Browsing by Subject "stability"
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Item A mathematical model of the productivity index of a well(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Khalmanova, Dinara KhabilovnaMotivated by the reservoir engineering concept of the productivity index of a producing oil well in an isolated reservoir, we analyze a time dependent functional, diffusive capacity, on the solutions to initial boundary value problems for a parabolic equation. Sufficient conditions providing for time independent diffusive capacity are given for different boundary conditions. The dependence of the constant diffusive capacity on the type of the boundary condition (Dirichlet, Neumann or third-type boundary condition) is investigated using a known variational principle and confirmed numerically for various geometrical settings. An important comparison between two principal constant values of a diffusive capacity is made, leading to the establishment of criteria when the so-called pseudo-steady-state and boundary-dominated productivity indices of a well significantly differ from each other. The third type boundary condition is shown to model the thin skin effect for the constant wellbore pressure production regime for a damaged well. The questions of stabilization and uniqueness of the time independent values of the diffusive capacity are addressed. The derived formulas are used in numerical study of evaluating the productivity index of a well in a general three-dimensional reservoir for a variety of well configurations.Item A study of power electronic building block (PEBB)-based integrated shipboard power systems during reconfiguration(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Adediran, Adeoti TaiwoThe U.S. Navy has developed in their ships, and is continually improving, electric propulsion, ship service power, and electric loads. The latest topology under design is the integrated power system (IPS). The IPS entails the all electric ship concept with electric propulsion, direct current (DC) distribution, and modular technology. In the all electric ship concept, ship propulsion and ship service loads are powered by alternating current (AC) generation. For the IPS, power electronics conversion is to be utilized to convert alternating current (AC) generation to direct current (DC) distribution. As state-of-the-art power electronics, the Navy plans to use power electronic building blocks (PEBB) technology in its IPS. A U.S. naval shipboard power system is required to be a highly reconfigurable system to enhance its survivability and reliability. Reconfiguration is a change in the shipboard power system state for various reasons such as new topology, changing missions and emergencies. It was decided to study the behavior of a PEBB-based integrated shipboard power system during reconfiguration. Since no real time operation data was available, the problem was studied through the simulation of reconfiguration scenarios on a scaled-down computer model of an IPS in MATLAB. Reconfiguration scenarios were determined and staged, and an AC/DC power system stability assessment methodology was applied by decoupling the IPS test system around an intrazonal bus. The coupled system of the test IPS, consisted of two dynamic 4160 VAC generators, two rectifiers, two DC-DC converters between the rectifiers' output looped bus and the downstream intrazonal 775V busses, inverters, buck converters, AC loads and DC loads. There was modeling of excitation perturbations which introduced errors in the assessment of the stability requiring an approximation analysis. The study found that the DC bus of interest was stable for all nine reconfiguration scenarios staged, but it found that other busses were not stable for two of the scenarios. The study further found that lower stability margins occurred at lower frequencies of about 1Hz for stable scenarios. It concluded that there were tangible benefits to advancing the shipboard power system architecture to the IPS topology because of the good stability results.Item A study of the effects of inlet preswirl on the dynamic coefficients of a straight-bore honeycomb gas damper seal(Texas A&M University, 2005-02-17) Sprowl, Tony BrandonIn high-pressure centrifugal compressors, honeycomb seals are often used as replacements for labyrinth seals to enhance dynamic stability. A concern exists with the loss of this enhanced stability if the honeycomb cavities become clogged with debris over time. So, as a first objective, static and dynamic tests were conducted on a constant-clearance honeycomb and a constant-clearance smooth-bore seal under three inlet preswirl conditions to determine the effects of inlet preswirl. The resulting leakage flowrate and dynamic parameters, effective stiffness and damping of the seal, were measured for each seal and then compared, with the smooth-bore seal representing the