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PTINS

Burnt Ends
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Everything posted by PTINS

  1. It has been 45 years since I studied Nuclear Engineering, and I am the first to admit that I have not kept up with whatever changes have taken place since then. 1. Safety is not passive, it must be practiced by every person every day to be effective. Especially in a processing/power generation facility that includes people making decisions every day, large pieces of rotating equipment, open flames, and high pressure process vessels, all in close proximity on a continuous basis. 2. Everything is good when the design works exactly as how it was designed to. The more important issues is how the design works when circumstances are different than the design basis. Something always breaks and somebody always makes a poor decision. Nothing is foolproof, because fools are so ingenious. 3. When the Energy Transfer pipeline was damaged next to the Walmart parking lot in Deer Park, some of you were blaming ET for not retrofitting their safety prevention to accommodate infrastructure changes that occurred on adjacent, third party facilities, 10-30 years after the fact. So I guess we'll okay with Amazon delivering packages with some kind of little balls with nuclear fissionable material inside one of these days, huh? 4. One thing that has not changed is the physics behind the production and conservation of energy. Really smart, passively cooled design. The heat of the reactor core heats and pushes water up to the steam generator where it's cooled, and then gravity pulls the cold water back down into the core for more heat transfer. The Steam Generator "cools" the superheated steam (600-1800+? PSI, lbs/in2), by transferring and using the heat energy to drive a turbine and generate electricity. The "cooled" steam coming out of the generator is still steam at least 212 °F, and must be further cooled (by water?) to condense the steam into hot/warm water to start the process all over again. Nuclear Power Plants not located along a moving body of water typically build lakes and/or cooling towers for their needs. These smaller modular plants don't need those size facilities, but they need something. That "energy cannot be created or destroyed" thing. 5. The radioactive decay of unstable isotopes generates heat, and that heat can be used to generate electricity. Or not. That decay will continue until the material is "used up." It can be moderated and controlled, but it continues until it decays to the point in no longer generates enough heat to be practical. The idea of radioactive pellets and an inert bed of a moderating medium that (a) produces enough heat for power generation, and (b) self regulates to slow down and stop the reactions based on temperatures is suspect. 6. I am all for Nuclear Power, have been forever. The safety aspect cannot be minimized, and the issues with the waste disposal have not changed.
  2. What's the matter? You don't like skin that looks and feels like an old baseball glove? Nothing beats the mountain air in Colorado. But you can never drink enough water and use enough lotion just to get back to normal. Oh, and the term wind chill should never be used in August, especially when you are out by the pool.
  3. What did Joan Collins say when asked what she puts behind her ears when she is goes cruising? Her Ankles. It all starts with F = ma. Like Jose Cuervo, Sir Isaac Newton is a friend of mine. Forget the elasticity of the skin. Consider the strength of her calves and ankles, and the tremendous forces they exert to neutralize the unbalanced mass and keep the body upright. Before PC was a thing, we used to call one of the girls at work "Kips", as a nod to her more prominent features (Kips is a US customary unit of force. It equals 1000 pounds-force, and is used primarily by structural engineers to indicate forces where the value represented in pound-force is inefficient). I explained the term at happy hour one day, and apologized to the lass as I was getting back up on my barstool. I will always remember similar discussions we had in Physics about Simple Harmonic Motion. Go observe a braless girl walking across the south mall. The harmonics of the motion are simple, but the motion itself is anything but simple. That is my UT, the kind of thought provoking education you can't get out of a book, to take what you learned in the classroom and go into the real world and apply it to everyday life.
  4. Earl & Ricky were once freshmen, played and contributed, and somehow made it through college okay. I think our WR corp will look better with Arch. A little more zip on the ball gets it to the guys quicker and gives them more time in space. The contested balls they see are mostly under thrown passes, which favor the defense. QE has a big arm, but he rarely uses it. His TD pass to Golden against Michigan, throwing a dart to the front corner of the endzones was a big time NFL pass and should be the staple, not the anomaly. Whether QE won't, or can't, make those throws doesn't matter, Arch can and will.
