An Object-Based Approach to Modelling and Analysis of Failure Properties

In protection systems, when traditional technology is replaced by software, the functionality and complexity of the system is likely to increase. The quantitative evidence normally provided for safety certification of traditional systems cannot be relied upon in software-based systems. Instead there is a need to provide qualitative evidence. As a basis for the required qualitative evidence, we propose an object-based approach that allows modelling of both the application and software domains. From the object class model of a system and a formal specification of the failure properties of its components, we generate a graph of failure propagation over object classes, which is then used to generate a graph in terms of object instances in order to conduct fault tree analysis. The model is validated by comparing the resulting minimal cut sets with those obtained from the fault tree analysis of the original system. The approach is illustrated on a case study based on a protection system from..

Web application to help children learn English

Cilj diplomske naloge je bil izdelati spletno aplikacijo, ki bo na zanimiv oz. igriv način omogočala učenje angleškega jezika. Aplikacija je namenjena učenju otrok, saj na zabaven in otroku prilagojen način vodi dogajanje oz. reševanje nalog. Aplikacija ima več težavnostnih stopenj in je tako primerna za otroke z različnimi nivoji znanja angleškega jezika. Izdelava naloge se je začela s pregledom obstoječih načinov učenja, iz katerih smo nato pripravili primere, ki ustrezajo različnim zahtevnostnim nivojem. Razvoj se je začel z izdelavo podatkovne baze v sistemu MySQL in nadaljeval z izdelavo spletne aplikacije, pri kateri je bilo uporabljenih več različnih spletnih tehnologij. Aplikacija ima šest kategorij nalog, od sestavljanja besed, pa do pravilnega tvorjenja stavkov in zapisa nepravilnih glagolov.The goal of this diploma was to create a web application, that will in interesting or playfull way enable learning English. The application is primarily intended for children since it directs the action or task solving in a entertaining way, that is suited to children. There are several difficulty levels so the app is suitable for children or learners with different levels of English knowledge. The process of implementing the task started with going through some of the existing learning techniques and based on that we prepared examples, that are suitable for different levels of difficulty. The first step of the build was to set up a database in MySQL, followed by creating web application using various web technologies. The application contains tasks in six different difficulty levels, starting with word formation, all the way up to the correct creation of sentences and learning irregular verbs

Multi-Attribute Seismic/Rock Physics Approach to Characterizing Fractured Reservoirs

Most current seismic methods to seismically characterize fractures in tight reservoirs depend on a few anisotropic wave propagation signatures that can arise from aligned fractures. While seismic anisotropy can be a powerful fracture diagnostic, a number of situations can lessen its usefulness or introduce interpretation ambiguities. Fortunately, laboratory and theoretical work in rock physics indicates that a much broader spectrum of fracture seismic signatures can occur, including a decrease in P- and S-wave velocities, a change in Poisson's ratio, an increase in velocity dispersion and wave attenuation, as well as well as indirect images of structural features that can control fracture occurrence. The goal of this project was to demonstrate a practical interpretation and integration strategy for detecting and characterizing natural fractures in rocks. The approach was to exploit as many sources of information as possible, and to use the principles of rock physics as the link among seismic, geologic, and log data. Since no single seismic attribute is a reliable fracture indicator in all situations, the focus was to develop a quantitative scheme for integrating the diverse sources of information. The integrated study incorporated three key elements: The first element was establishing prior constraints on fracture occurrence, based on laboratory data, previous field observations, and geologic patterns of fracturing. The geologic aspects include analysis of the stratigraphic, structural, and tectonic environments of the field sites. Field observations and geomechanical analysis indicates that fractures tend to occur in the more brittle facies, for example, in tight sands and carbonates. In contrast, strain in shale is more likely to be accommodated by ductile flow. Hence, prior knowledge of bed thickness and facies architecture, calibrated to outcrops, are powerful constraints on the interpreted fracture distribution. Another important constraint is that fracturing is likely to be more intense near faults--sometimes referred to as the damaged zone. Yet another constraint, based on world-wide observations, is that the maximum likely fracture density increases with depth in a well-defined way. Defining these prior constrains has several benefits: they lead to a priori probability distributions of fractures, that are important for objective statistical integration; they limit the number of geologic hypotheses that need to be theoretically modeled; they provide plausible models for fracture distributions below the seismic resolution. The second element was theoretical rock physics modeling of optimal seismic attributes, including offset and azimuth dependence of traveltime, amplitude, and impedance signatures of anisotropic fractured rocks. The suggested workflow is to begin with an elastic earth model, based on well logs, theoretically add fractures to the likely facies as defined by the geologic prior information, and then compute synthetic seismic traces and attributes, including variations in P and S-wave velocities, Poisson's ratio, reflectivity, travel time, attenuation, and anisotropies of these parameters. This workflow is done in a Monte-Carlo fashion, yielding ranges of expected fracture signatures, and allowing realistic assessments of uncertainty to be honored. The third element was statistical integration of the geophysical data and prior constraints to map fracture intensity and orientations, along with uncertainties. A Bayesian framework was developed that allowed systematic integration of the prior constraints, the theoretical relations between fractures and their seismic signatures, and the various observed seismic observations. The integration scheme was successfully applied on an East Texas field site. The primary benefit from the study was the optimization and refinement of practical workflows for improved geophysical characterization of natural fractures and for quantifying the uncertainty of these interpretations. By presenting a methodology for integrating various types of information, the workflow will help to reduce the risk (and therefore the cost) of exploring for and recovering natural gas and oil reserves in fractured reservoirs

