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Recent content by JRMacGregor

  1. JRMacGregor

    34 years' dilemma for a mechanical engineer. . . .

    Lorindo If you get bored by your present job you will get bored more quickly and with less room to change direction if you become a welding inspector. My advice is do not do it. If you were to become a welding inspector you would have to travel to where the work (welding) is. So if you are...
  2. JRMacGregor

    Weight of steel in a drilling rig

    A good source of information on the weight of these rigs is the heavy transport companies which perform "dry tow" movements of the rigs using their semi-submersible heavy lift ships. The F&G L780 II will weigh around 8,300 tonnes. The Mitsui 300C will weigh around 11,000 tonnes. So the formula...
  3. JRMacGregor

    Weight of steel in a drilling rig

    Gross tonnage is basically useless in this case. The lightweight of the rig includes the steel weight as well as the weight of the equipment. Clearly the lightweight varies with the size of the rig. The lightweight is what the scrap value would be based on. For the older generation of...
  4. JRMacGregor

    What qualifies an FPSO to be the largest?

    It is indeed not clear. No real point in awarding "points" for length. The HULL size alone is best compared by the product of Length x Beam x Depth (not draught). If a FPSO has the largest storage capacity AND the largest production capacity (bopd) then it would undoubtedly have the best claim...
  5. JRMacGregor

    MSc Naval Architecture

    For offshore oil and gas an MSc in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering is a good choice. As the industry continues to move into deeper and deeper water, more and more of the drilling and production platforms (and installation vessels) will be floating. However, Southampton is not (if I...
  6. JRMacGregor

    Shock loading

    If your load is wide and flat, it will experience a greater DAF (dynamic amplification factor) or shock load as it passes through the "splash zone" (air/water interface) than a slender, vertical structure. If the sea is totally flat, then the DAF will be minimal. You also need to take care of...
  7. JRMacGregor

    seastates

    A sea state of a specified wave height may exist with a number of different wave periods. For example, a 1.5m Hsig sea state may be found with a very long wave period (12s or more) offshore West Africa. This is due to light winds blowing over a long fetch (distance) in the open ocean. On the...
  8. JRMacGregor

    FPSO - types of heaters

    Some FPSOs used gas turbines on topsides which supply the power for the topsides (process and utilities) as well as the "marine" part (usually the smallest consumer). Sometimes these GTs use waste heat recovery units. Some FPSOs use the old steam boiler system (plus new boilers if needed) to...
  9. JRMacGregor

    truss history

    Squire Whipple is not very well known in Europe. He appears to be a US contemporary of the great European engineers who designed, ANALYSED and built railway sheds and bridges all over Europe in the mid 1850s and onwards. Think of Eiffel and the English railway engineers. The London Crystal...
  10. JRMacGregor

    boat power ( hybred ) efficiency Hyds.- electrial (AC or DC )

    Transmission efficiency is far higher in electric power systems than in hydraulic systems. There is NO question about that. Hydraulic is also more noisy. However, small marine applications (like the 300 hp you talk of), often make use of hydraulics because the electric drive equipment is not so...
  11. JRMacGregor

    Riser Wave Induced Vortex Shedding

    You should include the current effect. As you probably know, VIV can happen in the presence of current velocity alone (no wave velocity).
  12. JRMacGregor

    Career Change Advise from Automotive to Oi & Gas Industry

    I think you have a good chance in converting from another industry into O&G. Worldwide, there is a shortage of O&G engineers in the ages 35-45 or so. Many young guys have been recruited recently and made rapid "progress". In the UK some companies have set up special conversion courses to get...
  13. JRMacGregor

    What is back tension during the umbilical installation and service?

    If your umbilical is stored on a reel and is then being laid by a tensioner, you have 2 tensions; 1) the tension on the seaward side of the tensioner = the lay tension 2) a usually lower tension between the reel and the tensioner = the back tension
  14. JRMacGregor

    What would it take to avoid sinking the platform?

    Has this had much coverage in the US ? Next to none over here ! The journalist is taking liberties with the truth when he blames TOP OFFICIALS for wanting to sleep undisturbed as the reason for inhibiting the gas alarms. That is nowhere stated in the testimony. I am sure alarms were inhibited...
  15. JRMacGregor

    oil field production facility area classifications

    How HIGH does your hazardous area extend and can you put the compressor above this height ? This is done on some floating production vessels I am aware of.

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