honeycomb seal with completely clogged cells. The second objective was to evaluate a two-control volume theory by Kleynhans and Childs with the measured data under the influence of preswirl. Both seals have a 114.7mm bore with a radial clearance of 0.2mm from the test rotor. The honeycomb seal has a cell width of 0.79mm and cell depth of 3.2mm. The target test matrix for each preswirl setting consisted of three exit-to-inlet pressure ratios of 15%, 35%, and 50%, and three rotor speeds out to 20,200 rpm. The target inlet air pressure was 70 bar-a. Experimental results show that, for a clean honeycomb seal, preswirl has little effect on effective stiffness, Keff*, and decreases effective damping, Ceff*, by about 20% at the high inlet preswirl ratio (~0.6). However, comparing smooth and honeycomb seal results at higher inlet preswirl shows a potential reduction in Keff* by up to 68%, and a large drop and shift in positive Ceff* values, which could cause an instability in the lower frequency range. Measured leakage shows a potential increase of about 80%, regardless of test conditions. A swirl brake at the seal entrance would fix this loss in stability by significantly reducing inlet preswirl. The two-control-volume theory model by Kleynhans and Childs seems to follow the frequency-dependent experimental data well for the honeycomb seal. Theory predicts conservatively (under-predicts) for stability parameters such as k* and Ceff* and for leakage. Predictions for K and Keff may possibly be improved with better measured friction factor coefficients for each seal.Item AC system stability analysis and assessment for Shipboard Power Systems(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Qi, LiThe electric power systems in U.S. Navy ships supply energy to sophisticated systems for weapons, communications, navigation and operation. The reliability and survivability of a Shipboard Power System (SPS) are critical to the mission of a Navy ship, especially under battle conditions. When a weapon hits the ship in the event of battle, it can cause severe damage to the electrical systems on the ship. Researchers in the Power System Automation Laboratory (PSAL) at Texas A&M University have developed methods for performing reconfiguration of SPS before or after a weapon hit to reduce the damage to SPS. Reconfiguration operations change the topology of an SPS. When a system is stressed, these topology changes and induced dynamics of equipment due to reconfiguration might cause voltage instability, such as progressive voltage decreases or voltage oscillations. SPS stability thus should be assessed to ensure the stable operation of a system during reconfiguration. In this dissertation, time frames of SPS dynamics are presented. Stability problems during SPS reconfiguration are classified as long-term stability problems. Since angle stability is strongly maintained in SPS, voltage stability is studied in this dissertation for SPS stability during reconfiguration. A test SPS computer model, whose simulation results were used for stability studies, is presented in this dissertation. The model used a new generalized methodology for modeling and simulating ungrounded stiffly grounded power systems. This dissertation presents two new indices, a static voltage stability index (SVSILji) and a dynamic voltage stability index (DVSI), for assessing the voltage stability in static and dynamic analysis. SVSILji assesses system stability by all lines in SPS. DVSI detects local bifurcations in SPS. SVSILji was found to be a better index in comparison with some indices in the literature for a study on a two-bus power system. Also, results of DVSI were similar to the results of conventional bifurcation analysis software when applied to a small power system. Using SVSILji and DVSI on the test SPS computer model, three of four factors affection voltage stability during SPS reconfiguration were verified. During reconfiguration, SVSILji and DVSI are used together to assess SPS stability.Item Buckling analysis of singly curved shallow bi-layered arch under concentrated loading(2009-05-15) Sonawane, MaheshBi-layered materials are a reduced weight derivative of the sandwich structure and are comprised of one thin skin face reinforced by a thick layer of low density material. Bi-layered materials are characterized by high flexural stiffness and are a viable alternative to conventional sandwich materials in applications where the functional requirements can be met without the second face sheet of the sandwich. For structural applications bi-layered materials are required to have oil canning and buckling resistance. This work addresses the buckling of shallow bi-layered arches using numerical and analytical approaches. A numerical, finite element model is developed to simulate the buckling phenomenon and the results were compared with known experimental data. An analytical model was