An element-based displacement preconditioner for linear elasticity problems

Finite element analysis of problems in structural and geotechnical engineering results in linear systems where the unknowns are displacements and rotations at nodes. Although the solution of these systems can be carried out using either direct or iterative methods, in practice the matrices involved are usually very large and sparse (particularly for 3D problems) so an iterative approach is often advantageous in terms of both computational time and memory requirements. This memory saving can be further enhanced if the method used does not require assembly of the full coefficient matrix during the solution procedure. One disadvantage of iterative methods is the need to apply preconditioning to improve convergence. In this paper, we review a range of established element-based preconditioning methods for linear elastic problems and compare their performance with a new method based on preconditioning with element displacement components. This new method appears to offer a significant improvement in performance.     

CYLINDRICAL AND CONICAL FOLD GEOMETRIES IN THE CANTARELL STRUCTURE, SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO: IMPLICATIONS FOR HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION

The NW‐SE trending Cantarell structure in the Gulf of Campeche hosts the largest oilfield in Mexico. The oil occurs predominantly in latest Cretaceous – earliest Tertiary breccias with subsidiary reserves in Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian) and Lower Cretaceous oolitic and partially dolomitized limestones, dolomites and shaly limestones. Cantarell has been interpreted both as a fold‐and‐thrust zone and as a dextral transpressional structure. Analysis of structure contours at 100m intervals, on the tops of the Tertiary breccia and the Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) dolomite, indicates that the structure is an upright cylindrical fold with gently plunging conical terminations; there is also a conical portion in the central part of the structure. The axes of the central, NW and SE cones are subvertical. This geometry indicates that the two fold terminations and the central cone are aprons rather than points, with the NW and central cone axes intersecting the cylindrical fold axis at the point where the geometry switches from conical to cylindrical. The apical angle (i.e. the angle between the fold and cone axes) varies as follows: (i) in the NW cone, it is ～70° in the breccia and ～76° in the Kimmeridgian dolomite; (ii) in the central cone, it is ～77° in the breccia and ～73° in the Kimmeridgian dolomite; and (iii) in the SE cone, it is ～64° in the breccia and ～57° in the Kimmeridgian dolomite. This indicates that whereas the fold opens with depth in the NW cone, it tightens with depth in the central and SE cones. Assuming a parallel fold geometry, these apical angles indicate an increase in volume in the NW cone (i.e. larger hydrocarbon reservoirs), compared to the central and SE cones. Theoretical considerations indicate that the curvature increases dramatically towards the point of the cone. In the case of the Cantarell structure, the apices of the cones are located at the conical‐cylindrical fold junctions, where the highest curvature may have resulted in a higher degree of fracturing. The coincidence of maximum curvature and the intersection of the conical and cylindrical fold axes in the fold culminations with porous and permeable reservoir rocks may have made these locations favourable for the accumulation of hydrocarbons.     

Cued recall from image and sentence memory: A shift from episodic to identical elements representation.

The applicability of the identical elements (IE) model of arithmetic fact retrieval (T. C. Rickard, A. F. Healy, & L. E. Bourne, 1994) to cued recall from episodic (image and sentence) memory was explored in 3 transfer experiments. In agreement with results from arithmetic, speedup following even minimal practice recalling a missing word from an episodically bound word triplet did not transfer positively to other cued recall items involving the same triplet. The shape of the learning curve further supported a shift from episode-based to IE-based recall, extending some models of skill learning to cued recall practice. In contrast with previous findings, these results indicate that a form of representation that is independent of the original episodic memory underlies cued-recall performance following minimal practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

TZJ40/2250拖挂钻机的研制

根据油田对钻井工程减少作业时间、提高移运速度和降低成本的需要,南阳二机石油装备(集团)有限公司综合了移动式钻机和橇装模块化钻机的结构特点和设计思想,以安全为主,高效和环保为补充,研制开发了TZJ40/2250拖挂钻机。钻机采用了半挂车行车制动、半挂车转向控制、液压盘式刹车和液力传动箱等关键技术,大大提高了钻机的自动化程度。出口和现场应用表明,该型钻机不仅具有结构简单、安全可靠和设计紧凑等优点,而且具有移运方便和使用范围广等不可比拟的优势。     

东海盆地油气勘探焦点问题探讨

东海盆地自西向东可分为 3个带 ,即西部断陷带、中部隆起带和东部断坳带 ,其构造格局各具特色 ,并且均有自身的烃源岩。西部断陷带由多个以古新世为发育高峰期的半地堑组成 ,主要烃源岩为下古新统湖相泥岩 ,该带有利的勘探区是丽水、椒江凹陷 ,围绕下古新统主力烃源岩寻找油气是丽水、椒江凹陷油气勘探的焦点 ;中部隆起带是中生界残留盆地的叠置区 ,主要烃源岩为侏罗系湖相泥岩 ,福州凹陷是该带较有利的勘探区 ,烃源岩的规模、潜力以及圈闭保存条件是福州凹陷油气勘探的焦点 ;东部断坳带是厚度逾万米的新生代沉积断坳区 ,主要烃源岩为始新世煤系地层 ,该带有利的勘探区是西湖凹陷 ,烃源岩和盖层条件是西湖凹陷油气勘探的关键。目前 ,东海盆地比较现实和最具勘探前景的地区是西湖凹陷及丽水、椒江凹陷     

ＰＤＣ钻头布齿设计技术

合理的布齿是保证PDC钻头具有优良工作性能的关键。目前常用的PDC钻头布齿设计方法是图解调整法，该方法速度慢，设计工作烦琐，工作量大，效率低，欠灵活，而且有时会出现不必要的误差。讨论了PDC钻头布齿设计的特点，按切削原则设计了钻头冠部形状，并选择了合理的切削结构，为PDC钻头布齿计算机辅助设计软件提供了理论支撑。     

大型弧形闸门静力特性有限元分析

以某水电站溢洪道弧形闸门为例,建立了大型弧形闸门的有限元分析模型,应用ANSYS软件对其在各种工况下的支铰反力、闸门应力、位移挠度以及屈曲失稳等静力特性进行了计算分析,为完善闸门结构的设计提供了依据,对同类闸门结构的设计计算有参考意义。     

大型结构试验和结构监测中的数据采集系统

结构试验和结构监测正在向大型化和复杂化发展,与之配套的数据采集系统也要能满足它们不断增长的需求。清华大学土木工程系开发了适用于土木工程结构试验与监测的集成数据采集系统 IMPDAS,它具有测点多,速度快,功能全等优点。它的任务,不仅仅是记录数据,而是集成并且管理数据,将各种数据信息有条理,有重点地反馈给试验者。本文将讨论计算机在大型结构试验和结构监测的数据采集及数据处理分析等方面的应用。     

忠武输气管道悬索跨越设计创新及探讨

忠武输气管道有4次悬索跨越,分别是蚂蝗溪悬索跨越、木龙河悬索跨越、马水河悬索跨越、野三河悬索跨越。文章介绍了这几座悬索跨越管桥设计中采用的多项新技术,如采用热聚乙烯半平行钢丝索代替以往的钢丝绳;采用钢管塔架代替以往的角钢塔架;根据地形地貌特点变换风索型式或取消塔架等。这些新技术、新设计在工程中均取得了良好的效果。另外,文章还针对悬索跨越桥面结构型式、预拱度设置、不对称荷载的影响、风索基础的设置等问题进行了探讨。