Effective Strategies for Protecting Human Rights: A Conference Engaging the International Community

Human rights protection needs teeth. And those who work in the disparate field of human rights need to see the system more comprehensively and strategically. Far too often, political issues interfere with enforcement of human rights laws and allow violators to hide behind the unwillingness of national governments to take action to enforce existing laws against human rights violators. Lack of commitment to human rights enforcement or timely preventative or intervention actions have led to violators being left unpunished for torture, rape and genocide. This failure of governments means that there is a lack of deterent power sufficient to inhibit potential human rights violators who know they will not be legally pursued after a conflict has ended

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Policy Strategies and the European Union: Successful resistance and pursued influence

In recent years, Azerbaijan has positioned itself on the international scene as an increasingly important and assertive actor. This essay focuses on Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union (EU). It will identify the policy strategies used by Azerbaijan to engage with the EU in two areas where their interests and objectives do not align, namely democracy and human rights promotion policies, and agenda-setting of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The essay highlights, first, the relevance of national independence, ‘balancing’ and regime legitimacy in explaining Azerbaijan’s foreign policy strategies, and second, the mixed track record of Azerbaijan’s assertiveness, with different outcomes depending on whether the policy strategies are reactive or proactive

Improving the Retention Capacity of Clamping Elements

An analysis of the discarded drill pipes that had been used in wedge grips has revealed that the main reason for pipe rejection is the reduction of a pipe wall as a result of plastic deformations, due to damaging the pipe surface by the die teeth. The long-term exposure to loads results in the plastic deformations of cylindrical parts, which could lead to unacceptable damage and distortion of the shape. In the oil industry, when drilling and casing pipes are clamped, stresses over some areas in the capture zone exceed the fluidity limit. Multiple clamps of the pipe could reduce the wall of the pipe in the capture area, which leads to premature failure of the pipe. Pipe crumpling occurs not immediately when the load is applied but gradually, by local plastic deformity of the pipe at various points in length and circumference, where the stresses exceed the limit of the fluidity of the pipe material. In order to prevent unacceptable deformations of pipes during hoisting operations, we have considered the possibilities to reduce loads.In this regard, special attention has been paid to the design of clamping jaws that provide the increased retention capacity and the technology of their manufacture. The greatest retention capacity is ensured by jaws with an oblique intersecting notch. In such jaws, the teeth of the notch are arranged chequerwise. This makes it possible to exclude the formation of vertical grooves on the body of the pipe due to slippage induced by the axial load. However, the manufacture of such notches at the inner cylindrical surface of clamping jaws is associated with some difficulties. This relates to that there are no standard tools for making such notched surfaces of complex configuration. The result of our research is the designed and manufactured special tool, as well as the technology for its fabrication. That has made it easier to cut the notches on clamping jaws that ensure the reliable capture of drill pipe

Studying the Quality of Drill Pipes Clamped in a Wedge Clamp

Much attention has been recently paid to institutional measures aimed at improving quality of products related to petroleum machine building, in particular, the implementation of quality management systems based on the ISO standards of series 9000 [1]. However, technological methods of quality assurance have not been less important.The paper considers the factors influencing the quality of a cylindrical thin-walled component during operation. The most significant factors are the efforts to which the component us exposed when it is captured by a clamping mechanism.We have performed experiments into the effects of loads on a clamped component. The aim of these experiments was to establish the impact of various factors on stresses and deformations of cylindrical thin-walled components. The main factors, in addition to the applied forces, are the capturing angle of the clamping element, the length of its contact with a part, load distribution over the teeth of the clamping element.Given the development of deep drilling and an increase in loads acting on the wedge clamps, the requirements to their gripping capacity become stricter. Insufficient gripping capacity of the wedge clamp could cause damage to a pipe at the place it is clamped by wedges.In this case, clamping efforts act in the same region of a pipe, forming a thinned neck at long operation. The result of such damage is a premature failure of a drill pipe's operation and the risk of an emergency.Significant impact on the gripping capacity of a wedge clamp is exerted by the elements of its design. Of importance is also the stressed state of a drill pipe clamped by a wedge clamp. We have calculated the optimal geometrical characteristics for clamping jaws. The best indicators were demonstrated by the grooved jaws with oblique intersecting notch. We have considered the load distribution over the teeth of clamping jaws. It has been shown that the optimal load distribution over the teeth is provided by jaws with oblique intersecting notch. In this case, tooth 1 accounts for 26 % of the load, tooth 2‒22 %, tooth 3‒19 %, tooth 4‒17 %, tooth 5‒16 %.The results obtained in the course of our research would make it possible to introduce such modifications to the design of clamping devices that could significantly improve their gripping capacity and reduce the risk of accident