Risk Assessment and Management of Petroleum Transportation Systems Operations

Petroleum Transportation Systems (PTSs) have a significant impact on the flow of crude oil within a Petroleum Supply Chain (PSC), due to the great demand on this natural product. Such systems are used for safe movement of crude and/or refined products from starting points (i.e. production sites or storage tanks), to their final destinations, via land or sea transportation. PTSs are vulnerable to several risks because they often operate in a dynamic environment. Due to this environment, many potential risks and uncertainties are involved. Not only having a direct effect on the product flow within PSC, PTSs accidents could also have severe consequences for the humans, businesses, and the environment. Therefore, safe operations of the key systems such as port, ship and pipeline, are vital for the success of PTSs. This research introduces an advanced approach to ensure safety of PTSs. This research proposes multiple network analysis, risk assessment, uncertainties treatment and decision making techniques for dealing with potential hazards and operational issues that are happening within the marine ports, ships, or pipeline transportation segments within one complete system. The main phases of the developed framework are formulated in six steps. In the first phase of the research, the hazards in PTSs operations that can lead to a crude oil spill are identified through conducting an extensive review of literature and experts’ knowledge. In the second phase, a Fuzzy Rule-Based Bayesian Reasoning (FRBBR) and Hugin software are applied in the new context of PTSs to assess and prioritise the local PTSs failures as one complete system. The third phase uses Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to determine the weight of PTSs local factors. In the fourth phase, network analysis approach is used to measure the importance of petroleum ports, ships and pipelines systems globally within Petroleum Transportation Networks (PTNs). This approach can help decision makers to measure and detect the critical nodes (ports and transportation routes) within PTNs. The fifth phase uses an Evidential Reasoning (ER) approach and Intelligence Decision System (IDS) software, to assess hazards influencing on PTSs as one complete system. This research developed an advance risk-based framework applied ER approach due to its ability to combine the local/internal and global/external risk analysis results of the PTSs. To complete the cycle of this study, the best mitigating strategies are introduced and evaluated by incorporating VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) and AHP to rank the risk control options. The novelty of this framework provides decision makers with realistic and flexible results to ensure efficient and safe operations for PTSs

Effect of light intensity on carbohydrates, lipids contents, and bioethanol production in two algal species of Coelastrella saipanensis and Oscillatoria duplisecta

This study aimed to examine the feasibility of two algal species of Coelastrella saipanensis (Chlorophyceae) and Oscillatoria duplisecta (Cyanophyceae) to produce bioethanol production at different light intensities. In the present study, light-intensity treatments at 27, 36, and 67 µmol m-2 s-1 were used to stimulate bioethanol production from microalga. The effects of these treatments on C. saipanensis and O. duplisecta were investigated on their growth, carbohydrate and lipids contents. The results showed that the stationary phase of C. saipanensis started on the sixth day under light intensities of 27 and 36 µmol m-2 s-1 and on the eighth day under light intensity of 67 µmol m-2 s-1. The stationary stage of blue-green algae O. duplisecta started on day eight, sixth, and seventh under light intensities of 27, 36, and 67 µmol m-2 s-1, respectively. The highest amount of carbohydrate content was 0.182, and 0.310 mg/l for C. saipanensis and O. duplisecta under light intensity of 36 ?mol m-2 s-1. The highest amount of lipid was 0.95 g/l for C. saipanensis under a light intensity of 36 ?mol m-2 s-1, while 0.74 g/L was the highest amount of lipid for O. duplisecta under 67 µmol m-2 s-1 at a light intensity of 36 µmol m-2 s-1. The highest percentage of bioethanol in C. saipanensis and O. duplisecta were 11.35 and 10.23%, respectively. The 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes were used for the identification, and the sequences of algae matched those registered in the GenBank (MT375484.1 for C. saipanensis and MW405018.1 for O. duplisecta). The phylogenetic tree of the ITS area was analyzed inside the 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA and the sequences showed a strong resemblance to those species registered in the Genebank

Bending of symmetric cross-ply multilayered plates in hygrothermal environments

The bending analysis of symmetric cross-ply laminated plates in a hygrothermal environment is presented. The sinusoidal shear deformation plate theory is used for this purpose. It enables the trial and testing of different through-the-thickness transverse shear-deformation distributions and, among them, strain distributions that do not involve the undesirable implications of the transverse shear correction factors. The governing differential equations for the bending of laminated plates are obtained using various plate theories. Displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions are used to reduce the governing equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients. Numerical results for deflection and stresses are presented. The effect of different types of sinusoidal hygrothermal/thermal loadings is investigated. The influence various parameters such as material anisotropy, aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, thermal expansion coefficients ratio and stacking sequence on the hygrothermally induced response is also investigated. A concluding remark is made

Risk analysis of petroleum transportation using fuzzy rule-based Bayesian reasoning

Petroleum transportation systems (PTSs) play a critical role in the movement of crude oil from its production sites to end users. Such systems are complex because they often operate in a dynamic environment. Safe operations of the key components in PTSs such as port and shipping are vital for the success of the systems. Risk assessment is a powerful tool to ensure the safe transportation of crude oil. This paper applies a mathematical model to identify and evaluate the operational hazards associated with PTSs, by incorporating a fuzzy rule-based (FRB) method with Bayesian networks (BNs). Its novelty lies in the realisation of risk analysis and prioritisation of the hazards in PTSs when historical failure data is not available. This hybrid model is capable of assisting decision-makers in measuring and improving the PTSs' safety, and dealing with the inherent uncertainties in risk data

A Fuzzy Rule-Based Bayesian Reasoning Approach for Risk Assessment of Petroleum Transportation Systems

