Analytical and Experimental Research on Wave Scattering by an Open-Type Rectangular Breakwater with Horizontal Perforated Plates

This study proposes a novel open-type rectangular breakwater combined with horizontal perforated plates on both sides to enhance the sheltering effect of the rectangular box-type breakwaters against longer waves.The hydrodynamic characteristics of this breakwater are analyzed through analytical potential solutions and experimental tests.The quadratic pressure drop conditions are exerted on the horizontal perforated plates to facilitate assessing the effect of wave height on the dissipated wave energy of breakwater through the analytical solution.The hydrodynamic quantities of the breakwater,including the reflection,transmission,and energyloss coefficients,together with vertical and horizontal wave forces,are calculated using the velocity potential decomposition method as well as an iterative algorithm.Furthermore,the reflection and transmission coefficients of the breakwater are measured by conducting experimental tests at various wave periods,wave heights,and both porosities and widths of the horizontal perforated plates.The analytical predicted results demonstrate good agreement with the iterative boundary element method solution and measured data.The influences of variable incident waves and structure parameters on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the breakwater are investigated through further calculations based on analytical solutions.Results indicate that horizontal perforated plates placed on the water surface for both sides of the rectangular breakwater can enhance the wave dissipation ability of the breakwater while effectively decreasing the transmission and reflection coefficients.

Experimental Tests of the Operating Conditions of a Micro Gas Turbine Device

The aim of this work is to analyze the performance of a commercial micro gas turbine, focusing on the analysis of the fuel consumption and the outlet compressor and turbine temperature at various rpm, and to evaluate and compare the efficiency of the device. A test bench has been assembled with the available equipment in the laboratory of the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering in Roma. By using the software supplied by the manufacturer, the evaluation of the operating performance of the device at different speeds has been performed, obtaining all the values of interest.

Experimental Tests on a Pre-Heated Combustion Chamber for Ultra Micro Gas Turbine Device: Air/Fuel Ratio Evaluation

Current portable power generators are mainly based on internal combustion engine since they present higher values of efficiency comparing to other engines;the main reason why internal combustion engine is not convenient for micro power generation (5 - 30 kW) is because of their heaviness. Micro and ultra micro gas turbine devices, based on a micro compressor and a micro turbine installed on the same shaft, are more suitable for this scope for several reasons. Micro turbine systems have many advantages over reciprocating engine generators, such as higher power density (with respect to size and weight), extremely low emissions and few, or just one, moving part. Those designed with foil bearings and air-cooling operate without oil, coolants or other hazardous materials. Micro turbines also have the advantage of having the majority of their waste heat contained in their relatively high temperature exhaust. Micro turbines offer several potential advantages compared to other technologies for small-scale power generation, including: a small number of moving parts, compact size, lightweight, greater efficiency, lower emissions, lower electricity costs, and opportunities to utilize waste fuels. The object of this study is the experimental tests on a stand-alone gas turbine device with a pre-heated combustion chamber (CC), to validate the fuel consumption reduction, compared to an actual and commercial device, used on air models.

Experimental analysis of the pore structure, relative permeability, and water flooding characteristics of the Yan'an Formation sandstone, southwestern Ordos Basin

The oil and gas potential of the Yan'an Formation in the Ordos Basin has yet to be fully tapped. In this study, the pore structure, mobile fluid saturation, and water flooding micro-mechanism of the Yan'an Formation sandstone are systematically studied through the application of a series of rock physics and fluid experiments. The results show that there is a good positive correlation between porosity and permeability, and the reservoirs are divided into types Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ. Mercury injection tests show that the average pore throat radius of the oil-bearing reservoir ranges from 1 to 7 μm. The displacement pressure of the Yan'an Formation is also relatively low, and it decreases from 0.1 MPa to 0.01 MPa as the rock porosity increases from 11% to 18%. NMR tests show that small (diameter <0.5 μm) and medium pores (diameter ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 μm) are predominant in the reservoir. Different types of reservoirs have different characteristics of relative permeability curve. In addition, when the average oil recovery rate is less than 1 ml/min, the oil displacement efficiency increases faster. However, when the average oil recovery rate is between 1–3.5 ml/min, the oil displacement efficiency is maintained at around 27%–30%. Physical properties of the reservoir, pore-throat structure, experimental pressure difference, and pore volume injected — all have significant effects on oil displacement efficiency. For Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅱ reservoirs, the increase of the pore volume injected has a significant effect on oil displacement efficiency. However, for Type Ⅲ reservoirs, the change of pore volume injected has insignificant effect on oil displacement efficiency. This study provides a reference for the formulation of estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) measures for similar sandstone reservoirs.