  5. Not sure if there is a watch party, but Manning's might be an option. I'm curious which pictures of Arch they picked to hang on the walls. I new the next time I was in New Orleans, he would have a picture in there.
  6. I’m betting it’s gas processing related, and a steel pressure vessel with 1+” wall thickness that is heavy as hell. The speed of that train would have disintegrated most things, but not a welded steel rank. Bad decision by the driver(s) (truck and escorts). Negligence for law enforcement for not alerting the railroad. Agree 100%. Wouldn’t be surprised if rail maintenance over the years raised the grade above the road bed height above what it was thought to be, or the load caused the trailer to sag more than what was thought. 40+ minutes was ample time to warn the Railroad. Criminal negligence. Tragedy with loss of life that could have been avoided. Tragic for the RR employees. My guess the tapered top appears to be large stack or heater of sorts rather than a frac tower that has hemispherical heads on the ends, with the bottom having a circular skirt for connecting to the foundation. The tower being transported looks similar to the 2 towers in the right in the photo, or the multiple stacks towards the middle. Either way, if is big, extremely heavy piece of welded steep plate, that is not an on-the-shelf item you can pick up at Walmart. That’s a big “Oh shit!” For a lot of people. There are not a lot of transportation choices in West Texas, a lot of long, laser straight roads between small towns. Yes, it should have been pre-planned and permitted from origin to destination, but …
  7. Tru$t fund babie$. $mart enough to choo$e Boulder over anywhere el$e.
  8. Immamac, I am especially happy for you and Gunnar, that you got to enjoy a once in a lifetime kinda game with him that you both will remember forever, without you having to manage the tailgate scene for the rest of us. Couldn't happen for a better person. You Rock!!! Not gonna lie (NGL is always Natural Gas Liquids for me), I got chills reading this. Bill Norton transferred to Texas knowing he was going to be a depth piece, and he blows up a play that will be be remembered for eternity. He personifies culture. Well done young man. Who woulda thunk, the national media would highlight of their own, a movie star? MM has been all Texas since before some of you were born and has been a great ambassador for all thing Texas. Growing up in Austin, see Led Zeppelin for my 13th birthday, spending too much time with Jane, and going to HS in Austin in the 70's, Wooderson, and Dazed and Confused is a chronicle of my youth. And he's from Uvalde, where my avatar is. Blue was always a break away, turn on the jets speed guy; his recent boo boo's were an unfortunate distraction. Blue being focused and having his breakout game couldn't come at a better time for us. I agree. Fucking awesome to see Blue squirt through the hole, floor it, and take it to house. Reminded of why I used to call Texas Games "The Ricky Williams Show". These seats are perfect when Sark and Texas are cooking, using the whole field and getting the ball to the guys in space. You can see WR's beat the guys off the line and know they are going to be open, there is a chorus of "Throw it... Throw it ... he's wide open", the QB finally throws it, too far (God Dammit!!!), and it fells magical when we score. Nothing but kool aid this morning. Blue and Gibson having big games last night is the best thing that could have happened to this team. We will have a confident run game going forward. 1 down, 3 to go. Whatever. High pointing the ball is important when they under thrown. I think he takes his reps with Manning in practice, and plays with QE in the game. One is not like the other. Wingo's downfield blocks are what got him on the field. You can tell how different our passing, and running game is when Bond can't block with a gimpy ankle, and Wingo can. Yesterday and last night was perfect. Chamber of Commerce weather, nothing but love at the various tailgates, eye candy galore, whiskey on a cool night v. beer while baking in the sun. Texas playing and winning a good football game. The QE/CK, Westlake -Southlake, storyline was a nice parallel, and happy that most of the night was about good players making good plays rather than someone screwing up. Texas winning while playing well feels so good. End of Story. The fact that OU and A&M and LSU are train wrecks at home watching is more icing on the cake then I can stand. Almost. Don't ever take it for granted, but seeing the BUFF's and twin B-1B's going afterburner, and F-35 and Apaches and the Hercules is a treat that not everyone gets to