40 CFR 60.1335 - What is the minimum amount of monitoring data I must collect with my continuous parameter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... monitoring data I must collect with my continuous parameter monitoring systems and is the data collection... parameter monitoring systems and is the data collection requirement enforceable? (a) Where continuous parameter monitoring systems are used, obtain 1-hour arithmetic averages for three parameters: (1) Load...

40 CFR 60.1335 - What is the minimum amount of monitoring data I must collect with my continuous parameter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... monitoring data I must collect with my continuous parameter monitoring systems and is the data collection... parameter monitoring systems and is the data collection requirement enforceable? (a) Where continuous parameter monitoring systems are used, obtain 1-hour arithmetic averages for three parameters: (1) Load...

Automated validation of a computer operating system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dervage, M. M.; Milberg, B. A.

1970-01-01

Programs apply selected input/output loads to complex computer operating system and measure performance of that system under such loads. Technique lends itself to checkout of computer software designed to monitor automated complex industrial systems.

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Approaches for Disaggregated Energy Sensing: A Survey

PubMed Central

Zoha, Ahmed; Gluhak, Alexander; Imran, Muhammad Ali; Rajasegarar, Sutharshan

2012-01-01

Appliance Load Monitoring (ALM) is essential for energy management solutions, allowing them to obtain appliance-specific energy consumption statistics that can further be used to devise load scheduling strategies for optimal energy utilization. Fine-grained energy monitoring can be achieved by deploying smart power outlets on every device of interest; however it incurs extra hardware cost and installation complexity. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is an attractive method for energy disaggregation, as it can discern devices from the aggregated data acquired from a single point of measurement. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of NILM system and its associated methods and techniques used for disaggregated energy sensing. We review the state-of-the art load signatures and disaggregation algorithms used for appliance recognition and highlight challenges and future research directions. PMID:23223081

Applications of magnetostrictive materials in the real-time monitoring of vehicle suspension components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estrada, Raul

The purpose of this project is to explore applications of magnetostrictive materials for real-time monitoring of railroad suspension components, in particular bearings. Monitoring of such components typically requires the tracking of temperature vibration and load. In addition, real-time, long-term monitoring can be greatly facilitated through the use of wireless, self-powered sensors. Magnetostrictive materials, such as Terfenol-D, have the potential to address both requirements. Currently, piezoelectrics are used for many load and energy harvesting applications; however, they are fragile and are difficult to use for static load measurements. Magnetostrictive metals are tougher, and their property of variable permeability when stressed can be utilized to measure static loads. A prototype load sensor was successfully fabricated and characterized yielding less than 10% error under normal operating conditions. Energy harvesting experiments generated a little over 80 mW of power, which is sufficient to run low-power condition monitoring systems.

Automation trust and attention allocation in multitasking workspace.

PubMed

Karpinsky, Nicole D; Chancey, Eric T; Palmer, Dakota B; Yamani, Yusuke

2018-07-01

Previous research suggests that operators with high workload can distrust and then poorly monitor automation, which has been generally inferred from automation dependence behaviors. To test automation monitoring more directly, the current study measured operators' visual attention allocation, workload, and trust toward imperfect automation in a dynamic multitasking environment. Participants concurrently performed a manual tracking task with two levels of difficulty and a system monitoring task assisted by an unreliable signaling system. Eye movement data indicate that operators allocate less visual attention to monitor automation when the tracking task is more difficult. Participants reported reduced levels of trust toward the signaling system when the tracking task demanded more focused visual attention. Analyses revealed that trust mediated the relationship between the load of the tracking task and attention allocation in Experiment 1, an effect that was not replicated in Experiment 2. Results imply a complex process underlying task load, visual attention allocation, and automation trust during multitasking. Automation designers should consider operators' task load in multitasking workspaces to avoid reduced automation monitoring and distrust toward imperfect signaling systems. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

View west of load dispatch model board; section covers substations ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View west of load dispatch model board; section covers substations from edgerly (right) to thorndale and west yard (left). Instruments at bottom of center board section formerly monitored energy usage and were replaced by a computerized monitoring system. - Thirtieth Street Station, Load Dispatch Center, Thirtieth & Market Streets, Railroad Station, Amtrak (formerly Pennsylvania Railroad Station), Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

An urban observatory for quantifying phosphorus and suspended solid loads in combined natural and stormwater conveyances.

PubMed

Melcher, Anthony A; Horsburgh, Jeffery S

2017-06-01

Water quality in urban streams and stormwater systems is highly dynamic, both spatially and temporally, and can change drastically during storm events. Infrequent grab samples commonly collected for estimating pollutant loadings are insufficient to characterize water quality in many urban water systems. In situ water quality measurements are being used as surrogates for continuous pollutant load estimates; however, relatively few studies have tested the validity of surrogate indicators in urban stormwater conveyances. In this paper, we describe an observatory aimed at demonstrating the infrastructure required for surrogate monitoring in urban water systems and for capturing the dynamic behavior of stormwater-driven pollutant loads. We describe the instrumentation of multiple, autonomous water quality and quantity monitoring sites within an urban observatory. We also describe smart and adaptive sampling procedures implemented to improve data collection for developing surrogate relationships and for capturing the temporal and spatial variability of pollutant loading events in urban watersheds. Results show that the observatory is able to capture short-duration storm events within multiple catchments and, through inter-site communication, sampling efforts can be synchronized across multiple monitoring sites.

Mobile Monitoring and Embedded Control System for Factory Environment

PubMed Central

Lian, Kuang-Yow; Hsiao, Sung-Jung; Sung, Wen-Tsai

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a real-time method to carry out the monitoring of factory zone temperatures, humidity and air quality using smart phones. At the same time, the system detects possible flames, and analyzes and monitors electrical load. The monitoring also includes detecting the vibrations of operating machinery in the factory area. The research proposes using ZigBee and Wi-Fi protocol intelligent monitoring system integration within the entire plant framework. The sensors on the factory site deliver messages and real-time sensing data to an integrated embedded systems via the ZigBee protocol. The integrated embedded system is built by the open-source 32-bit ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) core Arduino Due module, where the network control codes are built in for the ARM chipset integrated controller. The intelligent integrated controller is able to instantly provide numerical analysis results according to the received data from the ZigBee sensors. The Android APP and web-based platform are used to show measurement results. The built-up system will transfer these results to a specified cloud device using the TCP/IP protocol. Finally, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) approach is used to analyze the power loads in the factory zones. Moreover, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is used to carry out the actual electricity load experiments using smart phones. PMID:24351642

Mobile monitoring and embedded control system for factory environment.

PubMed

Lian, Kuang-Yow; Hsiao, Sung-Jung; Sung, Wen-Tsai

2013-12-17

This paper proposes a real-time method to carry out the monitoring of factory zone temperatures, humidity and air quality using smart phones. At the same time, the system detects possible flames, and analyzes and monitors electrical load. The monitoring also includes detecting the vibrations of operating machinery in the factory area. The research proposes using ZigBee and Wi-Fi protocol intelligent monitoring system integration within the entire plant framework. The sensors on the factory site deliver messages and real-time sensing data to an integrated embedded systems via the ZigBee protocol. The integrated embedded system is built by the open-source 32-bit ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) core Arduino Due module, where the network control codes are built in for the ARM chipset integrated controller. The intelligent integrated controller is able to instantly provide numerical analysis results according to the received data from the ZigBee sensors. The Android APP and web-based platform are used to show measurement results. The built-up system will transfer these results to a specified cloud device using the TCP/IP protocol. Finally, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) approach is used to analyze the power loads in the factory zones. Moreover, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is used to carry out the actual electricity load experiments using smart phones.

Weight monitoring system for newborn incubator application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widianto, Arif; Nurfitri, Intan; Mahatidana, Pradipta; Abuzairi, Tomy; Poespawati, N. R.; Purnamaningsih., Retno W.

2018-02-01

We proposed weight monitoring system using load cell sensor for newborn incubator application. The weight sensing system consists of a load cell, conditioning signal circuit, and microcontroller Arduino Uno R3. The performance of the sensor was investigated by using the various weight from 0 up to 3000 g. Experiment results showed that this system has a small error of 4.313% and 12.5 g of threshold and resolution value. Compared to the typical baby scale available in local market, the proposed system has a lower error value and hysteresis.

Process Monitoring Evaluation and Implementation for the Wood Abrasive Machining Process

PubMed Central

Saloni, Daniel E.; Lemaster, Richard L.; Jackson, Steven D.

2010-01-01

Wood processing industries have continuously developed and improved technologies and processes to transform wood to obtain better final product quality and thus increase profits. Abrasive machining is one of the most important of these processes and therefore merits special attention and study. The objective of this work was to evaluate and demonstrate a process monitoring system for use in the abrasive machining of wood and wood based products. The system developed increases the life of the belt by detecting (using process monitoring sensors) and removing (by cleaning) the abrasive loading during the machining process. This study focused on abrasive belt machining processes and included substantial background work, which provided a solid base for understanding the behavior of the abrasive, and the different ways that the abrasive machining process can be monitored. In addition, the background research showed that abrasive belts can effectively be cleaned by the appropriate cleaning technique. The process monitoring system developed included acoustic emission sensors which tended to be sensitive to belt wear, as well as platen vibration, but not loading, and optical sensors which were sensitive to abrasive loading. PMID:22163477

Wireless sensing system for bridge condition assessment and health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangone, Michael V.; Whelan, Matthew J.; Janoyan, Kerop D.

2009-03-01

Discussed in this paper is the deployment of a universal and low-cost dense wireless sensor system for structural monitoring, load rating and condition assessment of bridges. The wireless sensor system developed is designed specifically for diagnostic bridge monitoring, providing independent conditioning for both accelerometers and strain transducers in addition to high-rate wireless data transmission. The system was field deployed on a three span simply supported bridge superstructure, where strain and acceleration measurements were obtained simultaneously and in realtime at critical locations under several loading conditions, providing reliable quantitative information as to the actual performance level of the bridge. Monitoring was also conducted as the bridge was subjected to various controlled damage scenarios on the final day of testing. Select cases of detected damage using strain and modal based analysis are presented.

Ultrasonic wave-based structural health monitoring embedded instrument.

PubMed

Aranguren, G; Monje, P M; Cokonaj, Valerijan; Barrera, Eduardo; Ruiz, Mariano

2013-12-01

Piezoelectric sensors and actuators are the bridge between electronic and mechanical systems in structures. This type of sensor is a key element in the integrity monitoring of aeronautic structures, bridges, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, and gas pipelines. In this paper, an all-in-one system for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic waves is presented, called Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment. This integrated instrument is able to generate excitation signals that are sent through piezoelectric actuators, acquire the received signals in the piezoelectric sensors, and carry out signal processing to check the health of structures. To accomplish this task, the instrument uses a piezoelectric phased-array transducer that performs the actuation and sensing of the signals. The flexibility and strength of the instrument allow the user to develop and implement a substantial part of the SHM technique using Lamb waves. The entire system is controlled using configuration software and has been validated through functional, electrical loading, mechanical loading, and thermal loading resistance tests.

Physics Simulation Software for Autonomous Propellant Loading and Gas House Autonomous System Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Regalado Reyes, Bjorn Constant

2015-01-01

1. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is developing a mobile launching system with autonomous propellant loading capabilities for liquid-fueled rockets. An autonomous system will be responsible for monitoring and controlling the storage, loading and transferring of cryogenic propellants. The Physics Simulation Software will reproduce the sensor data seen during the delivery of cryogenic fluids including valve positions, pressures, temperatures and flow rates. The simulator will provide insight into the functionality of the propellant systems and demonstrate the effects of potential faults. This will provide verification of the communications protocols and the autonomous system control. 2. The High Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) stores and distributes hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and high pressure air. The hydrogen and nitrogen are stored in cryogenic liquid state. The cryogenic fluids pose several hazards to operators and the storage and transfer equipment. Constant monitoring of pressures, temperatures and flow rates are required in order to maintain the safety of personnel and equipment during the handling and storage of these commodities. The Gas House Autonomous System Monitoring software will be responsible for constantly observing and recording sensor data, identifying and predicting faults and relaying hazard and operational information to the operators.

Microbial load monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caplin, R. S.; Royer, E. R.

