Operational Experience with Ship to Ship Transfer

IntroductionReforms to surgical training in the last three decades have threatened to reduce trainees’ operative experience. In 2012 ASiT recommended that trainees “take a proactive role in utilising all training opportunities” and that they “should be well prepared”. Published quantitative studies into surgical preparation involve mental practice and simulation and make assumptions that these are the most appropriate preparatory techniques. No qualitative studies have been published that explore how trainees prepare, to put this evidence base in context. This study aimed to investigate what trainees do to prepare for operating, their opinions on preparation for surgery, and how preparation may improve training experiences.MethodTwelve General Surgical trainees consented to semi-structured interviews at a London District General Hospital. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematic analysis was undertaken.ResultsInterviewees described how preparation involves complex interactions between learning resources, their mental processes, emotions, the actions, and attitudes of other members of the theatre team, and situational and organisational barriers. These affected the quality of preparation and training experiences. Significant barriers to preparation were identified as a lack of learning resources and time to prepare. Techniques for preparation were mainly learnt informally through the ‘hidden curriculum’ and were lacking from the formal curriculum. Trainees felt that raising awareness of preparatory processes may enhance learning experiences.ConclusionsAn awareness of the factors that affect preparation and actions to mitigate barriers to preparation may help trainees to gain more from training opportunities, in the context of threats to training and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chapter 20 - Operating experience

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the problematic of asphaltene deposition during oil production via ESPs in Mittelplate oilfield. Furthermore, different measures implemented for prevention and removal of asphaltene precipitations are presented and summarized. Production impairment due to asphaltene deposition has been observed in two wells in Mittelplate oil field. First indications of asphaltene accumulations were noticed at the production well M-W1. The well experienced severe asphaltene-plugging issues resulting in rapid production decline. Damages caused by asphaltene precipitation in the ESP have been observed during tear down analysis. The well was regularly treated with solvent washouts to disperse asphaltene depositions. Despite high frequency of solvent washouts, the well productivity could not be restored. Later on, the well was shut in and recompleted into a water injection well according to the field development strategy to support the pressure in the reservoir. At the production well M-W2, a strong production decline was observed as well. ESP production behavior and laboratory analysis - determination of colloidal instability index (CII) based on saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene (SARA) analyses – confirmed high likelihood of downhole asphaltene accumulations. As a first attempt, the well was treated via solvent washout to remove asphaltene accumulations from the ESP. Following that, it has been decided to inject an appropriate asphaltene inhibitor through the chemical injection line (CIL) to mitigate further precipitation of asphaltenes within the ESP. Two candidate asphaltene inhibitors have been selected based on their effectiveness with respect to asphaltene precipitation in Mittelplate crude oil. Field tests started at the well to identify the most effective inhibitor at downhole conditions by optimizing the inhibitor dosage and respectively the asphaltene treatment. Preliminary results of field test application at the well M-W2 showed that continuous asphaltene inhibitor injection through the CIL is very effective under downhole conditions. Furthermore, surveillance procedures, such as monitoring of bottom hole flowing pressure, well production rate and inhibitor injection rate, are in place to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. This paper presents the operational challenges and experiences related to asphaltene deposition during the oil production via ESP system in a mature North Sea oilfield. The early results of field test applications with different types of asphaltene inhibitors are presented. Lessons learned from field test applications and operational experiences have been summarized. In general, there are few similar field case studies available in the literature and therefore, the publication of the results would provide valuable information for other fields facing similar problems regarding asphaltene precipitation.

The heliostat design, installation, and operating experiences and the test and evaluation program are reported for the Solar Thermal Central Receiver Pilot Plant at Barstow, California. Operating and maintenance experiences and preliminary test results are reported from November 1981 through February 1983. Installation of the 1818 heliostats was made over a 10-month period with no major problems. Initial checkout of the heliostats was completed in nine days which included making minor software changes. Performance of the control system, including safe control of reflected light, and the heliostat structure and drives has been verified during the first year of operation. Heliostat-maintenance requirements have been less than anticipated and can be accomplished with 160 manhours per month. Problems with evaluation instrumentation and mirror corrosion have occurred and they have been solved or are being evaluated.