developed using the energy method analysis and the buckling load was predicted from the minimum energy criterion. Comparison of the numerical and analytical results yielded fairly good agreement. An imperfection analysis conducted by means of the numerical model indicated that the load carrying capacity of bi-layered structures is reduced by up to 40% due to the presence of material and geometric imperfections. A parametric study conducted using the analytical model has been described to setup design guidelines for shallow bi-layered arches. It was found that the use of bi-layered structures can result in weight reduction of around 70% when compared with equivalent single layered structure.Item Chemical Characterization, Bioactive Properties, and Pigment Stability of Polyphenolics in A?ai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.)(2010-07-14) Pacheco Palencia, Lisbeth A.Phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, pigment stability, bioactive properties, and in-vitro absorption of polyphenolics in acai fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) were investigated. Detailed characterization of phenolic compounds present in acai fruit, acai fruit pulp, and a polyphenolic-enriched acai oil were conducted by HPLCESI- MSn analyses and their stability and influence on antioxidant capacity determined. Anthocyanins were predominant in acai fruits, which also contained several flavone and flavonol glycosides, flavanol derivatives, and phenolic acids. In-vitro absorption and antiproliferative effects of phytochemical extracts from acai pulp and acai oil were determined as a function of chemical composition. Polyphenolic mixtures from both acai pulp and acai oil extracts significantly inhibited HT-29 colon cancer cell proliferation, also inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. In-vitro intestinal absorption using Caco-2 cell models demonstrated that phenolic acids and monomeric flavanol derivatives are readily transported through cell monolayers in-vitro. The influence of polyphenolic cofactors on the stability of anthocyanins in acai fruit under varying conditions of temperature and pH was evaluated. Significant time, temperature, and pH-dependent anthocyanin losses were observed in all models, yet the presence of phenolic acids, procyanidins, and flavone-C-glycosides had a positive influence on anthocyanin stability. External addition of flavone-C-glycosides significantly enhanced visual color, increased anthocyanin stability during exposures to high pH or storage temperatures, and had comparable effects to those of a commercial anthocyanin enhancer. Anthocyanin polymerization reactions occurring during storage of acai fruit juice models were investigated and potential mechanisms and reaction products identified. Polymeric anthocyanin fractions contained several anthocyanin-flavanol adducts based on cyanidin or pelargonidin aglycones and their presence was related to increased anthocyanin sulfite bleaching resistance and to the appearance of large, unresolved peaks in HPLC chromatograms. A reaction mechanism involving the nucleophilic addition of anthocyanins in their hydrated form to flavanol carbocations resulting from cleavage of interflavanic bonds was proposed for the formation of flavanol-anthocyanin adducts in acai fruit juices. Antiproliferative activity and in-vitro absorption of monomeric and polymeric anthocyanin fractions were also evaluated. Both fractions inhibited HT-29 colon cancer cell growth in a similar, concentration-dependent manner, yet in-vitro absorption trials using Caco-2 intestinal cell monolayers indicated the presence of anthocyanin polymers may influence anthocyanin absorption in acai fruit products.Item Developments for a Swept Wing Airfoil to Study the Effects of Step and Gap Excrescences on Boundary Layer Transition(2013-01-15) Hedderman, Simon PeterSkin friction drag reduction is one of the most promising paths in the investigation of the reduction of aircraft fuel burn. 40 ? 50% of overall drag comes from the surfaces of the wings and stabilizers. Natural laminar flow airfoils can extend the region of laminar flow and reduce skin friction drag. However, real-world aircraft wings do not have perfectly smooth surfaces, and therefore the tolerances for step and gap excrescences on these airfoils must be investigated. Previous work has focused on excrescences on flat plates, and only recently included pressure gradient effects. A new three-dimensional swept wing airfoil with an actuated leading edge (SWIFTER) has been constructed, and will extend the body of knowledge of step and gap excrescences to a more real-world configuration and higher Reynolds numbers. An integrated control system for the leading edge actuation system is proposed, including both interface hardware and control code. A heating system for the test surface is also discussed, and the controller