Integration and commercialisation of tube measuring devices : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University,Manawatu, New Zealand

Failure of plant equipment in the hydrocarbon processing industry can lead to significant financial, environmental, and health and safety consequences. Therefore, the equipment is subject to ongoing routine inspections, which often involve significant labour and financial resources. Methanex is a methanol producing company operating plants at six sites globally, including in New Zealand. The production of methanol involves the use of steam-methane reformers, which house hundreds of process-carrying vertically hung reformer tubes in a large gas fired furnace box. The heat and pressure of the process places the metal used for the tubes under high stresses, which results in the creep strain phenomenon exhibited as diametric growth in the tube. As the growth increases, the tube becomes weaker, and eventually fails. Methanex has developed a device for inspecting the reformer tubes and detecting this growth, called the Economole, thus helping to predict remaining tube life. However, the Economole device is not capable of inspecting the other part of the reformer, also at risk of creep strain, the pigtail collection pipes. These pipes are used to collect the gas at the bottom of the reformer tubes, and are smaller in diameter. Normal practice is to manually externally inspect these pipes, costing in excess of 100 000 NZD for Methanex New Zealand’s three reformers. The research performed during this thesis was initiated to address the gap in internal, automated, reformer inspection at Methanex, by integrating the field proven Economole tube measuring device, with a laboratory tested prototype, the Minimole. Commercialisation of the Minimole concept was carried out, to provide a fit for purpose device, and integration of mechanical, electrical, communication and control systems was subsequently completed. The final outcome of the project was the MXmole device. It consists of an improved Economole system, integrated with the Minimole system.. The MXmole is able to measure the full reformer tube, as well the top section of the reformer pigtail, during one inspection. Real time feedback is provided on the condition of the pigtail, with instantaneous critical warnings, indicating near end of life of the pigtail. This feedback can initiate immediate necessary replacement. Inspection coverage for Methanex’s reformer equipment has increased as a result of this research. This increase has provided them with additional data necessary to assess the life expectancy of their reformer equipment, including pigtails, without the need for costly and laborious manual external inspection. The outcome of this research may be adapted to other plants and processes in industry, allowing further economical inspection of equipment vulnerable to creep strain, and the overall safer and more reliable operation of high pressure and temperature plant equipment in industry

Oil Dispersants and Human Health Effects

The explosion and subsequent blowout of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) offshore drilling rig on April 20, 2010, led to the largest accidental offshore oil spill since the advent of the petroleum industry, dwarfed only by the deliberate release of crude oil by Iraqi forces during the Persian Gulf War. Over the time until the well was capped on July 15, approximately 200 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the ocean floor beneath the well site located approximately 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. For perspective, this amount is nearly 20 times the amount of oil discharged during the Exxon Valdez incident in Alaska. As a result, massive mitigation efforts took place during and after the flow of oil which entailed mechanical recovery, controlled burning, and chemical dispersion. As a result unprecedented application of oil dispersant agents was employed by BP during this time until their use was curtailed by the EPA on May 26, 2010. Overall, about 17 - 20% of the crude oil was mechanically recovered and 6 – 8% burned. For the oil remaining in the environment, about 40% (of original input) was evaporated, dissolved, or dispersed into small droplets by natural processes. Initially, it was estimated that only 16.5 million gallons of oil

Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) Spermatozoon

The scanning electron microscope was used to determine the morphology of the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) spermatozoon. The spermatozoon is approximately 32 μm long and consists of a head, mitochondrial collar, and flagellum. The head is elongated and somewhat flattened. It has an antero posterior length of 3.1 μm and a maximum diameter of 1.6 to 2.2 μm. Mean antero-posterior length of the mitochondrial collar is 0.8 μm The collar encircles the flagellum but is separated from it. The flagellum ranges in length from 26 to31 μm and is divided into a principal piece and end piece. Cytoplasmic vesicles commonly are found in the anterior region of the flagellu

