As operações de usinagem compreendem uma parcela significativa do universo da manufatura sendo que atualmente algumas tendências bem definidas, como a usinagem de peças já endurecidas, vêm ganhando espaço no campo da fabricação de moldes e matrizes, em especial, mas também na indústria automotiva e de construção de máquinas. O torneamento e o fresamento de materiais, nesta difícil condição de usinagem, já estão estabelecidos na indústria. Assim, a conversão do processo de produção atual de materiais em estado mole para endurecido só será possível com todas as operações de usinagem incluídas. Devido a isso, a demanda por furação e roscamento de peças endurecidas está em constante crescimento. Essas operações apresentam dificuldades muito maiores do que as de torneamento e fresamento, daí a importância de ferramentas especificamente projetadas para elas. Dessa forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o processo de desgaste sofrido pelas ferramentas durante a furação e roscamento de aços AISI D2 e AISI H13 com a utilização de diferentes velocidades de corte. As forças de corte e o torque também serão medidos durante o processo para avaliar seus comportamentos com o aumento da velocidade. Com os resultados obtidos verificou-se que na furação e roscamento de aços endurecidos de baixa usinabilidade, como no caso do aço AISI D2, o desgaste da ferramenta é muito acentuado, podendo tornar o processo inviável economicamente caso não sejam empregadas velocidades de corte extremamente reduzidas. De uma forma geral, a furação e o roscamento do AISI H13 pode ser viável, pois o número de furos/roscas obtidos dentro dos critérios especificados mostrou-se muito superior ao esperado. Os principais mecanismos de desgastes que atuaram nos machos de corte durante o processo de roscamento de ambos os aços (AISI D2 e AISI H13) foram abrasão nas superfícies de folga e adesão nas superfícies de saída de forma acentuada nos três primeiros filetes. / The cutting processes compose a huge part of the manufacturing universe and, nowadays, some well-defined trends, like cutting hardened materials, are increasing not only in die molding production but also in automotive and machine industries. The turning and milling processes of materials, in this difficult condition of cutting, are already applied in the mechanical industries. Therefore, the total conversion of the present production process of regular materials into hardened ones can only be reached when all the cutting processes are included. Because of that, the demands of drilling and tapping hardened materials have increased constantly. These operations require tools specifically designed for them, because they have proven themselves to be much more difficult than the turning and milling processes. In that way, this work aimed to study the wear process of drills and taps used to machining the AISI D2 and AISI H13 hardened steels with different cutting speeds. The cutting forces and the torque generated were also acquired during the cutting process to evaluate its behavior with the speed increase. After analyzing the results, a very aggressive tool wear was confirmed in the drilling and tapping process of hardened steels with bad machinability, like the AISI D2 steel, and this can make the process economically unfeasible if an extremely reduced cutting speed is not used. Generally, the drilling and tapping process of the AISI H13 can become economically viable, because the number of holes/threads achieved in accordance with the specified criteria was superior to the expected ones. In the cutting process of both materials (AISI D2 and H13), the main wear mechanism observed on the taps were abrasion, on the clearance surface, and adhesion, on the rake surface. This was severe for the first three threads of the tap.

Após o acidente de Macondo (EUA, 2010), cujo prejuízo estimado é da ordem de US$ 42 bilhões, a análise de risco do BOP (Preventor de BlowOut) ganhou grande importância nos projetos de exploração e desenvolvimento de petróleo. O presente trabalho se aprofundou na análise de risco de falha no acionamento do preventor anular de BOP (uma das funções do BOP), mapeando a sensibilidade da manutenção, redundâncias do projeto e da vida útil dos componentes no risco de falha inerente ao seu funcionamento. Este estudo seguiu os fundamentos da inspeção baseada no risco e da manutenção centrada na confiabilidade, a partir das diretrizes das normas ISO 31.000 (gestão do risco) e API 581 (inspeção baseada no risco). Um modelo de confiabilidade foi construído com base na árvore de falhas do equipamento, a qual, por sua vez, foi construída com base no diagrama hidráulico do sistema e do respectivo FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis). Neste modelo, pressupõe-se uma taxa de falhas constante dos componentes ao longo do tempo para calcular o tempo médio entre falhas do sistema. O trabalho atendeu seus objetivos ao comprovar que o modelo numérico de confiabilidade é aderente às falhas de campo e da literatura. A análise de sensibilidade do modelo por meio da simulação numérica, mostrou que o aumento da qualidade das manutenções preventiva é a melhor estratégia para reduzir o risco de falha do BOP anular. Verificou-se ainda que o aumento da vida útil de alguns componentes é tão relevante quanto o incremento de redundâncias para a confiabilidade do BOP anular. / After Macondo accident (USA, April 2010), with an estimated loss of US $ 42 billion, the failure risk analysis of the BOP (BlowOut Preventor) gained great importance in oil exploration and development projects. This work has deepened in BOP annular preventer (one of BOP functions) failure risk analysis, mapping sensitivity of maintenance of its components in the probability of equipment failure, according to the guidelines of RBI techniques (Risk Based Inspection) and RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance). Therefore, the methodology used is proposed by API 580 (2009) and API 581 (2008) standards of risk based inspection applied on a reliability model of annular BOP. This reliability model, in turn, was based on fault tree analysis (FTA) and FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) over the equipment hydraulic diagram. As hypothesis, it is assumed a constant failure rate of components over time, in order to calculate the mean time between failures. It was proved that reliability calculated by numerical model is coherent to field failures observations and literature data. The sensitivity analysis by numerical simulation shows that improving inspections and preventive maintenance quality in some of BOP components can markedly reduce the risk of failure of annular BOP.