hardware, sensors, and code specified. For wind tunnel testing, a proposed set of wall liners are developed from zero-lift condition streamlines and divided into parts suitable for manufacturing, assembly, and installation. Finally, preliminary wind tunnel step excrescence tests using an existing swept-wing model and applique step material were conducted, and the results are discussed with relevance to testing on the new model.Item Experimental Investigation of Wind-Forced Drop Stability(2012-10-19) Schmucker, JasonThe stability of drops forced by both wind and gravity is a fluid mechanics problem relevant to heat exchangers, fuel cells, and aircraft icing. To investigate this phenomenon, drops from 15 micro-liters to 400 micro-liters were placed on the rough aluminum (RA = 3.26 micrometers) floor of a tiltable wind tunnel and brought to critical conditions, when the drop begins to run downstream. Various combinations of drop size, inclination angle, and flow speed were employed. A measurement technique capable of measuring full 3D drop profiles was implemented to investigate the drops' evolution toward runback. The measurement requires the comparison of the speckle pattern captured by an overhead drop image with a corresponding image of the dry surface. Stability limits for 235 drops are measured as functions of drop volume and surface inclination. Drops experiencing airflow alone are found to shed at a Weber number of 8.0 +/- 0.5. From measurement sequences of reconstructed drop profiles, the evolution of contact lines, drop profiles, and contact angle distributions are detailed. Contact line integral adhesion forces are calculated from contact angle distributions and related to the forcing air velocity. Drops whose stability limits are dominated by gravity are found to exhibit significantly different evolution toward runback than those dominated by airflow.Item Factors influencing antioxidant phytochemical stability of teas(2009-05-15) Kim, YoungmokTea is second only to water as the most consumed beverage in the world due to its health-promoting benefits and characteristic flavor. Even though many botanical teas such as yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) and mamaki (Pipturus albidus) are currently available in the tea market, only limited information is available on their polyphenolic contents containing diverse biological activities. Identification of phenolic compounds was performed using advanced analytical technique of mass spectrometry to provide polyphenolic profile of teas. To present fundamental information of phytochemical stability during tea storage, studies to determine the impacts of tea processing, different packaging materials, and various storage conditions on the phytochemical stability were conducted. Ascorbic acid addition and lowering pH successfully decreased the reduction of phenolic compounds by reducing the rate of oxidative degradation while tea pasteurization accelerated oxidative degradation. Glass bottles were most effective to retain higher concentration of polyphenolics. Tea polyphenolics at lower temperature (3 ?C) without light exposure were higher retained in each tea. Tea cream, the complex formed by interaction between polyphenolics, caffeine, protein, and metal ions, is highly undesirable in tea industry since it causes haziness and cloudiness in tea infusion as well as deteriorates sensorial properties. Only limited information is available on tea creaming in non-fermented type teas such as green tea, yaupon holly, and mamaki even though many tea creaming compounds are present in these teas. Therefore, studies were conducted to determine the degree of contribution of the tea creaming compounds to tea creaming and to develop novel chemical methods to minimize tea creaming without detrimental effects. Methods applied in the present study defined that hydrophobic interaction was the driving force make tea cream insoluble in the solution. Results obtained by present studies provided fundamental and practical information to the tea industry in terms of phytochemical stability and suggested storage stability of phytochemicals should be considered during processing and storage, since it could be better retained or improved by applying appropriate methods.Item Influence of Genetic Background on Anthocyanin and Co-Pigment Profile and Stability of Colored Corn(2014-08-05) Collison, Amy ElizabethGrowing consumer demand for healthy and natural snacks provides an opportunity for utilization of pigmented corn in the tortilla chip market. This study determined the effect of phenotype^(1) on anthocyanin and co-pigment composition and processing stability of several experimental hybrid varieties of corn from four phenotypes (red, purple, blue, and red/blue). The goal was to determine if genetics/phenotype can be utilized to selectively breed for pigmented corn lines with greater stability during thermo-alkaline processing. The pigment and co-pigment composition were determined using LC-MS/MS. Total and monomeric anthocyanin contents were quantified using pH differential method. Effect of thermo-alkaline processing on anthocyanin profile and color stability was measured using the aforementioned methods, as well as with a colorimeter. The blue and red/blue phenotypes had similar pigment profiles with the more stable acylated anthocyanin cyanidin-3-(6?