A selection method of offshore production systems considering uncertainties

Journal of Marine Science and Technology - The development of an offshore deepwater oilfield is a complex and risky task. One core problem in this project is the selection of a production system...     

Improving the coexistence of offshore wind farms and shipping: an international comparison of navigational risk assessment processes

The continued growth and evolution of the offshore wind industry, and the emergence of other novel marine uses such as wave and tidal generators, have upped the ante for spatial planners, as well as consenting and approval authorities in various coastal states. These stakeholders rely on processes such as navigational risk assessments (NRAs) to balance safety and efficiency requirements and to make optimal decisions over use of space. Given the increasingly complex and crowded seascape, however, there are some apprehensions about potential shortcomings in these NRA processes. There is also some concern that these inadequacies may lead to unsafe or inefficient marine spatial use. To understand how NRA processes can be improved further, a literature review is conducted, followed by a survey of respondents who are involved in the planning, consenting and/or approval of offshore wind farms across seven different countries. A summary of the NRA processes in these seven countries is presented, and several shortcomings are identified. Based on the findings of the survey, a list of recommendations is presented to enhance existing NRA processes—and to improve the coexistence of shipping and offshore wind farms (OWFs).     

Galvanic corrosion behaviour of HE 20 / MDN 138 & HE 20 / MDN 250 alloys in natural seawater

In view of their excellent mechanical properties, workability and heat treatment characteristics, MDN 138 & MDN 250 have been widely used in missile, rocket and aerospace industries. With light weight and high performance characteristics HE 20 aluminium alloy acts as an important material in defence and aerospace applications. The galvanic corrosion behaviour of the metal combinations HE 20 / MDN 138 and HE 20 / MDN 250, with 1:1 area ratio, has been studied in natural seawater using the open well facility of CECRI’s Offshore Platform at Tuticorin for a year. The open circuit potentials of MDN 138, MDN 250 and HE 20 of the individual metal, the mixed potential and galvanic current of the couples HE 20 / MDN 138 and HE 20 / MDN 250 were periodically monitored throughout the study period. The calcareous deposits on MDN 138 and MDN 250 were analysed using XRD. The results of the study reveal that that HE 20 has offered required amount of protection to MDN 138 & MDN 250.     

Comparison of advanced imputation algorithms for detection of transportation mode and activity episode using GPS data

Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies have been increasingly considered as an alternative to traditional travel survey methods to collect activity-travel data. Algorithms applied to extract activity-travel patterns vary from informal ad-hoc decision rules to advanced machine learning methods and have different accuracy. This paper systematically compares the relative performance of different algorithms for the detection of transportation modes and activity episodes. In particular, naive Bayesian, Bayesian network, logistic regression, multilayer perceptron, support vector machine, decision table, and C4.5 algorithms are selected and compared for the same data according to their overall error rates and hit ratios. Results show that the Bayesian network has a better performance than the other algorithms in terms of the percentage correctly identified instances and Kappa values for both the training data and test data, in the sense that the Bayesian network is relatively efficient and generalizable in the context of GPS data imputation.     

Rule-based control of a semi-active suspension for minimal sprung mass acceleration: design and measurement

In this paper, a rule-based controller is developed for the control of a semi-active suspension to achieve minimal vertical acceleration. The rules are derived from the results obtained with a model predictive controller. It is shown that a rule-based controller can be derived that mimics the results of the model predictive controller and minimises vertical acceleration. Besides this, measurements on a test vehicle show that the developed rule-based controller achieves a real-world reduction of the vertical acceleration, which is in agreement with the simulations.     

Dual objective active suspension system based on a novel nonlinear disturbance compensator

This paper proposes an active suspension system to fulfil the dual objective of improving ride comfort while trying to keep the suspension deflection within the limits of the rattle space. The scheme is based on a novel nonlinear disturbance compensator which employs a nonlinear function of the suspension deflection. The scheme is analysed and validated by simulation and experimentation on a laboratory setup. The performance is compared with a passive suspension system for a variety of road profiles.     

Connected variable speed limits control and car-following control with vehicle-infrastructure communication to resolve stop-and-go waves

The vision of intelligent vehicles traveling in road networks has prompted numerous concepts to control future traffic flow, one of which is the in-vehicle actuation of traffic control commands. The key of this concept is using intelligent vehicles as actuators for traffic control systems. Under this concept, we design and test a control system that connects a traffic controller with in-vehicle controllers via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The link-level traffic controller regulates traffic speeds through variable speed limits (VSL) gantries to resolve stop-and-go waves, while intelligent vehicles control accelerations through vehicle propulsion and brake systems to optimize their local situations. It is assumed that each intelligent vehicle receives VSL commands from the traffic controller and uses them as variable parameters for the local vehicle controller. Feasibility and effectiveness of the connected control paradigm are tested with simulation on a two-lane freeway stretch with intelligent vehicles randomly distributed among human-driven vehicles. Simulation shows that the connected VSL and vehicle control system improves traffic efficiency and sustainability; that is, total time spent in the network and average fuel consumption rate are reduced compared to (uncontrolled and controlled) scenarios with 100% human drivers and to uncontrolled scenarios with the same intelligent vehicle penetration rates.     

Estimation of maximum road friction coefficient based on Lyapunov method

With the real time and accurate information of motor torque and rotation speed of the four-in-wheel-motordrive electric vehicles, a slip based algorithm for estimating maximum road friction coefficient is designed using Lyapunov stability theory. Modified Burckhardt tire model is used to describe longitudinal slip property of the tire. By introducing a new state variable, a nonlinear estimator is proposed to estimate the longitudinal tire force and the maximum road friction coefficient simultaneously. With the appropriate selection of estimation gain, the convergence of the estimation error of the tire longitudinal force and maximum road friction coefficient is proved through Lyapunov stability analysis. In addition, the error is exponentially stable near the origin. Finally the method is validated with Carsim-Simulink co-simulation and real vehicle tests under multi working conditions in acceleration situation which demonstrate high computational efficiency and accuracy of this method.     

A fundamental investigation of tilt control systems for narrow commuter vehicles

One way of addressing traffic congestion is by efficiently utilizing the existing highway infrastructure. Narrow tilting vehicles that need a reduced width lane can be part of the solution if they can be designed to be safe, stable, and easy to operate. In this paper, a control system that stabilizes the tilt mode of such a vehicle without affecting the handling of the vehicle is proposed. This control system is a combination of two different types of control schemes known as steering tilt control (STC) and direct tilt control (DTC) systems. First, different existing variations of both STC and DTC systems are considered and their shortcomings analysed. Modified control schemes are then suggested to overcome the deficiencies. Then a new method of integrating these two control schemes that guarantees smooth switchover between the controllers as a function of vehicle velocity is proposed. The performance of the proposed STC, DTC, and integrated systems is evaluated by carrying out simulations for different operating conditions and some experimental work. The design of a second-generation narrow tilting vehicle on which the developed control system has been implemented is presented.