In my dissertation, I investigate the effects of budget-constraints in multi-unit auctions. This is done in three parts. First, I analyze a case where all bidders have a common budget constraint. Precisely, I analyze an auction where two units of an object are sold at two simultaneous, sealed bid, first-price auctions, to bidders who have demand for both units. Bidders differ with respect to their valuations for the units. All bidders have an identical budget constraint which binds their ability to spend in the auction. I show that if valuation distribution is atom-less, then their does not exist any symmetric equilibrium in this auction game. In the second and third parts of my thesis, I analyze the sale of licenses for the right to drill for oil and natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the United States. These sales are conducted using simultaneous sealed-bid first-price auctions for multiple licenses, each representing a specific area (called a tract). Using aspects of observed bidding-behavior, I first make a prima facie case that bidders are budget-constrained in these auctions. In order to formalize this argument, I develop a simple extension of the standard model (where bidders differ in their valuations for the objects) by incorporating (random) budgets for the bidders. The auction-game then has a two-dimensional set of types for each player. I study the theoretical properties of this auction, assuming for simplicity that two units are being sold. I show that this game has an equilibrium in pure strategies that is symmetric with respect to the players and with respect to the units. The strategies are essentially pure in the sense that each bidder-type has a unique split (up to a permutation) of his budget between the two auctions. I then characterize the equilibrium in terms of the bid-distribution and iso-bid curves in the value-budget space. I derive various qualitative features of this equilibrium, among which are: (1) under mild assumptions, there always exist bidder-types who submit unequal bids in equilibrium, (2) the equilibrium is monotonic in the sense that bidders with higher valuations prefer more unequal splits of their budgets than bidders with lower valuations and the same budget-level. With a formal theory in place, I carry out a quantitative exercise, using data from the 1970 OCS auction. I show that the model is able to match many aspects of the data. (1) In the data, the number of tracts bidders submit bids on is positively correlated with budgets (an R² of 0.84), even though this relationship is non-monotonic; my model is able to capture this non-monotonicity, while producing an R² of 0.89 (2) In the data, the average number of bids per tract is 8.21; for the model, this number is 10.09. (3) Auction revenue in the data was $1.927 billion; the model produced a mean revenue of $1.944 billion

The concern about the environment has required that the effects of drilling fluids (muds) on surrounding areas be known. This study was initiated to investigate the effects of various muds on plant growth and on soils. In preliminary studies in Phase I (31 individual mud components), it was concluded that the obvious dominant effects on plant growth of detrimental drilling fluid components included excess soluble salts, excess exchangeable sodium percentage, possibly a high pH in some mixtures, and undesirable physical conditions. The latter resulted from the sodium and/or starch, gums, and bentonite. Phase II, the second year's study of the effect of drilling fluid on six soils and on the plant growth (which is this report) was designed to use seven typical drilling fluids at ratios of 1:4 (called the low rate), and 1:1 (called the high rate) by volume of liquid mud to disturbed and settled soils using green beans and sweet corn as the test plants. The seven mud mixtures were potassium chloride mud (PCM), diesel oil emulsion mud (DOEM), high pH lime mud (HPLM), lignite lignosulfonate sodium mud (LLSM), lignite lignosulfonate potassium mud (LLPM), dichromate mud (DTM), and a mud base (MB). Each mud contained bentonite and barite plus sodium or potassium hydroxide plus a few other substances. Too much soluble salts or too high an exchangeable sodium percentage was the major cause of reduced plant growth. The dispersing problem of mud-treated soils caused by high exchangeable sodium percentages results from the high sodium hydroxide contents added to the muds. Early attempts at leaching the soils with tap water were unsuccessful because of low permeability. Releaching all samples finally with salty water, first with 1 percent Ca(NO3)2, and later with 0.2 percent Ca(NO3)2, and finally with tap water was effective and plant growth improved in all mud mixtures. In unleached treatments the muds PCM, DOEM, and DTM were most limiting to plants growth. Reclamation of soils into which drilling fluids (muds) are mixed seems to require primarily (1) the removal of excess salts, and (2) a lowering of the content of exchangeable sodium with some additions of chemical amendments (calcium salts) and adequate leaching.