1978-01-01

Attempts are made to provide a total design of a Microbial Load Monitor (MLM) system flight engineering model. Activities include assembly and testing of Sample Receiving and Card Loading Devices (SRCLDs), operator related software, and testing of biological samples in the MLM. Progress was made in assembling SRCLDs with minimal leaks and which operate reliably in the Sample Loading System. Seven operator commands are used to control various aspects of the MLM such as calibrating and reading the incubating reading head, setting the clock and reading time, and status of Card. Testing of the instrument, both in hardware and biologically, was performed. Hardware testing concentrated on SRCLDs. Biological testing covered 66 clinical and seeded samples. Tentative thresholds were set and media performance listed.

End-Use Load and Conservation Assessment Program : Co-Instrumentation Test of Two Microcomputer-Based Energy Monitoring Systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fishbaugher, M. J.

1985-05-01

The decreasing cost of microcomputers along with improvements in power metering circuitry have changed the way in which electrical energy use is monitored. Although utilities still rely on kilowatt-hour (kWh) meters for billing purposes, a microcomputer-based monitoring system is used when greater temporal and end-use resolution is desired. Because these types of monitoring systems will be used increasingly in large-scale conservation and end-use studies, it is important that their performance be analyzed to determine their accuracy. A co-instrumentation test was devised in which two such microcomputer-based monitoring systems made simultaneous measurements of electrical end-uses in two commercial buildings. The analysismore » of the co-instrumentation data aids in the evaluation of microcomputer-based monitoring systems used for end-use measurements. Separate and independent data loggers were used to measure the same loads simultaneously. In addition to these two systems, a utility billing meter measured the total energy use in each building during the co-instrumentation test. The utility's meters provided a relatively accurate standard by which the performance of both loggers could be judged. The comparison between the SCL and PNL microcomputer-based loggers has shown that power measurement techniques directly affect system performance. The co-instrumentation test has shown that there are certain standards that a monitoring system must meet if it is to perform well. First, it is essential to calibrate a microcomputer-based logger against a known standard load before the system is installed. Second, a microcomputer-based system must have some way of accounting for power factors. Recent advances in power metering circuitry have made it relatively easy to apply these power factors automatically in real time.« less

Analysis of load monitoring system in hydraulic mobile cranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalairassan, G.; Boopathi, M.; Mohan, Rijo Mathew

2017-11-01

Load moment limiters or safe load control systems or are very important in crane safety. The system detects the moment of lifting load and compares this actual moment with the rated moment. The system uses multiple sensors such as boom angle sensor, boom length sensor for telescopic booms, pressure transducers for measuring the load, anti-two block switch and roller switches. The system works both on rubber and on outriggers. The sensors measure the boom extension, boom angle and load to give as inputs to the central processing, which calculate the safe working load range for that particular configuration of the crane and compare it with the predetermined safe load. If the load exceeds the safe load, actions will be taken which will reduce the load moment, which is boom telescopic retraction and boom lifting. Anti-two block switch is used to prevent the two blocking condition. The system is calibrated and load tested for at most precision.

Building America Case Study: Advanced Boiler Load Monitoring Controllers, Chicago, Illinois (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

PARR

Beyond these initial system efficiency upgrades are an emerging class of Advanced Load Monitoring (ALM) aftermarket controllers that dynamically respond to the boiler load, with claims of 10% to 30% of fuel savings over a heating season. For hydronic boilers specifically, these devices perform load monitoring, with continuous measurement of supply and in some cases return water temperatures. Energy savings from these ALM controllers are derived from dynamic management of the boiler differential, where a microprocessor with memory of past boiler cycles prevents the boiler from firing for a period of time, to limit cycling losses and inefficient operation duringmore » perceived low load conditions. These differ from OTR controllers, which vary boiler setpoint temperatures with ambient conditions while maintaining a fixed differential. PARR installed and monitored the performance of one type of ALM controller, the M2G from Greffen Systems, at multifamily sites in the city of Chicago and its suburb Cary, IL, both with existing OTR control. Results show that energy savings depend on the degree to which boilers are over-sized for their load, represented by cycling rates. Also savings vary over the heating season with cycling rates, with greater savings observed in shoulder months. Over the monitoring period, over-sized boilers at one site showed reductions in cycling and energy consumption in line with prior laboratory studies, while less over-sized boilers at another site showed muted savings.« less

Feasibility Study of a Rotorcraft Health and Usage Monitoring System ( HUMS): Usage and Structural Life Monitoring Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickson, B.; Cronkhite, J.; Bielefeld, S.; Killian, L.; Hayden, R.

1996-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate two techniques, Flight Condition Recognition (FCR) and Flight Load Synthesis (FLS), for usage monitoring and assess the potential benefits of extending the retirement intervals of life-limited components, thus reducing the operator's maintenance and replacement costs. Both techniques involve indirect determination of loads using measured flight parameters and subsequent fatigue analysis to calculate the life expended on the life-limited components. To assess the potential benefit of usage monitoring, the two usage techniques were compared to current methods of component retirement. In addition, comparisons were made with direct load measurements to assess the accuracy of the two techniques. The data that was used for the evaluation of the usage monitoring techniques was collected under an independent HUMS Flight trial program, using a commercially available HUMS and data recording system. The usage data collect from the HUMS trial aircraft was analyzed off-line using PC-based software that included the FCR and FLS techniques. In the future, if the technique prove feasible, usage monitoring would be incorporated into the onboard HUMS.

Feasibility Study of a Rotorcraft Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS): Usage and Structural Life Monitoring Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickson, B.; Cronkhite, J.; Bielefeld, S.; Killian, L.; Hayden, R.

1996-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate two techniques, Flight Condition Recognition (FCR) and Flight Load Synthesis (FIS), for usage monitoring and assess the potential benefits of extending the retirement intervals of life-limited components, thus reducing the operator's maintenance and replacement costs. Both techniques involve indirect determination of loads using measured flight parameters and subsequent fatigue analysis to calculate the life expended on the life-limited components. To assess the potential benefit of usage monitoring, the two usage techniques were compared to current methods of component retirement. In addition, comparisons were made with direct load measurements to assess the accuracy of the two techniques.

Multi-range force sensors utilizing shape memory alloys

DOEpatents

Varma, Venugopal K.

2003-04-15

The present invention provides a multi-range force sensor comprising a load cell made of a shape memory alloy, a strain sensing system, a temperature modulating system, and a temperature monitoring system. The ability of the force sensor to measure contact forces in multiple ranges is effected by the change in temperature of the shape memory alloy. The heating and cooling system functions to place the shape memory alloy of the load cell in either a low temperature, low strength phase for measuring small contact forces, or a high temperature, high strength phase for measuring large contact forces. Once the load cell is in the desired phase, the strain sensing system is utilized to obtain the applied contact force. The temperature monitoring system is utilized to ensure that the shape memory alloy is in one phase or the other.

Connecticut permanent long-term bridge monitoring network, volume 6 : monitoring of a continuous plate girder bridge with load restrictions - Route 15 over the Housatonic River in Stratford (Bridge #761).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

This report describes the instrumentation and data acquisition system for monitoring of a continuous span steel plate : girder bridge with a composite concrete deck located on a limited access highway. The monitoring system was : developed and instal...

View west within the periphery of the load dispatch model ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View west within the periphery of the load dispatch model board, operator's console is at lower center and button board is at lower right of the photograph; section of model board shown covers substation from Perryman (left) to Frankford (right); instruments at right center of photograph formerly monitored energy usage and were replaced by computerized monitoring system. - Thirtieth Street Station, Load Dispatch Center, Thirtieth & Market Streets, Railroad Station, Amtrak (formerly Pennsylvania Railroad Station), Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Condition Assessment and End-of-Life Prediction System for Electric Machines and Their Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parlos, Alexander G.; Toliyat, Hamid A.

2005-01-01

An end-of-life prediction system developed for electric machines and their loads could be used in integrated vehicle health monitoring at NASA and in other government agencies. This system will provide on-line, real-time condition assessment and end-of-life prediction of electric machines (e.g., motors, generators) and/or their loads of mechanically coupled machinery (e.g., pumps, fans, compressors, turbines, conveyor belts, magnetic levitation trains, and others). In long-duration space flight, the ability to predict the lifetime of machinery could spell the difference between mission success or failure. Therefore, the system described here may be of inestimable value to the U.S. space program. The system will provide continuous monitoring for on-line condition assessment and end-of-life prediction as opposed to the current off-line diagnoses.

High-Resolution Gas Metering and Nonintrusive Appliance Load Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tewolde, Mahder

This thesis deals with design and implementation of a high-resolution metering system for residential natural gas meters. Detailed experimental measurements are performed on the meter to characterize and understand its measurement properties. Results from these experiments are used to develop a simple, fast and accurate technique to non-intrusively monitor the gas consumption of individual appliances in homes by resolving small amounts of gas usage. The technique is applied on an existing meter retrofitted with a module that includes a high-resolution encoder to collect gas flow data and a microprocessor to analyze and identify appliance load profiles. This approach provides a number of appealing features including low cost, easy installation and integration with automated meter reading (AMR) systems. The application of this method to residential gas meters currently deployed is also given. This is done by performing a load simulation on realistic gas loads with the aim of identifying the necessary parameters that minimize the cost and complexity of the mechanical encoder module. The primary benefits of the system are efficiency analysis, appliance health monitoring and real-time customer feedback of gas usage. Additional benefits of include the ability to detect very small leaks and theft. This system has the potential for wide scale market adoption.

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems

DOEpatents

Donnelly, Matthew K [Kennewick, WA; Chassin, David P [Pasco, WA; Dagle, Jeffery E [Richland, WA; Kintner-Meyer, Michael [Richland, WA; Winiarski, David W [Kennewick, WA; Pratt, Robert G [Kennewick, WA; Boberly-Bartis, Anne Marie [Alexandria, VA

2006-03-07

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems are described. In one aspect, an electrical appliance energy consumption control method includes providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system, receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system, consuming the received electrical energy using a plurality of loads of the appliance, monitoring electrical energy of the power distribution system, and adjusting an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the appliance from an initial level of consumption to an other level of consumption different than the initial level of consumption responsive to the monitoring.

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems

DOEpatents

Donnelly, Matthew K [Kennewick, WA; Chassin, David P [Pasco, WA; Dagle, Jeffery E [Richland, WA; Kintner-Meyer, Michael [Richland, WA; Winiarski, David W [Kennewick, WA; Pratt, Robert G [Kennewick, WA; Boberly-Bartis, Anne Marie [Alexandria, VA

2008-09-02

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems are described. In one aspect, an electrical appliance energy consumption control method includes providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system, receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system, consuming the received electrical energy using a plurality of loads of the appliance, monitoring electrical energy of the power distribution system, and adjusting an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the appliance from an initial level of consumption to an other level of consumption different than the initial level of consumption responsive to the monitoring.

Electric terminal performance and characterization of solid oxide fuel cells and systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindahl, Peter Allan

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are electrochemical devices which can effect efficient, clean, and quiet conversion of chemical to electrical energy. In contrast to conventional electricity generation systems which feature multiple discrete energy conversion processes, SOFCs are direct energy conversion devices. That is, they feature a fully integrated chemical to electrical energy conversion process where the electric load demanded of the cell intrinsically drives the electrochemical reactions and associated processes internal to the cell. As a result, the cell's electric terminals provide a path for interaction between load side electric demand and the conversion side processes. The implication of this is twofold. First, the magnitude and dynamic characteristics of the electric load demanded of the cell can directly impact the long-term efficacy of the cell's chemical to electrical energy conversion. Second, the electric terminal response to dynamic loads can be exploited for monitoring the cell's conversion side processes and used in diagnostic analysis and degradation-mitigating control schemes. This dissertation presents a multi-tier investigation into this electric terminal based performance characterization of SOFCs through the development of novel test systems, analysis techniques and control schemes. First, a reference-based simulation system is introduced. This system scales up the electric terminal performance of a prototype SOFC system, e.g. a single fuel cell, to that of a full power-level stack. This allows realistic stack/load interaction studies while maintaining explicit ability for post-test analysis of the prototype system. Next, a time-domain least squares fitting method for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is developed for reduced-time monitoring of the electrochemical and physicochemical mechanics of the fuel cell through its electric terminals. The utility of the reference-based simulator and the EIS technique are demonstrated through their combined use in the performance testing of a hybrid-source power management (HSPM) system designed to allow in-situ EIS monitoring of a stack under dynamic loading conditions. The results from the latter study suggest that an HSPM controller allows an opportunity for in-situ electric terminal monitoring and control-based mitigation of SOFC degradation. As such, an exploration of control-based SOFC degradation mitigation is presented and ideas for further work are suggested.