The Tritium Process Laboratory (TPL) at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has been operated with tritium for the R&D activity of the fusion fuel cycle since March 1988. The maximum amount of tritium which was permitted in TPL is 6 x 10{sup 5} Ci. The concept of triple confinement is applied to the safety system of TPL and their detritiation systems based on the catalytic oxidation-molecular sieve adsorption process. The average tritium release to the environment is 15 mCi/month since TPL has been under operation with tritium, which is 1/200 smaller than the regulation value. The safe operation of TPL has been giving useful information on the operation and improvement for fusion safety systems. This paper presents the operation and improvement experience on the safety system at TPL with accumulated failure data. 3 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

The primary purpose of the paper is to present operating and design experience which Perry Oceanographic has had so that it may be recorded for the technical community. Underwater power application imposes constraints which require unique design solutions to problem so-f power sources. This paper will discuss experiences with different power sources designed to go to various depths. Submersible battery pod designs will be discussed in some detail. A diesel pod design used directly with a small submersible will be reviewed. The experiences of encapsulating a fuel cell and operating it in conjunction with an underwater lab will be reported. Implications of these power sources on the future will be discussed. INTRODUCTION It is the intention of this paper to outline some of the practical problems faced in attempts to use power sources such as batteries or fuel cells in, an underwater application. The experience at Perry Submarine Builders has been unique. BATTERY PODS Many submersibles with batteries in different locations have been built. These can be divided into two basic systems: The volume compensation system where the cells are in lightweight containers surrounded with a special oil; and so-called hard system, where the batteries are capsulated in a pressure vessel to withstand sea pressure. References l, 2 and 3 discuss the pros and cons of the volume compensation system. The hard system used by Perry Submarine Builders in the design of its submersibles, will be covered on the following pages. The techniques for the encapsulation of lead-acid storage batteries, for use as small submersible power supply systems, have evolved from the requirements of a series of these vehicles by Perry Submarine Builders. The first Cubmarine, the PC3X fitted its batteries into available spaces within the pressure hull. The PC3A and PC3B series of Cubmarines were next and the batteries were emplaced in an isolated, sealed battery compartment located within-the-pressure hull. Figure 1 is a photograph of one of the earlier submersibles with internal battery compartments. As the size and power requirements of the submarine increased, the internal battery compartment became less practical. The PCSC submarine (Figure Z) had its battery compartment structurally integral with the pressure hull, but otherwise isolated in a completely pressure tight compartment. The next generation submarine PLC4, had the battery pod completely separate and was made droppable for emergency deballasting. The original design concept for the PLC4 Series battery pod allowed for the changing of pods to shorten turn-around time between dives. As operating experience was gained with these submarines, it became evident that the logistics of at-sea quick changes of the battery pod were too complex for reliable safe operation. Instead, it is easier to change batteries by having them mounted on trays. Figure 3 shows the PLC4B with its droppable battery pod. The design, manufacturing and operating experiences of the PC3X, PC3A, PC3B, PLC4, and PCS series submarines were prime factors in the design of the battery pods for the PC9C submarine shown in Figure 4, which is now under construction for Brown & Root.

Background and Objective: Farm mechanization plays a critical role in enhancing agricultural productivity. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how farmers’ operational experience influences their perceptions of machinery efficiency and advantages. This study aimed to evaluate farmers’ perceived efficiency and advantages of farm machinery and to examine the relationship between operational experience and these perceptions among paddy rice farmers in Nong Saeng district, Saraburi province, Thailand.Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 93 paddy rice farmers using a structured questionnaire. Perceived efficiency and advantages across six dimensions were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to determine relationships between years of operational experience and perception variables.Main Results: Farmers generally rated farm machinery efficiency as high, with tractors receiving the highest scores, while trucks showed comparatively lower evaluations. Tractors were the only machinery consistently rated “very good” across all advantage dimensions. “Increased working speed” was the most positively perceived benefit across all machinery types. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between operational experience and perceived efficiency for tractors (rs = -0.361, P < 0.05). Additionally, longer experience with tractors was negatively associated with perceived advantages in multiple dimensions, including labor reduction, productivity, output quality, and cost reduction. Similar negative correlations were observed in selected dimensions for other machinery types.Conclusions: The findings indicate a perception gap between less experienced and more experienced users, with recent adopters exhibiting more favorable perceptions. This suggests the need for targeted extension strategies that consider farmers’ experience levels to enhance perception accuracy and support sustained adoption of mechanization.

From the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction to the present day represents a span of three decades: within that time large-scale generation of electrical power from nuclear energy has become acknowledged as economic, safe and environmentally acceptable. Within the U .K . 10% of electricity consumed is of nuclear origin. Some of the C.E.G.B. reactors have been in service for over 10 years. The operating experience that has been gained shows how the original design concepts have been ultimately developed. Some of the difficulties encountered and the engineering solutions are presented. Operating experience feeds back to the design philosophy and safety requirements for future nuclear plant. In this way a foundation is provided for the further exploitation of what must become a major source of energy in the next decade.

The purpose of this paper is to present information on operational experience, of renewable marine energy converters (MECs). In reality, there is relatively little operational experience with wave energy converters (WECs) and tidal stream devices (TSDs), and no published material, since in general only prototypes have been exposed to operational conditions at test or demonstration sites. However, there is good experience of wind devices, both on-shore and off-shore, so this will form the basis of the analysis, with a focus on its applicability to MECs. Where information is available for WECs and TSDs, we will elaborate and consider its significance.

