Eddies around Madagascar — The retroflection re-considered

The Agulhas Current with its retroflection and attendant eddy-shedding is the cause of some of the greatest mesoscale variability in the ocean. This paper considers the area to the south and east of Madagascar, which provides some of the source waters of the Agulhas Current, and examines the propagating sea surface height signals in altimetry and output from a numerical model, OCCAM. Both show bands of variability along the axis of the East Madagascar Current (EMC) and along a zonal band near 25°S. Sequences of images plus associated temperature data suggest that a number of westward-propagating eddies are present in this zonal band. The paper then focuses on the region to the south of the island, where ocean colour and infra-red imagery are evocative of an East Madagascar Retroflection. The synthesis of data analysed in this paper, however, shows that remotely observed features in this area can be explained by anticyclonic eddies moving westward through the region, and this explanation is consistent with numerical model output and the trajectories of drifting buoys.     

Aspects of the stability of jack-up spud-can foundations

A three-level procedure for assessing jack-up foundation stability for more or less homogenous soils is described. The objective is to provide a rational framework for these assessments that ensures their safe operation in extended year-round operations and enables their use in deeper waters than at present.

The three levels of the procedure have to be entered successively as long as foundation stability cannot be proven. The first level is a screening exercise and essentially replaces the well-known preload check. The second level compares factored foundation loads resulting from a structural analysis with foundation capacities obtained with ultimate bearing capacity formulae. The most refined third level assesses whether the displacements associated with these loads lead to an acceptable situation, i.e. capacity increase and/or load redistribution that does not result in collapse of the jack-up unit.

Since, for maximum benefit, this third-stage analysis requires a non-linear foundation model to be linked with the structural package used: such a tool is provided in the paper. Examples are given to demonstrate the impact of the assessment procedure.

This procedure forms part of the overall in-house approach to the assessment of jack-ups and has already been offered to the jack-up industry as part of the continuing efforts towards establishing common and accepted standards for jack-up assessments. Further developments have been identified and will be pursued.     

波浪作用下斜坡上护面块体应力分布的数值模拟

文章基于SPH方法和FEM/DEM方法建立了SPH-FEM/DEM的二维流固耦合数值模型,模拟了在波浪荷载作用下斜坡上的护面块体内部的应力分布。结构物的水动力条件采用SPH方法模拟,结构物边界采用虚粒子模拟,护面块体结构的受力、运动和变形采用FEM/DEM方法模拟。不同块体间的接触力采用基于势函数的罚函数法来计算,采用中心差分的显式方法来求解有限元单元的变形。应用ANSYS软件和数值模型对静水压力作用下的混凝土方块的内部应力分布进行了比较模拟分析,验证了所建立的耦合数学模型。通过数值计算给出了波浪作用下位于斜坡上的护面块体的动水压力和块体内部的应力分布,讨论了块体内不同角点位置处的应力变化特性。     

Numerical prediction of the modal response of flexible cylinders in cross-flow with a current dependent form of damping

A quadratic eigenvalue problem (QEP) was posed in order to study the dynamics of flexible cylinders in cross-flow, simulating slender offshore structures such as risers, catenaries or tendons. The Euler–Bernoulli equation was used to model the structure assuming a fluid loading model, and yielding a quadratic eigenvalue problem that included a form of damping dependent not only on the structural damping itself, but also on the free stream velocity and the fluid force coefficients. We solved the QEP using the finite element method. We also derived a simplified analytical solution in this work for comparison with the QEP, however this solution does not consider changes in tension along the length of the cylinder as the QEP does. In our study, the QEP solutions were first validated against the simplified analytical solution, and also against a well-known experimental dataset obtained in 2003, in which a flexible circular cylinder model was used to model the dynamics of a riser undergoing multi-mode vortex-induced vibrations.     

Synergies between Adjacent Beach-Nourishing Communities in a Morpho-Economic Coupled Coastline Model

Beach “nourishment” consists of placing sand on an eroding beach. The widened beach provides increased storm protection to adjacent structures and improved recreational benefits, but is most often transient, requiring on-going, repeated nourishment episodes. Numerical models of beach nourishment typically address such questions as how long a widened beach will last; economic models compare the benefits and costs of preserving a stretch of beach without regard to its geomorphic evolution. Neither have addressed the physical nor economic interactions between adjacent nourishing communities. Here, we couple a numerical model of coastline evolution and a cost-benefit model of beach nourishment, allowing adjacent communities to make dynamic nourishment decisions. Beach nourishment benefits adjacent communities both “updrift” and “downdrift.” The total amount of money spent on nourishment activities can decrease by as much as 25% when adjacent communities both conduct on-going nourishment projects, as opposed to the case where each community nourishes in isolation.     

A new method for absolute datum transfer in seafloor control network measurement

To decrease the time consumption and the labor intensity in the absolute datum transfer of traditional seafloor control network measurement, a new method, namely sailing-circle positioning method, is put forward in this paper. First, the traditional intersection positioning model is improved by considering the equivalent sound velocity profile error as an unknown parameter in the adjustment model. Second, the effect of geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) on positioning accuracy is analyzed. By seeking for the minimum of GDOP, it is concluded that the absolute datum transfer can achieve the highest accuracy in the condition of sailing along a circle relative to other sailing paths. Moreover, the optimal radius of the circle for the accurate datum transfer is also given out. Besides, the correlation between the accuracy of datum transfer and the sound velocity error in this method is analyzed. Finally, the new method was tested and verified by the experiments in Songhua lake with the water depth of 60 m and in South China sea with the water depth of 2000 m, respectively. These experiment results show that the new method can improve the accuracy and efficiency of traditional datum transfer method significantly.     

Enabling a viable technique for the optimization of LNG carrier cargo operations

In this study, we optimize the loading and discharging operations of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier. First, we identify the required precautions for LNG carrier cargo operations. Next, we prioritize these precautions using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and experts’ judgments, in order to optimize the operational loading and discharging exercises of the LNG carrier, prevent system failure and human error, and reduce the risk of marine accidents. Thus, the objective of our study is to increase the level of safety during cargo operations.     

AgNi15触头电性能试验研究

本文采用试验的方法,研究了模压烧结和模压烧结挤压两种不同工艺生产的Ag Ni15触头材料在抗熔焊、抗电损和分断能力方面所表现出来的差异。通过在特定样机上的试验,证实了不同的生产工艺对触头材料的电性能有一定的影响,并从理论上分析了造成影响的原因。     

基于融合技术的计算机网络安全

网络攻击手段的多样化，不仅给网络安全与管理提出了新的挑战，而且对网络创新安全理论，整合各种安全解决方案，构建综合的动态网络提出了更高的要求。重点讨论了不同安全产品的融合和安全产品与网络设备的融合。     

Study of automatic designing of line heating technique parameters

1Introduction Lineheatingisashellplateheatprocessingmethod usedinshipbuildingproduction.Itisacomplexand difficulttechnique,mainlyusedindoublebending shellplateforming.Becausetherearemanyinfluence factorsinplateforming,theinfluencedisciplineis hardtopredic…