On estimating the accuracy of monitoring methods using Bayesian error propagation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zonta, Daniele; Bruschetta, Federico; Cappello, Carlo; Zandonini, R.; Pozzi, Matteo; Wang, Ming; Glisic, B.; Inaudi, D.; Posenato, D.; Zhao, Y.

2014-04-01

This paper illustrates an application of Bayesian logic to monitoring data analysis and structural condition state inference. The case study is a 260 m long cable-stayed bridge spanning the Adige River 10 km north of the town of Trento, Italy. This is a statically indeterminate structure, having a composite steel-concrete deck, supported by 12 stay cables. Structural redundancy, possible relaxation losses and an as-built condition differing from design, suggest that long-term load redistribution between cables can be expected. To monitor load redistribution, the owner decided to install a monitoring system which combines built-on-site elasto-magnetic and fiber-optic sensors. In this note, we discuss a rational way to improve the accuracy of the load estimate from the EM sensors taking advantage of the FOS information. More specifically, we use a multi-sensor Bayesian data fusion approach which combines the information from the two sensing systems with the prior knowledge, including design information and the outcomes of laboratory calibration. Using the data acquired to date, we demonstrate that combining the two measurements allows a more accurate estimate of the cable load, to better than 50 kN.

An improved sample loading technique for cellular metabolic response monitoring under pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gikunda, Millicent Nkirote

To monitor cellular metabolism under pressure, a pressure chamber designed around a simple-to-construct capillary-based spectroscopic chamber coupled to a microliter-flow perfusion system is used in the laboratory. Although cyanide-induced metabolic responses from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) could be controllably induced and monitored under pressure, previously used sample loading technique was not well controlled. An improved cell-loading technique which is based on use of a secondary inner capillary into which the sample is loaded then inserted into the capillary pressure chamber, has been developed. As validation, we demonstrate the ability to measure the chemically-induced metabolic responses at pressures of up to 500 bars. This technique is shown to be less prone to sample loss due to perfusive flow than the previous techniques used.

Monitoring system of hydraulic lifting device based on the fiber optic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fajkus, Marcel; Nedoma, Jan; Novak, Martin; Martinek, Radek; Vanus, Jan; Mec, Pavel; Vasinek, Vladimir

2017-10-01

This article deals with the description of the monitoring system of hydraulic lifting device based on the fiber-optic sensors. For minimize the financial costs of the proposed monitoring system, the power evaluation of measured signal has been chosen. The solution is based on an evaluation of the signal obtained using the single point optic fiber sensors with overlapping reflective spectra. For encapsulation of the sensors was used polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer. To obtain a information of loading is uses the action of deformation of the lifting device on the pair single point optic fiber sensors mounted on the lifting device of the tested car. According to the proposed algorithm is determined information of pressure with an accuracy of +/- 5 %. Verification of the proposed system was realized on the various types of the tested car with different loading. The original contribution of the paper is to verify the new low-cost system for monitoring the hydraulic lifting device based on the fiber-optic sensors.

Structural health monitoring system/method using electroactive polymer fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott-Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method for monitoring the structural health of a structure of interest by coupling one or more electroactive polymer fibers to the structure and monitoring the electroactive responses of the polymer fiber(s). Load changes that are experienced by the structure cause changes in the baseline responses of the polymer fiber(s). A system for monitoring the structural health of the structure is also provided.

Tube-Load Model Parameter Estimation for Monitoring Arterial Hemodynamics

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guanqun; Hahn, Jin-Oh; Mukkamala, Ramakrishna

2011-01-01

A useful model of the arterial system is the uniform, lossless tube with parametric load. This tube-load model is able to account for wave propagation and reflection (unlike lumped-parameter models such as the Windkessel) while being defined by only a few parameters (unlike comprehensive distributed-parameter models). As a result, the parameters may be readily estimated by accurate fitting of the model to available arterial pressure and flow waveforms so as to permit improved monitoring of arterial hemodynamics. In this paper, we review tube-load model parameter estimation techniques that have appeared in the literature for monitoring wave reflection, large artery compliance, pulse transit time, and central aortic pressure. We begin by motivating the use of the tube-load model for parameter estimation. We then describe the tube-load model, its assumptions and validity, and approaches for estimating its parameters. We next summarize the various techniques and their experimental results while highlighting their advantages over conventional techniques. We conclude the review by suggesting future research directions and describing potential applications. PMID:22053157

Microbial Load Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, S. F.; Royer, E. R.

1979-01-01

The Microbial Load Monitor (MLM) is an automated and computerized system for detection and identification of microorganisms. Additionally, the system is designed to enumerate and provide antimicrobic susceptibility profiles for medically significant bacteria. The system is designed to accomplish these tasks in a time of 13 hours or less versus the traditional time of 24 hours for negatives and 72 hours or more for positives usually required for standard microbiological analysis. The MLM concept differs from other methods of microbial detection in that the system is designed to accept raw untreated clinical samples and to selectively identify each group or species that may be present in a polymicrobic sample.

Mobile patient monitoring based on impedance-loaded SAW-sensors.

PubMed

Karilainen, Anna; Finnberg, Thomas; Uelzen, Thorsten; Dembowski, Klaus; Müller, Jörg

2004-11-01

A remotely requestable, passive, short-range sensor network for measuring small voltages is presented. The sensor system is able to simultaneously monitor six small voltages in millivolt-range, and it can be used for Holter-electrocardiogram (ECG) and other biopotential monitoring, or in industrial applications. The sensors are based on a surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line with voltage-dependent, impedance loading on a reflector interdigital transducer (IDT). The load circuit impedance is varied by the capacitance of the voltage-controlled varactor. High resolution is achieved by developing a MOS-capacitor with a thin oxide, low flat-band voltage, and zero-voltage capacitance in the space-charge region, as well as a high-Q-microcoil by thick metal electroplating. Simultaneous monitoring of multiple potentials is realized by time-division-multiplexing of different sensor signals.

40 CFR 63.11527 - What are the monitoring requirements for new and existing sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... alarm that will sound when an increase in relative PM loadings is detected over the alarm set point... operating a bag leak detection system, if an alarm sounds, conduct visual monitoring of the monovent or... maintain a continuous parameter monitoring system (CPMS) to measure and record the 3-hour average pressure...

Monitoring of the electrical parameters in off-grid solar power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idzkowski, Adam; Leoniuk, Katarzyna; Walendziuk, Wojciech

2016-09-01

The aim of this work was to make a monitoring dedicated to an off-grid installation. A laboratory set, which was built for that purpose, was equipped with a PV panel, a battery, a charge controller and a load. Additionally, to monitor electrical parameters from this installation there were used: LabJack module (data acquisition card), measuring module (self-built) and a computer with a program, which allows to measure and present the off-grid installation parameters. The program was made in G language using LabVIEW software. The designed system enables analyzing the currents and voltages of PV panel, battery and load. It makes also possible to visualize them on charts and to make reports from registered data. The monitoring system was also verified by a laboratory test and in real conditions. The results of this verification are also presented.

Field Test of Boiler Primary Loop Temperature Controller

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glanville, P.; Rowley, P.; Schroeder, D.

Beyond these initial system efficiency upgrades are an emerging class of Advanced Load Monitoring (ALM) aftermarket controllers that dynamically respond to the boiler load, with claims of 10% to 30% of fuel savings over a heating season. For hydronic boilers specifically, these devices perform load monitoring, with continuous measurement of supply and in some cases return water temperatures. Energy savings from these ALM controllers are derived from dynamic management of the boiler differential, where a microprocessor with memory of past boiler cycles prevents the boiler from firing for a period of time, to limit cycling losses and inefficient operation duringmore » perceived low load conditions. These differ from OTR controllers, which vary boiler setpoint temperatures with ambient conditions while maintaining a fixed differential. PARR installed and monitored the performance of one type of ALM controller, the M2G from Greffen Systems, at multifamily sites in the city of Chicago and its suburb Cary, IL, both with existing OTR control. Results show that energy savings depend on the degree to which boilers are over-sized for their load, represented by cycling rates. Also savings vary over the heating season with cycling rates, with greater savings observed in shoulder months. Over the monitoring period, over-sized boilers at one site showed reductions in cycling and energy consumption in line with prior laboratory studies, while less over-sized boilers at another site showed muted savings.« less

Load distribution and fatigue cost estimates of heavy truck loads on Louisiana state bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

The bridge in this study was evaluated and a monitoring system was installed to investigate the effects of heavy loads and : the cost of fatigue for bridges on state highways in Louisiana. Also, this study is used to respond to Louisiana Senate : Con...

An application of the Multi-Purpose System Simulation /MPSS/ model to the Monitor and Control Display System /MACDS/ at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration /NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center /GSFC/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mill, F. W.; Krebs, G. N.; Strauss, E. S.

1976-01-01

The Multi-Purpose System Simulator (MPSS) model was used to investigate the current and projected performance of the Monitor and Control Display System (MACDS) at the Goddard Space Flight Center in processing and displaying launch data adequately. MACDS consists of two interconnected mini-computers with associated terminal input and display output equipment and a disk-stored data base. Three configurations of MACDS were evaluated via MPSS and their performances ascertained. First, the current version of MACDS was found inadequate to handle projected launch data loads because of unacceptable data backlogging. Second, the current MACDS hardware with enhanced software was capable of handling two times the anticipated data loads. Third, an up-graded hardware ensemble combined with the enhanced software was capable of handling four times the anticipated data loads.

Test-bed for the remote health monitoring system for bridge structures using FBG sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chin-Hyung; Park, Ki-Tae; Joo, Bong-Chul; Hwang, Yoon-Koog

2009-05-01

This paper reports on test-bed for the long-term health monitoring system for bridge structures employing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which is remotely accessible via the web, to provide real-time quantitative information on a bridge's response to live loading and environmental changes, and fast prediction of the structure's integrity. The sensors are attached on several locations of the structure and connected to a data acquisition system permanently installed onsite. The system can be accessed through remote communication using an optical cable network, through which the evaluation of the bridge behavior under live loading can be allowed at place far away from the field. Live structural data are transmitted continuously to the server computer at the central office. The server computer is connected securely to the internet, where data can be retrieved, processed and stored for the remote web-based health monitoring. Test-bed revealed that the remote health monitoring technology will enable practical, cost-effective, and reliable condition assessment and maintenance of bridge structures.

Ship-bridge collision monitoring system based on flexible quantum tunneling composite with cushioning capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Qiaofeng; Han, Baoguo; Ou, Jinping

2018-07-01

In this paper, a ship-bridge collision monitoring system based on flexible quantum tunneling composite (QTC) with cushioning capability is proposed by investigating the sensing capability and positioning capability of QTC to collisions. QTCs with different rubber matrix and thickness were fabricated, and collision tests between steel ball and QTCs sensors were designed to simulate ship-bridge collision. The results show that QTCs have a sensing range over 50 MPa with stress resolution ranging between 0.017 and 0.13 MPa, enough to achieve the full-time monitoring of ship-bridge collision. The system has instant and repeatable respond to impact load, and can accurately position the collisions. Moreover, QTC can remarkably absorb the kinetic energy during collisions, exhibiting excellent cushioning capability. These findings indicate the proposed ship-bridge collision monitoring system has great potential for application to detecting collision information such as collision occurrence and duration, impact load and collision location, as well as providing basis for citizen evacuation, post-accident damage estimation and rescue strategy.

Model-based reasoning for power system management using KATE and the SSM/PMAD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Robert A.; Gonzalez, Avelino J.; Carreira, Daniel J.; Mckenzie, F. D.; Gann, Brian

1993-01-01

The overall goal of this research effort has been the development of a software system which automates tasks related to monitoring and controlling electrical power distribution in spacecraft electrical power systems. The resulting software system is called the Intelligent Power Controller (IPC). The specific tasks performed by the IPC include continuous monitoring of the flow of power from a source to a set of loads, fast detection of anomalous behavior indicating a fault to one of the components of the distribution systems, generation of diagnosis (explanation) of anomalous behavior, isolation of faulty object from remainder of system, and maintenance of flow of power to critical loads and systems (e.g. life-support) despite fault conditions being present (recovery). The IPC system has evolved out of KATE (Knowledge-based Autonomous Test Engineer), developed at NASA-KSC. KATE consists of a set of software tools for developing and applying structure and behavior models to monitoring, diagnostic, and control applications.

Cost analysis of centralized viral load testing for antiretroviral therapy monitoring in Nicaragua, a low-HIV prevalence, low-resource setting.