Design and Experimental Investigation for Subsea Control Module Test System

As a core part of subsea production systems,subsea control modules(SCMs)are costly,difficult,and expensive to install and inconvenient to use in underwater maintenance.Therefore,performance and function tests must be carried out before launching SCMs.This study developed a testing device and an SCM test by investigating SCMs and their underwater.The testing device includes four parts:a hydraulic station,an SCM test stand,a signal generating device,and an electronic test unit.First,the basic indices of the testing device were determined from the performance and working parameters of the SCM.Second,the design scheme of the testing device for the SCM was tentatively proposed,and each testing device was designed.Finally,a practical measurement of the SCM,in combination with the hydraulic station,SCM test stand,signal generator,electronic unit,and highpressure water tank,was carried out according to the test requirements.The measurement mainly involved equipment inspection before testing and an experimental test for the SCM.The validity and feasibility of the testing device and method were simultaneously verified through an association test.

Study on Load Bearing Characteristics of Novel Expandable Deepwater Drilling Conductor Based on Laboratory Experiment and Field Test

A novel expandable conductor was designed and applied in deep-water drilling to improve the vertical and lateral bearing capacity with a significant reduction of conductor jetting depth and soaking time. The vertical and lateral bearing capability of expandable conductors was depicted based on the ultimate subgrade reaction method and pile foundation bearing theory. The load-bearing characteristics of a laboratory-scale expandable conductor were analyzed through laboratory experiments. The serial simulation experiments are accomplished to study the bearing characteristics(vertical ultimate bearing capacity, lateral soil pressure, and lateral displacement) during the conductor soaking process. The laboratory experimental results show that the larger the length and thickness of expandable materials are,the higher the bearing capacity of the wellhead will be. During the conductor soaking process, the soil pressure around the three expandable conductors increases faster, strings representing a stronger squeezing effect and resulting in higher vertical bearing capacity. Furthermore, the lateral displacement of novel expandable conductor is smaller than that of the conventional conductor. All the advantages mentioned above contributed to the reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. Lastly, the application workflow of a novel expandable deep-water drilling conductor was established and the autonomous expandable conductor was successfully applied in the South China Sea with a significant reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. According to the soil properties and designed installation depth of the surface conductor, the arrangement of expandable materials should be designed reasonably to meet the safety condition and reduce the construction cost of the subsea wellhead.

Performance and Safety Improvement of Induction Motors based on Testing and Evaluation Standards

The induction motor,which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy,has been recognized as the cornerstone of industrialization.The rotor of an induction motor can be either a squirrel cage rotor or a wound-type rotor,both existing as magnetless topologies.Three-phase squirrel cage induction motors are frequently utilized in industrial drives because they are dependable,have high starting torque,are selfstarting and affordable.Single-phase induction motors,on the other hand,are commonly used for small loads such as domestic appliances in form of modest fans,pumps and electric power tools.In South Africa,there have been reports of fires and explosions resulting in live and property loss because of induction motors that have not been thoroughly tested or are incorrectly labelled in terms of ratings,electrical safety and performance.The goal of this study is targeted at preventing end-user injuries and failures caused by non-compliant induction motors,by evaluating locally manufactured/imported induction motors based on tests and evaluation from standards(IEC and SANS).The study is conducted using experimental procedures at the Explosion Prevention Technology and Rotating Machines(EPT and RM)laboratory,South African Bureau of Standards(SABS),South Africa.The main finding from the study shows differences in the nameplate characteristics of various induction motors which could have detrimental effects such as production and operational downtime in their end-use industries,at later stages.

