DSMC simulations of neutral gas flow in the DTT particle exhaust system

Divertor Tokamak Test Facility (DTT) is a new European superconducting tokamak, currently under final design, addressed to investigate alternative power exhaust solutions for DEMO. Although the divertor system is not finalized yet, the machine and port geometry set limitations on the divertor pumping system operational space. A numerical study of neutral gas dynamics in the divertor region is performed based on the DSMC method by applying the DIVGAS code. The study includes both single-null (SN) and double-null (DN) divertor configurations. For both configurations, the SolEdge2D–EIRENE plasma simulations have been performed for a deuterium plasma with neon seeding and the extracted information about the neutral particles on the predefined interfaces is imposed as incoming boundary conditions for DIVGAS simulations. In the SN case, two plasma puffing scenarios and three candidate pumping port arrangements have been considered. The divertor dome influence on the pumped fluxes can reach 50%. An increase of the capture coefficient six times leads to a decrease in the pressure at the pumping openings by a factor of about 4.5–7. The influence of the size of the lower vertical opening has been studied showing that the enlarged vertical port may establish as the main pumping opening. In the DN case, when the pumping is performed from both lower and upper divertor the overall pumped fluxes at the upper divertor are always higher than the corresponding ones for the lower divertor by a factor of 2–2.5, mainly due to the difference in the pumping areas. In both SN and DN cases, the neutrals outflux toward the X-point dominates the particle transport in the private flux region. The operational space provided by this first assessment is relatively stable against modified classical divertor geometries and allows a more thorough assessment of the pumping technology of the DTT fusion device in the future.

Derivation of Engineering Design Criteria for Flow Field Around Intake Structure: A Numerical Simulation Study

The primary environmental impact caused by seawater intake operation is marine life impingement resulting from the intake velocity. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of United State has regulated the use of velocity cap fitted at intake structures to reduce the marine life impingement. The engineering design parameters of velocity cap has not been well explored to date. This study has been set to determine the fundamental relationships between intake velocity and design parameters of velocity cap, using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model. A set of engineering design criteria for velocity cap design are derived. The numerical evidence yielded in this study show that the velocity cap should be designed with vertical opening (Hvc) and horizontal shelf (ℓvc). The recommended intake opening ratio (Or) shall be 0.36 Vr−0.31, where Or = Hvc/ℓvc and Vr =V0/Vpipe. Vo is the velocity at the intake window and Vpipe is the suction velocity at the intake pipe. The volume ratio (ωr) between the velocity cap (ωvc) and intake tower (ωIT) is recommended at 0.11 Vr−1.23. The positive outlooks that yielded from this study can be served as a design reference for velocity cap to mitigate the detrimental impacts from the existing intake structure.

Experimental Research on Water Column Oscillations in Moonpool of a Drillship in Downtime Period

A drillship is a kind of merchant vessel with a self-propulsion unit and drilling equipment used for oil exploration. The major difference with the merchant vessel is the moonpool. A moonpool is a vertical opening from the continuous deck to the keel plate of the vessel for drilling operations and other applications like the launching of measuring instruments. This moonpool opening allowing the entry of water into the vessel. The water motion within the moonpool is mostly related to the encountering wave frequency, the geometry of the moonpool and the draft condition of the vessel. The major amplitude of the water particle motion within the moonpool, either may be in the sloshing mode or in piston mode. This water motion leads to the entry of green water on the deck during the rough weather condition. This is known as the downtime period of a drillship, during this time the operation of the drillship is in off-mode. This paper presents the study about the downtime period of drillship experimentally with rectangular moonpool.

Selective flatfish seine: a knee-high demersal seine barely catches cod

Norwegian coastal cod (Gadus morhua) protection restricts the use of active fishing gears. Demersal seines, acknowledged as being efficient for targeting flatfish, are therefore largely excluded from the fjords. To exploit plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), a species-selective gear that avoids catching cod is needed. We therefore designed a low-rise demersal seine with a 0.6 m vertical opening and tested it on fishing grounds in Lofoten (Northern Norway), comparing it with a conventional seine that had a vertical opening of ∼3.5 m, and fished both during the day and at night. Six to nine hauls were taken with each of the four gear/time-of-day categories (32 hauls in total). The low-rise seine caught no fewer plaice during day-time fishing, but less at night. Cod and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) catches were reduced by 94% and 98%, respectively, while catches of sole (Solea solea) increased with the low-rise seine. No catch differences were found for halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), common dab (Limanda limanda), or monkfish (Lophius piscatorius). The low-rise seine therefore enables targeting flatfish while avoiding gadoid catches, although loss of plaice during night-time fishing is to be expected.

Methоd of rigging parameters calculation for midwater trawls

The rigging parameters calculation for midwater trawls are discussed with description of numerical model for calculating the parameters of trawl boards, hydrodynamic kites, and dispersed and concentrated weights which provide the designed values of horizontal and vertical opening of the trawl mouth. A distinctive feature of the proposed technique is a systematic approach: the trawl, trawl boards, and wires are considered as a joint complex.