-malonylglucoside) present in greatest proportion and as such were hypothesized to have greater stability during processing. The purple phenotype contained a higher proportion of monomeric cyanidin-3-glucoside. Generally, anthocyanin profile was similar within phenotype. Regarding total anthocyanin content, the purple phenotype had the highest level of anthocyanins (890-3312 ?g/g), and the red phenotype had the lowest (8.9-127 ?g/g). For non-purple samples, a clear effect of environment on anthocyanin content was observed, with samples grown in Weslaco, TX having consistently higher levels than samples grown in College Station, TX. This suggests specific environments may favor better accumulation of the anthocyanins. During processing of corn into tortilla chips, the purple sample underwent the most significant change in anthocyanin content, retaining 59.1% and 32.1%, at 0.5% and 1% lime treatment levels, respectively. The blue and red/blue samples retained 88.0% and 78.6% (0.5% lime level), respectively, and 63.6% and 51.2% (1% lime level), respectively. However, chroma properties of the blue sample decreased unfavorably during processing. Overall, the red/blue sample performed best at the alkaline pH encountered in tortilla chip processing, with good pigment retention, high lightness value (38.6) and relatively high chroma (9.3) at the 1% lime level, indicating that anthocyanin profile may predict color stability during processing. Therefore, these phenotypes could be improved for use in commercial tortilla chip processing.Item Ionizing Electron Incidents as an Efficient Way to Reduce Viscosity of Heavy Petroleum Fluids(2012-10-19) Alfi, MasoudThe dependence on oil and the fact that petroleum conventional reservoirs are becoming depleted direct attentions toward unconventional-and harder to access-reservoirs. Among those, heavy and extremely heavy oil reservoirs and tar sands form a considerable portion of all petroleum resources. Conventional thermal and thermocatalytic refining methods are not affordable choices in some cases, as they demand a considerable energy investment. On the other hand, electron irradiation, as a novel technology, provides more promising results in heavy oil upgrading. Electron irradiation, as a method of delivering energy to a target molecule, ensures that most of the energy is absorbed by the molecule electronic structure. This leads to a very efficient generation of reactive species, which are capable of initiating chemical reactions. In contrast, when using thermal energy, only a small portion of the energy goes into the electronic structure of the molecule; therefore, bond rupture will result only at high energy levels. The effect of electron irradiation on different heavy petroleum fluids is investigated in this study. Radiation-induced physical and chemical changes of the fluids have been evaluated using different analytical instruments. The results show that high energy electron particles intensify the cracking of heavy hydrocarbons into lighter species. Moreover, irradiation is seen to limit any post-treatment reactions, providing products of higher stability. Depending on the characteristics of the radiolyzed fluid, irradiation may change the distribution pattern of the products, or the radiolysis process may follow the same mechanism that thermal cracking does. In addition to that, we have studied the effectiveness of different influencing variables such as reaction temperature, absorbed dose values, and additives on radiolytic reactions. More specifically, the following subjects are addressed in this study: *Radiation?induced chain reactions of heavy petroleum fluids *Complex hydrocarbon cracking mechanism *High and low temperature radiolysis *Synergetic effects of different chemical additives in radiolysis reactions *Time stability of radiation productsItem Machining dynamics and stability analysis in longitudinal turning involving workpiece whirling(2009-06-02) Dassanayake, Achala ViomyTool chatter in longitudinal turning is addressed with a new perspective using a complex machining model describing the coupled tool-workpiece dynamics subject to nonlinear regenerative cutting forces, instantaneous depth-of-cut (DOC) and workpiece whirling due to material imbalance. The workpiece is modeled as a system of three rotors: unmachined, being machined and machined, connected by a flexible shaft. The model enables workpiece motions relative to the tool and tool