Application of Wide-Band Ultrasound for the Detection of Angled Crack Features in Oil and Gas Pipelines

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willem Vos ◽  
Petter Norli ◽  
Emilie Vallee
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Crack Detection ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wide Band ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Set Up

This paper describes a novel technique for the detection of cracks in pipelines. The proposed in-line inspection technique has the ability to detect crack features at random angles in the pipeline, such as axial, circumferential, and any angle in between. This ability is novel to the current ILI technology offering and will also add value by detecting cracks in deformed pipes (i.e. in dents), and cracks associated with the girth weld (mid weld cracks, rapid cooling cracks and cracks parallel to the weld). Furthermore, the technology is suitable for detection of cracks in spiral welded pipes, both parallel to the spiral weld as well as perpendicular to the weld. Integrity issues around most features described above are not addressed with ILI tools, often forcing operators to perform hydrostatic tests to ensure pipeline safety. The technology described here is based on the use of wideband ultrasound inline inspection tools that are already in operation. They are designed for the inspection of structures operating in challenging environments such as offshore pipelines. Adjustments to the front-end analog system and data collection from a grid of transducers allow the tools to detect cracks in any orientation in the line. Description of changes to the test set-up are presented as well as the theoretical background behind crack detection. Historical development of the technology will be presented, such as early laboratory testing and proof of concept. The proof of concept data will be compared to the theoretical predictions. A detailed set of results are presented. These are from tests that were performed on samples sourced from North America and Europe which contain SCC features. Results from ongoing testing will be presented, which involved large-scale testing on SCC features in gas-filled pipe spools.

scholarly journals Subsea Mechanical Dispersion (SSMD) a Possible New Option for the Oil Spill Response Toolbox?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Johan Brandvik ◽  
Daniel F. Krause ◽  
Frode Leirvik ◽  
Per S. Daling ◽  
Zach Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Oil Droplet ◽  
Mechanical Dispersion ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
Droplet Sizes ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Close Cooperation

Abstract The size distribution of oil droplets formed in subsea oil and gas blowouts is known to have a strong impact on their subsequent fate in the environment. Small droplets have low rising velocities, are more influenced by oceanographic turbulence and have larger potential for natural biodegradation. Subsea Dispersant Injection (SSDI) is an established method for achieving this goal, lowering the interfacial tension between the oil and water and significantly reducing oil droplet size. However, despite its many advantages, the use of SSDI could be limited both by logistical constraints and legislative restrictions. Adding to the toolkit a method to achieve subsea dispersion, without the use of chemicals, would therefore enhance oil spill response capability. This option is called Subsea Mechanical Dispersion (SSMD). An extensive feasibility study on SSMD has been performed and the main findings are reported in this paper. The work was initiated by BP in 2015 and later followed up by a consortium of Equinor, Total Norge, Aker BP and Lundin. The first phase explored multiple principles of generating subsea dispersions (ultrasonic, mechanical shear forces and water jetting) through both laboratory experiments and modelling. These studies clearly indicate that SSMD has an operational potential to significantly reduce oil droplet sizes from a subsea release and influence the fate and behaviour of the released oil volume. The recent work reported in this paper on operationalisation, upscaling and large-scale testing of subsea water jetting. This work is performed by SINTEF in close cooperation with Exponent (computational fluid dynamics and shear stress modelling) and Oceaneering (operationalisation and full-scale prototyping).

scholarly journals Reducing the Cost of Rapid Antigen Tests through Swab Pooling and Extraction in a Device

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Berking ◽  
Sabrina G. Lorenz ◽  
Alexander Ulrich ◽  
Joachim Greiner ◽  
Clemens Richert
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Extraction Buffer ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
Antigen Tests ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Cost Of Materials ◽  
The Cost