As unconventional drilling has emerged as a major industry in the US and around the world, many environmental health and pollution risks have surfaced. One emerging concern is the risk of environmental contamination arising from unconventional wastes that are enriched in naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Although NORM has been a well-documented contaminant of oil and gas wastes for decades, there are new challenges associated with unconventional drilling. This thesis discusses several of these challenges, focusing on NORM from black shale formations. Chapter 1 provides background information on environmental radioactivity and unconventional drilling. Chapter 2 describes the potential for NORM to migrate into groundwater around unconventional drilling operations. Chapters 3 and 4 describe radiochemical methods developed for the analysis of Marcellus Shale unconventional drilling wastes. Chapter 5 describes environmental partitioning of Marcellus Shale unconventional drilling wastes. Collectively, this thesis attempts to broaden the scientific understanding of NORM in unconventional drilling wastes so that potential environmental impacts may be mitigated.

The study of coning in oil production is important because of huge water production associated with oil production around the world each year. Estimation of critical coning rate has been the subject of numerous studies and a number of correlations have been reported. This study presents a review of the current available methods for estimating critical coning rate for both vertical and horizontal wells. The various methods and correlations are compared and the assumptions on which they are based evaluated. Following comparison made between the correlations, the most reliable theories are identified for both vertical and horizontal wells separately. Among the correlations for vertical wells, this study recommends two implicit methods presented by Wheatley and Azar Nejad et al. They determined the oil potential distribution influenced by water cone with a remarkable accuracy. For horizontal wells, two methods, Joshi???s equation and Rechem et al formula, are considered to be the most reliable. Joshi???s equation provides lower estimates than Chaperon???s correlation in which the water cone effect on oil potential was neglected. The Recham et al formula also gives a similar result. On the whole, the Rechem et al method is preferred.

<p>Industrial robots have been used for a long time in the industry. Despite this thedevelopment of advanced force control system using industrial robots is relativelylimited. Using force controlled robot systems expands the possibility of what canbe done with industrial robots.Previously a force feedback system for a standard industrial robot from ABBhas been developed. The system is developed towards the aircraft industry, where amounted drill machine on the robot has to fulfill the requirements in robot drillingin aircraft structures. This thesis presents experimental results and improvementsof this industrial robot system. Mechanical modifications and tests of a new endeffector are analyzed.</p>

Improvement of manufacturing productivity is dependent on the successful automation of manufacturing processes, the success of which is based in turn upon the availability of information which describes the state of manufacturing operations. Acoustic Emission (AE) signals related to the cutting process and tool wear have been recently applied to monitor manufacturing processes, and various AE parameters can be used to provide process information. For example, when cutting tools become worn, AE energy generated at the interface of tool flank and work piece increases. This study is thus an experimental investigation of the AE spectrums representing AE signals energy distribution to determine the possibility of extracting useful parameters to provide on-line information about drilled-hole quality and drill-bit wear. An experiment conducted using a radial-arm drilling machine was employed to collect on-line AE drilling process spectrums, yielding eight indicator parameters. Drill wear states were measured using a machine vision system. Assessment of the drilled hole quality was based on tolerances established in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T). Correlations among drill wear, drilled-hole quality measurements, and the AE spectrum indicator parameters were examined by regression analysis. A forward-stepwise variable selection procedure was used to select the best-fit regression model for each drilled hole quality measurement associated with the set of one AE parameter raised to different powers. According to quality measurements, drilled holes were categorized as either "acceptable" or "unacceptable" holes, using cluster analysis with a group-averaging method. The usage of AE parameters to decide to which group a drilled hole belonged was also examined. From the experimental evidence, it was observed that there are strong relationships between AE parameters and drill-wear state and the quality measurements of drilled holes. AE parameters could be useful predictor variables to provide information to controller/operators to evaluate current drilling processes. Based on the status information of drill wear and the quality measurements, drilling processes can be adjusted accordingly. / Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves 154-162.

Thesis (Ocean E)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 1982. / Supervised by J. Kim Vandiver and Henri O. Berteaux. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-153).