A Presumed Hydraulic Apparatus for the Transport of Live Fish,Found on the Roman Wreck at Grado,Italy

The Roman wreck found off Grado, not far from the city of Aquileia in the north Adriatic Sea, was recovered in 1999. The ship carried various kinds of amphoras with processed fish. A lead pipe, inserted in the hull near the keel, is curious evidence which the authors try to explain. The pipe could be connected to a piston‐pump to suck water. A theoretical reconstruction demonstrates how this apparatus could work and that it could be used to feed a tank to allow trading in live fish over a long distance. © 2011 The Authors     

Hydraulic observations from a 1 year fluid production test in the 4000 m deep KTB pilot borehole

A long‐term pump test was conducted in the KTB pilot borehole (KTB‐VB), located in the Oberpfalz area, Germany. It produced 22 300 m³ of formation fluid. Initially, fluid production rate was 29 l min^?1 for 4 months, but was then raised to an average of 57 l min^?1 for eight more months. The aim of this study was to examine the fluid parameters and hydraulic properties of fractured, crystalline crusts as part of the new KTB programme ‘Energy and Fluid Transport in Continental Fault Systems’. KTB‐VB has an open‐hole section from 3850 to 4000 m depth that is in hydraulic contact with a prominent continental fault system in the area, called SE2. Salinity and temperature of the fluid inside the borehole, and consequently hydrostatic pressure, changed significantly throughout the test. Influence of these quantities on variations in fluid density had to be taken into account for interpretation of the pump test. Modelling of the pressure response related to the pumping was achieved assuming the validity of linear Darcy flow and permeability to be independent of the flow rate. Following the principle ‘minimum in model dimension’, we first examined whether the pressure response can be explained by an equivalent model where rock properties around the borehole are axially symmetric. Calculations show that the observed pressure data in KTB‐VB can in fact be reproduced through such a configuration. For the period of high pumping rate (57 l min^?1) and the following recovery phase, the resulting parameters are 2.4 × 10^?13 m³ in hydraulic transmissivity and 3.7 × 10^?9 m Pa^?1 in storativity for radial distances up to 187 m, and 4.7 × 10^?14 m³ and 6.0 × 10^?9 m Pa^?1, respectively, for radial distances between 187 and 1200 m. The former pair of values mainly reflect the hydraulic properties of the fault zone SE2. For a more realistic hydraulic study on a greater scale, program FEFLOW was used. Parameter values were obtained by matching the calculated induced pressure signal to fluid‐level variations observed in the KTB main hole (KTB‐HB) located at 200 m radial distance from KTB‐VB. KTB‐HB is uncased from 9031 to 9100 m and shows indications of leakage in the casing at depths 5200–5600 m. Analysis of the pressure record and hydraulic modelling suggest the existence of a weak hydraulic communication between the two boreholes, probably at depths around the leakage. Hydraulic modelling of a major slug‐test in KTB‐HB that was run during the pumping in KTB‐VB reveals the effective transmissivity of the connected formation to be 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower than the one determined for the SE2 fault zone.     

Analysis of the Aft Ballast Pump Onboard the American Civil War-era Submarine H.L. Hunley

Since its discovery and raising offshore of Charleston, Warren Lasch Conservation Center scientists have conducted extensive research on the contents and components of the American Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley, the first successful combat submarine. Recent conservation of the aft ballast pump has led to greater focus on the function and configuration of the ballast system and how it pertains to the submarine's sinking. This article relays the latest interpretation on design and use of the ballast system onboard the Hunley; findings from historical research on the components, operation and design of the aft pump, and avenues for further research. Understanding the ballast system and pump may prove highly relevant in answering questions regarding the loss of the vessel and her crew.     

A Chain Pump Recovered from the Wreck of the Warship Northumberland (1703)

In 2008 the remains of a chain pump were recovered from the wreck of the third‐rate man‐of‐war Northumberland, which sank on the Goodwin Sands in the English Channel, during the Great Storm of November 1703. Chain pumps were vital equipment and integral to the safety of the ship. Historical evidence is mined for comparative material, and the recovery, conservation strategy, study and recording of this artefact using X‐ray and CT scanning are discussed. Information gleaned, hitherto absent from the historical and archaeological record, includes details of the pump's chain, hook and swivel, valves and roller.     

The Rigging and the 'Hydraulic System' of the Roman Wreck at Grado, Gorizia, Italy

The hull of the Roman wreck at Grado has been preserved under the cargo of amphoras. On the site, a lot of wooden elements of the rigging are preserved, including deadeyes, blocks, and toggles. Three possible bitts were identified, one of them sculpted; two were nailed to the hull while one was loose. Near the keel a lead tube, protected by a wooden box, has been interpreted as a bilge-pump but more probably it was a suction-pump. The tube would have been connected to a piston pump which has not survived. Possible explanations for its use are presented.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

The Hemerdon China Clay Works,Devon: A History and Description of the Site and Working Methods

This article presents an overview of the Hemerdon China Clay Works, 6 miles north-east of Plymouth (Devon), active from c.1860 to 1942. Based on research commissioned in advance of an extension to Headon West Quarry, it describes the development of the clay works and the methods of clay extraction and processing. Archaeological survey recorded a broad range of structures, features, earthworks and artefacts. They included the remains of an engine house of c.1907, two large masonry bases (probably associated with the flat rod system that transferred power from the engine) and a rocker beam. The article also describes a group of mica drags and settling tanks built c.1907. Combining this evidence with that gleaned from documentary sources, notably the large-scale Ordnance Survey mapping, an exceptionally detailed narrative has been constructed of the work's development through time. It has a relevance beyond the particular, and will help the future interpretation and management of the china clay extraction sites that are so characteristic of the region.