Construction of a thermal demagnetization oven, and investigations on the Matahina ignimbrite

<p>A non-magnetic oven, and its ancillary equipment have been constructed and used to study magnetic properties of the Matahina ignimbrite, for which the following results have been established: 1. The directions of magnetization do not alter on heating in the oven. 2. The ignimbrite may be divided into sheets on the basis of magnetic properties. 3. Geological faulting has been revealed by divergent magnetization directions. 4. The T.R.M. acquired in the present earth's field is much greater than the N.R.M. This is possibly due to changes in minerals in the rock, either in the field since the rock was deposited, or on heating in the laboratory.</p>

Construction of a thermal demagnetization oven, and investigations on the Matahina ignimbrite

<p>A non-magnetic oven, and its ancillary equipment have been constructed and used to study magnetic properties of the Matahina ignimbrite, for which the following results have been established: 1. The directions of magnetization do not alter on heating in the oven. 2. The ignimbrite may be divided into sheets on the basis of magnetic properties. 3. Geological faulting has been revealed by divergent magnetization directions. 4. The T.R.M. acquired in the present earth's field is much greater than the N.R.M. This is possibly due to changes in minerals in the rock, either in the field since the rock was deposited, or on heating in the laboratory.</p>

Floating Substations for Commercial-Scale Floating Windfarms

As floating wind farms move from pilot projects to commercial-scale installations they will move further offshore and into deeper water. There will be a requirement for offshore substations to deliver the electricity to shore, for which floating support structures will be the preferred solution. This paper describes the challenges and development of solutions for commercial-scale HVAC and HVDC floating offshore substations. Two different floating substation concepts have been developed. Layouts for the electrical and ancillary equipment were initially developed, to enable efficient packaging and structural efficiency for the topsides. By integrating the hull and topsides, the overall mass of the structure is minimised, benefitting stability and reducing hull size. Hydrodynamic analysis of the substructures was performed and structural code checks on the hull and topsides were carried out in Sesam. Mooring designs for each structure for 250m water depth have been developed and analysed in Orcaflex. It is likely that alternating current (HVAC) export to shore will be used for shorter transmission distances and direct current (HVDC) will be used for longer transmission distances. HVDC and HVAC floating substations will have quite different hull forms. The larger topsides footprint and greater mass of the HVDC conversion equipment make a conventional semi-submersible hull form efficient when allied to a stressed-skin topsides structure. The smaller footprint, lighter weight and differing requirements for protection from the elements of the HVAC topsides make this inefficient, so a deep draught semi-submersible with a hybrid topsides is the preferred solution. It is concluded that floating substations suitable for large, commercial-scale wind farms will be the chosen solution for anything other than shallow water or close to shore.

Experimental Study of a Coil Type Steam Boiler Operated on an Oil Field in the Subarctic Continental Climate

Transportable boiler plants are widespread in the northern regions of the Russian Federation and have a large and stable demand in various spheres of life. The equipment used and the schemes of existing boiler plants are outdated—they require replacement and modernization. Our proposed new installation includes a coil type steam boiler and ancillary equipment designed with the identified deficiencies in mind. The steam boiler coils are coaxial cylinders. The scope of the modernized transportable boiler plant is an oil field in the subarctic continental climate. The work is aimed at completing an experimental and theoretical study of the operation of a coil type steam boilers under real operating conditions. Experimental data on the operation of boiler plants are presented. The dependences of the fuel consumption of boiler plants on the temperature and pressure of the coolant are obtained. Statistical analysis is applied to the collected data. Conclusions are formulated and a promising direction is laid out for further research and improvement of coil type steam boilers. Equations are proposed for calculating the convective component of radiant-convective heat transfer in gas ducts, taking into account the design features of boiler units by introducing new correction factors. Comparison of the calculated and experimental data showed their satisfactory agreement.

Setting up and operating a cryo-EM laboratory

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become the technique of choice for structural biology of macromolecular assemblies, after the ‘resolution revolution’ that has occurred in this field since 2012. With a suitable instrument, an appropriate electron detector and, last but not least, a cooperative sample it is now possible to collect images from which macromolecular structures can be determined to better than 2 Å resolution, where reliable atomic models can be built. By electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging of cryo-samples, it is also possible to reconstruct subcellular structures to sub-nanometre resolution. This review describes the infrastructure that is needed to achieve this goal. Ideally, a cryo-EM lab will have a dedicated 300 kV electron microscope for data recording and a 200 kV instrument for screening cryo-samples, both with direct electron detectors, and at least one 120 kV EM for negative-stain screening at room temperature. Added to this should be ancillary equipment for specimen preparation, including a light microscope, carbon coater, plasma cleaner, glow discharge unit, a device for fast, robotic sample freezing, liquid nitrogen storage Dewars and a ready supply of clean liquid nitrogen. In practice, of course, the available budget will determine the number and types of microscopes and how elaborate the lab can be. The cryo-EM lab should be designed with adequate space for the electron microscopes and ancillary equipment, and should allow for sufficient storage space. Each electron microscope room should be connected to the image-processing computers by fibre-optic cables for the rapid transfer of large datasets. The cryo-EM lab should be overseen by a facility manager whose responsibilities include the day-to-day tasks to ensure that all microscopes are operating perfectly, organising service and repairs to minimise downtime, and controlling the budget. Large facilities will require additional support staff who help to oversee the operation of the facility and instruct new users.