Petroleum Transportation Systems (PTSs) play an important role in the movement of crude oil from its production sites to the end users. Such systems are complex because they often operate in a dynamic environment. Therefore, safe operations of the key components in the systems such as port and transportation are vital for the success of PTSs. Risk assessment is a powerful tool to ensure the safe transportation of crude oil. This paper applies a mathematical model to identify and evaluate the operational hazards associated with PTSs, by combining a Fuzzy Rule-Based (FRB) method and Bayesian Networks (BNs). This hybrid model has been found capable of assisting decision-makers in measuring and improving the PTSs’ safety, and dealing with the inherent uncertainties in risk data

Nonlocal Strain Gradient Theory for the Bending of Functionally Graded Porous Nanoplates

Many investigators have become interested in nanostructures due to their outstanding mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties. Two-dimensional nanoplates with higher mechanical properties compared with traditional structural applications are a common structure of nanosystems. Nanoplates have a wide range of uses in various sectors due to their unique properties. This paper focused on the static analysis of functionally graded (FG) nanoplates with porosities. The nonlocal strain gradient theory is combined with four-variable shear deformation theory to model the nanoplate. The proposed model captures both nonlocal and strain gradient impacts on FG nanoplate structures by incorporating the nonlocal and strain gradient factors into the FG plate’s elastic constants. Two different templates of porosity distributions are taken into account. The FG porous nanoplate solutions are compared with previously published ones. The impact of nonlocal and strain gradient parameters, side-to-thickness ratio, aspect ratio, and porosity parameter, are analyzed in detail numerically. This paper presents benchmark solutions for the bending analysis of FG porous nanoplates. Moreover, the current combination of the nonlocal strain gradient theory and the four-variable shear deformation theory can be adapted for various nanostructured materials such as anisotropic, laminated composites, FG carbon nanotube reinforced composites, and so on

Bending of functionally graded plates via a refined quasi-3D shear and normal deformation theory

Bending of functionally graded plate with two reverse simply supported edges is studied based upon a refined quasi three-dimensional (quasi-3D) shear and normal deformation theory using a third-order shape function. The present theory accounts for the distribution of transvers shear stresses that satisfies the free transverse shear stresses condition on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate. Therefore, the strain distribution does not include the unwanted influences of transverse shear correction factor. The effect of transverse normal strain is included. Unlike the traditional normal and shear deformation theories, the present theory have four unknowns only. The equilibrium equations are derived by using the principle of virtual work. The influence of material properties, aspect and side-to-thickness ratios, mechanical loads and inhomogeneity parameter are discussed. The efficiency and correctness of the present theory results are established by comparisons with available theories results

Effect of different light intensities on the hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin production by Cyanobacteria algae, Nostoc ellipsosporum

The cyanobacterial bloom leads to the deterioration of the aquatic environment because they release their secondary metabolic to the water, especially toxins. One of the important toxins is Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) which is one of the dangerous toxins that cause liver damage known as hepatic toxin, which poses great health risks to humans. Light plays an important role in the production of these toxins by cyanobacteria through its effect on the photosynthesis process and the gene regulator of these toxins. The current study tested the effect of different light intensities of 26, 52, 78, and 104 mol m-2 s-1 on hepatotoxic CYN production by cyanobacterium Nostoc ellipsosporum. The findings of this study showed that the highest inter and extracellular CYN reached 0.047 and 42.5 µg/ml, respectively with a total value of 42.547 µg/ml recorded at the light intensity of 78 µmol photons m-2 s-1. The lowest production of intra and extracellular CYN was recorded at the light intensity of 26 µmol photons m-2 s-1, which amounted to 0.0006 µg/mg and 7.73 µg/ml, respectively with a total value of 7.735 µg/ml. Also, the highest light intensity inhibited the CYN production which recorded 0.009 µg/mg and 26.39 µg/ml for intra and extracellular contents, respectively, and total production of 26.399 µg/ml. We conclude that light intensity has a vital role in CYN production especially in the optimal condition represented by moderate light, and this effect differs among different cyanobacterial species.

Stochastic model to estimate the waiting time for container vessel turnaround times

By developing possible solutions for Saudi ports to limit the increase in damage to the marine ecosystem, the random system for estimating the waiting time of ships in Saudi ports has been developed as a model to guide the application of the multiple benefits to the beneficiaries such as ship owners, shipping companies and port authorities so that it is applied to create multiple economic and environmental savings. An imperative optimization model for solving container slot allocation problems for time-sensitive commodities under the dynamics of port congestion pricing. The proposed new pricing mechanism has proven to be effective when compared to a generic slot allocation model that does not take into account shipping time limits and port congestion, with results showing that the proposed pricing scheme can significantly improve ship companies' revenues and improve customer satiation. In terms of reducing carbon emissions from the ship's stay for a longer period at the docks

The distinguishing proof of a wide range of offices for oceanic route influencing ecosystem in Saudi Arabia

Navigational apparatuses, hardware and gadgets have created and the boat's route official needs to take assist in flighty ways with arranging and explore the ocean journey. The boat's official has a bunch of marine route hardware, which makes the upkeep of boats, freight and lives a lot simpler, because of mechanical advances. Subsequently, safeguarding the marine climate. As the absence of preparing and failure influence the climate, whether while moving boats to moor in ports or during cruising, as well as stacking and dumping activities in ports. Besides, momentum sailors are prepared to know how to function and work all advanced navigational hardware that made the excursion adrift smoother, more secure and safer. Positive aspects on the climate to be viable with current offices and robotization, the boat today has many high-level route hardware frameworks that give exact information to the journey, consequently keeping away from a large number of the negatives that happened in past times