Secure Launch of Lifeboats in Cold Climate: Looking Into Requirements for Winterization

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steinar Torheim ◽  
Ove T. Gudmestad
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Maintenance Program ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Polar Low ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
New Guidelines ◽  
Challenging Situation

In this paper we will look closer into the secure launching of lifeboats from the Diving Support Vessel (DSV) “Seven Havila” in cold climate. Further we will look into requirements for winterization of such equipment. An overview of the vessel, the davits and other launching equipment will be included and critical components in the system will be discussed, viewed in the light of secure launching and winterization. This paper will define some of the environmental challenges coming from meteorological conditions when operating in cold climate regions. In this respect, particular focus will be drawn to challenges related to Polar Low Pressures and icing. These are conditions relevant for the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea where the vessel is likely to operate. The paper will then look into possible winterization measures that can have a positive effect when it comes to protecting the launching equipment against icing. The most challenging situation will be the spray ice coming from waves and wind and this will also have the highest focus. In addition to installed winterization measures, known ice removal measures/methods will be looked at. Finally a discussion will be presented based on the investigations and information produced. For the “Seven Havila” the most likely season for operation in arctic/cold climate areas will not be during wintertime. However, to be prepared for operations in cold climate, lifeboat launching equipment must be winterized for the physical environmental conditions it is exposed to. Evacuation equipment must at all times be functional and collecting data and performing thorough analysis of the operational conditions is essential to define the winterization requirements. The lifeboats and the launching equipment on the “Seven Havila” are already partly protected by their location in compartments. Additionally, the most effective way of preventing sea-spray and thereby also icing, will be by closing the compartments. Different kinds of removable covers may be considered. In the ship operation industry there is a need for amendments to the existing winterization guidelines and new “Guidelines for Ships Operating in Polar Waters” to define the requirements for such. For the life saving equipment in particular, the guidelines should include the temperature requirements for different operational seasons. It is, furthermore, important to have a close look at the training programme of personnel and the operational preparations and maintenance program for equipment to evaluate if improvements are required for operations in cold climate.

Planning for Construction Work in Cold Climate Regions

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove T. Gudmestad ◽  
Daniel Karunakaran
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Polar Low

With increased interests in oil and gas exploration in cold climate regions, it is not realistic that all construction activities can take place during the short summer and work will continue into the early fall and possibly later. The offshore contractors must, therefore, be ready to participate in construction work in these regions during an extended season, i.e. outside the summer season with milder weather conditions. It is also important that some key work-intensive activities (e.g. pipe laying) can start as early as possible in the season. This paper will discuss the challenges associated with construction work in cold climate regions with emphasis on the physical conditions, in particular with reference to Polar Low Pressures and the potential for icing, as well as the logistics of working long distances from established supply bases. Large uncertainties in weather forecasts call for proper management decisions accounting for the specifics of the area. Long periods of “waiting on weather” might result and management must have the patience to wait until safe operations can commence. Emphasis will be on the Barents Sea where recent hydrocarbon findings have proven very encouraging and where a huge area soon will be opened for exploration, following the agreement on the border between Norway and Russia, potentially calling for joint Norwegian–Russian construction projects (Bulakh et al., 2011).

Safety at Sea: Improving Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations in the Barents Sea

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tor Einar Berg ◽  
Even Ambros Holte ◽  
Grethe Osborg Ose ◽  
Hilde Færevik
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Safe Haven ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Future Search

In this paper, we select some of the crucial issues for future search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Barents Sea. The different nations that are involved and the resources necessary to build emergency preparedness due to the climatic conditions are thus important factors. This paper summarizes the state of the art within these areas while also indicating future development needs. The special requirements for life saving equipment on vessels due to the climate and requirement on personal protective equipment related to accidental immersion are also essential and thus presented in this paper. In addition, safe haven designs where the vessel itself is designed to provide shelter for personnel in distress is also a topic chosen to be addressed.