Experimental test of a new neutron threshold detector and its application

The possibility of using 209Bi as a new threshold detector to measurc high-energy neutrons was investigated for the first time. At the same time the experiment measured successfully the emitted neutron fiuence rate, energy spectrum and dose equivalent rate distributions in the heavy ion target area using a detector complex including 209Bi, 115In, 27A1, 19F and 12C samples.

Experiments and 3D DEM of Triaxial Compression Tests under Special Consideration of Particle Stiffness

Discrete element modelling is commonly used for particle-scale modelling of granular or particulate materials. Developing a DEM model requires the determination of a number of micro-structural parameters, including the particle contact stiffness and the particle-particle friction. These parameters cannot easily be measured in the laboratory or directly related to measurable, physical material parameters. Therefore, a calibration process is typically used to determine the values for use in simulations of physical systems. This paper focuses on how to define the particle stiffness for the discrete element modelling in order to perform realistic simulations of granular materials in the case of linear contact model. For that, laboratory tests and numerical discrete element modelling of triaxial compression tests have been carried out on two different non-cohesive soils i.e. poorly graded fine sand and gap graded coarse sand. The results of experimental tests are used to calibrate the numerical model. It is found that the numerical results are qualitatively and quantitatively in good agreement with the laboratory tests results. Moreover, the results show that the stress dependent of soil behaviour can be reproduced well by assigning the particle stiffness as a function of the particle size particularly for gap graded soil.

An experimental study of shear strength of gas-hydrate-bearing core samples

The shear strength of gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs is one of the most important parameters used to study mechanical properties of gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs. The shear strength of gas-hydrate- bearing reservoirs changes with filling and cementation of gas hydrates, which will affect the wellbore and reservoir stability. Traditional shear tests could not be conducted on gas-hydrate-bearing core samples because the gas hydrates exist under a limited range of temperature and pressure conditions. This paper describes a novel shear apparatus for studying shear strength of gas-hydrate-bearing core samples under original reservoir conditions. The preparation of gas-hydrate-bearing core samples and subsequent shear tests are done in the same cell. Cohesion and internal friction angle of the core samples with different saturations of gas hydrates were measured with the apparatus. The effect of gas hydrates on the shear strength of reservoirs was quantitatively analyzed. This provides a foundation for studying wellbore and reservoir stability of gas-hydrate-bearing reservoirs.

Analytical and Experimental Studies on Hydrodynamic Performance of Semi-Immersed Jarlan-Type Perforated Breakwaters

The present study proposes a new semi-immersed Jarlan-type perforated breakwater including a perforated front wall, a solid rear wall, and a horizontal perforated plate connecting the lower tips of the two walls. An analytical solution is developed to estimate the hydrodynamic performance of the new breakwater. The analytical solution is confirmed by solutions for special cases, an independently developed multi-domain boundary element method solution and experimental data. Numerical examples based on the analytical solution indicate that compared with previous semi-immersed breakwaters, the new breakwater may have better wave-absorbing performance and smaller wave forces. Some useful results are presented for practical designs of semi-immersed Jarlan-type perforated breakwaters.

An experimental investigation on the effect of grain size on oil-well sand production

Sand production in oil wells is closely related to the mechanical behavior and petrographical properties of sandstones reservoir. Grain size is one of the main parameters controlling the phenomenon, which is studied in this paper. Large-scale hollow cylindrical synthetic samples with the same rock strength but different grain sizes were tested by an experimental setup in the laboratory. Different external stresses and fluid flow rates were applied to the samples and produced sand was measured continuously. Results show two different trends between sanding stress level and grain size. For the samples with finer grain size （D50〈0.3 mm）, the required confining stress for different sanding levels decreased with an increase in the grain size and for the samples with the coarser grains （D50〉0.3 mm） the required confining stress for different sanding levels dramatically increased with an increase in the grain size. Those two different trends were discussed and explained. The first one was production of individual grains and the second was bigger chunks in the slab form. In samples with large grains, plastic zones around hole were changed to a completely loose zone including interlocked individual grains or cluster of grains. In these samples after breakage of these interlocked zones sand was produced in the form of individual grains and clusters. Contrary to this, for samples with smaller grain size, shear bands were formed around the plastified hole and sand was produced in the form of big chunks or slabs.