PubMed

Gerlach, Jay; Sequeira, Magda; Alvarado, Vivian; Cerpas, Christian; Balmaseda, Angel; Gonzalez, Alcides; de Los Santos, Tala; Levin, Carol E; Amador, Juan Jose; Domingo, Gonzalo J

2010-11-05

HIV viral load testing as a component of antiretroviral therapy monitoring is costly. Understanding the full costs and the major sources of inefficiency associated with viral load testing is critical for optimizing the systems and technologies that support the testing process. The objective of our study was to estimate the costs associated with viral load testing performed for antiretroviral therapy monitoring to both patients and the public healthcare system in a low-HIV prevalence, low-resource country. A detailed cost analysis was performed to understand the costs involved in each step of performing a viral load test in Nicaragua, from initial specimen collection to communication of the test results to each patient's healthcare provider. Data were compiled and cross referenced from multiple information sources: laboratory records, regional surveillance centre records, and scheduled interviews with the key healthcare providers responsible for HIV patient care in five regions of the country. The total average cost of performing a viral load test in Nicaragua varied by region, ranging from US$99.01 to US$124.58, the majority of which was at the laboratory level: $88.73 to $97.15 per specimen, depending on batch size. The average cost to clinics at which specimens were collected ranged from $3.31 to $20.92, depending on the region. The average cost per patient for transportation, food, lodging and lost income ranged from $3.70 to $14.93. The quantitative viral load test remains the single most expensive component of the process. For the patient, the distance of his or her residence from the specimen collection site is a large determinant of cost. Importantly, the efficiency of results reporting has a large impact on the cost per result delivered to the clinician and utility of the result for patient monitoring. Detailed cost analysis can identify opportunities for removing barriers to effective antiretroviral therapy monitoring programmes in limited-resource countries with low HIV prevalence.

Fatigue evaluation for Tsing Ma Bridge using structural health monitoring data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Hung-tin Tommy; Ko, Jan Ming; Li, Zhao-Xia

2001-08-01

Fatigue assessment for the Tsing Ma Bridge (TMB) are presented based on the British standard BS5400 and the real-time structural health monitoring data under railway loading. TMB, as an essential portion of transport network for the Hong Kong airport, is the longest suspension bridge in the world carrying both highway and railway traffic. The bridge design has been mainly based on BS5400. A structural health monitoring system - Wind and Structural Health Monitoring System (WASHMS) for TMB has been operated since the bridge commissioning in May 1997. In order to assess the fatigue behavior of TMB under railway loading, strain gauges were installed on the bridge deck to measure the strain-time histories as soon as the bridge is loaded by a standard railway loading due to the service of an actual train. The strain-time history data at the critical members are then used to determine the stress spectrum, of which the rainflow method recommended for railway bridges by BS5400 is applied to count cycles of stress range. Miner's law is employed to evaluate fatigue damage and remaining service life of the bridge. The evaluated results of fatigue damage and remaining service life would help us to well understand about the fatigue design of the bridge and status in fatigue accumulation.

A handheld computer as part of a portable in vivo knee joint load monitoring system

PubMed Central

Szivek, JA; Nandakumar, VS; Geffre, CP; Townsend, CP

2009-01-01

In vivo measurement of loads and pressures acting on articular cartilage in the knee joint during various activities and rehabilitative therapies following focal defect repair will provide a means of designing activities that encourage faster and more complete healing of focal defects. It was the goal of this study to develop a totally portable monitoring system that could be used during various activities and allow continuous monitoring of forces acting on the knee. In order to make the monitoring system portable, a handheld computer with custom software, a USB powered miniature wireless receiver and a battery-powered coil were developed to replace a currently used computer, AC powered bench top receiver and power supply. A Dell handheld running Windows Mobile operating system(OS) programmed using Labview was used to collect strain measurements. Measurements collected by the handheld based system connected to the miniature wireless receiver were compared with the measurements collected by a hardwired system and a computer based system during bench top testing and in vivo testing. The newly developed handheld based system had a maximum accuracy of 99% when compared to the computer based system. PMID:19789715

Dried blood spot HIV-1 RNA quantification: A useful tool for viral load monitoring among HIV-infected individuals in India

PubMed Central

Neogi, Ujjwal; Gupta, Soham; Rodridges, Rashmi; Sahoo, Pravat Nalini; Rao, Shwetha D.; Rewari, Bharat B.; Shastri, Suresh; De Costa, Ayesha; Shet, Anita

2012-01-01

Background & objectives: Monitoring of HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral treatment (ART) ideally requires periodic viral load measurements to ascertain adequate response to treatment. While plasma viral load monitoring is widely available in high-income settings, it is rarely used in resource-limited regions because of high cost and need for sophisticated sample transport. Dried blood spot (DBS) as source specimens for viral load measurement has shown promise as an alternative to plasma specimens and is likely to be a useful tool for Indian settings. The present study was undertaken to investigate the performance of DBS in HIV-1 RNA quantification against the standard plasma viral load assay. Methods: Between April-June 2011, 130 samples were collected from HIV-1-infected (n=125) and non-infected (n=5) individuals in two district clinics in southern India. HIV-1 RNA quantification was performed from DBS and plasma using Abbott m2000rt system after manual RNA extraction. Statistical analysis included correlation, regression and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: The sensitivity of DBS viral load was 97 per cent with viral loads >3.0 log10 copies/ml. Measurable viral load (>3.0 log 10 copies/ml) results obtained for the 74 paired plasma-DBS samples showed positive correlation between both the assays (r=0.96). For clinically acceptable viral load threshold values of >5,000 copies/ml, Bland-Altman plots showed acceptable limits of agreement (−0.21 to +0.8 log10 copies/ml). The mean difference was 0.29 log10 copies/ml. The cost of DBS was $2.67 lower compared to conventional plasma viral load measurement in the setting Interpretation & conclusions: The significant positive correlation with standard plasma-based assay and lower cost of DBS viral load monitoring suggest that DBS sampling can be a feasible and economical means of viral load monitoring in HIV-infected individual in India and in other resource-limited settings globally. PMID:23391790

Advances in Developing HIV-1 Viral Load Assays for Resource-Limited Settings

PubMed Central

Wang, ShuQi; Xu, Feng; Demirci, Utkan

2010-01-01

Commercial HIV-1 RNA viral load assays have been routinely used in developed countries to monitor antiretroviral treatment (ART). However, these assays require expensive equipment and reagents, well-trained operators, and established laboratory infrastructure. These requirements restrict their use in resource-limited settings where people are most afflicted with the HIV-1 epidemic. Inexpensive alternatives such as the Ultrasensitive p24 assay, the Reverse Transcriptase (RT) assay and in-house reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) have been developed. However, they are still time-consuming, technologically complex and inappropriate for decentralized laboratories as point-of-care (POC) tests. Recent advances in microfluidics and nanotechnology offer new strategies to develop low-cost, rapid, robust and simple HIV-1 viral load monitoring systems. We review state-of-the-art technologies used for HIV-1 viral load monitoring in both developed and developing settings. Emerging approaches based on microfluidics and nanotechnology, which have potential to be integrated into POC HIV-1 viral load assays, are also discussed. PMID:20600784

30 CFR 57.22306 - Methane monitors (I-A mines).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Methane monitors (I-A mines). 57.22306 Section... Standards for Methane in Metal and Nonmetal Mines Equipment § 57.22306 Methane monitors (I-A mines). (a) Methane monitors shall be installed on continuous mining machines, longwall mining systems, and on loading...

30 CFR 57.22306 - Methane monitors (I-A mines).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Methane monitors (I-A mines). 57.22306 Section... Standards for Methane in Metal and Nonmetal Mines Equipment § 57.22306 Methane monitors (I-A mines). (a) Methane monitors shall be installed on continuous mining machines, longwall mining systems, and on loading...

Development of the remote diagnosis system of the solar radio telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawashima, Susumu; Shinohara, Noriyuki; Sekiguchi, Hideaki

2005-04-01

"The remote diagnosis system" which we have developed is the one to monitor the operation conditions of two systems of solar radio observation (Nobeyama Radioheliograph and Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters) from the remote place. Under the condition of very limited human power, it is necessary to minimize the load of observers without degrading data quality. Thereupon, we have mulled measures to alleviate the load of observers, and worked out "the remote diagnosis system" which enables us to monitor the operation conditions and detect troubles, if any, in early stages, even if we are away from the observatory building where control system are concentrated. The plan was materialized by adopting an access through the INTERNET to the section where needed information for diagnosis is gathered.

Retractor-Based Stroking Seat System and Energy-Absorbing Floor to Mitigate High Shock and Vertical Acceleration

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-15

Seat stroke, Lumbar loads, Accelerative load, M&S analysis, Blast , UBB, LS- DYNA , ATD 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT...typical blast input load to the seat . Resulting crew injuries are monitored for various vertical accelerative loading scenarios. The retractor load...an enforced blast pulse, this hull structural thickness does not have any effect on the results. 2.2 Seatbelt model Automotive seat belts with

Understanding and Exploiting the Effects of Loading on Ultrasonic Sensing Systems for Structural Health Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

method to image fatigue cracks without requiring damage-free baseline measurements. Load-differential imaging maps changes in ultrasonic signals...caused by a small increase in applied load to an image, which enables detecting and locating fatigue cracks that open under load and thus distinguishing...them from other load-dependent effects. This method was successfully demonstrated in the laboratory during fatigue tests on a variety of aluminum

In-line monitoring of Li-ion battery electrode porosity and areal loading using active thermal scanning - modeling and initial experiment

DOE PAGES

Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael J.; Sopori, Bhushan; ...

2017-08-18

This work focuses on a new technique called active thermal scanning for in-line monitoring of porosity and areal loading of Li-ion battery electrodes. In this technique a moving battery electrode is subjected to thermal excitation and the induced temperature rise is monitored using an infra-red camera. Static and dynamic experiments with speeds up to 1.5 m min -1 are performed on both cathodes and anodes and a combined micro- and macro-scale finite element thermal model of the system is developed. It is shown experimentally and through simulations that during thermal scanning the temperature profile generated in an electrode depends onmore » both coating porosity (or area loading) and thickness. Here, it is concluded that by inverting this relation the porosity (or areal loading) can be determined, if thermal response and thickness are simultaneously measured.« less

In-line monitoring of Li-ion battery electrode porosity and areal loading using active thermal scanning - modeling and initial experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael J.; Sopori, Bhushan

This work focuses on a new technique called active thermal scanning for in-line monitoring of porosity and areal loading of Li-ion battery electrodes. In this technique a moving battery electrode is subjected to thermal excitation and the induced temperature rise is monitored using an infra-red camera. Static and dynamic experiments with speeds up to 1.5 m min -1 are performed on both cathodes and anodes and a combined micro- and macro-scale finite element thermal model of the system is developed. It is shown experimentally and through simulations that during thermal scanning the temperature profile generated in an electrode depends onmore » both coating porosity (or area loading) and thickness. Here, it is concluded that by inverting this relation the porosity (or areal loading) can be determined, if thermal response and thickness are simultaneously measured.« less

In-line monitoring of Li-ion battery electrode porosity and areal loading using active thermal scanning - modeling and initial experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael; Sopori, Bhushan; Green, Brian G.; Wood, David L.; Li, Jianlin; Sheng, Yangping

2018-01-01

This work focuses on a new technique called active thermal scanning for in-line monitoring of porosity and areal loading of Li-ion battery electrodes. In this technique a moving battery electrode is subjected to thermal excitation and the induced temperature rise is monitored using an infra-red camera. Static and dynamic experiments with speeds up to 1.5 m min-1 are performed on both cathodes and anodes and a combined micro- and macro-scale finite element thermal model of the system is developed. It is shown experimentally and through simulations that during thermal scanning the temperature profile generated in an electrode depends on both coating porosity (or area loading) and thickness. It is concluded that by inverting this relation the porosity (or areal loading) can be determined, if thermal response and thickness are simultaneously measured.

Low-cost data acquisition systems for photovoltaic system monitoring and usage statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanourakis, S.; Wang, K.; McCarthy, P.; Jiao, L.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the design of a low-cost data acquisition system for monitoring a photovoltaic system’s electrical quantities, battery temperatures, and state of charge of the battery. The electrical quantities are the voltages and currents of the solar panels, the battery, and the system loads. The system uses an Atmega328p microcontroller to acquire data from the photovoltaic system’s charge controller. It also records individual load information using current sensing resistors along with a voltage amplification circuit and an analog to digital converter. The system is used in conjunction with a wall power data acquisition system for the recording of regional power outages. Both data acquisition systems record data in micro SD cards. The data has been successfully acquired from both systems and has been used to monitor the status of the PV system and the local power grid. As more data is gathered it can be used for the maintenance and improvement of the photovoltaic system through analysis of the photovoltaic system’s parameters and usage statistics.

