ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT OF WEATHER CRITERION FOR SHIPS WITH LARGE BREADTH AND DRAUGHT RATIOS BY A MODEL EXPERIMENT: A CASE STUDY ON AN INDONESIAN RO-RO FERRY

The weather criterion is one of stability criteria to verify ability of a ships to withstand the combined effects of severe wind and rolling criteria in dead ship condition. An overestimated roll angle is obtained when the weather criterion is applied to ships with breadth and draught ratios larger than 3.50 and ratios between vertical centre of gravity and draught larger than 1.50. This paper discusses the assessment of weather criterion for an Indonesian ro-ro ferry by model experiments. The drift test is performed in four wave steepnesses with wave frequencies near the roll natural frequency. The maximum roll amplitude is used to calculate the effective wave slope coefficient correponding to the wave steepness, with Bertin’s coefficient obtained by the roll decay test. The damping factors correspond to the breadth and draught ratio as well as the bilge keel contribution are determined using the formula of weather criterion with the roll angle obtained by the Japanese formula with a correction factor of 0.70 due to the irregularity of waves. The obtained effective wave slope coefficient and the damping factors due to breadth and draught ratio and the bilge keel are smaller than those used in the weather criterion.

Monitoring of the Operating Membrane Condition Using PZT Based EMI of External Steel Pipe

Membrane systems are increasingly being used for treating water, wastewater, and reused water. However, membrane damage can decrease removal efficiency and hinder downstream applicability. Thus, the operating conditions of the membrane should be monitored. This study monitored the operating conditions of the membrane using lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) measurements in an external air pipe. Pilot-scale tests were performed to verify the performance of the proposed method. A pressure decay test (PDT) was performed using a PZT-attached air pipe, in which the pressure was measured using PZT, and a pressure gauge was employed to measure the reference pressure. The EMI signals changed according to the variations in the pressure inside the steel air pipe. To index the signal variation, the amplitude of the major peak was extracted and compared with the reference pressure. The amplitude of the major peak was inversely proportional to the pressure change. The pressure estimation equation was derived using a linear regression between the amplitudes of the major peak and the reference pressures. According to the results, the proposed monitoring system that utilizes the EMI of an external steel pipe is a potential solution to improve the sensitivity and speed of the PDT.

A numerical study of the hydrodynamics of an offshore fish farm using REEF3D

In this paper, the hydrodynamics of and non-linear interaction between the large offshore fish farm “ShenLan 1” and regular waves are investigated using the open-source CFD toolbox REEF3D. The framework consists of a rigid body dynamics solver for the frame structure coupled to a fluid solver including the shielding effects of the nets. The solver and grid independence are validated using a 2D numerical wave tank, a free decay test and a study of the wave loads on a rigid net panel. Then, the effects of regular wave parameters, the thickness of the vertical outer columns of the structure, and the variations of the aspect ratios on the loads, responses and maximum mooring tension forces are studied. It is concluded that the response motion is sensitive to the wave period rather than the wave height due to the longer duration of unidirectional wave loads acting on the frame. The frequent events of partial submersions and wave overtopping in rather steep waves are confirmed through the capturing of the free surface. The net system accounts for about 30% of the total drag but does not influence the structural response to a larger extend. The effect of the aspect ratio on the hydrodynamics is more distinct than that of the frame thickness. As a result of the study, the first step towards a systemic evaluation of the importance of different structural parts of an offshore fish cage for the expected responses is provided.

Economically Feasible Wood Biopreservation Platform in Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. Against Wood Rotting Fungus Through Bio-Prospecting Weed Extracts

As an alternative to synthetic preservatives, the use of plant-based, environmentally sustainable preservatives for wood protection has tremendous potential. The current research analyzed the dimensional stability and longevity of Lannea coromandelica wood using weed extracts viz. Lantana camara L. and Ageratum conyzoides L., respectively. Petroleum ether (PE) and methanolic weed extracts were used to treat wood blocks (5 cm × 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm) at varying concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 2.00%. The PE extract of A. conyzoides resulted in maximum swelling (tangential plane, 6.30%) at 2.00%, volumetric swelling coefficient (13.17%) at 1.50%, and volumetric shrinkage coefficient (7.71%) at 1.00% concentration, while maximum shrinkage (tangential plane, 4.10%) in methanol (M) extract was observed. In L. camara methanolic extract (1.00%), maximum anti-shrink efficiency (37.01%) was recorded. In vitro mycelial growth of the wood-rotting fungus was completely inhibited by PE extract from both weeds. However, the methanolic extract of A. conyzoides resulted in maximal inhibition (75.93%) at a concentration of 2.00%. Also, PE extract (2.00%) of A. conyzoides reduced the fungal colonization to 50%, as compared with control. The lowest weight loss (decay test, 12 weeks) was observed at a 2.00% concentration of L. camara PE extract. The present research highlighted that both A. conyzoides and L. camara could be used as an environmentally sustainable wood preservative substitute that will encourage the utilization of L. coromandelica in wood-based industries.

