering situations. Sample measurement and analysis results are reported. The teaching strategy employed to integrate fundamental theories with hands-on experiences is described. The effectiveness of the laboratory project in enhancing student learning of heat transfer, engineering analysis of discrepancies between predictions and measurements, and project management skills was demonstrated by monitoring student performance improvements over the duration of the project.

Cetaceans and the petroleum industry—coexistence or mutual exclusion?

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 685
Author(s):  
John Polglaze
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Mutual Exclusion ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Seismic Survey ◽  
Underwater Noise ◽  
Marine Fauna

Legends, myths and plain old misinformation abound of whale migrations interrupted by international shipping, dolphin populations displaced by dredging activities, and of seismic survey campaigns resulting in disoriented, beached whales. While risks exist, in truth the Australian petroleum industry continues to demonstrate that it can successfully coexist productively alongside populations of cetacean. These whales and dolphins are seemingly able to at least tolerate, if not actually be undisturbed by, underwater noise. Other risks to cetaceans from oil and gas activities, whether actual or perceived, encompass vessel strike, turbidity plumes from dredging, port developments, underwater blasting, spills, the laying and operation of pipelines, and similar. URS Australia’s John Polglaze is a specialist in the environmental impact evaluation of underwater noise, and has over 15 years experience in marine environmental management and impact assessment following nearly 20 years service in the Royal Australian Navy. John presents on the range of environmental impact assessment challenges for the oil and gas industry in Australian coastal and offshore regions, and effective, pragmatic solutions for demonstrating low risks to cetaceans and other sensitive marine fauna. These include the application and limitations of computer-based models to predict underwater noise and blast propagation, the development of a risk assessment framework that has proven effective with state and Commonwealth regulators, and case studies of real-life interactions between the petroleum industry and cetacean populations. In particular, he will discuss how misunderstanding and misapprehension of these complex issues unnecessarily complicates the challenges of environmental compliance. This topic is timely, given that Australia’s rapidly increasing whale populations, coupled with the continued expansion of offshore petroleum activities, will lead to more frequent interaction between and overlap of cetaceans and oil and gas activities.

Creating the circular advantage for the oil and gas industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 585
Author(s):  
Christopher Coldrick ◽  
Rowan Fenn ◽  
David Sahota
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Repair Process ◽  
Materials Management ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Oil And Gas Companies ◽  
The Impact

Maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) materials typically represent 15–20% of the operating costs for a mature oil and gas asset. Of this, a substantial proportion is comprised of high-value repairable equipment such as motors, compressors and pumps. This equipment is often at bottlenecks in the production process and so the impact of materials cost on profitability is magnified by the production ramifications of an outage. Effective management of this equipment is key to the sustainable, profitable operation of any oil and gas asset, and is key to improving the competitiveness of the Australian industry. Oil and gas companies are adopting a variety of models to handle the repair process, with varying degrees of success. Challenges include: poor materials availability and lack of traceability; complex infield materials management processes resulting in costly wastages; difficulty in managing consistency, suitability and specifications of repairs; high cost for those undertaking the repairs; and, correct allocation of responsibility and risk in the materials management process. Developed in collaboration with Australian oil and gas operators, with input from case studies outside the oil and gas industry, this extended abstract discusses the roles and opportunities for the circular economy in helping companies to meet their sustainability and profitability targets. Using several real-life examples, it makes recommendations for vendors, service providers and operators that can have material impact on the profitability of the industry.

New Technology Allows for Hands-Off Intervention During Cementing Operations Increasing Safety and Operational Efficiency

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ramon ◽  
Tony Wooley ◽  
Kyle Martens ◽  
Amy Farrar ◽  
Seth Fadaol
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Cement Line ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Hands On

Abstract The culture of safety within the oil and gas industry has undergone an evolution since the advent of significant E&P operations in the late 1800s. The initial focus on safety was to protect property, not people. This mentality has shifted over time to include a greater focus on the safety of personnel, in parallel with technology developments that have pushed the limits of operators’ and service providers’ abilities to drill and complete more complicated wells. The safety efforts introduced to date have yielded results in every major HS&E category; however, falls and dropped objects continue to be areas in need of improvement. During cementing rig up and operations there are still many manual activities that require working at heights in the derrick. New technological advances have allowed the industry to reduce the number of hands-on activities on the rig and operators have moved to eliminate these activities by automating operations. Man lifting operations are recognized as a high-risk activity and, as such, many rigs require special permitting. During cementing operations, not only are personnel lifted into hazardous positions, but they are usually equipped with potential dropped objects. Some of these objects, if dropped, reach an impact force that could seriously injure or, in worst cases, result in a fatality. During these operations, personnel are also hoisted along with a heavy cement line in very close proximity. This introduces other dangers such as tangling, pinch points, and blunt force trauma. These risks are heavily increased when working in adverse conditions, such as high winds or rough seas. By utilizing a wireless cement line make up device, along with wireless features on a cement head to release the darts/plugs/balls and operate the isolation valves, an operator can eliminate the need for hands-on intervention. This paper will discuss current cement head technologies available to the operator that allow them to improve safety and efficiencies in operational rig time. Three field studies will be presented that detail running cement jobs with all functions related to the wireless attributes of the cement head. The field studies will present the operational efficiencies achieved by utilizing the wireless features compared to the standard manual method. Before the recent introduction of a wireless cementing line make-up device, a wireless cement head still required hands-on intervention to rig up the tools, putting people in high-risk situations.

