Cracked modeling and vibration analysis of pipe with a part-through crack

Pipeline is an important transportation facility in the oil and gas industries. But cracks inevitably appear in the pipe body due to various factors. Mechanical analysis of cracked pipe structures based on local flexibility has received increased attention in the last three decades. However, few reports exist on the local flexibility of pipes with an arbitrary angled crack. In this paper, the general solution of the local flexibility equations of a pipe with a part through-crack subjected to axial force, shearing force, and bending moment is deduced with respect to an arbitrary angled crack. The proposed equations consider the influence of the crack orientation on the local flexibility coefficient. An adaptive Simpson method is used to calculate the local flexibility coefficients of a cracked pipe. The results of testing by Naniwadekar’s and Authors’ are used to validate the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is accurate for calculating local flexibility and can be applied for vibration analysis in a pipe-like structure

Nonlinear dynamic response analysis of a cantilever beam with a breathing crack

The nonlinear dynamic characteristics of plane cracked beam subjected to a harmonic load at the tip are researched. A crack opens and closes during vibration that is simulated as a frictionless plane contact problem, and a finite element contact model for a cantilever cracked beam is established. The quarter-point element is used to describe the crack tip singularity. Based on the proposed finite element contact model, the influence of excitation frequency, crack depth and crack position on nonlinear dynamic characteristics are discussed in detail. Relative amplitude of frequency spectrum with respect to different factors is analyzed to realize sub-harmonics or super-harmonics of cracked beam. The research results demonstrate that there is obvious nonlinear dynamic behavior for plane beam with a fatigue crack, and the different feature of frequency spectrum can be used to identify the beam damage in structure. Meanwhile, the strategy of experimental validation to the FEM results is discussed

Virtual sensing for gearbox condition monitoring based on extreme learning machine

Gearbox, as a critical component to convert speed and torque to maintain machinery normal operation in the industrial processes, has been received and still needs considerable attentions to ensure its reliable operation. Direct sensing and indirect sensing techniques are widely used for gearbox condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, but both have Pros and Cons. To bridge their gaps and enhance the performance of early fault diagnosis, this paper presents a new virtual sensing technique based on extreme learning machine (ELM) for gearbox degradation status estimation. By fusing the features extracted from indirect sensing measurements (e.g. in-process vibration measurement), ELM based virtual sensing model could infer the gearbox condition which was usually directly indicated by the direct sensing measurements (e.g. offline oil debris mass (ODM)). Different state-of-the-art dimension reduction techniques have been investigated for feature selection and fusion including principal component analysis (PCA) and its kernel version, locality preserving projection (LPP) method. The effectiveness of the presented virtual sensing technique is experimentally validated by the sensing measurements from a spiral bevel gear test rig. The experimental results show that the estimated gearbox condition by the virtual sensing model based on ELM and kernel PCA well follows the trend of truth data and presents the better performance over the support vector regression based virtual sensing scheme

Cracked modeling and vibration analysis of pipe with a part-through crack

Pipeline is an important transportation facility in the oil and gas industries. But cracks inevitably appear in the pipe body due to various factors. Mechanical analysis of cracked pipe structures based on local flexibility has received increased attention in the last three decades. However, few reports exist on the local flexibility of pipes with an arbitrary angled crack. In this paper, the general solution of the local flexibility equations of a pipe with a part through-crack subjected to axial force, shearing force, and bending moment is deduced with respect to an arbitrary angled crack. The proposed equations consider the influence of the crack orientation on the local flexibility coefficient. An adaptive Simpson method is used to calculate the local flexibility coefficients of a cracked pipe. The results of testing by Naniwadekar’s and Authors’ are used to validate the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is accurate for calculating local flexibility and can be applied for vibration analysis in a pipe-like structure

Damage modeling and simulation of vibrating pipe with part-through circumferential crack

A new finite element model is developed to perform vibration analysis of a cracked pipe. To formulate the method, the local flexibility coefficients of a part-through circumferential crack in a pipe that is subjected to axial force, shear force and bending moment are analytically derived using linear fracture mechanics. In particular, an adaptive Simpson method is utilized to carry out the numerical integration for calculating the flexibility coefficients. With the flexibility coefficients, a finite element model is established to study the vibration characteristics of the cracked pipe, with particular emphasis on the crack effect represented by change in natural frequency. As an illustrative application, the finite element model is utilized to identify a crack in a pipe by contour plots of frequency ratio as function of crack location and crack depth, with the crack location and depth identified accurately. The proposed method is effective in characterizing the vibration behavior of a pipe with a crack

