Pictured are (L-R): Don Allen, Steve Wong (representing Shell and Li Lee), J. Kim Vandiver, and Dean Henning
VIV Solutions® team members Don Allen and Dean Henning were recently inducted into the Oilfield Energy Center Hall of Fame at a ceremony held during the 2019 Ocean Star Gala at the Westin Galleria Grand Ballroom in Houston. Allen and Henning were inducted for their research and development work while employed with Shell Oil Company. They were inducted along with Li Lee (both Shell and MIT) and J. Kim Vandiver (MIT). The nomination was led by Ray Ayers who gave strong support to the VIV research during a key period for the oil industry.
During the 1980s, Professor J. Kim Vandiver and his students developed the “SHEAR” program for analyzing VIV of deepwater tubulars. Concurrently, Allen and Henning were developing key test data that was needed to further develop and calibrate the SHEAR program. Li Lee worked as a doctoral and post-doctoral student for Vandiver and helped the team integrate the Shell data into SHEAR during a Shell-MIT joint industry program. The resulting program was called “SHEAR7” which is in wide use today as the model of choice for analyzing deepwater tubulars for VIV.
Also during this time, Allen and Henning (along with their Shell colleagues) discovered the tall helical strake geometry and the short tear-drop fairing which have gained use on the vast majority of deepwater tubulars that can potentially experience VIV. Allen and Henning have been key members of the VIV Solutions team which has also received occasional contributions from Li Lee. We are proud of their accomplishments and the reputation that they bring to VIV Solutions!
SEP
2019