Generalized Gamma Convolutions, Dirichlet means, Thorin measures, with explicit examples

In Section 1, we present a number of classical results concerning the Generalized Gamma Convolution (:GGC) variables, their Wiener-Gamma representations, and relation with the Dirichlet processes.To a GGC variable, one may associate a unique Thorin measure. Let $G$ a positive r.v. and $\Gamma_t(G)$ (resp. $\Gamma_t(1/G))$ the Generalized Gamma Convolution with Thorin measure $t$-times the law of $G$ (resp. the law of $1/G$). In Section 2, we compare the laws of $\Gamma_t(G)$ and $\Gamma_t(1/G)$.In Section 3, we present some old and some new examples of GGC variables, among which the lengths of excursions of Bessel processes straddling an independent exponential time.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/07-PS118 the Probability Surveys (http://www.i-journals.org/ps/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

A firm's-eye view of policy and fiscal reforms in Cameroon

After decades of heavy trade restrictions, fiscal distortions, and currency overvaluation, Cameroon implemented important commercial and fiscal policy reforms. Almost simultaneously, a major CFA devaluation cut the international price of Cameroon's currency in half. The authors examine the effects of these reforms on the incentive structure that manufacturing firms face. Did they create a coherent set of new signals? Was the net effect to stimulate the production of tradable goods? Was the dispersion of tax burdens lessened? They address each of these questions using a cost function decomposition applied to detailed firm-level panel data. They observe that Cameroon's reforms appear to have sent clear new signals to manufacturers, as the effective rate of protection fell by between 80 and 120 percentage points. Unlike trade liberalization, neither tax reforms nor the CFA devaluation had a major systemic effect on profit margins. But the CFA devaluation did twist relative prices dramatically in favor of exportable goods, so export-oriented firms exhibited rapid output growth.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Policies,Markets and Market Access,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Markets and Market Access,Access to Markets

