Efficient truncation scheme for modeling deepwater mooring lines

This paper is aimed at enabling the confident use of existing model test facilities for ultra deepwater application without having to compromise on the widely accepted range of scales currently used by the floating production industry. Passive line truncation has traditionally been the preferred method of creating an equivalent numerical model at reduced depth; however, these techniques tend to suffer in capturing accurately line dynamic response and so reproducing peak tensions. In an attempt to improve credibility of model test data the proposed truncation procedure sets up the truncated model, based on line dynamic response rather than quasi-static system stiffness. The upper sections of each line are modeled in detail, capturing the wave action zone and all coupling effects with the vessel. These terminate to an approximate analytical model that aims to simulate the remainder of the line. Stages 1 & 2 are used to derive a water depth truncation ratio. Here vibration decay of transverse elastic waves is assessed and it is found that below a certain length criterion, the transverse vibrational characteristics for each line are inertia driven, hence with respect to these motions the truncated model can assume a linear damper whose coefficient depends on the local line properties and vibration frequency. Stage 3 endeavors to match the individual line stiffness between the full depth and truncated models. In deepwater it is likely that taut polyester moorings will be used which are predominantly straight and have high axial stiffness that provides the principal restoring force to static and low frequency vessel motions. Consequently, it means that the natural frequencies of axial vibrations are above the typical wave frequency range allowing for a quasi-static solution. In cases of exceptionally large wave frequency vessel motions, localized curvature at the chain seabed segment and tangential skin drag on the polyester rope can increase dynamic peak tensions considerably. The focus of this paper is to develop an efficient scheme based on analytic formulation, for replicating these forces at the truncation. The paper will close with an example case study of a single mooring under extreme conditions that replicates exactly the static and dynamic characteristics of the full depth line. Copyright © 2012 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).

Training and assignment of multi-skilled workers for implementing seru production systems

Confronted with high variety and low volume market demands, many companies, especially the Japanese electronics manufacturing companies, have reconfigured their conveyor assembly lines and adopted seru production systems. Seru production system is a new type of work-cell-based manufacturing system. A lot of successful practices and experience show that seru production system can gain considerable flexibility of job shop and high efficiency of conveyor assembly line. In implementing seru production, the multi-skilled worker is the most important precondition, and some issues about multi-skilled workers are central and foremost. In this paper, we investigate the training and assignment problem of workers when a conveyor assembly line is entirely reconfigured into several serus. We formulate a mathematical model with double objectives which aim to minimize the total training cost and to balance the total processing times among multi-skilled workers in each seru. To obtain the satisfied task-to-worker training plan and worker-to-seru assignment plan, a three-stage heuristic algorithm with nine steps is developed to solve this mathematical model. Then, several computational cases are taken and computed by MATLAB programming. The computation and analysis results validate the performances of the proposed mathematical model and heuristic algorithm. © 2013 Springer-Verlag London.