experience. We're Texas! I'm old, from a time when RB's were it. I was a freshman with Earl. Came of age watching Chris Gilbert and Steve Wooster and Roosevelt Leaks, Joe Washington, Tony Dorsett, Earl, Billy Sims, Johnny "Lam" Jones ... and the aforementioned Ricky Williams show. Watching a stud running back with break away speed hitting the crease and knowing he's going to score is still my favorite play in football. So much better going to the game and avoiding the game thread til the morning after. My mea culpa. Michael Taaffe has become one of my favorite Longhorns. Ever. I privately ragged on Taaffe when he walked on. I knew nothing about him and figured he was another Westlake honk that was here just because. When he and and our entire defense was shit, I put more of that on him then he deserved. But early on, I noticed he always hustled and was around the ball. He always presented himself well, which never surprised me. He seemed like one of those smart kids that Will Hunting liked to fuck up. When he was awarded a scholarship, in front of the team, I was proud for him, like I have been for all those before him. He continued to work hard, learn from his mistakes, and be a good player and team mate. He was snubbed on the SEC team. F those &#*@'s!!! He was named as an AP All American. Couldn't be more proud of him. He deserves every thing he gets, and I mean that in the best possible way. His last tackle at DKR was textbook, Darrell Royal was smiling down on Michael Taaffe. As was I. Ok. I feel better now. Hook 'em!!!
  9. Here is an image of the crude oil from them Russian oil spill in the Kerch Strait. The link above shows them cleaning in up, 1 shovel at a time. This is some nasty ass crude oil. The only salvation, I think, is it washed up on the Russia coast, not on Crimea. The "oil" behind the recent boom in the Permian Basin is a very light condensate, that is on the limit of "crude oil". A lot of the oil produced is so light that there are penalties that reduce the price of the oil received. Unfortunately, most of this light oil/heavy condensate is not a good fit for the US refineries that were "modernized" in the 80's-90's to be able to refine the heavier crude oil imported from Mexico and other countries. While the US is "self sufficient" in oil production, we export the lighter crude produced in the Permian and continue to import heavier crude, primarily from Canada and Mexico. Here is an article that shows the some of the different grades of crude oil produced in the US. Business Insider What crude oil looks like 14 surprising and bizarre photos from oilfield workers reveal what crude oil actually looks like when it comes out of the ground Business Insider Benji Jones Apr 8, 2020, 11:42 AM CDT Dozens of oil and gas workers shared their photos of crude oil, and they make "black gold" seem like a misnomer. - Tony Hemen • If there's one substance that drives the global economy, it's oil — and oil has had a chaotic couple of months. • The coronavirus pandemic has cratered fuel demand, while at the same time Saudi Arabia has boosted supply. • These forces have sent the price into a tailspin and driven companies to bankruptcies, layoffs, and spending cuts. • While oil is at the epicenter of energy news, there's little focus on the substance itself. • Business Insider asked dozens of oilfield workers to share their photos. They reveal that crude oil comes in all different colors and consistencies. The success of many of the world's corporate giants, which are worth hundreds of billions in market value, depends on a single substance that formed from the ancient remains of algae and plants — oil. A fossil fuel, oil is one of the planet's largest economic drivers. And in case you missed it, it's had a rocky couple of months. The coronavirus pandemic has cratered demand for fuel, while at the same time Saudi Arabia has boosted supply. Together, these forces have sent the price of oil into a tailspin, forcing companies to file for bankruptcy, lay off workers, and cut spending by billions. All of this is, thanks to just one commodity, which often feels intangible. You hear about oil as a price, or in industry revenue. But what does it actually look like when it comes out of the ground? Business Insider reached out to dozens of US oil and gas workers on Facebook and asked them to share their photos of crude oil. The images reveal that crude oil comes in all kinds of colors and consistencies. And that the classic image of oil as a thick, black, tar-like substance is often pretty far from what wells pump out of the ground — at least in the US. Some oil looks like green juice, like this bottle