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Technology Assessment & Research (TA&R) Program
 
Project Number 596
Date of Summary March 16, 2009
Subject Sea Spray Icing of Drilling and Production Platforms
Performing Activity U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Hanover, NH
Principal Investigator Kathleen F. Jones and Dr. Edgar L Andreas
Contracting Agency Minerals Management Service
Estimated Completion Completed
Description The objective of this research project is to develop methods for quantifying the occurrence and severity of sea spray icing on oil exploration and drill rigs in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The goal is to provide algorithms for processing weather data to determine sea spray icing severity on offshore structures.

The project deliverables are:

Task 1. Summary of spray icing data sets

Task 2. Interim report on calculations using Cook Inlet weather data

Task 3. Interim report on spray icing events

Task 4. Final report with sea spray algorithms and recommendations for further work
Progress In the past couple of months the PI has been dealing with inconsistencies in the published research between spray droplet flux formulations and measured spray droplet concentrations. The standard approach had been to calculate concentrations from the flux using the fall speed of the droplets (which increases with increasing drop size) but that results in drop concentrations that are quite different what has been measured. The PI is working on a better approach. Early efforts on calculating icing rates from the concentration profile and wind speed, using a piecewise linear drop spectrum, over the very broad spectrum (about 5 to 500 microns), with a median volume diameter for each portion of the spectrum is in good shape. So once the PI has sorted out how to handle the concentration calculation rerunning the SEDCO and Ocean Bounty cases will be straightforward. The final report for this project has been accepted by the MMS. This research project is complete.
Reports
AA (63 pages) Jones, K.F, Andreas, E.L., Sea Spray Icing of Drilling and Production Platforms, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center, EDRC/CRREL TR-09-3, Hanover, NH, 63 pp., February 2009.

Last Updated: 12/22/2010, 09:38 AM Central Time