Technology Solutions Case Study: Advanced Boiler Load Monitoring Controls, Chicago, Illinois

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2014-09-01

Most of Chicago’s older multifamily housing stock is heated by centrally metered steam or hydronic systems. The cost of heat is typically absorbed into the owner’s operating cost and is then passed to tenants. Central boilers typically have long service lifetimes; the incentive for retrofit system efficiency upgrades is greater than equipment replacement for the efficiency-minded owner. System improvements as the “low-hanging fruit” are familiar, from improved pipe insulation to aftermarket controls such as outdoor temperature reset (OTR) or lead/lag controllers for sites with multiple boilers. Beyond these initial system efficiency upgrades are an emerging class of Advanced Load Monitoringmore » (ALM) aftermarket controllers that dynamically respond to the boiler load, with claims of 10% to 30% of fuel savings over a heating season. In this project, the Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR) installed and monitored an ALM aftermarket controller, the M2G from Greffen Systems, at two Chicago area multifamily buildings with existing OTR control. Results show that energy savings depend on the degree to which boilers are oversized for their load, represented by cycling rates. Also, savings vary over the heating season with cycling rates, with greater savings observed in shoulder months. Over the monitoring period, oversized boilers at one site showed reductions in cycling and energy consumption in line with prior laboratory studies, while less oversized boilers at another site showed muted savings.« less

Wind turbine blade fatigue tests: lessons learned and application to SHM system development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, Stuart G.; Farinholt, Kevin M.; Jeong, Hyomi

2012-06-28

This paper presents experimental results of several structural health monitoring (SHM) methods applied to a 9-meter CX-100 wind turbine blade that underwent fatigue loading. The blade was instrumented with piezoelectric transducers, accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors, and foil strain gauges. It underwent harmonic excitation at its first natural frequency using a hydraulically actuated resonant excitation system. The blade was initially excited at 25% of its design load, and then with steadily increasing loads until it failed. Various data were collected between and during fatigue loading sessions. The data were measured over multiple frequency ranges using a variety of acquisition equipment, includingmore » off-the-shelf systems and specially designed hardware developed by the authors. Modal response, diffuse wave-field transfer functions, and ultrasonic guided wave methods were applied to assess the condition of the wind turbine blade. The piezoelectric sensors themselves were also monitored using a sensor diagnostics procedure. This paper summarizes experimental procedures and results, focusing particularly on fatigue crack detection, and concludes with considerations for implementing such damage identification systems, which will be used as a guideline for future SHM system development for operating wind turbine blades.« less

Identification of Load Categories in Rotor System Based on Vibration Analysis

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhaojian

2017-01-01

Rotating machinery is often subjected to variable loads during operation. Thus, monitoring and identifying different load types is important. Here, five typical load types have been qualitatively studied for a rotor system. A novel load category identification method for rotor system based on vibration signals is proposed. This method is a combination of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), energy feature extraction, and back propagation (BP) neural network. A dedicated load identification test bench for rotor system was developed. According to loads characteristics and test conditions, an experimental plan was formulated, and loading tests for five loads were conducted. Corresponding vibration signals of the rotor system were collected for each load condition via eddy current displacement sensor. Signals were reconstructed using EEMD, and then features were extracted followed by energy calculations. Finally, characteristics were input to the BP neural network, to identify different load types. Comparison and analysis of identifying data and test data revealed a general identification rate of 94.54%, achieving high identification accuracy and good robustness. This shows that the proposed method is feasible. Due to reliable and experimentally validated theoretical results, this method can be applied to load identification and fault diagnosis for rotor equipment used in engineering applications. PMID:28726754

John F. Kennedy Space Center's Wireless Hang Angle Instrumentation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohler, Jeff

2009-01-01

The technology is a high-precision, wireless inclinometer. The system was designed for monitoring the suspension angle of the Orbiter vehicle during loading onto the Solid Rocket Boosters of the Space Shuttle. Originally, operators manually measured the alignment of the Orbiter with a hand-held inclinometer on a nonrigid surface. The measurement was open to interpretation by the loader. If the Orbiter is misaligned, it can crush ball joints and delay the loading while repairs are made. With this system, the Orbiter can be loaded without damage and without manual measurement.

Continuous 'Passive' Registration of Non-Point Contaminant Loads Via Agricultural Subsurface Drain Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozemeijer, J.; Jansen, S.; de Jonge, H.; Lindblad Vendelboe, A.

2014-12-01

Considering their crucial role in water and solute transport, enhanced monitoring and modeling of agricultural subsurface tube drain systems is important for adequate water quality management. For example, previous work in lowland agricultural catchments has shown that subsurface tube drain effluent contributed up to 80% of the annual discharge and 90-92% of the annual NO3 loads from agricultural fields towards the surface water. However, existing monitoring techniques for flow and contaminant loads from tube drains are expensive and labor-intensive. Therefore, despite the unambiguous relevance of this transport route, tube drain monitoring data are scarce. The presented study aimed developing a cheap, simple, and robust method to monitor loads from tube drains. We are now ready to introduce the Flowcap that can be attached to the outlet of tube drains and is capable of registering total flow, contaminant loads, and flow-averaged concentrations. The Flowcap builds on the existing SorbiCells, a modern passive sampling technique that measures average concentrations over longer periods of time (days to months) for various substances. By mounting SorbiCells in our Flowcap, a flow-proportional part of the drain effluent is sampled from the main stream. Laboratory testing yielded good linear relations (R-squared of 0.98) between drainage flow rates and sampling rates. The Flowcap was tested in practice for measuring NO3 loads from two agricultural fields and one glasshouse in the Netherlands. The Flowcap registers contaminant loads from tube drains without any need for housing, electricity, or maintenance. This enables large-scale monitoring of non-point contaminant loads via tube drains, which would facilitate the improvement of contaminant transport models and would yield valuable information for the selection and evaluation of mitigation options to improve water quality.

Micromechanics of composite laminate compression failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guynn, E. Gail; Bradley, Walter L.

1986-01-01

The Dugdale analysis for metals loaded in tension was adapted to model the failure of notched composite laminates loaded in compression. Compression testing details, MTS alignment verification, and equipment needs were resolved. Thus far, only 2 ductile material systems, HST7 and F155, were selected for study. A Wild M8 Zoom Stereomicroscope and necessary attachments for video taping and 35 mm pictures were purchased. Currently, this compression test system is fully operational. A specimen is loaded in compression, and load vs shear-crippling zone size is monitored and recorded. Data from initial compression tests indicate that the Dugdale model does not accurately predict the load vs damage zone size relationship of notched composite specimens loaded in compression.

Statistical loads data for BE-1900D aircraft in commuter operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

The primary objective of this research is to support the FAA Airborne Data Monitoring Systems Research Program by developing new and improved methods and criteria for processing and presenting commuter airplane flight and ground loads usage data. The...

Application of displacement monitoring system on high temperature steam pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaffar, M. H. A.; Husin, S.; Baek, J. E.

2017-10-01

High-energy piping systems of power plants such as Main Steam (MS) pipe or Hot Reheat (HR) pipe are operating at high temperature and high pressure at base and cyclic loads. In the event of transient condition, a pipe can be deflected dramatically and caused high stress in the pipe, yielding to failure of the piping system. Periodic monitoring and walk down can identify abnormalities but limitations exist in the standard walk down practice. This paper provides a study of pipe displacement monitoring on MS pipe of coal-fired power plant to continuously capture the pipe movement behaviour at different load using 3-Dimensional Displacement Measuring System (3DDMS). The displacement trending at Location 5 and 6 (north and south) demonstrated pipes displace less than 25% to that of design movement. It was determined from synchronisation analysis that Location 7 (north) and Location 8 (south) pipe actual movement difference has exceeded the design movement difference. Visual survey at specified locations with significant displacement trending reveals issues of hydraulic snubber and piping interferences. The study demonstrated that the displacement monitoring is able to capture pipe movement at all time and allows engineer to monitor pipe movement behaviour, aids in identifying issue early for remedy action.

Subsurface Treatment of Domestic Wastewater Using Single Domicile Constructed Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aseltyne, T.; Steer, D.; Fraser, L.

2001-05-01

Analysis of one year of input versus output water quality monitoring data from nine household wastewater treatment wetlands in western Ohio indicates that these systems substantially reduce effluent loads delivered to the local watershed. Overall performance as measured by output water quality improvement varies widely between the nine systems despite their close proximity and identical design. These three-cell systems (septic tank with 2 subsurface wetland cells) are found to reduce biological oxygen demand (BOD) 70-98%, fecal coliform 60-99.9%, NH3 29-97%, Phosphorus 21-99.9% and total suspended solids (TSS) up to 97%. NO3/NO2 readings were only taken at the second wetland cell, but show that NO3/NO2 levels are at 0.005-5.01 mg/l and well below the USEPA standards for discharge from a wetland. On average, the pH of the wastewater increases from 6.6 at the septic tank to 8.7 at the wetland output. Nearly all the monitoring data indicate clear decreases in nutrient loads and bacteria though individual systems are found to non-systematically fail to meet EPA discharge guidelines for one or more of the monitored loads. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates a decrease in overall efficiency of the wetlands in April that may be related to seasonal factors. These systems will be monitored for the next three years in order to relate changing performance trends to seasonal variability.

Fatigue and post-fatigue performance of Fabry-Perot FOS installed on CFRP-strengthened RC-beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gheorghiu, Catalin; Labossiere, Pierre; Proulx, Jean

2004-07-01

There is a growing need for built-in monitoring systems for civil engineering infrastructures, due to problems such as increasing traffic loads and rising costs of maintenance and repair. Fibre optic sensors (FOS), capable of reading various parameters are promising candidates for life-long health monitoring of these structures. However, since FOS have only been introduced recently into the field of structural monitoring, their acceptance and widespread implementation will be conditioned by their durability under severe climatic and loading conditions. This paper reports on the performance of strain extrinsic FOS attached to carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates used to strengthen concrete structures. The specimens tested in this project are reinforced concrete (RC) beams with an additional external CFRP reinforcement. The FOS-instrumented beams were first subjected to fatigue loading for various numbers of cycles and load amplitudes. Then, they were tested monotonically to failure under four-point-bending. The test results provide an insight on the fatigue and post-fatigue behaviour of FOS used for monitoring reinforced concrete structures.

Application of smart optical fiber sensors for structural load monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-06-01

This paper describes a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, capable of providing important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has wide industrial and commercial application in areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions. The resulting strain information can be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electro-magnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime and industrial environment, but can be adapted for any application.

B-52B/DTV (Drop Test Vehicle) flight test results: Drop test missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doty, L. J.

1985-01-01

The NASA test airplane, B-52B-008, was a carrier for drop tests of the shuttle booster recovery parachute system. The purpose of the test support by Boeing was to monitor the vertical loads on the pylon hooks. The hooks hold the Drop Test Vehicle to the B-52 pylon during drop test missions. The loads were monitored to assure the successful completion of the flight and the safety of the crew.

Strain measurement using a Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer for development of aircraft structure health monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Takayuki; Yari, Takashi; Nagai, Kanehiro; Takeda, Nobuo

2001-07-01

We conducted theoretical and experimental approaches for applying Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) to aircraft and spacecraft structure health monitoring system. Firstly, distributed strain was measured by BOTDR under 3-point bending test and a spatial resolution was enhanced up to 0.5m using Brillouin spectrum analysis and processing though the device used in this experiment had a spatial resolution of 2m normally. Secondly, dynamic strain measurement was executed under cyclic loading conditions. Brillouin spectrum measured under dynamic conditions is equivalent to superposed spectrum using many spectra measured under static loading conditions. As the measured spectrum was decomposed into many spectra in static loading state, the strain amplitude and its ratio could be estimated. Thirdly, strain and temperature could be measured independently using combined system of BOTDR and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Additionally, the application of BOTDR sensing system was shown for a prototype carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank under cryogenic condition.