from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota. - Casey Jones The ratio of different hydrocarbon molecules and other substances such as sulfur determines the color of crude, according to Foued Badrouchi, a doctoral student in the department of petroleum engineering at the University of North Dakota. The oil's relative density, known as specific gravity, also affects the color, he said. "Crude is different colors when it first comes out of the ground," George Brackett, a member of a Bakken oil and gas Facebook discussion group, wrote on Facebook. "Bakken crude is a green color." Lighter, or less-dense, crude tends to be more greenish-brown, another member wrote. Here's some more greenish crude in a container called a "thief." - Ramiro Martinez This crude from West Texas has a low specific gravity, said Ramiro Martinez, another group member, who shared the photo. That's why the liquid is almost translucent. Oil workers use containers like these to test the oil's relative density, temperature, and other properties before it goes into a pipeline. Sediment can build up in the oil storage tank, which you can see here. - Ted Farni "When transporting the oil from the well to the pipeline by truck, we need to test the oil to make sure it's good quality," Ted Farni, an oil buyer, wrote on Facebook. "We use tools to get samples and test temperature and gravity." In this photo, the lighter-green at the bottom of the thief is sediment. Here's another green smoothie from North Dakota. - Chad Craver The tool sticking out measures the oil's specific gravity. Crude can also be thick and waxy, like this oil from Utah. - Rich Sorenson Junior Crude oil that has a high proportion of paraffin — a type of hydrocarbon — is thick and waxy, especially at low temperatures. This is an example of a heavier crude with a much higher relative density or higher specific gravity. "It causes huge problems for us," Badrouchi said. "It's like wax. The oil with a lot of paraffins is so heavy it can clog the well." To transport waxy oil, you have to keep it hot. This crude is from Roosevelt, Utah - Micah Tobias Barker "All the crude out there is completely saturated with wax to the point that all the tanks are insulated and the oil has to be kept hot to transport," he wrote on Facebook. "We aren't allowed to load it unless it's between 140-180 degrees Fahrenheit." 'This is good, clean oil, but high paraffin' Here's some more waxy oil, this time from Montana. - Steven Unterseher "Some of the older wells around Killdeer [North Dakota] had so much paraffin in the oil that if you didn't get it off your truck in time in winter you were stuck with basically a candle inside the tank," Steven Unterseher, an oil worker who moderates the Bakken oilfield discussion group, wrote on Facebook. Other crude is yellowish, like this one from West Texas... This crude is much lighter, which is why it looks nearly transparent. - Tony Hemen "Light crude oil contains a large amount of liquid natural gas," Badrouchi said. Liquid natural gas is essentially natural gas — namely, methane — that's been cooled down or pressurized into a liquid form. ...or even clear, such as this bottle, also from West Texas. The bottom is water and the top is oil. - Tony Hemen Crude oil can take on an orange color, too. - Tony Hemen When you see crude in a container like this it indicates that it's been mixed with a solvent and spun in a centrifuge. That allows you to see how much water and sediment the oil contains — in this case, there's a bit of each at the lower tip. Water can "accumulate and freeze pipes eventually down the line," Farni said. "Also, if the oil is 2% water or dirt the buyer wants a discount. In volume, it adds up." Or it can even look red. - Ted Farni "Some of the oil south of the [Missouri River] is this magnificent fluorescent red-orange-yellow-green, all at the same time," Farni said. "It's weird and I'm not sure why other than just the location." This is another light oil that's been spun in a centrifuge. - Tony Hemen Again, you can see a small amount of sediment at the lower tip. This turquoise crude comes from a natural gas plant in Midland, Texas. - Tony Hemen Badrouchi says that some natural gas is "wet," meaning that it has a lot of condensation. The condensation is high-gravity crude oil, he said. "This is very high quality because it's very light," he said. Even from just two days of hauling oil, you can see a whole range of colors. - Tony Hemen "Crude oil is actually some pretty interesting stuff," Rich Sorenson Junior, who's also part of the oilfield group, wrote on Facebook. "I just wish people understood it better and how crucial it is to life as we know it."