Impacts of Cold Climate Environmental Conditions on a Riser System Design and Installation

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adekunle Peter Orimolade ◽  
Ove Tobias Gudmestad
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Climate Region ◽  
Probability Of Occurrence ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Development Concept

Interests in exploration and production of oil and gas in cold climate areas has increased in recent times. This can be attributed to the continual depletion of reserves in mature fields, and recent discoveries of large quantities of oil and gas in the cold climate region, including the more recent discovery of the Alta Reservoir, in the Barents Sea. However, marine operations in this region are faced with challenges resulting from its arctic conditions. Knowledge of the physical environment is important in designing offshore structures, and in planning, and executing marine operations. Selection of a suitable field development concept may be influenced by the probability of occurrence of rare events, such as drifting icebergs. Furthermore, occurrence of mesoscale phenomenon such as polar low pressures may adversely affect planned marine operations. In addition, uncertainties in weather forecasting will reflect on the available weather window to perform installation and interventions works. This paper presents some of the challenges in designing and planning for marine operations in the cold climate region. A possible field development concept for the open water areas of the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea is discussed. The current research work considers the need for further assessment of the probability of occurrence of drifting icebergs as of importance when selecting field development concept. The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) is proposed, and this should be designed with an internal turret system that can be disconnected and reconnected. Some of the challenges associated with riser systems design when considering a turret system with the capability to disconnect and reconnect are discussed. This paper also propose the use of ensemble forecasts as an alternative to the use of alpha factors to estimate operational weather window when planning for marine operations in the Barents Sea. The unpredictability nature of the environmental conditions, especially in the early winter is considered a challenge to marine operations.

Design Aspects of Breakwaters for Cold Climate Oil and Gas Terminals

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Jimenez Puente ◽  
Ove Tobias Gudmestad
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Wave Period ◽  
Wave Parameter ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Mean Wave Period ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Selection For

This paper focuses on design aspects regarding breakwaters for cold climate terminals, in particular, the different types of berm breakwaters, their stability, armour mobility criteria and armour size. A methodology is analyzed in order to determine the mean weight of the heaviest armour class as a function of wave parameters such as the significant wave height and the mean wave period, both for non-reshaping and reshaping stable berm breakwaters. The influence of the wave period on the stone mass required will be of special importance in the discussion. This methodology will enable us to determine the required median armour weight for a specific wave parameter, being easily able to compare the feasibility of different concepts or availability of the required stone size at the location. As a case study, the breakwater selection for the Melkøya terminal in the Norwegian Barents Sea, is assessed through a comparison of the necessary armour unit masses for the different berm breakwaters. The armour mobility criteria currently established is reviewed and a recommendation for an updated criterion for the statically stable non-reshaped berm breakwater category is proposed.

scholarly journals Case Report: Remdesivir and Convalescent Plasma in a Newly Acute B Lymphoblastic Leukemia Diagnosis With Concomitant Sars-CoV-2 Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Battista Dell'Isola ◽  
Matteo Felicioni ◽  
Luigi Ferraro ◽  
Ilaria Capolsini ◽  
Carla Cerri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Immunosuppressive Treatment ◽  
Pulmonary Involvement ◽  
Severe Neutropenia ◽  
Rapid Resolution ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Leukemia Diagnosis ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Challenging Situation

Introduction: The spread of Covid-19 has worsened the prognosis of oncology patients, interrupting or delaying life-saving therapies and contextually increasing the risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent cancer in pediatric age and the management of this disease with concomitant SARS-COV-2 infection represents a challenging situation.Case presentation: We present the case of a 6-year-old female newly diagnosed with ALL during a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our patient was admitted 20 days after SARS-CoV-2 detection for evening-rise fever. Laboratory testing showed severe neutropenia while chest x-ray detected moderate pulmonary involvement. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis was made through morphological and molecular analysis on bone marrow aspirate. Given the stability of the blood count and clinical conditions, antiviral therapy with Remdesivir and Convalescent Plasma was started before antileukemic treatment, obtaining a rapid resolution of the infection.Conclusion: In our experience, the treatment with Remdesivir and Convalescent Plasma led to a rapid resolution of Sars-Cov-2 infection. Our case did not present any adverse event to the therapy. Thus, this treatment could be considered in patients with malignancies, in order to accelerate the resolution of the infection and begin immunosuppressive treatment safely. Further studies are required to confirm this hypothesis.

