Proper functioning of the sucker rod pumping installations is strongly influenced by the sucker rod column dynamics and can be appreciated, as is well known and widely applied in practice, by the allure of the surface dynagraph. The paper presents some results concerning the simulation of the sucker rod column dynamics obtained with a computer program developed by the authors. The simulation results are compared with experimental results obtained at two pumping installations. Then, the computer program is used to study the sucker rod column dynamics for another pumping regime at one of analyzed installations.

As demonstrated in numerous theoretical and experimental studies [1], the buckling behaviour of stiffened cylindrical shells (SCS) is strongly influenced by the presence of geometric imperfections caused by the manufacturing process and/or exploitation. Therefore, the design norms recommend the use of reduction coefficients with very low values, resulting in a significant reduction of the maximum load applied. In order to calculate the critical buckling load as accurately as possible it is necessary to know the real geometry of SCS. In case of SCS, the structural analysis based on the use of the finite element method (FEM), using models that reflect the real geometry of the shell determined from measurements, lead to a better evaluation of the critical buckling load. The structural analysis with FEM is accepted more and more by standards, EN 1993-1-6:2007 [2] specifying the types of numerical analysis accepted for cylindrical shells. The aim of this study is to compare the results concerning the critical buckling load for SCS under axial compression, obtained with both the analytical and FEM methods for real geometries obtained from measurements. For this purpose, scale models of SCS were used, for which were determined, by measuring, the values of the deviations from the median radius at several points on the shells surface. These deviations were then incorporated in the numerical analysis with FEM and it was determined, for each cylindrical shell, the value of the critical axial buckling load, by using geometrically nonlinear analysis. In order to validate the results of the numerical analysis, the analysed SCS were subjected to axial compression within an experimental program and the experimental data were compared with the results established on the basis of analytical and numerical calculation.

In the paper the interaction of several loads like pressure, axial force, bending moment and torsional moment are analyzed, taking into account the deterioration due to cracks and the influence of residual stresses. A nonlinear, power law, of structure material is considered. General relationships for total participation of specific energies introduced in the structure by the loads, as well as for the critical participation have been proposed. On these bases: - a new strength calculation methods was developed; � strength of tubular cracked structures and of cracked tubular junction subjected to combined loading and strength were analyzed. Relationships for critical state have been proposed, based on dimensionless variables. These theoretical results fit with experimental date reported in literature. On the other side stress concentration coefficients were defined. Our one experiments onto a model of a pipe with two opposite nozzles have been achieved. Near one of the nozzles is a crack on the run pipe. Trough the experiments the state of stress have been obtained near the tubular junction, near the tip of the crack and far from the stress concentration points. On this basis the stress concentration coefficients were calculated.

The paper contains an assessment of the sylphons lifetime for multiaxial fatigue. Three criteria were used two based on s � N diagram and one based on energy. For a more accurate determination of the sylphons lifetime the stress and the strain distribution been determined using FEM, the tensile curve of the steel W 4541 at elevated temperature.