  10. Sorry for the cancellation. No worries and no stress. enjoy the day with the kids. I am just now able to finalize game day plans, too many things up in the air this week. Speaking of things up in the air ...
  11. NO! NO! HELL FUCKING NO!!!
  12. Thank you!!! I've been waiting for the before "bravado" to the after "oh shit!" Is this the McKinney who got the goal post at TTech?
  13. I remember reading that after another Texas win, then Texas A&M president R. Bowen "Bow-Tie" Loftin heard "pooooooor aggies" for the first time and asked what they were saying. When told what is was, he reportedly said, "Well that's the last time that's going to happen!" A&M later moved to the SEC.
  14. A few random data points. Texas is outscoring SEC opponents by an avg 30-16. Outside of Georgia, we have led our opponents by an avg of 29-6. Texas has 22 drives over 50 yds long, averaging 71 yds/drive. Texas has given up 8 drives over 50 yds, inc 3 by Florida after the score was 42-0. Texas' SEC opponents are completing 57% of their passes, for an avg of 5.3 yds/att. Texas' SEC opponents have rushed for 3.3 yds/att. Texas is averaging 4.7 yds/att. Texas' SEC opponents have rushed for 109 yds/game and passed for 151 yds/game, total of 260 yds/game. Florida rushed for 114 yards after the score was 42-0. Other than Georgia, Texas' largest lead per game has averaged 22-8. Texas wins Saturday, 34-13.
  15. The Cochem Castle, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, installed a chain across the Moselle River as a means of collecting tolls from passing ships. It's good to be the King.
  16. This is one of my favorite traditions, watching the the cheerleaders dance routine to the Wabash Cannonball between the 3rd & 4th quarters. Not just a bunch of pretty faces.
  17. Avatar checks out, pussy. I'm sorry that reading about innocent people fighting for the right to exist has worn you out.
  18. #591, Tommy Brockermeyer, OT, TCU
  19. The plan works against most teams. It is predicated on getting the ball to fast players in space, and forcing the defense to make one on one tackles. Georgia, Texas and a few others have NFL players at all 3 levels of the defense, and routinely make those plays. A&M has a good DL, but their LBs and DBs are average at best. It’s not the plan, it’s the execution of the plan. Even with Moss, they were never going to run over us. Without him, Reed is getting chased and hit all night long. Sometimes, I think, that I might not have got into Texas these days. Then I read this board, and those silly thoughts disappear. Maybe, just maybe, T. York will morph from a 6’-0” plug into an NFL linebacker. Or, maybe he won’t. 4 of the 7 drives were in the 4th quarter against Michigan, MSU, Vanderbilt and Florida, when the games were never in doubt and we had emptied the bench. Arkansas had the best chance to run on our defense. They got 2.4 yds/at. FIFY They may use some chains, but most of the “structural integrity” is provided by bailing wire. That is used for, among other things, holding bales of hay together. Using pencil-lead-thin wires to hold together ~ 2,000,000 lbs of logs, and taking 12 lives in the process, … criminal level of incompetence.
  20. Thanks for the info!!! For good reasons, the schizophrenic US policies have to be unnerving, for everybody. At the end of the day, you need equipment that works, and is cost effective. How close does US continued support for Ukraine correlate to the EU, NATO and others buying US products v. other countries production? Similarly, behind the scenes, how is the US doctrine of "controlling" how the US made weapons are used by Ukraine viewed from the other NATO countries. If the US turns its back on Ukraine, does that marginalize US contractors from feeding at the trough for reconstruction? It seems to me if that is the card we play, the US influence within the EU and Nato will be substantially diminished.
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