Seismic vulnerability evaluation of axially loaded steel built-up laced members I:experimental results

An experimental program was initiated to investigate the seismic performance of built-up laced steel brace members. Quasi-static testing of twelve typical steel built-up laced member （BLM） specimens was conducted. These were designed to span a range of parameters typically encountered for such members based on findings from a survey of commonly used shapes and details that have been historically used. The specimens were subdivided into groups of three different cross-sectional shapes, namely built-up I-shape section, and built-up box shapes buckling about the x or the y axis. Within each group, global and local buckling slenderness ratios had either kl/r values of 60 or 120, and b/t ratios of 8 or 16. The specific inelastic cyclic behavior germane to each specimen, and general observations on overall member hysteretic behavior as a function of the considered parameters, are reported. A companion paper （Lee and Bruneau 2008） investigates this observed response against predictions from analytical models, and behavior in the perspective of system performance.

Experimental Verification and Research for the Distortion in the Integrated Frequency Responses of the High-Pressure Sealed Cabin and Magnetic Field Sensor

Although magnetotelluric sounding method applied to the land is advanced, there are many difficulties when it is applied to marine environment, one of which is how to lay magnetic field sensors down to the seafloor to complete measurements. To protect the magnetic field sensors from intense erosion and high pressure, suitable high-pressure sealed cabins must be designed to load them. For the consideration of magnetic measurement and marine operation, the sealed pressure cabin should be nonmagnetic and transportable. Among all optional materials, LC4 super.hard aluminum alloy has the highest performance of price/quality ratio to make the sealed pressure cabin. However, it does not mean that the high-pressure sealed cabin made using LC4 will be perfect in performance. In fact, because of its weak magnetism, the pressure cabin made using LC4 has distorting effect on frequency responses of the magnetic field sensors sealed in it. This distorting effect does not affect the use of the magnetic field sensor, but if we want to eliminate its effect, we should study it by experimental measurements. In our experiment tests, frequency sweep magnetic field as excitation signal was used, and then responses of the magnetic field sensor before and after being loaded into the high-pressure sealed cabin were measured. Finally, normalized abnormal curves for the frequency responses were obtained, through which we could show how the high-pressure sealed cabin produces effects on the responses of the magnetic field sensor. Experimental results suggest that the response distortion induced by the sealed pressure cabin appears on mid- and high-frequency areas. Using experimental results as standardization data, the frequency responses collected from seafloor magnetotelluric measurements can be corrected to restore real information about the seafloor field source.

Rolling motion behavior of rockfall on gentle slope:an experimental approach

The effects of slope surface material, slope gradient, block shape, and block mass conditions on rockfall rolling velocity were estimated with orthogonal test approach. Visual analysis shows that the importance of the factors is slope surface material > slope gradient > block shape > block mass. All the factors except block mass have the F value greater than the critical value, suggesting that these three factors are the key factors affecting the rockfall rolling velocity. Factor interaction analysis shows that the effect of the slope gradient relies largely on the slope surface conditions, and the block shape has little influence if the slope gradient is larger than a critical value. An empirical model considering the three key factors is proposed to estimate the rolling velocity, of which the error is limited to 5% of the testing value. This model is validated by 73 field tests, and the prediction shows excellent correlation with the site test. Thus, this analysis can be used as a tool in the rockfall behavior analysis.

Experimental Study on Hydrodynamics of L-type Podded Propulsor in Straight-ahead Motion and Off-Design Conditions

Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the hydrodynamic performance of an L-type podded propulsor in straight-ahead motion and off-design conditions using an open-water measuring instrument developed by the authors for podded propulsors, a ship model towing tank, and under water particle image velocimetry （PIV） measurement systems. Under the three types of conditions, the main parameters of an L-type podded propulsor were measured, including the propeller thrust and torque, as well as the thrust, side force, and moment of the whole pod unit.In addition, the flow field on the section between the propeller and the strut was analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that the dynamic azimuthing rate and direction and the turning direction affect the forces on the propeller and the whole pod unit. Forces are asymmetrically distributed between the left and right azimuthing directions because of the effect of propeller rotation. The findings of this study provide a foundation for further research on L-type podded propulsors.