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic places a significant stress on the viral testing capabilities of many countries. The value of rapid point-of-care (PoC) antigen tests is becoming increasingly clear, but implementing frequent large scale testing is costly. We have developed an inexpensive device for pooling swabs, extracting specimens, and detecting viral antigens with a commercial lateral flow assay detecting the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 as antigen. The holder of the device can be produced locally through 3D printing. The extraction and the elution can be performed with the entire set-up encapsulated in a transparent bag, minimizing the risk of infection for the operator. With 6 swabs holding approx. 0.1 mL specimen each and 0.35 mL extraction buffer, 43±6 % (n= 8) of the signal for an individual extraction of a positive control standard was obtained. Image analysis still showed a signal-to-noise ratio of ≥ 7 upon further eight-fold dilution. Our current total cost of materials is below $ 2 per tested person or 20% of our cost for an individual PoC test. These findings suggest that pooling can make frequent testing more affordable for schools, universities and other institutions, without decreasing sensitivity to an unacceptable level. Further validation of the method is required.

scholarly journals Neutralising SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific antibodies persist for at least six months independently of symptoms in adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika Wagner ◽  
Angela Guzek ◽  
Johanna Ruff ◽  
Joanna Jasinska ◽  
Ute Scheikl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Kappa Coefficient ◽  
Receptor Binding Domain ◽  
Neutralising Antibodies ◽  
Specific Antibodies ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
Iga Antibodies ◽  
Set Up

Abstract Background In spring 2020, at the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Europe, we set up an assay system for large-scale testing of virus-specific and neutralising antibodies including their longevity. Methods We analysed the sera of 1655 adult employees for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies using the S1 subunit of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Sera containing S1-reactive antibodies were further evaluated for receptor-binding domain (RBD)- and nucleocapsid protein (NCP)-specific antibodies in relation to the neutralisation test (NT) results at three time points over six months. Results We detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or IgA antibodies reactive to the S1 protein in 10.15% (n = 168) of the participants. In total, 0.97% (n = 16) are positive for S1-IgG, 0.91% (n = 15) were S1-IgG- borderline and 8.28% (n = 137) exhibit only S1-IgA antibodies. Of the 168 S1-reactive sera, 8.33% (n = 14) have detectable RBD-specific antibodies and 6.55% (n = 11) NCP-specific antibodies. The latter correlates with NTs (kappa coefficient = 0.8660) but start to decline after 3 months. RBD-specific antibodies correlate most closely with the NT (kappa = 0.9448) and only these antibodies are stable for up to six months. All participants with virus-neutralising antibodies report symptoms, of which anosmia and/or dysgeusia correlate most closely with the detection of virus-neutralising antibodies. Conclusions RBD-specific antibodies are most reliably detected post-infection, independent of the number/severity of symptoms, and correlate with neutralising antibodies at least for six months. They thus qualify best for large-scale seroepidemiological evaluation of both antibody reactivity and virus neutralisation.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an OBCE Conversion Contract in a Large-scale Oil and Gas Project

2020 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 02006
Author(s):  
Ruveyda Komurlu ◽  
Akin Er
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Project Schedule ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Maximum Benefit ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Distinguishing Features

Billion-dollar investments are quite common in oil and gas industry and owners generally prefer engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contracts since they would like to minimize their risks and guarantee the most consistent project cost and shortest timeline scheme. Considering the size of contracts, owners are unsurprisingly seeking an ideal tender awarding method to avoid deviation from project schedule or budget and get the maximum benefit for them. They may prefer to award the EPC contract directly (i), have a front-end engineering design (FEED) study done first and award the EPC contract afterwards (ii), or set up a convertible contract and convert it to EPC after an open book cost estimate (OBCE) process (iii). It is a question of concern which option for large-scale oil and gas projects is the most favourable. As a case study, outcomes of a project which was administrated with a conversion type of contract will be reviewed in detail, and a number of principles based on lessons learned will be listed. Thus, the authors aim to provide a verifying approach for the interpretation of EPC conversion type contract management based on analysis of the distinguishing features of large-scale oil and gas projects.

