Elasto-Plastic Analysis of Tubular Joints of Offshore Platforms by Finite Element Method

The plastic node method is reformulated by the variational principle and is applied to elasto-plastic finite element analysis of tubular joints, eventually including the effect of internal and external gussets, stiffener rings, etc., if necessary. Four different joints are studied here in detail for the elasto-plastic behavior, the strain at the hot spot, the strain concentration factor around the intersection line, and the propagation of the plastic region with loading up to collapse in order to determine the ultimate strength, safety factor, and development of the plastic field. The present results are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

扇贝肝胰腺化学成分的初步研究

通过多种化学分析方法 ,初步探讨了扇贝肝胰腺组织的化学成分。结果表明 :该组织中含有较丰富的营养物质 ,并含有重要生理活性的 EPA和 DHA,微量元素含量也很丰富。这些结果为扇贝加工后下脚料的利用 ,提供了基础资料     

Spatial and seasonal variations in depth profile of trace metals in saltmarsh sediments from Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA

This study was undertaken to elucidate the impact of early diagenetic processes on the accumulation of trace metals in Sapelo Island saltmarsh sediments as a function of time, space and sediment properties. Samples were collected from three sites in summer (May 1997) and winter (January 1998) along a transect from an unvegetated Creek Bank through a vegetated Tidal Levee to the vegetated midmarsh with evident lateral heterogeneity caused by hydrologic regime, macrophytes and microbial and macrofaunal activities. A suite of trace metals (As, Ba, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Mo, Ni, Pb, Th, Ti, U, V, Zn and Zr) was analyzed to obtain their depth-distribution at the three sites. Spatially marked differences were observed, that were primarily related to hydraulic flushing of trace metals away from the sites in high-energy regimes, rapid downward mixing and reworking of sediment via bioturbation, and below-ground degradation and production of Spartina biomass. Although sulfate reduction and the formation of acid volatile sulfide and pyrite were dominant processes throughout the marsh, the trace metal scavenging role of sulfides was not apparent. However, possible sulfurization of organic matter, leading to enhanced trapping of trace metals with organic carbon, may have played an important role in sequestration of trace metals.No similarity was observed visually between the depth trends of trace metals and sediment properties (grain size, iron-oxyhydroxide content, acid volatile sulfides and pyrite content) that are known to play a major role in trace metal partitioning. Only organic carbon content closely followed the trace metal profiles at all the three sites. Minor variation in depth-integrated sediment trace metal content was observed seasonally at each of the three sites. Furthermore, the depth trend of profiles of individual trace metals also did not vary significantly over the seasons either.     

Variability in the nutritional value of the major copepods in Cape Cod Bay (Massachusetts, USA) with implications for right whales

The North Atlantic right whale, a seriously endangered species, is found in Cape Cod Bay (Massachusetts, USA) during the winter and early spring. During their residency in these waters, these whales are frequently observed feeding. This study evaluated spatial and temporal changes in the chemical composition (carbon weight and C/N ratio) of the food resource targeted by the right whales in Cape Cod Bay. The three taxa measured (Centropages typicus, Pseudocalanus spp., and Calanus finmarchicus) had highly variable chemical compositions resulting from the different life strategies and from fluctuations in their surrounding environment. The impact of seasonal variability in the energy densities of the food resource of right whales was calculated and compared to the energetic requirements of these whales. Calculations indicated that differences in the nutritional content of the zooplankton prey in Cape Cod Bay could have a considerable effect on the nutrition available to the right whales. Therefore, it is likely that using more precise estimates of the energetic densities of the prey of right whales would lead to a re‐evaluation of the adequacy of the food resource available to these whales in the North Atlantic.     

The buckling of a corrugated carbon fibre cylinder under external hydrostatic pressure

A theoretical and an experimental investigation was carried out, where a carbon fibre corrugated circular cylinder was tested to destuction under external hydrostatic pressure. The theoretical investigation was via the finite element method, where the structure was modelled with several orthotropic axisymmetric thin-walled shell elements. The experimental observations were aided with strategically placed strain gauges. Comparison between theory and experiment showed that the experimentally observed buckling pressure was a little lower than the theoretical prediction. This may have been due to the fact that the model had slight initial geometrical imperfections in the circumferenential direction.     

