Mechanics of a grip system of three-key-board hydraulic tongs developed for offshore oil pipe lines

This paper carries out the analysis of mechanics of a grip system of three-key-board hydraulic tongs developed for offshore oil pipe lines which has been successfully used in oil fields in China. The main improvement of this system is that a lever frame structure is used in the structural design, which reduces greatly the stresses of the major components of the oil pipe tongs. Theoretical analysis and numerical calculation based on thirteen basic equations developed Show that the teeth board of the tongs is not easy to slip as frequently happens to other systems and is of higher reliability.

Experimental Study on Flow and Sediment Movement in Cavity Circulations

This paper reports a flume experiment of flow and sediment movement in a cavity. The flow velocity, sediment concentration and the mechanism of hydraulic sorting in the circulation flow are discussed. The quantity and patterns of sediment deposition in the circulation area are studied as well.

Non-Linear Wave-Induced Transient Response of Soil Around a Trenched Pipeline

Submarine pipelines are always trenched within a seabed for reducing wave loads and thereby enhancing their stability. Based on Biot’s poroelastic theory, a two-dimensional finite element model is developed to investigate non-linear wave-induced responses of soil around a trenched pipeline, which is verified with the flume test results by Sudhan et al. [Sudhan, C.M., Sundar, V., Rao, S.N., 2002. Wave induced forces around buried pipeline. Ocean Engineering, 29, 533–544] and Turcotte et al. [Turcotte, B.R., Liu, P.L.F., Kulhawy, F.H., 1984. Laboratory evaluation of wave tank parameters for wave-sediment interaction. Joseph H. Defree Hydraulic Laboratory Report 84-1, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University]. Non-linear wave-induced transient pore pressure around pipeline at various phases of wave loading is examined firstly. Unlike most previous investigations, in which only a single sediment layer and linear wave loading were concerned, in this study, the influences of the non-linearity of wave loading, the physical properties of backfill materials and the geometry profile of trenches on the excess pore pressures within the soil around pipeline, respectively, were explored, taking into account the in situ conditions of buried pipeline in the shallow ocean zones. Based on the parametric study, it is concluded that the shear modulus and permeability of backfill soils significantly affect the wave-induced excess pore pressures around trenched pipeline, and that the effect of wave non-linearity becomes more pronounced and comparable with that of trench depth, especially at high wave steepness in shallow water.

Flood Routing Models in Confluent and Dividing Channels

By introducing a water depth connecting formula, the hydraulic equations in the dividing channel system were coupled and the relation of discharge distribution between the branches of the dividing channels can be yielded. In this manner, a numerical model for the confluent channels was established to study the variation of backwater effects with the parameters in the channel junction. The meeting of flood peaks in the mainstream and tributary can be analyzed with this model. The flood peak meeting is found to be a major factor for the extremely high water level in the mainstream during the 1998 Yangtze River flood. Subsequently the variations of discharge distribution and water level with channel parameters between each branch in this system were studied as well. As a result, flood evolution caused by Jingjiang River shortcut and sediment deposition in the entrance of dividing channels of the Yangtze River may be qualitatively elucidated. It is suggested to be an effective measure for flood mitigation to enhance regulation capability of reservoirs available upstream of the tributaries and harness branch entrance channels.

Numerical Simulation Of Horizontal Migration Of Proppant

The horizontal migration of proppant was numerically investigated with a two-fluid model, in which the interaction between fracturing fluid and proppant, along with that among proppants was taken into account through interphase forces. The migration process and the volumetric concentration of the proppant were examined under various conditions, and the. averaged volumetric concentration of the proppant was obtained. The present research might be useful in the process design of the hydraulic fracturing in the oilfields.

Case Study: Influence Of Morphological Changes On Flooding In Jingjiang River

The middle reach of the Yangtze River, customarily called the Jingjiang River, together with its diversion channels and Dongting Lake, form a large complicated drainage system. In the last five decades, significant geomorphological changes have occurred in the drainage system, including the shrinkage of diversion channels, contraction of Dongting Lake, changes in the rating curve at the Luoshan station, and cutoffs of the lower Jingjiang River. These changes are believed to be the cause of the occurrence of abnormal floods in the Jingjiang River. Qualitative analyses suggest that the first three factors aggravate the flood situation in the lower Jingjiang River, while the last factor seems beneficial for flood prevention. To quantitatively evaluate these conclusions, a finite-volume numerical model was constructed. A series of numerical simulations were carried out to test the individual and combined effects of the aforementioned four factors, and these simulations showed that high flood stages in the Jingjiang River clearly are related to the geomorphological changes.

Sediment incipience in turbulence generated in a square tank by a vertically oscillating grid

The failure of hydraulic structures in many estuaries and coastal regions around the world has been attributed to sediment transport and local scour. The sediment incipience in homogenous turbulence generated by oscillating grid is studied in this paper. The turbulent flow is measured by particle tracer velocimetry (PTV) technique. The integral length scale and time scale of turbulence are obtained. The turbulent flow near the wall is measured by local optical magnification. The sediment incipience is described by static theory. The relationship of probability of sediment incipience and the turbulent kinetic energy were obtained experimentally and theoretically. The distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy near the wall is found to obey the power law and the turbulent energy is further identified as the dynamic mechanism of sediment incipience.

Air flow over a mountain and the convective boundary-layer

In this paper, the analytical model coupling the convective boundary layer (CBL) with the free atmosphere developed by Qi and Fu (1992) is improved. And by this improved model, the interaction between airflow over a mountain and the CBL is further discussed. The conclusions demonstrate: (1) The perturbation potential temperatures in the free atmosphere can counteract the effect of orographic thermal forcing through entraining and mixing in the CBL. If u(M)BAR > u(F)BAR, the feedback of the perturbation potential temperatures in the free atmosphere is more important than orographic thermal forcing, which promotes the effect of interfacial waves. If u(M)BAR < u(F)BAR, orographic thermal forcing is more important, which makes the interfacial height and the topographic height identical in phase, and the horizontal speeds are a maximum at the top of the mountain. (2) The internal gravity waves propagating vertically in the free atmosphere cause a strong downslope wind to become established above the lee slope in the CBL and result in the hydraulic jump at the top of the CBL. (3) With the CBL deepening, the interfacial gravity waves induced by the potential temperature jump at the top of the CBL cause the airflow in the CBL to be subcritical.