The paper describes the conversion equipment serving the Edison System in Cincinnati and the application of automatic machines and controls to that system. During two years' operating experience with automatic equipment, it was found to be very reliable and to operate much quicker than manually-controlled equipment. Tests on the automatic equipment show it to be very valuable for service restoration work.

1. The experience in operating and adjusting the EGRK-2M and EGRK-1T electrohydraulic governors shows that it is possible to considerably improve the characteristics of the control system and to increase the operating reliability of the governors by uncomplicated improvements in the circuit of the floating control component and circuit of the automatic devices. 2. When designing new control systems and modernizing governors it is expedient to use more fully the experience in operating both hydromechanial governors and preceding modifications of the EHGs.

The compilation contains those experiences reported during the period January 1975 through December 1977 and selected for publication in the NRC bulletins, Current Events and Operating Experience. The reports in Current Events are presented in the order in which they appeared in individual issues, with the issues arranged in chronological order. The issues of Operating Experience are also arranged chronologically. A keyword index has been prepared using the NSIC thesaurus of indexing terms. In addition, a permuted-title index is included to assist the reader in locating reports of interest.

Objective: The aim of this quasi-experimental study is to depict the effects of progressive relaxation method on the patients who were applied total knee prosthesis. Material and Methods: The findings of the study were obtained from the patients who applied to Adnan Menderes University Research and Practice Hospital, Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology with the diagnosis of gonarthros in October 2014–February 2015.Sample of the study was consisted of 80 patients; 40 in experimental group and 40 in control group. The study findings were collected via patient information forms which showed the patients’ introductive information, and via Visual Analogue Scale in which independent variables of stable-ongoing anxiety inventory were investigated. Results: According to the results, experimental group patients’ age mean was analyzed as X=62.27±7.98, and control group patients’ X=62.35±9.80. 70% of the experimental group patients were female, and 75% of the control group patients were female, 50% of the patients in the experimental group were found to have any chronicle ilness; 62.5% of them had operation experience in the past; 60% used adjuvant tools; 62.5% used their own techniques to overcome the pain when emerged; and body-mass index mean was X=27.62±3.75. 67.5% of the patients in the control group were found to have any chronicle illness; 60% of them had operation experience in the past;76.2% used adjuvant tools;72.5% used their own techniques to overcome the pain when emerged; and body-mass index mean was X=29.57±5.10. Conclusion: It is considered that progressive relaxation method which was applied to patients has a positive effect on decreasing the post-operative pain and anxiety.

In this work we discuss about the two widely used energy storage systems in space applications namely, Lithium–Ion (Li-Ion) and Nickel Hydrogen (NiH2) batteries. A few of the satellite missions operated by the German Space Operations Centre (GSOC) is used in this work for case study. The NiH2 batteries have been a part of energy storage applications for over two decades and have a very good track record for their reliability and performance. These batteries are still one of the much preferred energy storage system for satellites. The TET–1 (called Technologie Erprobungs Trager in German) was launched in 2012 is among the newer generation of satellites which is powered by NiH2 batteries. Even after having experienced some problems shortly before launch, the batteries are performing excellently. We have discussed some of those issues and their solutions. The use of Li–Ion chemistry in satellites is quite new but over the last decade has proved its reliability in several deep-space as well as low earth orbit missions operated by various space agencies worldwide. The operational experiences of the satellites TerraSAR–X (TSX, launched 2008) and TanDEM–X (TDX, launched 2010) are discussed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Li-Ion batteries. Although, the NiH2 chemistry is still widely used, our operational experience shows that the Li–Ion technology might power the majority of future spacecrafts.

The use of biomethane as fuel for agricultural machinery with dual-fuel technology contributes to climate protection and ensures safe fuel supply. So far, hardly any newer operational experiences are known. The aim of the project, funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, was to investigate practicability for daily use and emission behaviour of a Valtra N101 prototype tractor (exhaust stage IIIA). The retro-fitted dual-fuel technology allows simultaneously use of biomethane or natural gas and diesel as ignition fuel. During the field test over 590 operating hours, the tractor showed overall high reliability. On average, the operating range in dual-fuel mode with one complete filling of the gas tanks was about 11.5 hours. On the tractor test stand a significant improvement of the exhaust emissions could be observed, when the gas ECU had been changed by the manufacturer. For dual-fuel operation, nitrogen oxides (NOx) are lower, whereas carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter emissions (PM) are higher compared to solely diesel operation. In particular, HC emissions exceed the proposed limiting value, submitted by the European Commission. This is due to incomplete methane combustion and insufficient conversion by the exhaust after-treatment-system. A big potential for optimisation is expected by adjusting the operating point-specific gas-diesel ratio and improving exhaust gas after-treatment.