scholarly journals Optimization of Safety Instrumented System Design and Maintenance Frequency for Oil and Gas Industry Processes

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yury Redutskiy
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Safety System ◽  
System Configuration ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Periodic Maintenance ◽  
Problem Instances

Abstract Oil and gas industry processes are associated with significant expenditures and risks. Adequacy of the decisions on safety measures made during early stages of planning the facilities and processes contributes to avoiding technological incidents and corresponding losses. Formulating straightforward requirements for safety instrumented systems that are followed further during the detailed engineering design and operations is proposed, and a mathematical model for safety system design is introduced in a generalized form. The model aims to reflect the divergent perspectives of the main parties involved in oil and gas projects, and, therefore, it is formulated as a multi-objective problem. Application of black box optimization is suggested for solving real-life problem instances. A Markov model is applied to account for device failures, technological incidents, continuous restorations and periodic maintenance for a given process and safety system configuration. This research is relevant to engineering departments and contractors, who specialize in planning and designing the technological solution.

Performance Degradation Monitoring of Centrifugal Compressors Using Deviation Analysis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Shahrizal Jasmani ◽  
Thomas Van Hardeveld ◽  
Mohd Faizal Bin Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Performance Degradation ◽  
Centrifugal Compressors ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Analysis And Evaluation ◽  
Deviation Analysis ◽  
Degradation Monitoring

Performance degradation monitoring of centrifugal compressor provides a means for the operators predict the behavior of their machines. Understanding the key principles in performance evaluation is essential for operators to benefit from this approach. In this paper, common performance degradation mechanisms found in centrifugal compressors for the oil and gas industry are outlined and related to their associated performance characteristics. Various analysis and evaluation techniques and approaches are elaborated with relevant requirements and assumptions for practical site application. A case study is also presented to demonstrate the application of performance degradation monitoring in a real-life operating environment. The benefits and limitations of the approach are also discussed. When combined with other condition monitoring approaches, this method provides a powerful tool to analyze and monitor centrifugal compressor performance which will then lead to useful recommendations for maintenance and operational interventions.

Sustainable Green Policy by Managing Flare Gas Recovery: A Case with Middle East Oil and Gas Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46
Author(s):  
Bhaskar Sinha ◽  
Supriyo Roy ◽  
Manju Bhagat
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Recovery ◽  
Gas Processing ◽  
Gas System ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Process Plants

Push for sustainability is evident in areas such as energy generation where the focus has been on finding new deposits to outpace drawdown on existing reserves. Gas flaring is employed by oil and gas industries to burn-off associated gasses from refineries, hydrocarbon processing plants or oil and gas reserve wells. It is one of the most taxing energies and environmental problems challenging the world today. Generally, safety flaring was dubbed as the saviour of process plants and mostly covers for sudden or unplanned plant trips. It is an opportunity to cut greenhouse gases (GHGs) from oil and gas processing plants through flare gas recovery (FGR) process. Oil and gas plants can employ diverse FGR procedures to offset key concerns about the environmental bearing of GHGs emanation most of which necessitating novel apparatus and extraordinary outlay of design and construction. In this study, apart from economic aspects, a real-life case study is extensively analysed to highlight exploration and adoption of optimizing FGR that may be beneficial if flare gas can be recovered, instead of burning. The output of the study may have a significant impact for refineries towards both economic and sustainability towards greening. In a nutshell, this study highlights the efficacy of reducing ‘flare gas system’ towards environment-friendly ‘greening’ aspect as the core of designing.

Cost Optimization in Mega Oil & Gas Projects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ali Awwad ◽  
Ahmed Marei Al Radhi ◽  
Manoj Kumar Panigrahy ◽  
Suraj Kumar Gopal
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Cost Optimization ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Industry

Abstract Cost optimization is a continuous process in any business to drive cost reduction, while maximizing business value. Currently, cost reduction is being adopted by Oil & Gas firms as a core strategy, in order to maximize the profit margin. With global economies facing recession and wide fluctuations in energy demands, it seems low costs is becoming the safety valve for Oil & Gas companies. The oil and gas industry is under tremendous revenue and costs pressures. The indication is that globally, the oil and gas industry has experienced a huge drop in revenue in recent past. Some exploration and production oil firms have either halted or slowed down their production operations. Companies that manage their costs effectively will gain a competitive advantage. The oil market has less maneuverability with oil cartels determining the international price of oil. Project Costs are the major cost drivers of the Life Cycle costing & so Cost optimization of all mega Oil & Gas Projects became necessitated. Mega Oil & Gas projects, especially at ADNOC Offshore locations, are complex, labor-intensive and located inside Arabian Sea. These workforces are mainly from south Asian countries and so offshore sites are often subjected to the constraints of insufficient labor. These projects face multiple challenges in project management like severe weather, geographical conditions, insufficient work spaces etc. in addition to labor forces. Cost reductions are accomplished through optimization of its strong and robust project management organization, management of uncertainties, high quality engineering, and implementation of value engineering during engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) phases and effective management of changes along with key Stakeholders expectations throughout the project life cycle. This paper is based on the authors’ real life experience in implementation of many complex and mega upstream Oil & Gas projects with ADNOC Offshore who is currently leading multiple projects at DAS & Zirku islands. The most workable methods in this regard are listed here below.

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