Mechanical models to estimate the paleostress state from igneous intrusions

Dikes and sills represent an important component of the deformation history in volcanic systems, but unlike dikes, sills are typically omitted from traditional paleostress analyses in tectonic studies. The emplacement of sheet intrusions is commonly associated with Mode I fracturing in a low deviatoric stress state, in which dilation is perpendicular to the fracture plane. Many natural examples of sills and dikes, however, are observed to accommodate minor shear offsets, in addition to a component of dilation. Here we present mechanical models for sills in the San Rafael subvolcanic field, Utah, which use field-based measurements of intrusion attitude and opening angles to constrain the tectonic stress axes during emplacement and the relative magma pressure for that stress state. The sills display bimodal dips to the NE and SW and consistent vertical opening directions, despite variable sill dips. Based on sill attitude and opening angles, we find that the sills were emplaced during a phase of NE–SW horizontal shortening. Calculated principal stress axes are consistent (within ∼ 4°) with paleostress results for penecontemporaneous thrust faults in the area. The models presented here can be applied to any set of dilational structures, including dikes, sills, or hydrous veins, and represent a robust method for characterising the paleostress state in areas where other brittle deformation structures (e.g. faults) are not present.

Mechanical models to estimate the paleostress state from igneous intrusions

Dikes and sills represent an important component of the deformation history in volcanic systems, but unlike dikes, sills are typically omitted from traditional paleostress analyses in tectonic studies. The emplacement of sheet intrusions is commonly associated with mode I fracturing in a low deviatoric stress state, where dilation is perpendicular to the fracture plane. Many natural examples of sills and dikes, however, are observed to accommodate minor shear offsets, in addition to a component of dilation. Here we present mechanical models for sills in the San Rafael Subvolcanic Field, Utah, which use field-derived measurements of intrusion attitude and opening angles to constrain the tectonic stress axes during emplacement, and the relative magma pressure for that stress state. The sills display bimodal dips to the NE and SW and consistent vertical opening directions, despite variable sill dips. Based on sill attitude and opening angles, we find that the sills were emplaced during a phase of NE-SW horizontal shortening. Calculated principal stress axes are consistent (within ~ 4°) with paleostress results for penecontemporaneous thrust faults in the area. The models presented here can be applied to any set of dilational structures, including dikes, sills, or hydrous veins, and represent a robust method for characterising the paleostress state in areas where other brittle deformation structures (e.g. faults), are not present.

Hydrodynamic Study on Water Column Oscillation of Varying Cross-Sectional Moonpool and Its Effect on Resistance of a Drill Ship

A moonpool is meant for access to the underwater part of the ship from onboard. It is a vertical opening along the depth having an effect on the performance of the floating platform. Inside the moonpool, water motions in horizontal plane is called sloshing and in vertical planes it is called piston mode. Moonpool causes deck wetness and sometimes results in the downtime of the platform. It is the necessity of the operator to be at the safe conditions of platform facing varied environmental conditions. In the present study, vessel response in the region of moonpool resonance was investigated with different shapes of moonpool and comparison is made with Molin's (2001, “On the Piston and Sloshing Modes in Moonpools,” J. Fluid Mech., 430, pp. 27–50.) theoretical and Fukuda's (1977, “Behavior of Water in Vertical Well With Bottom Opening of Ship and Its Effects on Ship-Motion,” J. Soc. Nav. Archit. Jpn., 1977(141), pp. 107–122.) empirical formulas. It is seen that there is a shift in the frequency of resonance based on moonpool shapes. The effect of moonpool on the ship motion with forward speed is also attempted in this paper. Proven packages are used to calculate the calm water resistance of the ship with moonpool of various cross section. Wave making coefficient of the ship is modified due to opening to accommodate the moonpool. The openings to accommodate moonpool causes further entry of water both zero and nonzero Froude number especially in the presence of waves.

Experimental and Numerical Study on the Flow Reduction in the Moonpool of Floating Offshore Structure

This paper presents the efforts of experimental and numerical studies to reduce internal flow of moonpool. Drillships are equipped with a vertical opening at the center of the hull called ‘moonpool.’ Recently, the moonpools are getting longer and wider for the higher operability. With this trend, violent internal flows are getting more concerned in terms of the safety and operability, which have been reported during the operations even in mild seas. Also, it is well known that the internal flow gives higher resistance during the transit of drillship. Therefore, there have been a number of motivated researches on the reason and the source of excitation, the pattern of the internal flow and the way to suppress it. Typically an internal flow of the moonpool has two types of oscillation modes: piston- and sloshing-mode. The excited oscillations of water and resultant internal flows are highly dependent on the shape of the moonpool, partly due that the resonant periods are varied with the size and shape of the moonpool. However, since the shape and size of the drillships are quite standardized, there may be no room for the change of shape to reduce the inflow from the bottom of moonpool. Therefore, more efforts have been made to develop the damping devices such as splash plates, which can be easily installed inside of the moonpool. In this study, to see the effect of larger damping devices, a series of experimental and numerical study was carried out for the four moonpool designs; the ordinary plain moonpool, the moonpool with a recess deck, the moonpool with an isolated recess deck (island deck) and moonpool with a combination of island deck, splash plates and wave absorber. From the model tests, it was found that the internal flow of the moonpool was significantly reduced by the application of the wave absorber. In case of the moonpool with the island deck, the sloshing mode oscillations was not observed due to the gap flow between the inner wall of the moonpool and the recess, while the piston mode oscillations were remained unchanged. For the in-depth understanding of the flow behaviors and characteristics, the internal flow of the moonpool has been investigated using RANS based CFD code. The various moonpool designs were simulated to identify the effect of each device for the internal flow reduction of the moonpool. The CFD analysis results with regular waves, the water surface responses inside moonpool such as the flow pattern and resonance frequency were compared with model test results and showed reasonably good agreements.