Identification of hydrocarbons in chalk reservoirs from surface seismic data: South Arne field, North Sea

Seismic data are mainly used to map out structures in the subsurface, but are also increasingly used to detect differences in porosity and in the fluids that occupy the pore space in sedimentary rocks. Hydrocarbons are generally lighter than brine, and the bulk density and sonic velocity (speed of pressure waves or P-wave velocity) of hydrocarbon-bearing sedimentary rocks are therefore reduced compared to non-reservoir rocks. However, sound is transmitted in different wave forms through the rock, and the shear velocity (speed of shear waves or S-wave velocity) is hardly affected by the density of the pore fluid. In order to detect the presence of hydrocarbons from seismic data, it is thus necessary to investigate how porosity and pore fluids affect the acoustic properties of a sedimentary rock. Much previous research has focused on describing such effects in sandstone (see Mavko et al. 1998), and only in recent years have corresponding studies on the rock physics of chalk appeared (e.g. Walls et al. 1998; Røgen 2002; Fabricius 2003; Gommesen 2003; Japsen et al. 2004). In the North Sea, chalk of the Danian Ekofisk Formation and the Maastrichtian Tor Formation are important reservoir rocks. More information could no doubt be extracted from seismic data if the fundamental physical properties of chalk were better understood. The presence of gas in chalk is known to cause a phase reversal in the seismic signal (Megson 1992), but the presence of oil in chalk has only recently been demonstrated to have an effect on surface seismic data (Japsen et al. 2004). The need for a better link between chalk reservoir parameters and geophysical observations has, however, strongly increased since the discovery of the Halfdan field proved major reserves outside four-way dip closures (Jacobsen et al. 1999; Vejbæk & Kristensen 2000)

Characterization of a Pre-Trajan wall by integrated geophysical methods

The purpose of this study was to characterize a pre-Trajan mosaic-decorated wall structure located beneath the Cryptoporticus of the 'Baths of Trajan' complex in Rome. The surveyed wall is 15m long, 0.9m wide and 3 to 5m high. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and P-wave seismic refraction tomography profiles were used to reconstruct the wall's inner structure, generate a map of the fractures and to evaluate the seismic velocities of the building materials. The wall was surveyed with horizontally and vertically dense GPR profiles and two seismic lines. The seismic lines and GPR profiles were capable of detecting a discontinuity between brick and travertine materials that compose the wall. The combined interpretation of the two non-invasive techniques allowed us to locate weak zones and fractures. This rapid, non-destructive and multi-parametric approach has proved to be effective for characterizing the current status of the wall and the results will be used by archaeologists to evaluate the wall's integrity and to preserve the structure in the future archaeological excavations

RELAP5/MOD3.3 Best Estimate Analyses for Human Reliability Analysis

To estimate the success criteria time windows of operator actions the conservative approach was used in the conventional probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). The current PSA standard recommends the use of best-estimate codes. The purpose of the study was to estimate the operator action success criteria time windows in scenarios in which the human actions are supplement to safety systems actuations, needed for updated human reliability analysis (HRA). For calculations the RELAP5/MOD3.3 best estimate thermal-hydraulic computer code and the qualified RELAP5 input model representing a two-loop pressurized water reactor, Westinghouse type, were used. The results of deterministic safety analysis were examined what is the latest time to perform the operator action and still satisfy the safety criteria. The results showed that uncertainty analysis of realistic calculation in general is not needed for human reliability analysis when additional time is available and/or the event is not significant contributor to the risk

Frequency-dependent anisotropy of porous rocks with aligned fractures

Naturally fractured reservoirs are becoming increasingly important for oil and gas exploration in many areas of the world. Because fractures may control the permeability of a reservoir, it is important to be able to find and characterize fractured zones. In fractured reservoirs, the wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures can cause significant dispersion and attenuation of seismic waves. For waves propagating normal to the fractures, this effect has been quantified in earlier studies. Here we extend normal incidence results to oblique incidence using known expressions for the stiffness tensors in the low- and high-frequency limits. This allows us to quantify frequency-dependent anisotropy due to the wave-induced flow between pores and fractures and gives a simple recipe for computing phase velocities and attenuation factors of quasi-P and SV waves as functions of frequency and angle. These frequency and angle dependencies are concisely expressed through dimensionless velocity anisotropy and attenuation anisotropy parameters. It is found that, although at low frequencies, the medium is close to elliptical (which is to be expected as a dry medium containing a distribution of penny-shaped cracks is known to be close to elliptical); at high frequencies, the coupling between P-wave and SV-wave results in anisotropy due to the non-vanishing excess tangential compliance

Time-lapse sonic logs reveal patchy CO2 saturation in-situ

Based on time-lapse sonic and neutron porosity logs from the Nagaoka CO2 sequestration experiment, a P-wave velocity-saturation relation at reservoir depth is retrieved. It does not coincide with either of the end-member models of uniform and patchy saturation but falls in between even if realistic error estimates for the host rock properties are considered. Assuming a random distribution of CO2 patches it is shown that the mechanism of wave-induced flow can be evoked to explain this velocity-saturation relation. Characteristic CO2 patch size estimates range from 1 to 5 mm. Such mesoscopic heterogeneity can be responsible for attenuation and dispersion in the well logging frequency band