NUMERICAL MODELING OF POLAR LOWS OVER THE BARENTS SEA: IMPACT OF WRF PARAMETRIZATIONS ON THE QUALITY OF FORECAST.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonina Polezhayeva ◽  
Antonina Polezhayeva
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Numerical Experiments ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Polar Lows ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Polar Low ◽  
Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization ◽  
The Impact

Polar lows are generally characterized by severe weather in the form of strong winds, showers and occasionally heavy snow, which have sometimes resulted in the loss of life, especially at sea. Numerical simulations with mesoscale atmospheric models is a good alternative to investigate polar low phenomenon, because they produce temporally and spatially regular-spaced fields of atmospheric variables with high resolution. To describe the evolution of atmospheric processes the Advanced Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model was used. The principal objectives of this study were 1) the understanding of mesoscale WRF model and adapting the model for the Barents Sea region; 2) to conduct numerical experiments using WRF model with different Planetary Boundary Layer parameterization (PBLs) schemes and investigate the impact of each scheme on the quality of forecast; and 3) the investigation of the capability of WRF model to successfully simulate evolution of polar lows. The impact on the quality of forecast was investigated. The results of the study, obtained by numerical modeling of polar mesoscale low over the Barents Sea. One polar low, near Spitsbergen, from 24 of March to 26 of March 2014 were targeted. The results of numerical experiments showed that each of Planetary Boundary Layer parameterization scheme isn't successful for simulation of polar low.

scholarly journals Polar Lows over the Nordic Seas: Improved Representation in ERA-Interim Compared to ERA-40 and the Impact on Downscaled Simulations

2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
pp. 2271-2289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibaut Laffineur ◽  
Chantal Claud ◽  
Jean-Pierre Chaboureau ◽  
Gunnar Noer
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Polar Lows ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Short Life Span ◽  
Synoptic Conditions ◽  
Polar Low ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Polar lows are intense high-latitude mesocyclones that form during the cold season over open sea. Their relatively small-scale and short life span lead to a rather poor representation in model outputs and meteorological reanalyses. In this paper, the ability of the Interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) to represent polar lows over the Norwegian and Barents Sea is assessed, and a comparison with the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) is provided for three cold seasons (1999–2000 until 2001–02). A better representation in ERA-Interim is found, with 13 systems captured out of the 29 observed, against 6 in the case of ERA-40. Reasons for the lack of representation are identified. Unexpectedly, the representation of different polar low sizes does not appear to be linked to the resolution. Rather, it is the representation of synoptic conditions that appears to be essential. In a second part, a downscaling is conducted using the mesoscale model Méso-NH. For each observed polar low, a pair of simulations is performed: one initialized by ERA-Interim and the other one by ERA-40. An improvement is noted with 22 polar lows represented when ERA-Interim is used. Through a model-to-satellite approach, it is shown that even if polar lows are simulated, convective processes remain insufficiently represented. Wind speeds, which were underestimated in reanalyses, are nevertheless more realistic in the Méso-NH simulations. These results are supported by a spectral analysis of reanalyses and Méso-NH fields.

Neural Network Models for Usage Based Remaining Life Computation

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Girija Parthasarathy ◽  
Sunil Menon ◽  
Kurt Richardson ◽  
Ahsan Jameel ◽  
Dawn McNamee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Computation Time ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Neural Network Models ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Actual Operating ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Stress Models ◽  
Work Done

In engine structural life computations, it is common practice to assign a life of certain number of start-stop cycles based on a standard flight or mission. This is done during design through detailed calculations of stresses and temperatures for a standard flight, and the use of material property and failure models. The limitation of the design phase stress and temperature calculations is that they cannot take into account actual operating temperatures and stresses. This limitation results in either very conservative life estimates and subsequent wastage of good components, or in catastrophic damage because of highly aggressive operational conditions which were not accounted for in design. In order to improve significantly the accuracy of the life prediction, the component temperatures and stresses need to be computed for actual operating conditions. However, thermal and stress models are very detailed and complex, and it could take on the order of a few hours to complete a stress and temperature simulation of critical components for a flight. The objective of this work is to develop dynamic neural network models, that would enable us to compute the stresses and temperatures at critical locations, in orders of magnitude less computation time than required by more detailed thermal and stress models. This work expands on the work done previously [1] where a linear system identification approach was developed. The current paper describes the development of a neural network model and the temperature results achieved in comparison with the original models for Honeywell turbine and compressor components. Given certain inputs such as engine speed and gas temperatures for the flight, the models compute the component critical location temperatures for the same flight in a very small fraction of time it would take the original thermal model to compute.

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