A comparison of methods for the coupled analysis of floating structures

The dynamic analysis of a deepwater floating platform and the associated mooring/riser system should ideally be fully coupled to ensure a reliable response prediction. It is generally held that a time domain analysis is the only means of capturing the various coupling and nonlinear effects accurately. However, in recent work it has been found that for an ultra-deepwater floating system (2000m water depth), the highly efficient frequency domain approach can provide highly accurate response predictions. One reason for this is the accuracy of the drag linearization procedure over both first and second order motions, another reason is the minimal geometric nonlinearity displayed by the mooring lines in deepwater. In this paper, the aim is to develop an efficient analysis method for intermediate water depths, where both mooring/vessel coupling and geometric nonlinearity are of importance. It is found that the standard frequency domain approach is not so accurate for this case and two alternative methods are investigated. In the first, an enhanced frequency domain approach is adopted, in which line nonlinearities are linearized in a systematic way. In the second, a hybrid approach is adopted in which the low frequency motion is solved in the time domain while the high frequency motion is solved in the frequency domain; the two analyses are coupled by the fact that (i) the low frequency motion affects the mooring line geometry for the high frequency motion, and (ii) the high frequency motion affects the drag forces which damp the low frequency motion. The accuracy and efficiency of each of the methods are systematically compared. Copyright © 2007 by ASME.

The circadian oscillator gene GIGANTEA mediates a long-term response of the Arabidopsis thaliana circadian clock to sucrose.

Circadian clocks are 24-h timing devices that phase cellular responses; coordinate growth, physiology, and metabolism; and anticipate the day-night cycle. Here we report sensitivity of the Arabidopsis thaliana circadian oscillator to sucrose, providing evidence that plant metabolism can regulate circadian function. We found that the Arabidopsis circadian system is particularly sensitive to sucrose in the dark. These data suggest that there is a feedback between the molecular components that comprise the circadian oscillator and plant metabolism, with the circadian clock both regulating and being regulated by metabolism. We used also simulations within a three-loop mathematical model of the Arabidopsis circadian oscillator to identify components of the circadian clock sensitive to sucrose. The mathematical studies identified GIGANTEA (GI) as being associated with sucrose sensing. Experimental validation of this prediction demonstrated that GI is required for the full response of the circadian clock to sucrose. We demonstrate that GI acts as part of the sucrose-signaling network and propose this role permits metabolic input into circadian timing in Arabidopsis.

Modelling of long-term ground response to tunnelling under St James's Park, London

Following a tunnel excavation in low-permeability soil, it is commonly observed that the ground surface continues to settle and ground loading on the tunnel lining changes, as the pore pressures in the ground approach a new equilibrium condition. The monitored ground response following the tunnelling under St James's Park, London, shows that the mechanism of subsurface deformation is composed of three different zones: swelling, consolidation and rigid body movement. The swelling took place in a confined zone above the tunnel crown, extending vertically to approximately 5 m above it. On the sides of the tunnel, the consolidation of the soil occurred in the zone primarily within the tunnel horizon, from the shoulder to just beneath the invert, and extending laterally to a large offset from the tunnel centreline. Above these swelling and consolidation zones the soil moved downward as a rigid body. In this study, soil-fluid coupled three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to simulate the mechanism of long-term ground response monitored at St James's Park. An advanced critical state soil model, which can simulate the behaviour of London Clay in both drained and undrained conditions, was adopted for the analyses. The analysis results are discussed and compared with the field monitoring data. It is found that the observed mechanism of long-term subsurface ground and tunnel lining response at St James's Park can be simulated accurately only when stiffness anisotropy, the variation of permeability between different units within the London Clay and non-uniform drainage conditions for the tunnel lining are considered. This has important implications for future prediction of the long-term behaviour of tunnels in clays.

