Onboard offshore platforms the wear imposed on pipes used for the transport of gases can be severe. The transport pipes potentially contain highly flammable and explosive hydrocarbon gases and hence the dangers that can be created by a leaking joint are serious. In these offshore installations, to minimise the danger created by a hydrocarbon gas leak, companies and government agencies proposing to commission oil or gas platforms often complete a safety study. This study includesd etailso f safetyp roceduresa nd the potentiale ffectsc reatedb y leaks. At present the methods used are based on the assumption that the leaks are all from more well known circular cross-sectional jets. This project was initiated to study leaking flange joints which are a typical source for gas leaks. Many leak geometries and a range of pipeline pressures up to a maximum of 410kPa were studied to consider their effect on the resulting gas leak jet. Laser light sheet imaging was used to obtain flow visualisation images, with total pressure probe measurements providing valuable time-averaged data. This alloweda two-dimensionasl liceo f the emergingle akj et to be studiedi n detail with two very differenta nalyticatl echniques. A steady core was observed at the point of exit of each gas jet studied. The core was shown to be a region in which the shear layers, initiated at the jet boundaries, grow towards a merging point on the jet centreline. At this location, the velocity decay rate was found to increase as the jet entered into a second flow regionWithin this region, the rate of velocity decay was shown to be similar to that typically observed in a planar jet. This is much slower than would develop in a roundj et. At the downstreamli mit of the experimentaml easurementsa, t hird flow region was observed. The centreline velocity within this region showed no tendencyt o a lineard ecayr ate as would be foundi n a round cross-sectionje t. Significant differences were noted between the spreading angle of a round jet and those included in the present study. A wide range of spreading angles were observed, which suggests that it is unrealistic for all flange joint leaks to be represented by the round jet assumption. More specifically, because of the effect of spreading angle, the round jet assumption is likely to show discrepancies in predicting the magnitude of important parameters, such as the gas concentration levelsa nde ntrainmenrta tes. As safetys tudiesa re at presentb asedo n circularc ross-sectiojne t data, the findings of this report indicate that the validity of those safety studies is probably being compromised

published_or_final_version / Geography / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies

The purpose of this thesis is to develop understanding toward Japanese firms’ joint venture with Taiwanese firms in China, from the Japanese firms’ perspective. We explored the research questions, including why Japanese firms form joint venture with Taiwanese firms and how joint ventures are managed. The research adopted the case study approach and interviewed Japanese managers from two firms, Kirin Brewery Company, Limited and Musashi Paint Co., Ltd. Chapter 1 described research background, research objectives and questions. With the strong presence of Chinese market, Japanese firms need to explore its own investment strategies. One form of entry strategies, especially preferred by the Japanese, is to cooperate with Taiwanese firms in China. Taiwanese firms’ advantage in understanding the Chinese culture and language will assist Japanese firms to reach a better performance. Chapter 2 analyzed statistic data to understand how Japanese firms have invested in China so far, problems faced by Japanese firms in China, and current situations of Japanese firms’ strategic alliance with Taiwanese firms. Chapter 3 discussed various literatures on join ventures, including definition, motivations, partner selection, and management, and presented tentative conclusions and research framework regarding Japanese firms’ joint ventures with Taiwanese firms. Chapter 4 stated how the research was conducted, including research methodology, limitations of research, interview guidelines, interview procedures, and the description of two Japanese firms. Chapter 5 analyzed research findings, with reference to tentative conclusions and research framework presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 6 provided conclusions from research findings and suggestions for two firms (Kirin and Musashi Paint) and Japanese firms that plan to have joint ventures in China. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

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