Macrophage-derived extracellular vesicle-packaged WNTs rescue intestinal stem cells and enhance survival after radiation injury

WNT/β-catenin signalling is crucial for intestinal homoeostasis. The intestinal epithelium and stroma are the major source of WNT ligands but their origin and role in intestinal stem cell (ISC) and epithelial repair remains unknown. Macrophages are a major constituent of the intestinal stroma. Here, we analyse the role of macrophage-derived WNT in intestinal repair in mice by inhibiting their release using a macrophage-restricted ablation of Porcupine, a gene essential for WNT synthesis. Such Porcn-depleted mice have normal intestinal morphology but are hypersensitive to radiation injury in the intestine compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. Porcn-null mice are rescued from radiation lethality by treatment with WT but not Porcn-null bone marrow macrophage-conditioned medium (CM). Depletion of extracellular vesicles (EV) from the macrophage CM removes WNT function and its ability to rescue ISCs from radiation lethality. Therefore macrophage-derived EV-packaged WNTs are essential for regenerative response of intestine against radiation

Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Transplantation Mitigates Radiation-Induced Gastrointestinal Syndrome in Mice

Nuclear accidents and terrorism presents a serious threat for mass casualty. While bone-marrow transplantation might mitigate hematopoietic syndrome, currently there are no approved medical countermeasures to alleviate radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (RIGS), resulting from direct cytocidal effects on intestinal stem cells (ISC) and crypt stromal cells. We examined whether bone marrow-derived adherent stromal cell transplantation (BMSCT) could restitute irradiated intestinal stem cells niche and mitigate radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome.Autologous bone marrow was cultured in mesenchymal basal medium and adherent cells were harvested for transplantation to C57Bl6 mice, 24 and 72 hours after lethal whole body irradiation (10.4 Gy) or abdominal irradiation (16-20 Gy) in a single fraction. Mesenchymal, endothelial and myeloid population were characterized by flow cytometry. Intestinal crypt regeneration and absorptive function was assessed by histopathology and xylose absorption assay, respectively. In contrast to 100% mortality in irradiated controls, BMSCT mitigated RIGS and rescued mice from radiation lethality after 18 Gy of abdominal irradiation or 10.4 Gy whole body irradiation with 100% survival (p<0.0007 and p<0.0009 respectively) beyond 25 days. Transplantation of enriched myeloid and non-myeloid fractions failed to improve survival. BMASCT induced ISC regeneration, restitution of the ISC niche and xylose absorption. Serum levels of intestinal radioprotective factors, such as, R-Spondin1, KGF, PDGF and FGF2, and anti-inflammatory cytokines were elevated, while inflammatory cytokines were down regulated.Mitigation of lethal intestinal injury, following high doses of irradiation, can be achieved by intravenous transplantation of marrow-derived stromal cells, including mesenchymal, endothelial and macrophage cell population. BMASCT increases blood levels of intestinal growth factors and induces regeneration of the irradiated host ISC niche, thus providing a platform to discover potential radiation mitigators and protectors for acute radiation syndromes and chemo-radiation therapy of abdominal malignancies

An In Situ Autologous Tumor Vaccination with Combined Radiation Therapy and TLR9 Agonist Therapy

PURPOSE:Recent studies have shown that a new generation of synthetic agonist of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 consisting a 3'-3'-attached structure and a dCp7-deaza-dG dinucultodie shows more potent immunostimulatory effects in both mouse and human than conventional CpG oligonucleotides. Radiation therapy (RT) provides a source of tumor antigens that are released from dying, irradiated, tumor cells without causing systemic immunosuppression. We, therefore, examined effect of combining RT with a designer synthetic agonist of TLR9 on anti-tumoral immunity, primary tumor growth retardation and metastases in a murine model of lung cancer. METHODS:Grouped C57BL/6 and congenic B cell deficient mice (B(-/-)) bearing footpad 3LL tumors were treated with PBS, TLR9 agonist, control oligonucelotide, RT or the combination of RT and TLR9 agonist. Immune phenotype of splenocytes and serum IFN-γ and IL-10 levels were analyzed by FACS and ELISA, 24 h after treatment. Tumor growth, lung metastases and survival rate were monitored and tumor specific antibodies in serum and deposition in tumor tissue were measured by ELISA and immunofluorescence. RESULTS:TLR9 agonist expanded and activated B cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in wild-type mice and natural killer DCs (NKDCs) in B cell-deficient (B(-/-)) mice bearing ectopic Lewis lung adenocarcinoma (3LL). Combined RT with TLR9 agonist treatment inhibited 3LL tumor growth in both wild type and B(-/-) mice. A strong tumor-specific humoral immune response (titer: 1/3200) with deposition of mouse IgG auto-antibodies in tumor tissue were found in wildtype mice, whereas the number of tumor infiltrating NKDCs increased in B(-/-) mice following RT+ TLR9 agonist therapy. Furthermore, mice receiving combination therapy had fewer lung metastases and a higher survival than single treatment cohorts. CONCLUSIONS:Combination therapy with TLR9 agonist and RT induces systemic anti-tumoral humoral response, augments tumoral infiltration of NKDCs, reduces pulmonary metastases and improves survival in a murine model of 3LL cancer