Smart Grid Enabled EVSE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2015-01-12

The combined team of GE Global Research, Federal Express, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Consolidated Edison has successfully achieved the established goals contained within the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Capable Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment funding opportunity. The final program product, shown charging two vehicles in Figure 1, reduces by nearly 50% the total installed system cost of the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) as well as enabling a host of new Smart Grid enabled features. These include bi-directional communications, load control, utility message exchange and transaction management information. Using the new charging system, Utilities or energy service providers willmore » now be able to monitor transportation related electrical loads on their distribution networks, send load control commands or preferences to individual systems, and then see measured responses. Installation owners will be able to authorize usage of the stations, monitor operations, and optimally control their electricity consumption. These features and cost reductions have been developed through a total system design solution.« less

Field Test of Boiler Primary Loop Temperature Controller

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glanville, P.; Rowley, P.; Schroeder, D.

Beyond these initial system efficiency upgrades are an emerging class of Advanced Load Monitoring (ALM) aftermarket controllers that dynamically respond to the boiler load, with claims of 10% to 30% of fuel savings over a heating season. For hydronic boilers specifically, these devices perform load monitoring, with continuous measurement of supply and, in some cases, return water temperatures. Energy savings from these ALM controllers are derived from dynamic management of the boiler differential, where a microprocessor with memory of past boiler cycles prevents the boiler from firing for a period of time, to limit cycling losses and inefficient operation duringmore » perceived low load conditions. These differ from OTR controllers, which vary boiler setpoint temperatures with ambient conditions while maintaining a fixed differential.« less

Statistical loads data for Cessna 172 aircraft using the Aircraft Cumulative Fatigue System (ACFS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-01

The purpose of this research and development program was to manufacture a small, lightweight, low-cost recorder for loads usage monitoring of general aviation and commuter type aircraft to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Operation L...

Gaussian mixture modeling of acoustic emissions for structural health monitoring of reinforced concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhidzadeh, Alireza; Dehghan-Niri, Ehsan; Salamone, Salvatore

2013-04-01

Reinforced Concrete (RC) has been widely used in construction of infrastructures for many decades. The cracking behavior in concrete is crucial due to the harmful effects on structural performance such as serviceability and durability requirements. In general, in loading such structures until failure, tensile cracks develop at the initial stages of loading, while shear cracks dominate later. Therefore, monitoring the cracking modes is of paramount importance as it can lead to the prediction of the structural performance. In the past two decades, significant efforts have been made toward the development of automated structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Among them, a technique that shows promises for monitoring RC structures is the acoustic emission (AE). This paper introduces a novel probabilistic approach based on Gaussian Mixture Modeling (GMM) to classify AE signals related to each crack mode. The system provides an early warning by recognizing nucleation of numerous critical shear cracks. The algorithm is validated through an experimental study on a full-scale reinforced concrete shear wall subjected to a reversed cyclic loading. A modified conventional classification scheme and a new criterion for crack classification are also proposed.

Real time simulation application to monitor the stability limit of power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartono, Kuo, Ming-Tse

2017-06-01

If the power system falls into an unsteady state, there will be voltage collapse in which the power system will be separated into small systems. Identifying the stability reserve in conformity with a certain practical operation condition is very important for the system management and operation. In fact, the global power system issue has caused serious outages due to voltage collapse such as in the United States-Canada in August 14, 2003; South London in August 28, 2003; southern Sweden and eastern Denmark in September 23, 2003; and Italy on September 28, 2003, and in Vietnam where power system problem led to power loss on 17 May 2005, 27 December 2006, 20 July 2007, and 10 September 2007. The analysis shows that the phenomenon is related to the loss of system stability. Thus, the operational system as well as the power system designs should be studied related to the issue of the system stability. To study the static stability of the power system, different approximate standards, called pragmatic criteria, were examined. Markovits has investigated the application of the standard of dP/dd to test the stability of the power button and dq/dU to check the voltage stability of the load button [1]. However, the storage stability when calculating standard dP/d d is usually much larger than the reserves when calculating standard dq/dU [1]. This paper presents a method to build a possible operation region in the power plane of load bus which works in comply with the stability limit to evaluate the stability reserve of the power system. This method is used to build a program to monitor the stability reserve of IEEE 39 Bus Power System in real time. To monitor the stability reserve of IEEE 39 nodes power system, articles based on the standard dq/dU was used to calculate the assessment. When using standard dq/dU to check for voltage stability load button, the amount of storage stability can be calculated by the following steps: first, transformed replacement scheme Masonry on the schematic rays of the source and node load stability was examined by using Gaussian elimination algorithm [1, 2, 3], then on the basis of ray diagrams the construction work, allowed domain of spare capacity load capacity in space and storage stability for the load button were determined. The GS-ODT program was built on the basis of Gaussian elimination algorithm and stable domain construction work algorithm for Masonic load button by dQ/dU pragmatic criteria. The GS-ODT program has a simple interface and easy to use with the main function is to identify the allowed domain for the load button and thus can assess visually stable reserve still according to the load capacity of the nodes of the IEEE 39 nodes power system in real-time.

Inverse analysis of aerodynamic loads from strain information using structural models and neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Daichi; Sugimoto, Yohei

2017-04-01

Aerodynamic loads on aircraft wings are one of the key parameters to be monitored for reliable and effective aircraft operations and management. Flight data of the aerodynamic loads would be used onboard to control the aircraft and accumulated data would be used for the condition-based maintenance and the feedback for the fatigue and critical load modeling. The effective sensing techniques such as fiber optic distributed sensing have been developed and demonstrated promising capability of monitoring structural responses, i.e., strains on the surface of the aircraft wings. By using the developed techniques, load identification methods for structural health monitoring are expected to be established. The typical inverse analysis for load identification using strains calculates the loads in a discrete form of concentrated forces, however, the distributed form of the loads is essential for the accurate and reliable estimation of the critical stress at structural parts. In this study, we demonstrate an inverse analysis to identify the distributed loads from measured strain information. The introduced inverse analysis technique calculates aerodynamic loads not in a discrete but in a distributed manner based on a finite element model. In order to verify the technique through numerical simulations, we apply static aerodynamic loads on a flat panel model, and conduct the inverse identification of the load distributions. We take two approaches to build the inverse system between loads and strains. The first one uses structural models and the second one uses neural networks. We compare the performance of the two approaches, and discuss the effect of the amount of the strain sensing information.

Brillouin distributed temperature sensing system for monitoring of submarine export cables of off-shore wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marx, Benjamin; Rath, Alexander; Kolm, Frederick; Schröder, Andreas; Buntebarth, Christian; Dreß, Albrecht; Hill, Wieland

2016-05-01

For high-voltage cables, the maximum temperature of the insulation must never be exceeded at any location and at any load condition. The local temperatures depend not only on the cable design and load history, but also on the local thermal environment of the cable. Therefore, distributed temperature monitoring of high-voltage cables is essential to ensure the integrity of the cable at high load. Especially, the load of the export cables of wind farms varies strongly in dependence on weather conditions. In this field study, we demonstrate the measurement performance of a new, robust Brillouin distributed temperature sensing system (Brillouin-DTS). The system is based on spontaneous Brillouin scattering and does not require a fibre loop. This is essential for long submarine high-voltage cables, where normally no loop can be formed in the seabed. It is completely passively cooled and does not contain any moving or wearing parts. The instrument is dedicated for use in industrial and other rough environments. With a measuring time below 10 min, the temperature resolution is better than 1 °C for distances up to 50 km. In the field study, the submarine export cable of an off-shore wind farm has been monitored. The temperature profile of the export cable shows several hot spots, mostly located at cable joints, and also several cold spots.

Extraction of natural weight shift and foot rolling in gait based on hetero-core optical fiber load sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuka, Yudai; Koyama, Yuya; Nishiyama, Michiko; Watanabe, Kazuhiro

2016-03-01

Gait in daily activity affects human health because it may cause physical problems such as asymmetric pelvis, flat foot and bowlegs. Monitoring natural weight shift and foot rolling on plantar has been employed in order for researchers to analyze gait characteristics. Conventional gait monitoring systems have been developed using camera, acceleration sensor, gyro sensor and electrical load sensors. They have some problems such as limited measurement place, temperature dependence and electric leakage. On the other hand, a hetero-core optical fiber sensor has many advantages such as high sensitivity for macro-bending, light weight sensor element, independency on temperature fluctuations, and no electric contact. This paper describes extraction of natural weight shift and foot rolling for gait evaluation by using a sensitive shoe, in the insole of which hetero-core optical load sensors are embedded for detecting plantar pressure. Plantar pressure of three subjects who wear the sensitive shoe and walk on the treadmill was monitored. As a result, weight shift and foot rolling for three subjects were extracted using the proposed sensitive shoe in terms of centroid movement and positions. Additionally, these extracted data are compared to that of electric load sensor to ensure consistency. For these results, it was successfully demonstrated that hetero-core optical fiber load sensor performed in unconstraint gait monitoring as well as electric load sensor.

Investigation of Optimal Control Allocation for Gust Load Alleviation in Flight Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Susan A.; Taylor, Brian R.; Bodson, Marc

2012-01-01

Advances in sensors and avionics computation power suggest real-time structural load measurements could be used in flight control systems for improved safety and performance. A conventional transport flight control system determines the moments necessary to meet the pilot's command, while rejecting disturbances and maintaining stability of the aircraft. Control allocation is the problem of converting these desired moments into control effector commands. In this paper, a framework is proposed to incorporate real-time structural load feedback and structural load constraints in the control allocator. Constrained optimal control allocation can be used to achieve desired moments without exceeding specified limits on monitored load points. Minimization of structural loads by the control allocator is used to alleviate gust loads. The framework to incorporate structural loads in the flight control system and an optimal control allocation algorithm will be described and then demonstrated on a nonlinear simulation of a generic transport aircraft with flight dynamics and static structural loads.

New consumer load prototype for electricity theft monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullateef, A. I.; Salami, M. J. E.; Musse, M. A.; Onasanya, M. A.; Alebiosu, M. I.

2013-12-01

Illegal connection which is direct connection to the distribution feeder and tampering of energy meter has been identified as a major process through which nefarious consumers steal electricity on low voltage distribution system. This has contributed enormously to the revenue losses incurred by the power and energy providers. A Consumer Load Prototype (CLP) is constructed and proposed in this study in order to understand the best possible pattern through which the stealing process is effected in real life power consumption. The construction of consumer load prototype will facilitate real time simulation and data collection for the monitoring and detection of electricity theft on low voltage distribution system. The prototype involves electrical design and construction of consumer loads with application of various standard regulations from Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), formerly known as Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). LABVIEW platform was used for data acquisition and the data shows a good representation of the connected loads. The prototype will assist researchers and power utilities, currently facing challenges in getting real time data for the study and monitoring of electricity theft. The simulation of electricity theft in real time is one of the contributions of this prototype. Similarly, the power and energy community including students will appreciate the practical approach which the prototype provides for real time information rather than software simulation which has hitherto been used in the study of electricity theft.

X ray attenuation measurements for high-temperature materials characterization and in-situ monitoring of damage accumulation. Ph.D. Thesis - Cleveland State Univ., 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baaklini, George Y.

1992-01-01

The scope of this dissertation is to develop and apply x ray attenuation measurement systems that are capable of: (1) characterizing density variations in high-temperature materials, e.g., monolithic ceramics, ceramic and intermetallic matrix composites, and (2) noninvasively monitoring damage accumulation and failure sequences in ceramic matrix composites under room temperature tensile testing. This dissertation results in the development of: (1) a point scan digital radiography system, and (2) an in-situ x ray material testing system. Radiographic evaluation before, during, and after loading shows the effect of preexisting volume flaws on the fracture behavior of composites. Results show that x ray film radiography can monitor damage accumulation during tensile loading. Matrix cracking, fiber matrix debonding, fiber bridging, and fiber pullout are imaged throughout the tensile loading of the specimens. Further in-situ radiography is found to be a practical technique for estimating interfacial shear strength between the silicon carbide fibers and the reaction bonded silicon nitride matrix. It is concluded that pretest, in-situ, and post test x ray imaging can provide for greater understanding of ceramic matrix composite mechanical behavior.

A nanometallic nickel-coated, glass-fibre-based structural health monitoring system for polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji, R.; Sasikumar, M.

2017-09-01

Glass-fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composites are widely used in various industries because of their unique high strength to weight ratio. Unlike metals, strain-induced and damage states of composites are complicated to predict under real-time loading due to their anisotropic nature. With that focus, a piezoresistive nanomaterial-based structural health monitoring system for laminated polymer composites is proposed to measure the strain induced in the composite under real-time loading. Nanometallic nickel-coated glass fibres are embedded into the polymer composites to monitor the strain and damage induced in them. The nanometallic nickel is coated over the glass fibre by a dip coating technique using epoxy as the binding agent. A microcontroller-based electrical resistance measurement system is used to measure the piezoresistive variation in the coated glass fibre under real-time loading. Using the piezoresistance variation of the embedded nanometallic nickel-coated glass fibre, the real-time strain and damage induced in the composite can be correlated. The piezoresistive response of the coated glass fibre is descibed in two phases, the deformation phase and the failure phase, which clearly show the various states of strain and damage induced in the composites.