Experimental and FEM Modal Analysis of a Deployable-Retractable Wing

The aim of this paper is to conduct experimental modal analysis and numerical simulation to verify the structural characteristics of a deployable-retractable wing for aircraft and spacecraft. A modal impact test was conducted in order to determine the free vibration characteristics. Natural frequencies and vibration mode shapes were obtained via measurement in LMS Test. Lab. The frequency response functions were identified and computed by force and acceleration signals, and then mode shapes of this morphing wing structure were subsequently identified by PolyMAX modal parameter estimation method. FEM modal analysis was also implemented and its numerical results convincingly presented the mode shape and natural frequency characteristics were in good agreement with those obtained from experimental modal analysis. Experimental study in this paper focuses on the transverse response of morphing wing as its moveable part is deploying or retreating. Vibration response to different rotation speeds have been collected, managed and analyzed through the use of comparison methodology with each other. Evident phenomena have been discovered including the resonance on which most analysis is focused because of its potential use to generate large amplitude vibration of specific frequency or to avoid such resonant frequencies from a wide spectrum of response. Manufactured deployable-retractable wings are studied in stage of experimental modal analysis, in which some nonlinear vibration resulted should be particularly noted because such wing structure displays a low resonant frequency which is always optimal to be avoided for structural safety and stability.

An Experimental Study on the Effect of the Side Hull Symmetry on the Resistance Performance of a Wave‑Piercing Trimaran

This paper presented the results of an experimental investigation into the resistance performance of a wave-piercing trimaran with three alternative side hull forms,including asymmetric inboard,asymmetric outboard,and symmetric at various stagger/separation positions.Model tests were carried out at the National Iranian Marine Laboratory(NIMALA)towing tank using a scale model of a trimaran at the Froude numbers from 0.225 to 0.60.Results showed that by moving the side hulls to the forward of the main hull transom,the total resistance coefficient of trimaran decreased.Findings,furthermore,demonstrated that the symmetry shape of the side hull had the best performance on total resistance among three side hull forms.Results of this study are useful for selecting the side hull configuration from the resistance viewpoint.

Development and experimental validation of a one-dimensional dynamic hygrothermal modeling based on air humidity ratio

A modified one-dimensional transient hygrothermal model for multilayer wall was proposed using air humidity ratio and temperature as the driving potentials.The solution for the governing equations was obtained numerically by implementing the finite-difference scheme.To evaluate the accuracy of the model,a test system was built up to measure relative humidity and temperature within a porous wall and compare with the prediction of the model.The prediction results have good agreement with the experimental results.For the interface close to indoor side,the maximum deviation of temperature between calculated and test data is 1.87 K,and the average deviation is 0.95 K;the maximum deviation of relative humidity is 11.4%,and the average deviation is 5.7%.For the interface close to outdoor side,the maximum deviation of temperature between prediction and measurement is 1.78 K,and the average deviation is 1.1 K;the maximum deviation of relative humidity is 9.9%,and the average deviation is 4.2%.

Experimental Study on Wave Attenuation Performance of A New Type of Floating Breakwater with Twin Pontoons and Multi Porous Vertical Plates

A floating breakwater(FB)has extensive potential applications in the fields of coastal,offshore,and ocean engineering owing to its advantages such as eco-friendliness,low cost,easy and rapid construction,and quick dismantling and reinstallation.An FB composed of twin pontoons and multi-porous vertical plates is proposed to improve the wave attenuation performance.The wave attenuation performance is investigated for different FB structures and vertical plate types under different incident wave heights and periods using 2D wave physical model tests in a wave flume.The results demonstrate that the proposed FB has a better performance than that of the conventional single pontoon-type FB.It reduces the wave transmission due to its enhanced wave reflection and energy loss.The wave transmission coefficient of the proposed FB decreases with an increase in the number of layers and relative draft depth of the vertical plates.However,a further decrease in the wave transmission coefficient is not observed when the number of porous vertical plates is increased from 4 to 5 layers.An equation has been derived to predict the wave transmission of the proposed FB based on the experimental results.