motions relative to the machining surface to be three-dimensionally established as functions of spindle speed, instantaneous DOC, rate of material removal and whirling. Excluding workpiece vibrations from the cutting model is found improper. A rich set of nonlinear behaviors of both the tool and the workpiece including period-doubling bifurcation and chaos signifying the extent of machining instability at various DOCs is observed. Presented numerical results agree favorably with physical experiments reported in the literature. It is found that whirling is non-negligible if the fundamental characteristics of machining dynamics are to be fully understood. The 3D model is explored along with its 1D counterpart, which considers only tool motions and disregards workpiece vibrations. Numerical simulations reveal diverse behaviors for the 3D coupled and 1D uncoupled equations of motion for the tool. Most notably, observations made with regard to the inconsistency in describing stability limits raise the concern for using 1D models to obtain stability charts. The nonlinear 3D model is linearized to investigate the implications of applying linear models to the understanding of machining dynamics. Taylor series expansion about the operating point where optimal machining conditions are desired is applied to linearize the model equations of motion. Modifications are also made to the nonlinear tool stiffness term to minimize linearization errors. Numerical experiments demonstrate inadmissible results for the linear model and good agreement with available physical data in describing machining stability and chatter for the nonlinear model. Effects of tool geometry, feed rate, and spindle speed on cutting dynamics are also explored. It is observed that critical DOC increases with increasing spindle speed and small DOCs can induce cutting instability -- two of the results that agree qualitatively well with published experimental data.Item Network television dynamics: a conceptual mathematical modelMaceyko, Aimee EItem Scanning tunneling microscopy studies on the structure and stability of model catalysts(2009-05-15) Yang, FanAn atomic level understanding of the structure and stability of model catalysts is essential for surface science studies in heterogeneous catalysis. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can operate both in UHV and under realistic pressure conditions with a wide temperature span while providing atomic resolution images. Taking advantage of the ability of STM, our research focuses on 1) investigating the structure and stability of supported Au catalysts, especially under CO oxidation conditions, and 2) synthesizing and characterizing a series of alloy model catalysts for future model catalytic studies. In our study, Au clusters supported on TiO2(110) have been used to model supported Au catalysts. Our STM studies in UHV reveal surface structures of TiO2(110) and show undercoordinated Ti cations play a critical role in the nucleation and stabilization of Au clusters on TiO2(110). Exposing the TiO2(110) surface to water vapor causes the formation of surface hydroxyl groups and subsequently alters the growth kinetics of Au clusters on TiO2(110). STM studies on Au/TiO2(110) during CO oxidation demonstrate the real surface of a working catalyst. Au clusters supported on TiO2(110) sinter rapidly during CO oxidation, but are mostly stable in the single component reactant gas, either CO or O2. The sintering kinetics of supported Au clusters has been measured during CO oxidation and gives an activation energy, which supports the mechanism of CO oxidation induced sintering. CO oxidation was also found to accelerate the surface diffusion of Rh(110). Our results show a direct correlation between the reaction rate of CO oxidation and the diffusion rate of surface metal atoms. Synthesis of alloy model catalysts have also been attempted in our study with their structures successfully characterized. Planar Au-Pd alloy films has been prepared on a Rh(100) surface with surface Au and Pd atoms distinguished by STM. The growth of Au-Ag alloy clusters have been studied by in-situ STM on a cluster-to-cluster basis. Moreover, the atomic structure of a solution-prepared Ru3Sn3 cluster has been resolved on an ultra-thin silica film surface. The atomic structure and adsorption sites of the ultrathin silica film have also been well characterized in our study.Item Spin-orbit coupling in the solar system(2009-05) Marsh, Jasmina Pozderac; Llave, Rafael de la; Gonzalez, Oscar, 1968-The existence of the exact commensurability between the periods of rotation and revolution of a satellite orbiting a planet is not a rare phenomenon in the Solar system. In fact, there are several examples of such resonances with the Earth-Moon system being the most familiar example of a 1:1 (synchronous) resonance. In this report, I will discuss the questions of stability of