A Numerical Study of the Hydrodynamics of an Offshore Fish Farm Using REEF3D

In this paper, the CFD framework REEF3D is utilized to investigate the hydrodynamics of a large offshore fish farm in waves. The solver consists of a rigid body dynamics solver for the frame structure coupled to a fluid solver including the shielding effects of the nets. The solver and the grid independence are validated using a 2D numerical wave tank, a free decay test, and a study of the wave loads on a rigid net panel. Then, the effects of regular wave parameters, the thickness of the vertical outer columns of the structure, and varies aspect ratios on the loads, response and maximum mooring tensions are investigated. It is concluded that the response is sensitive to the wave period rather than the wave height and that the net system accounts for about 30% of the total drag but does not influence the structural response to a larger extend. The effect of the aspect ratio on the hydrodynamics is more distinct than that of the frame thickness especially. Thus, the first step towards a systemic evaluation of the importance of different structural parts of an offshore fish cage for the expected responses is presented in this paper.

Stapedial Reflex: A Possible Novel Biomarker of Early Bulbar Involvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients

<b><i>Background and Aim:</i></b> Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular progressive disorder, characterized by limb and bulbar muscle wasting and weakness. 30% of patients present a bulbar onset, while 70% a spinal outbreak, although most of them develop bulbar impairment later on. Due to the lack of an early biomarker of bulbar involvement, we chose to evaluate the role of stapedial reflex (SR) in order to predict preclinical bulbar impairment in ALS. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> We enrolled 36 ALS patients. We assessed revised-ALS functional-rating-scale and SR for a total of 4 visits. We established the presence of SR, acoustic reflex latency test (ARLT), and SRs Decay. Patients who had not develop bulbar signs at fourth visit continued follow-up up to 15 months. Data were analyzed by using Mann-Whitney U test, Friedman test, and Cox regression analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We observed that SRs Decay at 500 and 1,000 Hz is the first parameter of SR to get altered in all ALS patients before the development of bulbar impairment. Twenty-eight patients developed bulbar impairment during the study. We highlighted a correlation between the progression rate of disease and both time of SRs Decay alteration and time of bulbar impairment from disease onset. Four patients who did not develop bulbar impairment had a progression rate lower than the other ones (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). <b><i>Discussion and Conclusions:</i></b> This study shows that SR Decay test could be a sensitive measure for detecting pre-symptomatic bulbar involvement in ALS and could represent a simple, noninvasive, and useful biomarker of disease progression.

Heave Motion of a Vertical Cylinder with Heave Plates

The shape of a vertical cylinder resembles the classic form of a spar platform. Spar platforms are floating platforms that are successfully used in waters of great depths and have several advantages that mean they are readily used in the oil industry. Many of these advantages are also relevant to their application for offshore wind turbines, which is currently being considered. In the hydrodynamic analysis of spar platforms, the determination of their hydrodynamic coefficients plays an important role. They can be determined based on the free decay test. The study presents a method for determining the hydrodynamic coefficients of an object based on the free decay test. The results of free oscillation calculations with the help of numerical fluid mechanics tools are presented and compared with the results of the experiment and analytical solution. The application of determined coefficients and their significance for floating platforms are discussed. The influence of change in the form of an additional damping element on the behaviour of spar structures is shown.

Characterizing Fungal Decay of Beech Wood: Potential for Biotechnological Applications

The biotechnological potential of nine decay fungi collected from stored beech logs at a pulp and paper factory yard in Northern Iran was investigated. Beech blocks exposed to the fungi in a laboratory decay test were used to study changes in cell wall chemistry using both wet chemistry and spectroscopic methods. Pleurotus ostreatus, P. pulmonarius, and Lentinus sajor-caju caused greater lignin breakdown compared to other white-rot fungi, which led to a 28% reduction in refining energy. Trametesversicolor caused the greatest glucan loss, while P. ostreatus and L. sajor-caju were associated with the lowest losses of this sugar. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that white-rot fungi caused greater lignin degradation in the cell walls via the oxidation aromatic rings, confirming the chemical analysis. The rate of cellulose and lignin degradation by the T.versicolor and Pleurotus species was high compared to the other decay fungi analyzed in this study. Based on the above information, we propose that, among the fungi tested, P. ostreatus (27.42% lignin loss and 1.58% cellulose loss) and L. sajor-caju (29.92% lignin loss and 5.95% cellulose loss) have the greatest potential for biopulping.