Platelet Anti-Aggregating Activity and Tolerance of Clopidogrel in Atherosclerotic Patients

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (06) ◽  
pp. 0939-0943 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Boneu ◽  
G Destelle ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Bleeding Time ◽  
Antithrombotic Activity ◽  
Ambulatory Patients ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Ischemic Events ◽  
Large Scale Clinical Trial ◽  
Selection Of

SummaryThe anti-aggregating activity of five rising doses of clopidogrel has been compared to that of ticlopidine in atherosclerotic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the dose of clopidogrel which should be tested in a large scale clinical trial of secondary prevention of ischemic events in patients suffering from vascular manifestations of atherosclerosis [CAPRIE (Clopidogrel vs Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischemic Events) trial]. A multicenter study involving 9 haematological laboratories and 29 clinical centers was set up. One hundred and fifty ambulatory patients were randomized into one of the seven following groups: clopidogrel at doses of 10, 25, 50,75 or 100 mg OD, ticlopidine 250 mg BID or placebo. ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation tests were performed before starting treatment and after 7 and 28 days. Bleeding time was performed on days 0 and 28. Patients were seen on days 0, 7 and 28 to check the clinical and biological tolerability of the treatment. Clopidogrel exerted a dose-related inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation and bleeding time prolongation. In the presence of ADP (5 \lM) this inhibition ranged between 29% and 44% in comparison to pretreatment values. The bleeding times were prolonged by 1.5 to 1.7 times. These effects were non significantly different from those produced by ticlopidine. The clinical tolerability was good or fair in 97.5% of the patients. No haematological adverse events were recorded. These results allowed the selection of 75 mg once a day to evaluate and compare the antithrombotic activity of clopidogrel to that of aspirin in the CAPRIE trial.

Financial and Economic Support of Innovation Processes in the Russian Fuel and Energy Complex

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
L. D. Kapranova ◽  
T. V. Pogodina
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Innovative Development ◽  
Oil Reserves ◽  
Energy Complex ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Substantial Investment ◽  
The Government

The subject of the research is the current state of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) that ensures generation of a significant part of the budget and the innovative development of the economy.The purpose of the research was to establish priority directions for the development of the FEC sectors based on a comprehensive analysis of their innovative and investment activities. The dynamics of investment in the fuel and energy sector are considered. It is noted that large-scale modernization of the fuel and energy complex requires substantial investment and support from the government. The results of the government programs of corporate innovative development are analyzed. The results of the research identified innovative development priorities in the power, oil, gas and coal sectors of the fuel and energy complex. The most promising areas of innovative development in the oil and gas sector are the technologies of enhanced oil recovery; the development of hard-to-recover oil reserves; the production of liquefied natural gas and its transportation. In the power sector, the prospective areas are activities aimed at improving the performance reliability of the national energy systems and the introduction of digital technologies. Based on the research findings, it is concluded that the innovation activities in the fuel and energy complex primarily include the development of new technologies, modernization of the FEC technical base; adoption of state-of-the-art methods of coal mining and oil recovery; creating favorable economic conditions for industrial extraction of hard-to-recover reserves; transition to carbon-free fuel sources and energy carriers that can reduce energy consumption and cost as well as reducing the negative FEC impact on the environment.

ASSESSMENT OF OIL WELL PRODUCTIVITY IN LOW-PERMEABILITY RESERVOIRS IN THE FIELDS OF EASTERN SIBERIA

2017 ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
R. V. Urvantsev ◽  
S. E. Cheban
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Extraction ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Eastern Siberia ◽  
Development Costs ◽  
Traditional Fields ◽  
Low Permeability Reservoirs

The 21st century witnessed the development of the oil extraction industry in Russia due to the intensifica- tion of its production at the existing traditional fields of Western Siberia, the Volga region and other oil-extracting regions, and due discovering new oil and gas provinces. At that time the path to the development of fields in Eastern Siberia was already paved. The large-scale discoveries of a number of fields made here in the 70s-80s of the 20th century are only being developed now. The process of development itself is rather slow in view of a number of reasons. Create a problem of high cost value of oil extraction in the region. One of the major tasks is obtaining the maximum oil recovery factor while reducing the development costs. The carbonate layer lying within the Katangsky suite is low-permeability, and its inventories are categorised as hard to recover. Now, the object is at a stage of trial development,which foregrounds researches on selecting the effective methods of oil extraction.