Preservation conditions and the use of sediment pigments as a tool for recent ecological reconstruction in four Northern European estuaries

Down-core sediment pigment concentrations from four Northern European estuaries were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to investigate phytoplankton community structure and preservation conditions over the last ca. 100 years where all sites have experienced different levels of eutrophication. Phytoplankton pigments have been shown to be useful biomarkers for phytoplankton community structure and abundance due to their taxonomic specificity. The pigment concentrations and sediment pigment inventory showed large variation between the four sites. Concentrations ranged from more than 6000 nmol/g OC to less than 100 nmol/g OC and the inventory integrated over the top 10 cm from more than 300 nmol/cm² to less than 30 nmol/cm² for total identified pigments. Good pigment preservation in Mariager Fjord (Denmark) reflected the almost permanently anoxic conditions. Pigments in Laajalahti (Finland) showed peak concentrations around the time of highest nitrogen loading events known from historical and modelled records over the past 100 years. In contrast, poor down-core preservation of pigments (especially carotenoids) was observed in the Ems-Dollard (The Netherlands) and Himmerfjärden (Sweden) estuaries. The Ems-Dollard site is an intertidal mudflat that experiences daily exposure to light and air, which enhances pigment degradation. In Himmerfjärden, resuspension is an important process affecting both the sedimentation rate and degradation properties. The different preservation conditions at the four sites were supported by the differences in two degradation indicators; the ratio of pheopigment-a to chlorophyll-a and total carotenoids to total pigments. Class-specific carotenoid pigments represented the dominant algal groups reported from each site, however, no distinct down-core changes in the pigment composition were observed at any of the four sites. This indicated that changes in plankton community structure on the group level have been limited over this time period or masked by low preservation of pigments.     

鲁苏榴辉岩的地球化学

以微量元素、稀土元素、Ｓｒ和Ｎｄ同位素变异特征为依据，确定鲁苏榴辉岩为多成因、多来源和多阶段，指出主要是在印支期扬子陆块与华北陆块碰撞造山作用过程中，挤入的上地幔碎片以及不同原岩类型的壳内高压变质岩碎块。燕山晚期的区域构造热事件使得某些榴辉岩的同位素体系再平衡。     

Geochemical and hydrodynamic constraints on the distribution of trace metal concentrations in the lagoon of Nouméa, New Caledonia

Seawater samples were collected in the lagoon of Nouméa (southwest New Caledonia) along two transects from eutrophic coastal bays to the oligotrophic barrier reef. Land-based emissions to the lagoon were measured with dissolved and particulate concentrations of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni), used as tracers of both terrigenous and industrial (Ni ore treatment) activities, as well as dissolved and particulate concentrations of zinc (Zn), used as a tracer of urban effluents. The spatial variability of metal concentrations was related to geochemical and hydrodynamic conditions, i.e., respectively: (1) natural and anthropogenic emission sources, and chemical processes occurring in the water column; and (2) water residence times. The parameter used to describe the residence time of water masses was the local e-flushing time, i.e. the time required for a tracer mass contained within a given station to be reduced by a factor 1/e. High metal concentrations were found in coastal areas (up to 9000 ng dissolved Ni L⁻¹), and steeply decreased with distance from the coast (down to 101 ng dissolved Ni L⁻¹ near the barrier reef) to reach levels similar to those found in remote Pacific waters, suggesting a rapid renewal of waters close to the barrier. Distributions of metals in the lagoon are controlled upstream by land-based emission sources and later chemical processes. Then hydrodynamics constrain metal distributions, as shown by the observed relationship between local e-flushing times and the spatial variability of metal concentrations. In addition, a change in the direction of prevailing winds yielded a decrease of dissolved metal concentrations at the same site by a factor of 2.5 (Cr and Ni) and 2.9 (Zn). It is suggested that the residence time is a key parameter in the control of elemental concentrations in the lagoon waters, as much as land-based emission sources.