Options and limits of quantitative and qualitative online-monitoring of industrial discharges into municipal sewage systems.

PubMed

Hoppe, H; Messmann, S; Giga, A; Grüning, H

2009-01-01

In some cities, industrial enterprises' discharges into municipal sewage systems have a major impact on the quantity and quality of inflows to the municipal treatment plants. In many cases, industrial discharges stand out on account of the great fluctuations in their volumetric rates of flow, pollution loads and temperatures. As a result, these discharges put a great strain on the sewage system, the treatment plant, and ultimately the receiving waters. The enterprises concerned have to pay the treatment plant operators fees based on the load and/or volume discharged. In most cases, qualitative monitoring operations merely consist of spot checks. This means that continuously surveillance is not possible and infringements of the permissible limit values are only discovered by accident. If impermissible discharges are carried out that may be susceptible to causing a treatment plant failure, the rapid initiation of countermeasures is not possible. Hence, spectrometer probes and mobile flowmeters were used in order to determine volumetric rates of flow, COD concentrations, and ultimately the loads discharged. The possibilities for, and limits to, online monitoring as well as shortcomings of spot-checks are discussed in the course of this paper, which also includes an uncertainty analysis.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor System for Monitoring Smart Composite Aerospace Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moslehi, Behzad; Black, Richard J.; Gowayed, Yasser

2012-01-01

Lightweight, electromagnetic interference (EMI) immune, fiber-optic, sensor- based structural health monitoring (SHM) will play an increasing role in aerospace structures ranging from aircraft wings to jet engine vanes. Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors for SHM include advanced signal processing, system and damage identification, and location and quantification algorithms. Potentially, the solution could be developed into an autonomous onboard system to inspect and perform non-destructive evaluation and SHM. A novel method has been developed to massively multiplex FBG sensors, supported by a parallel processing interrogator, which enables high sampling rates combined with highly distributed sensing (up to 96 sensors per system). The interrogation system comprises several subsystems. A broadband optical source subsystem (BOSS) and routing and interface module (RIM) send light from the interrogation system to a composite embedded FBG sensor matrix, which returns measurand-dependent wavelengths back to the interrogation system for measurement with subpicometer resolution. In particular, the returned wavelengths are channeled by the RIM to a photonic signal processing subsystem based on powerful optical chips, then passed through an optoelectronic interface to an analog post-detection electronics subsystem, digital post-detection electronics subsystem, and finally via a data interface to a computer. A range of composite structures has been fabricated with FBGs embedded. Stress tensile, bending, and dynamic strain tests were performed. The experimental work proved that the FBG sensors have a good level of accuracy in measuring the static response of the tested composite coupons (down to submicrostrain levels), the capability to detect and monitor dynamic loads, and the ability to detect defects in composites by a variety of methods including monitoring the decay time under different dynamic loading conditions. In addition to quasi-static and dynamic load monitoring, the system can capture acoustic emission events that can be a prelude to structural failure, as well as piezoactuator-induced ultrasonic Lamb-waves-based techniques as a basis for damage detection.

Final Report to the Office of Naval Research on Precision Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-30

Microscope equipped with a Panasonic Video Camera and Monitor was used to view the dressing process. Two scaled, transparent templates were made to...reservoir of hydraulic fluid. Loads were monitored by a miniature strain-guage load cell. A computer-based video image system was used to measure crack...was applied in a stepwise fashion, the stressing rate being approximately 1 MPa/s with hold periods of about 5 s at 2.5 - 5 MPa intervals. Video images

Effect of Load History on Fatigue Life.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

emission 166 6.4.4 Edge replication 176 6.4.5 Stiffness monitoring 177 6.4.6 Temperature monitoring 179 6.5 Selection of NDI Techniques for Tasks II and III...composites of T300/5208 and T300/934 in room temperature, laboratory at R = 0.0 139 66 Schematic of acoustic emission event 151 67 Schematic diagram of...acoustic emission system 152 68 Cross section in the 00 direction of a coupon loaded statically to 60% of the Average Ultimate Tensile Strength 158

LBMR: Load-Balanced Multipath Routing for Wireless Data-Intensive Transmission in Real-Time Medical Monitoring.

PubMed

Tseng, Chinyang Henry

2016-05-31

In wireless networks, low-power Zigbee is an excellent network solution for wireless medical monitoring systems. Medical monitoring generally involves transmission of a large amount of data and easily causes bottleneck problems. Although Zigbee's AODV mesh routing provides extensible multi-hop data transmission to extend network coverage, it originally does not, and needs to support some form of load balancing mechanism to avoid bottlenecks. To guarantee a more reliable multi-hop data transmission for life-critical medical applications, we have developed a multipath solution, called Load-Balanced Multipath Routing (LBMR) to replace Zigbee's routing mechanism. LBMR consists of three main parts: Layer Routing Construction (LRC), a Load Estimation Algorithm (LEA), and a Route Maintenance (RM) mechanism. LRC assigns nodes into different layers based on the node's distance to the medical data gateway. Nodes can have multiple next-hops delivering medical data toward the gateway. All neighboring layer-nodes exchange flow information containing current load, which is the used by the LEA to estimate future load of next-hops to the gateway. With LBMR, nodes can choose the neighbors with the least load as the next-hops and thus can achieve load balancing and avoid bottlenecks. Furthermore, RM can detect route failures in real-time and perform route redirection to ensure routing robustness. Since LRC and LEA prevent bottlenecks while RM ensures routing fault tolerance, LBMR provides a highly reliable routing service for medical monitoring. To evaluate these accomplishments, we compare LBMR with Zigbee's AODV and another multipath protocol, AOMDV. The simulation results demonstrate LBMR achieves better load balancing, less unreachable nodes, and better packet delivery ratio than either AODV or AOMDV.

LBMR: Load-Balanced Multipath Routing for Wireless Data-Intensive Transmission in Real-Time Medical Monitoring

PubMed Central

Tseng, Chinyang Henry

2016-01-01

In wireless networks, low-power Zigbee is an excellent network solution for wireless medical monitoring systems. Medical monitoring generally involves transmission of a large amount of data and easily causes bottleneck problems. Although Zigbee’s AODV mesh routing provides extensible multi-hop data transmission to extend network coverage, it originally does not, and needs to support some form of load balancing mechanism to avoid bottlenecks. To guarantee a more reliable multi-hop data transmission for life-critical medical applications, we have developed a multipath solution, called Load-Balanced Multipath Routing (LBMR) to replace Zigbee’s routing mechanism. LBMR consists of three main parts: Layer Routing Construction (LRC), a Load Estimation Algorithm (LEA), and a Route Maintenance (RM) mechanism. LRC assigns nodes into different layers based on the node’s distance to the medical data gateway. Nodes can have multiple next-hops delivering medical data toward the gateway. All neighboring layer-nodes exchange flow information containing current load, which is the used by the LEA to estimate future load of next-hops to the gateway. With LBMR, nodes can choose the neighbors with the least load as the next-hops and thus can achieve load balancing and avoid bottlenecks. Furthermore, RM can detect route failures in real-time and perform route redirection to ensure routing robustness. Since LRC and LEA prevent bottlenecks while RM ensures routing fault tolerance, LBMR provides a highly reliable routing service for medical monitoring. To evaluate these accomplishments, we compare LBMR with Zigbee’s AODV and another multipath protocol, AOMDV. The simulation results demonstrate LBMR achieves better load balancing, less unreachable nodes, and better packet delivery ratio than either AODV or AOMDV. PMID:27258297

40 CFR 60.2165 - What monitoring equipment must I install and what parameters must I monitor?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... provide output of relative or absolute particulate matter loadings. (5) The bag leak detection system must..., repairs, calibration checks, and zero and span adjustments, emissions data must be obtained by using other...

40 CFR 60.2730 - What monitoring equipment must I install and what parameters must I monitor?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... system sensor must provide output of relative or absolute particulate matter loadings. (5) The bag leak..., repairs, calibration checks and zero and span adjustments, you must collect emissions data by using other...

Evaluation of the XSENS Force Shoe on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, A. M.; Peters, B. T.; Newby, N.; Ploutz-Snyder, L

2014-01-01

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) offers crewmembers a wide range of resistance exercises but does not provide any type of load monitoring; any load data received are based on crew self-report of dialed in load. This lack of real-time ARED load monitoring severely limits research analysis. To address this issue, portable load monitoring technologies are being evaluated to act as a surrogate to ARED's failed instrumentation. The XSENS ForceShoe"TM" is a commercial portable load monitoring tool, and performed well in ground tests. The ForceShoe "TM" was recently deployed on the International Space Station (ISS), and is being evaluated as a tool to monitor ARED loads.

Stiffness monitoring and damage assessment of bridges under moving vehicular loads using spatially-distributed optical fiber sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bitao; Wu, Gang; Lu, Huaxi; Feng, De-chen

2017-03-01

Fiber optic sensing technology has been widely used in civil infrastructure health monitoring due to its various advantages, e.g., anti-electromagnetic interference, corrosion resistance, etc. This paper investigates a new method for stiffness monitoring and damage identification of bridges under moving vehicle loads using spatially-distributed optical fiber sensors. The relationship between the element stiffness of the bridge and the long-gauge strain history is firstly studied, and a formula which is expressed by the long-gauge strain history is derived for the calculation of the bridge stiffness. Meanwhile, the stiffness coefficient from the formula can be used to identify the damage extent of the bridge. In order to verify the proposed method, a model test of a 1:10 scale bridge-vehicle system is conducted and the long-gauge strain history is obtained through fiber Bragg grating sensors. The test results indicate that the proposed method is suitable for stiffness monitoring and damage assessment of bridges under moving vehicular loads.

From mess to mass: a methodology for calculating storm event pollutant loads with their uncertainties, from continuous raw data time series.

PubMed

Métadier, M; Bertrand-Krajewski, J-L

2011-01-01

With the increasing implementation of continuous monitoring of both discharge and water quality in sewer systems, large data bases are now available. In order to manage large amounts of data and calculate various variables and indicators of interest it is necessary to apply automated methods for data processing. This paper deals with the processing of short time step turbidity time series to estimate TSS (Total Suspended Solids) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) event loads in sewer systems during storm events and their associated uncertainties. The following steps are described: (i) sensor calibration, (ii) estimation of data uncertainties, (iii) correction of raw data, (iv) data pre-validation tests, (v) final validation, and (vi) calculation of TSS and COD event loads and estimation of their uncertainties. These steps have been implemented in an integrated software tool. Examples of results are given for a set of 33 storm events monitored in a stormwater separate sewer system.

Spinning Reserve from Responsive Load

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kueck, John D; Kirby, Brendan J; Laughner, T

2009-01-01

As power system costs rise and capacity is strained demand response can provide a significant system reliability benefit at a potentially attractive cost. The 162 room Music Road Hotel in Pigeon Forge Tennessee agreed to host a spinning reserve test. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) supplied real-time metering and monitoring expertise to record total hotel load during both normal operations and testing. Preliminary testing showed that hotel load can be curtailed by 22% to 37% depending on the outdoor temperature and the time of day. The load drop was very rapid, essentially as fast as the 2 second metering couldmore » detect.« less

Real-Time Aircraft Engine-Life Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, Richard

2014-01-01

This project developed an inservice life-monitoring system capable of predicting the remaining component and system life of aircraft engines. The embedded system provides real-time, inflight monitoring of the engine's thrust, exhaust gas temperature, efficiency, and the speed and time of operation. Based upon this data, the life-estimation algorithm calculates the remaining life of the engine components and uses this data to predict the remaining life of the engine. The calculations are based on the statistical life distribution of the engine components and their relationship to load, speed, temperature, and time.

Applications of fiber optics sensors in weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems for monitoring truck weights on pavements and structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-04-01

The main objective of this project was to investigate emerging technologies and to establish criteria for evaluating fiber optic sensors used to measure actual dynamic loads on pavements and structures. The dynamic load of particular interest for thi...