MODELING THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM MEDIUM TO HIGH RESOLUTION

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariela Gabioux ◽  
Vladimir Santos da Costa ◽  
Joao Marcos Azevedo Correia de Souza ◽  
Bruna Faria de Oliveira ◽  
Afonso De Moraes Paiva
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Surface Relaxation ◽  
The South ◽  
Small Surface ◽  
Basic Model ◽  
Basic Set ◽  
Set Up

Results of the basic model configuration of the REMO project, a Brazilian approach towards operational oceanography, are discussed. This configuration consists basically of a high-resolution eddy-resolving, 1/12 degree model for the Metarea V, nested in a medium-resolution eddy-permitting, 1/4 degree model of the Atlantic Ocean. These simulations performed with HYCOM model, aim for: a) creating a basic set-up for implementation of assimilation techniques leading to ocean prediction; b) the development of hydrodynamics bases for environmental studies; c) providing boundary conditions for regional domains with increased resolution. The 1/4 degree simulation was able to simulate realistic equatorial and south Atlantic large scale circulation, both the wind-driven and the thermohaline components. The high resolution simulation was able to generate mesoscale and represent well the variability pattern within the Metarea V domain. The BC mean transport values were well represented in the southwestern region (between Vitória-Trinidade sea mount and 29S), in contrast to higher latitudes (higher than 30S) where it was slightly underestimated. Important issues for the simulation of the South Atlantic with high resolution are discussed, like the ideal place for boundaries, improvements in the bathymetric representation and the control of bias SST, by the introducing of a small surface relaxation. In order to make a preliminary assessment of the model behavior when submitted to data assimilation, the Cooper & Haines (1996) method was used to extrapolate SSH anomalies fields to deeper layers every 7 days, with encouraging results.

scholarly journals Vibration characteristics of triple-gear-rotor system in compressed air energy storage under variable torque load

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 003685042098705
Author(s):  
Xinran Wang ◽  
Yangli Zhu ◽  
Wen Li ◽  
Dongxu Hu ◽  
Xuehui Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Rotor System ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
System Response ◽  
Rotating Speed ◽  
Torque Load ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Two Stages

This paper focuses on the effects of the off-design operation of CAES on the dynamic characteristics of the triple-gear-rotor system. A finite element model of the system is set up with unbalanced excitations, torque load excitations, and backlash which lead to variations of tooth contact status. An experiment is carried out to verify the accuracy of the mathematical model. The results show that when the system is subjected to large-scale torque load lifting at a high rotating speed, it has two stages of relatively strong periodicity when the torque load is light, and of chaotic when the torque load is heavy, with the transition between the two states being relatively quick and violent. The analysis of the three-dimensional acceleration spectrum and the meshing force shows that the variation in the meshing state and the fluctuation of the meshing force is the basic reasons for the variation in the system response with the torque load. In addition, the three rotors in the triple-gear-rotor system studied show a strong similarity in the meshing states and meshing force fluctuations, which result in the similarity in the dynamic responses of the three rotors.

scholarly journals Environmental Engineering Techniques to Restore Degraded Posidonia oceanica Meadows

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 661
Author(s):  
Luigi Piazzi ◽  
Stefano Acunto ◽  
Francesca Frau ◽  
Fabrizio Atzori ◽  
Maria Francesca Cinti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Environmental Engineering ◽  
Bottom Surface ◽  
Sessile Invertebrates ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Short Time

Seagrass planting techniques have shown to be an effective tool for restoring degraded meadows and ecosystem function. In the Mediterranean Sea, most restoration efforts have been addressed to the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica, but cost-benefit analyses have shown unpromising results. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of environmental engineering techniques generally employed in terrestrial systems to restore the P. oceanica meadows: two different restoration efforts were considered, either exploring non-degradable mats or, for the first time, degradable mats. Both of them provided encouraging results, as the loss of transplanting plots was null or very low and the survival of cuttings stabilized to about 50%. Data collected are to be considered positive as the survived cuttings are enough to allow the future spread of the patches. The utilized techniques provided a cost-effective restoration tool likely affordable for large-scale projects, as the methods allowed to set up a wide bottom surface to restore in a relatively short time without any particular expensive device. Moreover, the mats, comparing with other anchoring methods, enhanced the colonization of other organisms such as macroalgae and sessile invertebrates, contributing to generate a natural habitat.

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