Dynamic Flexible Riser Ancillary Equipment—North Sea Asset Integrity Management Experience and Lessons Learned

Dynamic flexible risers are complex engineered systems, which provide a connection between topside (normally floating) facilities and subsea pipeline infrastructure on offshore oilfields. Such systems require the use of ancillary equipment to ensure the riser’s correct configuration is maintained throughout the service life. Industry experience shows that the integrity management of riser ancillary equipment is not always comprehensive, and failure of such equipment is one of the causes of premature removal of flexible risers from service. This article presents some case studies from the operational experience of dynamic flexible risers by an operator in the UK North Sea covering a period of approximately 20 years. The case studies look at the anomalies identified in service by general visual inspection (GVI) using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and the lessons learned. Some of the anomalies, had they not been identified and addressed promptly, could have resulted in costly repairs, which demonstrates the importance of inspecting the ancillary equipment of flexible risers as a part of the riser integrity management strategy. The challenges associated with integrity management of ancillary equipment of dynamic flexible risers are also discussed. The case studies presented in this article demonstrate that ROV GVI is an effective method for identifying installation and in-service anomalies related to flexible riser ancillary equipment. The purpose of this article is to share lessons learned with the wider offshore oil and gas community. It is also believed that the information presented in this article may provide useful information to other users of dynamic flexible riser systems when developing and/or implementing their subsea pipelines integrity management programs.

Online Monitoring of Partial Discharges in Power Transformers Using Capacitive Coupling in the Tap of Condenser Bushings

Failures in power transformers are one of the most serious occurrences in a power system. Thus, the monitoring of transformers and their ancillary equipment, such as bushings, is of great importance to improving the operational efficiency of these assets. In this context, this paper presents the development of a monitoring system for the measurement of partial discharges (PDs), which are a key parameter in the analysis of insulation condition. PD measurements were performed using the electrical method. For this purpose, a capacitive coupling device was developed for bushings that works as a sensor for high-frequency signals and also as a protection apparatus to guarantee the integrity of the bushings in cases of extreme events, such as lightning surges. In addition, a computational routine is presented that applies a digital filtering process followed by a proposed step for differentiating PDs from noises. For validation, the proposed system was subjected to laboratory tests and field applications, from which the viability of the project and the efficiency in detecting PDs were verified.

VERIFICATION, CALIBRATION AND CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT OF ROTATING LASERS APPLIED IN BUILDING AND SURVEYING MEASUREMENT TASKS

This paper specifies field procedures described by international norm ISO 17123-6, to be adoptedwhen determining and evaluating the quality of rotating lasers and their ancillary equipment whenused in building and surveying measurements for levelling tasks. It will be shown analysis andstatistical tests in order to check the conformity of the equipment with the selected specifications.Also, this paper will promote the leveling systems delivered for complete quality verification ofrotating lasers, as an automated reference laboratory system.

The Contribution of the Segovia Mint Factory to the History of Manufacturing as an Example of Mass Production in the 16th Century

A new means of minting currency was first used at the Hall Mint in Tyrol in 1567. This new minting process employed a roller instead of a hammer and used hydropower to fuel the laminating and coining mills, as well as ancillary equipment, such as the forge or the lathe. In 1577, Philip II of Spain expressed his interest in the new technology and, after a successful technology transfer negotiation with the County of Tyrol, Juan de Herrera was commissioned to design a factory to accommodate this new minting process. The resulting design seamlessly integrated this new technology. The architectural layout of the factory was derived from the integration of different trades related to the manufacturing workflow, and their effective distribution within a more effective workplace allowed for better use of the hydraulic resources available, and, thus, improvements in the productivity and reliability of the manufacturing process, as well as in the quality of the finished product. Juan de Herrera’s design led to the creation of a ground-breaking manufacturing process, unparalleled in the mint industry in Europe at the time. Segovia Royal Mint Factory (SRMF), as one of the first examples of mass production in the proto-industrial stage, represents a historic landmark in its own right. The objective of this article is to analyse the design of the SRMF to highlight its main innovations. For this purpose, the abundant literature on this project will be reviewed.