Explosion pressure prediction via polynomial mathematical correlation based on advanced CFD Modelling

Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD can be used as a powerful tool supporting engineers throughout the steps of the design. The combination of CFD with response surface methodology can play an important role in such cases. During the conceptual engineering design phase, a quick response is always a matter of urgency. During this phase even a sketch of the geometrical model is rare. Therefore, the utilisation of typical response surface developed for congested and confined environment rather than CFD can be an important tool to help the decision making process, when the geometrical model is not available, provided that similarities can be considered when taking into account the characteristic of the geometry in which the response surface was developed. The present work investigates how three different types of response surfaces behave when predicting overpressure in accidental scenarios based on CFD input. First order, partial second order and complete second order polynomial expressions are investigated. The predicted results are compared with CFD findings for a classical offshore experiment conducted by British Gas on behalf of Mobil and good agreement is observed for higher order response surfaces. The higher order response surface calculations are also compared with CFD calculations for a typical offshore module and good agreement is also observed. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

A comparison of two models for the vibration response of piled foundations to inertial and underground-railway-induced loadings

The vibration response of piled foundations due to ground-borne vibration produced by an underground railway is a largely-neglected area in the field of structural dynamics. However, this continues to be an important aspect of research as it is expected that the presence of piled foundations can have a significant influence on the propagation and transmission of the wavefield produced by the underground railway. This paper presents a comparison of two methods that can be employed in calculating the vibration response of a piled foundation: an efficient semi-analytical model, and a Boundary Element model. The semi-analytical model uses a column or an Euler beam to model the pile, and the soil is modelled as a linear, elastic continuum that has the geometry of a thick-walled cylinder with an infinite outer radius and an inner radius equal to the radius of the pile. The boundary element model uses a constant-element BEM formulation for the halfspace, and a rectangular discretisation of the circular pile-soil interface. The piles are modelled as Timoshenko beams. Pile-soil-pile interactions are inherently accounted for in the BEM equations, whereas in the semi-analytical model these are quantified using the superposition of interaction factors. Both models use the method of joining subsystems to incorporate the incident wavefield generated by the underground railway into the pile model. Results are computed for a single pile subject to an inertial loading, pile-soil-pile interactions, and a pile group subjected to excitation from an underground railway. The two models are compared in terms of accuracy, computation time, versatility and applicability, and guidelines for future vibration prediction models involving piled foundations are proposed.

Low-order modelling of the response of ducted flames in annular geometries

The adoption of lean premixed prevaporised combustion systems can reduce NOx emissions from gas turbines, but unfortunately also increases their susceptibility to thermoacoustic instabilities. Initially, acoustic waves can produce heat release fluctuations by a variety of mechanisms, often by perturbing the equivalence ratio. If correctly phased, heat release fluctuations can subsequently generate more acoustic waves, which at high amplitude can result in significant structural damage to the combustor. The prediction of this phenomenon is of great industrial interest. In previous work, we have coupled a physics based, kinematic model of the flame with a network model to provide the planar acoustic response necessary to close the feedback loop and predict the onset and amplitude of thermoacoustic instabilities in a lab-scale, axisymmetric single burner combustor. The advantage of a time domain approach is that the modal interaction, the influence of harmonics, and flame saturation can be investigated. This paper extends this approach to more realistic, annular geometries, where both planar and circumferential modes must be considered. In lean premixed prevaporised combustors, fluctuations in equivalence ratio have been shown to be a dominant cause of unsteady combustion. These can occur, for example, due to velocity perturbations in the premix ducts, which can lead to equivalence ratio fluctuations at the fuel injectors, which are subsequently convected downstream to the flame surfaces. Here, they can perturb the heat release by locally altering the flame speed, enthalpy of combustion, and, indirectly, the flame surface area. In many gas turbine designs, particularly aeroengines, the geometries are composed of a ring of premix ducts linking a plenum and an annular combustor. The most unstable modes are often circumferential modes. The network model is used to characterise the flow response of the geometry to heat fluctuations at an appropriate location, such as the fuel injectors. The heat release at each flame holder is determined in the time domain using the kinematic flame model derived, as a function of the flow perturbations in the premix duct. This approach is demonstrated for an annular ring of burners on a in a simple geometry. The approach is then extended to an industrial type gas turbine combustor, and used to predict the limit cycle amplitudes. Copyright © 2012 by ASME.