Floating

The computer storage requirements (floating point machine words) for the Icibeled common storage blocks and, approximately, for the principal computer subroutines are given in Tcible J-1. 

The program storage requirements will depend somewhat on the computer and FORTRAN compiler involved. The execution times can be corrected approximately to those for other computer systems by use of factors based upon bench-mark programs representative of floating point manipulations. For example, execution times on a CDC 6600 would be less by a factor of roughly 4 than those given in the tcible and on a CDC 7600 less by a factor of roughly 24. 

When used to separate solid-solid mixtures, the material is ground to a particle size small enough to liberate particles of the chemical species to be recovered. The mixture of solid particles is then dispersed in the flotation medium, which is usually water. Gas bubbles become attached to the solid particles, thereby allowing them to float to the surface of the liquid. The solid partices are collected from the surface by an overflow weir or mechanical scraper. The separation of the solid particles depends on the different species having different surface properties such that one species is preferentially attached to the bubbles. A number of chemicals are added to the flotation medium to meet the various requirements of the flotation process ... 

Floating Roof. Floating roofs can be used as shown in Fig. 9.2a. 

Figure 9.2 Floating roofs and flexible membranes can be used to prevent the release of material. (From Smith and Petela, The Chemical Engineer, no. 517, 9 April, 1992 reproduced by permission of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.)...

This eliminates the vapor space but sealing the edge can be a problem. Double seals can help and sometimes a fixed roof is also added above the floating roof to help capture any leaks from the seal. However in this case, the space between the fixed and floating roof now breathes and an inert gas purge of this space would typically be used. The inert gas would be vented to atmosphere after treatment. 

Foams are used industrially and are important in rubber preparations (foamed-latex) and in fire fighting. The foam floats as a continuous layer across the burning surface, so preventing the evolution of inflammable vapours. Foams are also used in gas absorption and in the separation of proteins from biological fluids. See anti-foaming agents. 

To reduce these losses, the crude oils are stored in floating roof tanks. 

Semi-submersible rigs are often referred to as semis , and are a floating type of rig. Like the jack-up, a semi is self contained. The structure is supported by large pontoons which are ballasted with water to provide the required stability and height. The rig is held in position by anchors and mooring lines or dynamically positioned by thrusters. A large diameter steel pipe ( riser ) is connected to the sea-bed and serves as a conduit for the drill string. The blowout preventer (BOP) is also located at the sea-bed ( sub sea stack ). 

Once the cementation has been completed the rig will wait on cement (V OC), i.e. wait until the cement hardens prior to running in with a new assembly to drill out the plugs, float collar and shoe, all of which are made of easily drillable materials. 

Another type of gravity separator used for small amounts of oily water, the oil interceptor, is widely used both offshore and onshore. These devices work by encouraging oil particles to coalesce on the surface of plates. Once bigger oil droplets are formed they tend to float to the surface of the water faster and can be skimmed off. A corrugated plate interceptor (CPI) is shown below and demonstrates the principle involved. However there are many varieties available. Plate interceptors can typically reduce oil content to 50-150 ppm. 

Figure 10.29 Fixed roof and floating roof storage tanks...

Floating production systems offer production facilities offshore, and will be introduced in this section. 

Steel jackets are constructed from welded steel pipe. The jacket is fabricated onshore and then floated out horizontally on a barge and set upright on location. Once in position... 

The legs of the platform can be used as settling tanks or temporary storage facilities for crude oil where oil is exported via tankers, or to allow production to continue in the event of a pipeline shut down. The Brent D platform in the North Sea weighs more than 200,000 tonnes and can store over a million barrels of oil. Topside modules are either installed offshore by lift barges, or can be positioned before the platform is floated out. 

Tension leg platforms (TLP) are used mainly in deep water where rigid platforms would be both vulnerable to bending stresses and very expensive to construct. A TLP is rather like a semi-submersible rig tethered to the sea bed by jointed legs kept in tension. Tension is maintained by pulling the floating platform down into the sea below its normal displacement level. The legs are secured to a template or anchor points installed on the seabed. 

Subsea production systems are an alternative development option for an offshore field. They are often a very cost effective means of exploiting small fields which are situated close to existing infrastructure, such as production platforms and pipelines. They may also be used in combination with floating production systems. 

In some cases two tankers are used either alternately loading and transporting, or with one tanker aoting as floating storage facility and the other shuttling to and from a shore terminal. 

If it is decided that an operation does require to be manned, then it may need to be manned on a 24-hour basis, or a 12-hour basis, or only for daily inspection. Accommodation may be provided on a separate living quarters platform or as part of an integrated platform, or on a floating hotel. 

Each of the main facility types, e.g. steel jacket, gravity structure, tension leg and floating platform, have different options for decommissioning. The main factors which need to be considered and which will impact on costs are type of construction, size, distance from shore, weather conditions and the complexity of the removal, including all safety aspects. The following options are available ... 

Tension leg and floating platforms can easily be released and towed away for service elsewhere, which is cheap and attractive. In the case of the fixed platforms, the topside modules are removed by lift barge and taken to shore for disposal. Gravity based structures can in theory be deballasted and floated away to be re-employed or sunk in the deep ocean, and steel jackets cut and removed at an agreed depth below sea level. In some areas jackets are cleaned and placed as artificial reefs on the seabed. The... 

The analog AE signals are converted into binary signals (0/1 = below/above floating tlireshold in the elementary sampling time interval), simultaneously on all channels fig-2). 

The threshold value for screening out non significant AE sources is calculated on the basis of the mean (m) and of the standard deviation (a) TH = (m+Na), where N is an input floating variable. 

Channel AEBIL signal conditioning modules (variable amplifier, RMS measurement, floating threshold level, analog to digital conversion signal) ... 

It is not uncommon for this situation to apply, that is, for a Gibbs mono-layer to be in only slow equilibrium with bulk liquid—see, for example. Figs. 11-15 and 11-21. This situation also holds, of course, for spread monolayers of insoluble substances, discussed in Chapter IV. The experimental procedure is illustrated in Fig. Ill-19, which shows that a portion of the surface is bounded by bars or floats, an opposing pair of which can be moved in and out in an oscillatory manner. The concomitant change in surface tension is followed by means of a Wilhelmy slide. Thus for dilute aqueous solutions of a methylcellu-... 

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