An effective palynological preparation procedure using hydrogen peroxide

Most pre-Quaternary palynology samples are currently prepared by demineralization of the sediment/sedimentary rock matrix using hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids (HCl and HF respectively). If a consistently effective alternative to this procedure can be developed, palynological processing will be made significantly less hazardous to both laboratory personnel, and to the wider environment. Furthermore, most non-acid processing methods are normally quicker and cheaper than matrix dissolution using acid. Some authors have previously used hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to extract palynomorphs by the physico–chemical disaggregation of the clay fraction. However, H2O2 is a powerful oxidizing agent and hence can potentially destroy sedimentary organic material, including palynomorphs. A new method using hot H2O2, where exposure of the sample material to the H2O2 is minimized, has been developed. Crushed sample material in a suitable vessel is placed on a hot plate for one minute, treated with 15–30% H2O2 for 10 minutes, then the residue is diluted with cold distilled water. Disaggregated sample material tends to float, and is decanted into a large vessel containing distilled water to further dilute the H2O2. If any undisaggregated sample remains, the procedure is repeated several times if necessary. Relatively indurated sedimentary lithotypes normally require several treatments. The reason for this stepwise treatment is that the organic material is not exposed to H2O2 for sustained periods, thereby reducing the possibility of palynomorph damage/degradation due to oxidation. When the sample matrix has been fully disaggregated, the residue can be further processed as appropriate. In this study, eight samples of Carboniferous, Jurassic, Paleogene, and Quaternary age were prepared quantitatively using the new H2O2 method. These were all prepared using 30% H2O2. For comparison, they were also prepared quantitatively using HCl/HF and/or sodium hexametaphosphate [(NaPO3)6]. Quantitative preparations allow the concentration of palynomorphs extracted to be determined, and therefore the effectiveness of the techniques used can be compared objectively. The palynomorph residues derived from these three techniques varied markedly. The H2O2 method does not consistently disaggregate all the sample material, particularly the older and more indurated lithotypes. Some evidence of oxidation effects was observed. Two samples of Mississippian mudstone from the U.S.A. were prepared using H2O2 and (NaPO3)6. Both methods produced abundant miospores, however the H2O2 procedure yielded far higher palynomorph concentrations than the (NaPO3)6 technique. Minor degradation of palynomorphs in the H2O2 preparation was noted. The H2O2 and HCl/HF methods were compared directly on a palynomorph-rich sample of Upper Carboniferous mudstone from offshore Scotland. Both preparations produced abundant miospores. The HCl/HF method had significantly higher recovery levels than the H2O2 procedure. It appears that the H2O2 method simultaneously macerates the matrix, and oxidizes any amorphous organic material (AOM) present. In this sample, the HCl/HF residue was relatively rich in AOM. By contrast, the H2O2 preparation is virtually clear of this phytoclast type, which partially obscures palynomorphs. Two samples of the Middle Jurassic Grantham Formation of eastern England were processed using H2O2 and HCl/HF. The two methods produced abundant palynofloras of similar palynomorph concentrations. Two dinoflagellate cyst acmes within the Danian (Paleogene) part of the López de Bertodano Formation of Seymour Island, Antarctica were also tested using H2O2, (NaPO3)6, and HCl/HF. TheH2O2 preparation completely destroyed the dominant taxon, Palaeoperidinium pyrophorum, in one sample. By contrast, the (NaPO3)6 and HCl/HF preparations produced abundant, fully representative palynofloras. In the other sample, the acme of Spinidinium spp. is completely unaffected by the H2O2 preparation procedure. The final sample of this study is an unconsolidated clay of Late Pleistocene age from offshore Scotland. Both the H2O2 and HCl/HF preparations proved similar in both taxonomic content and overall palynomorph yield. The new method of preparation using hot H2O2 has proved to be extremely effective. In particular, it appears to be superior to the (NaPO3)6 procedure for indurated lithotypes. However care should be taken because H2O2 can destroy certain dinoflagellate cysts and kerogen macerals which are especially susceptible to oxidation. Further development work, and more comparative testing of the H2O2, (NaPO3)6, and HCl/HF procedures, should be undertaken

The Final Merger of Black-Hole Binaries

Recent breakthroughs in the field of numerical relativity have led to dramatic progress in understanding the predictions of General Relativity for the dynamical interactions of two black holes in the regime of very strong gravitational fields. Such black-hole binaries are important astrophysical systems and are a key target of current and developing gravitational-wave detectors. The waveform signature of strong gravitational radiation emitted as the black holes fall together and merge provides a clear observable record of the process. After decades of slow progress, these mergers and the gravitational-wave signals they generate can now be routinely calculated using the methods of numerical relativity. We review recent advances in understanding the predicted physics of events and the consequent radiation, and discuss some of the impacts this new knowledge is having in various areas of astrophysics.Comment: 57 pages; 9 figures. Updated references & fixed typos. Published version is at http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.nucl.010909.08324

Black-hole binaries, gravitational waves, and numerical relativity

Understanding the predictions of general relativity for the dynamical interactions of two black holes has been a long-standing unsolved problem in theoretical physics. Black-hole mergers are monumental astrophysical events, releasing tremendous amounts of energy in the form of gravitational radiation, and are key sources for both ground- and space-based gravitational-wave detectors. The black-hole merger dynamics and the resulting gravitational waveforms can only be calculated through numerical simulations of Einstein's equations of general relativity. For many years, numerical relativists attempting to model these mergers encountered a host of problems, causing their codes to crash after just a fraction of a binary orbit could be simulated. Recently, however, a series of dramatic advances in numerical relativity has allowed stable, robust black-hole merger simulations. This remarkable progress in the rapidly maturing field of numerical relativity, and the new understanding of black-hole binary dynamics that is emerging is chronicled. Important applications of these fundamental physics results to astrophysics, to gravitational-wave astronomy, and in other areas are also discussed.Comment: 54 pages, 42 figures. Some typos corrected & references updated. Essentially final published versio