five resonant systems (Moon – Earth, Enceladus - Saturn, Dione - Saturn, Rhea – Saturn, and Mercury – Sun (the only non – synchronous resonance among the evolved spin – orbit resonances in the Solar system). Several authors have investigated the stability of spin-orbit resonances, and, in this report, I will concentrate on the two most recent investigations.Item Stability and Three-Dimensional Analysis of Bone Formation in Longitudinally Fluted Miniscrew Implants(2014-04-22) Truong, An VanThe purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of longitudinal flutes on mini-screw implant (MSI) bone healing and stability. Using 11 skeletally mature New Zealand White rabbits, 33 longitudinally fluted and 33 non-fluted MSIs were placed and immediately loaded with 100g using NiTi coil springs. Insertion torque values were obtained for each MSI that was placed; removal torque values were obtained for 28 MSIs that had been in place for 6 weeks and 20 MSIs that had been in place for 2 weeks. The bone volume fraction surrounding the implant 6-to-24 ?m, 24-to-42 ?m, and 42-60 ?m from the MSI surface using micro-computed tomography with an isotropic resolution of 6 ?m. The success rate was 97%, with both the fluted and non-fluted MSIs each having one failure. Mean insertion torque was slightly higher for fluted MSIs (3.98 N cm ?0.24) compared to non-fluted MSIs (3.95 N cm ?0.24), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=.930). After 6 weeks, removal torque values were significantly (p=.008) higher for the fluted (3.42 N cm ?0.26) than non-fluted (2.49 N cm ?0.20) MSIs. After 2 weeks, removal torque values were higher for fluted (2.87 N cm ?0.22) than non-fluted MSIs (2.75 N cm ?0.22), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=.702). After six weeks, bone volumes of the 6-24 ?m, 24-to- 42 ?m, and 42-to-60 ?m layers were significantly (p<.05) greater for the non-fluted than fluted MSIs. After two weeks, bone volume of three layers were also significantly (p<.05) greater for the non-fluted than fluted MSIs. Fluted and non-fluted 3 mm long MSIs can have very high success rates, even with all maximum insertion torque values being less than 6.2 N cm. Adding longitudinal flutes to 3 mm MSIs increases their removal torque by 37% after 6 weeks, despite the fact that there was less bone surrounding the fluted than non-fluted MSIs.Item Static Stability of Tension Leg Platforms(2010-07-14) Xu, NingThe static stability of a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) with an intact tendon system is principally provided by its tendons and hence quite different from those of a conventional ship or even a floating structure positioned by its mooring system. Because small deformations in tendons are capable of providing sufficient righting moment to a TLP, the contribution from the inclination of its hull is relatively insignificant, especially when its tendon system is intact. When the tendon system of a TLP is completely damaged, the static stability of a TLP behaves and is calculated in a similar manner as those of a conventional ship. In the case of a TLP with a partially damaged tendon system, the stability of a TLP may be provided by the deformation of its tendons and to a certain extent the inclination of its hull. Several hurricanes in recent years have raised concerns about the feasibility and the robustness of the TLP concept in the deep water Gulf of Mexico. To the best of our knowledge, existing publications on the research of static stability of TLPs are limited. This study investigates the static stability of different types of TLPs representing those deployed in the Gulf of Mexico, under three different scenarios. That is, a TLP with 1) an intact tendon system, 2) a partially damaged tendon system, and 3) a completely damaged tendon system. The four different types of TLP chosen for this study are 1) a conventional four-leg TLP, 2) three-leg mini TLP, 3) extended four-leg TLP and 4) mini four-leg TLP. To avoid buckling and yielding occurring in a tendon, we define that the maximum righting moment provided by an intact or partially damaged tendon system is reached when the tension in one or more tendons on the down tension leg becomes zero or when the tension in one or more tendons on the up tension leg starts to yield. This definition leads us to identify the most dangerous (or vulnerable) directions of met-ocean conditions to a TLP with an intact or partially damaged tendon system. Hence, our finding may also be used in the study on the pitch/roll dynamic stability of a TLP. The righting moments of each TLP in the three different scenarios are respectively computed and compared with related wind-induce static upsetting moment at certain velocities. By comparing their ratios, the static stability of a TLP and the redundancy of its tendon system may be revealed, which has important implication to the design of a TLP.