TLR9 Agonist Protects Mice from Radiation-Induced Gastrointestinal Syndrome

Radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (RIGS) is due to the clonogenic loss of crypt cells and villi depopulation, resulting in disruption of mucosal barrier, bacterial invasion, inflammation and sepsis. Intestinal macrophages could recognize invading bacterial DNA via TLR9 receptors and transmit regenerative signals to the neighboring crypt. We therefore investigated whether systemic administration of designer TLR9 agonist could ameliorate RIGS by activating TLR9.Male C57Bl6 mice were distributed in four experimental cohorts, whole body irradiation (WBI) (8.4-10.4 Gy), TLR9 agonist (1 mg/kg s.c.), 1 h pre- or post-WBI and TLR9 agonist+WBI+iMyd88 (pretreatment with inhibitory peptide against Myd88). Animals were observed for survival and intestine was harvested for histological analysis. BALB/c mice with CT26 colon tumors in abdominal wall were irradiated with 14 Gy single dose of whole abdominal irradiation (AIR) for tumor growth study.Mice receiving pre-WBI TLR9 agonist demonstrated improvement of survival after 10.4 Gy (p<0.03), 9.4 Gy (p<0.008) and 8.4 Gy (p<0.002) of WBI, compared to untreated or iMyd88-treated controls. Post-WBI TLR9 agonist mitigates up to 8.4 Gy WBI (p<0.01). Histological analysis and xylose absorption test demonstrated significant structural and functional restitution of the intestine in WBI+TLR9 agonist cohorts. Although, AIR reduced tumor growth, all animals died within 12 days from RIGS. TLR9 agonist improved the survival of mice beyond 28 days post-AIR (p<0.008) with significant reduction of tumor growth (p<0.0001).TLR9 agonist treatment could serve both as a prophylactic or mitigating agent against acute radiation syndrome and also as an adjuvant therapy to increase the therapeutic ratio of abdominal Radiation Therapy for Gastro Intestinal malignancies

Intelligent safe operation and maintenance of oil and gas production systems: Connotations and key technologies

Oil and gas production systems have the characteristics of high operation and maintenance risk and great accident influence. With the deep integration of informationization and industrialization, the development direction and necessary choice of the oil and gas industry is to develop the oil and gas production system into the interconnected, multi-domain interactive cyber-physical intelligent system. In order to avoid or reduce the complex, diverse and potentially unknown safety risks in the process of oil and gas production, improve the safety and reliability of oil and gas production system and increase the production efficiency, this paper analyzes the safety problems occurring in the intelligentization process of oil and gas production system and constructs a system from the perspective of operation and maintenance based on key elements of intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology, combined with the typical production scenarios in the oil and gas production industry. And the following research results are obtained. First, the connotation of intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology is clarified, the key elements and existing problems and challenges of intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology are analyzed, and the “1-2-3-4-5-6” intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology system of oil and gas production system is constructed, which empowers six key technologies with key elements of oil and gas production to realize the essential safety of oil and gas production system. Second, the intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology actively promotes the application and implementation of condition monitoring, health management, risk assessment, intelligent early warning technologies in typical production scenarios such as drilling and extraction, storage and transportation, refining and chemical industry in up, middle and down streams of oil and gas production. Third, in view of the characteristics of oil and gas production system under digital transformation, it is proposed to develop the intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology with the functions of intelligent decision-making, active prevention and comprehensive safety in the future to help the safe construction in the field of oil and gas production and promote the safe and healthy development of the oil and gas industry. In conclusion, the research on intelligent safe operation and maintenance technology system of oil and gas production system is conducive to the safe construction in the field of oil and gas production, which will not only provide technical support for the realization of trouble-free oil and gas production system, but also provide reference for the intelligent development of the world oil and gas industry