Discrete element method simulations of offshore plate anchor keying behavior in granular soils

Abstract

The keying mechanism of plate anchors (PLA) embedded into granular sandy soils is investigated in this work using the discrete element method (DEM) modeling to simulate microscale response and to observe the emergent macroscale behavior. Parameters (e.g., padeye eccentricity, loading direction) that influence anchor keying are analyzed in the simulations. The load-displacement response and embedment losses during keying are evaluated and compared to published experimental results from the literature. The keying mechanism of the PLA for different padeye eccentricities and loading directions are investigated. The DEM results are found to have the same trends as published experimental results. The embedment loss has a bilinear response with the padeye eccentricity which is in accordance with the experimental results reported in the literature. Embedment losses increase linearly with increasing loading directions. Microscale observations of mobilized particle friction, particle rotation, contact force network, and steering coefficient during keying are used to provide insights into the keying mechanisms. The potential for particle mobilization is reached more quickly for the larger padeye eccentricities. The particle rotation is the major keying mechanism for all the cases in the simulations. Finally, the granular assembly adjacent to the PLA is steering from horizontal to vertical for all padeye eccentricities.     

Effect of sampling rate on wave height statistics

This paper examines the effects of digital processing, and therefore discretisation or sampling, of sea surface elevations that are, in reality, continuous. Using random linear wave theory, probability distributions for the measured (as opposed to actual) wave amplitudes and heights have been obtained which are conditional on the sampling rate. It is shown that with low sampling rates there are significant departures from the usual Rayleigh distribution. Rates of 1 Hz or less may lead to significant underestimation of the probability of very large waves. An analysis of full-scale measurements obtained from a platform in the North Sea supports these results.     

Dynamic Analysis of Deep-Ocean Mining Pipe System by Discrete Element Method

The dynamic analysis of a pipe system is one of the most crucial problems for the entire mining system.A discrete element method(DEM)is proposed for the analysis of a deep-ocean mining pipe system,including the lift pipe,pump,buffer and flexible hose.By the discrete element method,the pipe is divided into some rigid elements that are linked by flexible connectors.First,two examples representing static analysis and dynamic analysis respectively are given to show that the DEM model is feasible.Then the three-dimensional DEM model is used for dynamic analysis of the mining pipe system.The dynamic motions of the entire mining pipe system under different work conditions are discussed.Some suggestions are made for the actual operation of deep-ocean mining systems.     

Finite element evaluation of diffusion and dispersion tensors in periodic porous media with advection

This paper presents three-dimensional finite element simulations to evaluate diffusion and dispersion tensors in periodic porous media in the presence of an advective velocity field. These tensors are evaluated in the framework of the double-scale expansion technique. Two problems, a Newtonian flow and a vector-valued advection–diffusion equation, have to be sequentially solved at the pore scale. Finite element techniques to approximate these problems are proposed and analyzed. Numerical results in three-dimensional networks of spheres are presented to quantitatively assess the impact of the pore morphology and of the advection velocity on the diffusion and dispersion tensors.     

球面栅格空间中的Jordan曲线性质及其拓扑矛盾分析

定义了球面栅格空间的拓扑元素，给出球面栅格空间中邻近、连通和空间目标的内部、边界和外部等空间目标的拓扑定义及形式化描述，讨论了Jordan曲线在球面栅格空间中的性质及由此引起的拓扑矛盾。     

离散介质波场正演模拟与弱化性影响分析

从流变力学角度建立的离散介质本构关系同时考虑了介质的弹性、粘性与弱化性,与损伤力学建立的本构关系比较表明弱化因子具有损伤因子的力学意义。本文采用交错网格伪谱法正演模拟了离散介质中波的传播,并以平面波解分析了体波的频散和介质的吸收系数。高频和低频情况下波场数值模拟的结果是:饱和多孔介质中体波速度随弱化因子的增加而降低,介质吸收系数随弱化因子的增加而增加,弱化性对不同体波频散的影响程度不同。     

K28边坡变形破坏机制的离散元模拟

在工程地质勘察的基础上,对K28边坡在天然和饱水状态下的变形进行离散单元法数值模拟,分析了此类缓倾角顺层边坡滑移压致拉裂的变形破坏机制,以及地下水促进边坡变形破坏的作用机理,为边坡的工程治理设计提供合理的建议。     

Inverting seismograms of weak events for empirical Green's tensor derivatives

Given a station and a suite of clustered weak event records whose focal mechanisms are known, empirical Green's tensor spatial derivatives (EGTD) can be calculated, almost free of the source effects. The inversion method solves an overdetermined system of linear algebraic equations in the frequency domain, and a FFT provides the time histories. They represent a least-squares averaged representation of the path between the station and the entire focal zone, including multiple P and S phases, coda waves, etc. The method can be used for modelling earthquakes whose focal mechanisms are quite different from the weak events employed. This is proved here using both synthetic seismograms and earthquake swarm records with variable focal mechanisms. It is expected that the EGTD method can improve strong motion syntheses and source inversions.     

3D Hybrid Ray-FD and DWN-FD Seismic Modeling for Simple Models Containing Complex Local Structures

Hybrid approaches find broad applications wherever all-in-one modelling of source, path, and site effects is too expensive. Our new 3D hybrid approach allows to compute the seismic wavefield in elastic isotropic models containing a complex local structure embedded in a large, but considerably simpler, regional structure. The hybrid modelling is realized in two successive steps.In the 1^st step, the ray or discrete wave number (DWN) method is used to compute the seismic wavefield due to the source and simple regional structure. The complex local structure is not present. Thus, the excitation contains the source and regional path effects. The time history of this wavefield (excitation), recorded at the points of so called excitation box, is stored on a disk. The excitation box envelopes a small portion of a computational domain.The 2^nd step of the hybrid method, now containing the complex local structure, is computed by finite differences (FD) inside the excitation box and its close vicinity. The excitation from the 1^st step is now used to inject the 1^st step wavefield into the 2^nd step computation. After that, the hybrid combination of the 1^st and 2^nd steps contains the source, regional path, and local structure effects at reasonably lower computational costs than in case of all-in-one modelling.The 3D ray-FD method is tested on models in which the locally complex structure is the well-known Volvi lake basin, embedded in various 1D structures. The wavefield is excited by the point source situated outside the basin. Although the structure outside the excitation box may be less dimensional (2D, 1D, homogeneous), the whole problem is actually 3D due to the 3D features of the structure inside the excitation box, 3D shape of the excitation box, and arbitrary source — excitation-box configuration. Simple (1D) structures outside the excitation box allow for comparison with the alternative hybrid DWN-FD results. However the ray method is suitable for computation of 3D regional structures outside the excitation box. The results from both approaches show a very good agreement for realistic crustal and local structural models.     

Numerical prediction of the earthquake response of classical columns using the distinct element method

In this paper, the distinct element method is used in order to predict the earthquake response of a multi‐drum marble model of a classical column. The results are compared with experimental data for an ‘identical’ specimen under the same excitation. Both the numerical analysis and the experiments were conducted in three dimensions. The results show that the distinct element method can capture quite well the main features of the response, in spite of the sensitivity of the response to even small perturbations of the characteristics of the structure or the excitation. Attention, however, should be given to the appropriate values of the joint properties to be used. In any case, it seems that the method can be used with confidence in the restoration process of ancient monuments, in order to estimate the response to expected earthquake motions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.