A New Approach to Detection of Systematic Errors in Secondary Substation Monitoring Equipment Based on Short Term Load Forecasting

PubMed Central

Moriano, Javier; Rodríguez, Francisco Javier; Martín, Pedro; Jiménez, Jose Antonio; Vuksanovic, Branislav

2016-01-01

In recent years, Secondary Substations (SSs) are being provided with equipment that allows their full management. This is particularly useful not only for monitoring and planning purposes but also for detecting erroneous measurements, which could negatively affect the performance of the SS. On the other hand, load forecasting is extremely important since they help electricity companies to make crucial decisions regarding purchasing and generating electric power, load switching, and infrastructure development. In this regard, Short Term Load Forecasting (STLF) allows the electric power load to be predicted over an interval ranging from one hour to one week. However, important issues concerning error detection by employing STLF has not been specifically addressed until now. This paper proposes a novel STLF-based approach to the detection of gain and offset errors introduced by the measurement equipment. The implemented system has been tested against real power load data provided by electricity suppliers. Different gain and offset error levels are successfully detected. PMID:26771613

Damage detection in bridges through fiber optic structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doornink, J. D.; Phares, B. M.; Wipf, T. J.; Wood, D. L.

2006-10-01

A fiber optic structural health monitoring (SHM) system was developed and deployed by the Iowa State University (ISU) Bridge Engineering Center (BEC) to detect gradual or sudden damage in fracture-critical bridges (FCBs). The SHM system is trained with measured performance data, which are collected by fiber optic strain sensors to identify typical bridge behavior when subjected to ambient traffic loads. Structural responses deviating from the trained behavior are considered to be signs of structural damage or degradation and are identified through analytical procedures similar to control chart analyses used in statistical process control (SPC). The demonstration FCB SHM system was installed on the US Highway 30 bridge near Ames, IA, and utilizes 40 fiber bragg grating (FBG) sensors to continuously monitor the bridge response when subjected to ambient traffic loads. After the data is collected and processed, weekly evaluation reports are developed that summarize the continuous monitoring results. Through use of the evaluation reports, the bridge owner is able to identify and estimate the location and severity of the damage. The information presented herein includes an overview of the SHM components, results from laboratory and field validation testing on the system components, and samples of the reduced and analyzed data.

SSV Launch Monitoring Strategies: HGDS Design and Development Through System Maturity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoemaker, Marc D.; Crimi, Thomas

2010-01-01

This poster presentation reviews the design and development of the Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS). It includes a overview schematic of the HGDS, pictures of the shuttle on the Mobile Launch platform, the original HGDS, the current HGDS and parts of the original and current system. There are charts showing the dynamics of the orbiter during external tank loading, and transient leaks observed on HGDS during Power Reactant Storage and Distribution (PRSD) load.

Health monitoring of prestressing tendons in post-tensioned concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamone, Salvatore; Bartoli, Ivan; Nucera, Claudio; Phillips, Robert; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco

2011-04-01

Currently 90% of bridges built in California are post-tensioned box-girder. In such structures the steel tendons are the main load-carrying components. The loss of prestress, as well as the presence of defects or the tendon breakage, can be catastrophic for the entire structure. Unfortunately, today there is no well-established method for the monitoring of prestressing (PS) tendons that can provide simultaneous information related to the presence of defects and the level of prestress in a continuous, real time manner. If such a monitoring system were available, considerable savings would be achieved in bridge maintenance since repairs would be implemented in a timely manner without traffic disruptions. This paper presents a health monitoring system for PS tendons in post-tensioned structures of interest to Caltrans. Such a system uses ultrasonic guided waves and embedded sensors to provide simultaneously and in real time, (a) measurements of the level of applied prestress, and (b) defect detection at early grow stages. The proposed PS measurement technique exploits the sensitivity of ultrasonic waves to the inter-wire contact developing in a multi-wire strand as a function of prestress level. In particular the nonlinear ultrasonic behavior of the tendon under changing levels of prestress is monitored by tracking higher-order harmonics at (nω) arising under a fundamental guided-wave excitation at (ω). Moreover this paper also present real-time damage detection and location in post-tensioned bridge joints using Acoustic Emission techniques. Experimental tests on large-scale single-tendon PT joint specimens, subjected to multiple load cycles, will be presented to validate the monitoring of PS loads (through nonlinear ultrasonic probing) and the monitoring of damage progression and location (through acoustic emission techniques). Issues and potential for the use of such techniques to monitor post-tensioned bridges in the field will be discussed.

EXPO '02, Piazza Pinocchio: monitoring visitor live loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerulli, Marco; Posenato, Daniele; Inaudi, Daniele; Glisic, Branko; Vurpillot, Samuel

2003-08-01

Once every generation, Switzerland treats itself to a National Exhibition commissioned by the Swiss Confederation. Expo 02 was spread out in five "Arteplage" over a whole region: the land of the three lakes, on the shores of the lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchatel, which are located in the northwest of Switzerland. Each "Arteplage" relates to a theme, which is reflected in its architectures and exhibitions. The "Arteplage" of Neuchatel was related to "Nature and Artificiality" A big steel-wood whale eating a village represents the fairy tale named "Pinocchio" from the Italian writer Collodi. The "Piazza Pinocchio" was built together with other exposition buildings on one large artificial peninsula. The belly of the whale holds the exposition dedicated to robotic and artificial intelligence, while the rest of the village was developed on two floors with steel piles/beams and wood walls and floors. A fiber optic sensor system was commissioned to monitor the visitor's loads over the whole "Piazza Pinocchio." The main requirements were: real-time computer-screen figure-form results of the live loads during 18 hours a day, automatic thermal-induced strain compensation, real-time warnings and pre-warnings for each single pile, automatic phone call advises when reaching warning thresholds and remote monitoring for complete management of the monitoring sytem. The SOFO system based on low coherence fiber optic deformation sensors was selected to carry out the requirements. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the project, the installation solution, the results, and data analysis of the installed monitoring system.

A calibration procedure for load cells to improve accuracy of mini-lysimeters in monitoring evapotranspiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, R. K.; Padhi, J.; Payero, J. O.

2011-08-01

SummaryWe used twelve load cells (20 kg capacity) in a mini-lysimeter system to measure evapotranspiration simultaneously from twelve plants growing in separate pots in a glasshouse. A data logger combined with a multiplexer was used to connect all load cells with the full-bridge excitation mode to acquire load-cell signal. Each load cell was calibrated using fixed load within the range of 0-0.8 times the full load capacity of load cells. Performance of all load cells was assessed on the basis of signal settling time, excitation compensation, hysteresis and temperature. Final calibration of load cells included statistical consideration of these effects to allow prediction of lysimeter weights and evapotranspiration over short-time intervals for improved accuracy and sustained performance. Analysis of the costs for the mini-lysimeter system indicates that evapotranspiration can be measured economically at a reasonable accuracy and sufficient resolution with robust method of load-cell calibration.

Validation Tests of Fiber Optic Strain-Based Operational Shape and Load Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bakalyar, John A.; Jutte, Christine

2012-01-01

Aircraft design has been progressing toward reduced structural weight to improve fuel efficiency, increase performance, and reduce cost. Lightweight aircraft structures are more flexible than conventional designs and require new design considerations. Intelligent sensing allows for enhanced control and monitoring of aircraft, which enables increased structurally efficiency. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) has developed an instrumentation system and analysis techniques that combine to make distributed structural measurements practical for lightweight vehicles. Dryden's Fiber Optic Strain Sensing (FOSS) technology enables a multitude of lightweight, distributed surface strain measurements. The analysis techniques, referred to as the Displacement Transfer Functions (DTF) and Load Transfer Functions (LTF), use surface strain values to calculate structural deflections and operational loads. The combined system is useful for real-time monitoring of aeroelastic structures, along with many other applications. This paper describes how the capabilities of the measurement system were demonstrated using subscale test articles that represent simple aircraft structures. Empirical FOSS strain data were used within the DTF to calculate the displacement of the article and within the LTF to calculate bending moments due to loads acting on the article. The results of the tests, accuracy of the measurements, and a sensitivity analysis are presented.

Sitting Posture Monitoring System Based on a Low-Cost Load Cell Using Machine Learning

PubMed Central

Roh, Jongryun; Park, Hyeong-jun; Lee, Kwang Jin; Hyeong, Joonho; Kim, Sayup

2018-01-01

Sitting posture monitoring systems (SPMSs) help assess the posture of a seated person in real-time and improve sitting posture. To date, SPMS studies reported have required many sensors mounted on the backrest plate and seat plate of a chair. The present study, therefore, developed a system that measures a total of six sitting postures including the posture that applied a load to the backrest plate, with four load cells mounted only on the seat plate. Various machine learning algorithms were applied to the body weight ratio measured by the developed SPMS to identify the method that most accurately classified the actual sitting posture of the seated person. After classifying the sitting postures using several classifiers, average and maximum classification rates of 97.20% and 97.94%, respectively, were obtained from nine subjects with a support vector machine using the radial basis function kernel; the results obtained by this classifier showed a statistically significant difference from the results of multiple classifications using other classifiers. The proposed SPMS was able to classify six sitting postures including the posture with loading on the backrest and showed the possibility of classifying the sitting posture even though the number of sensors is reduced. PMID:29329261

Fiber optics in composite materials: materials with nerves of glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Measures, Raymond M.

1990-08-01

A Fiber Optic BasedSmart Structure wiipossess a structurally integrated optical microsensor system for determining its state. This built-in sensor system should, in real-time, be able to: evaluate the strain or deformation of a structure, monitor if its vibrating or subject to excessive loads, check its temperature and warn of the appearance of any hot spots. In addition a Smart Structure should maintain a vigilant survelliance over its structural integrity. The successful development of Smart StructureTechnolgy could lead to: aircraft that are safer, lighter, more efficient, easier to maintain and to service; pipelines, pressure vessels and storage tanks that constantly monitor their structuralintegrity and immediately issue an alert ifany problem is detected; space platforms that check forpressure leaks, unwanted vibration, excess thermal buildup, and deviation from some preassigned shape.This technology is particularly appropriate for composite materials where internal damage generated by: impacts, manufacturing flaws, excessive loading or fatigue could be detected and assessed. In service monitoring of structural loads, especially in regions like wing roots of aircraft, could be ofconsiderable benefit in helping to avoid structural overdesign and reduce weight. Structurally imbedded optical fibers sensors might also serve to monitor the cure state of composite thermosets during their fabrication and thereby contribute to improved quality control of these products.

Effectiveness of a pressurized stormwater filtration system in Green Bay, Wisconsin: a study for the environmental technology verification program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horwatich, J.A.; Corsi, Steven R.; Bannerman, Roger T.

2004-01-01

A pressurized stormwater filtration system was installed in 1998 as a stormwater-treatment practice to treat runoff from a hospital rooftop and parking lot in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This type of filtration system has been installed in Florida citrus groves and sewage treatment plants around the United States; however, this installation is the first of its kind to be used to treat urban runoff and the first to be tested in Wisconsin. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitored the system between November 2000 and September 2002 to evaluate it as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Technology Verification Program. Fifteen runoff events were monitored for flow and water quality at the inlet and outlet of the system, and comparison of the event mean concentrations and constituent loads was used to evaluate its effectiveness. Loads were decreased in all particulate-associated constituents monitored, including suspended solids (83 percent), suspended sediment (81 percent), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (26 percent), total phosphorus (54 percent), and total recoverable zinc (62 percent). Total dissolved solids, dissolved phosphorus, and nitrate plus nitrite loads remained similar or increased through the system. The increase in some constituents was most likely due to a ground-water contribution between runoff events. Sand/silt split analysis resulted in the median silt content of 78 percent at the inlet, 87 percent at the outlet, and 3 percent at the flow splitter.

Feasibility Study of the Electromagnetic Damper for Cable Structures Using Real-Time Hybrid Simulation

PubMed Central

Jung, Ho-Yeon; Kim, In-Ho; Jung, Hyung-Jo

2017-01-01

Cable structure is a major component of long-span bridges, such as cable-stayed and suspension bridges, and it transfers the main loads of bridges to the pylons. As these cable structures are exposed to continuous external loads, such as vehicle and wind loads, vibration control and continuous monitoring of the cable are required. In this study, an electromagnetic (EM) damper was designed and fabricated for vibration control and monitoring of the cable structure. EM dampers, also called regenerative dampers, consist of permanent magnets and coils. The electromagnetic force due to the relative motion between the coil and the permanent magnet can be used to control the vibration of the structure. The electrical energy can be used as a power source for the monitoring system. The effects of the design parameters of the damper were numerically analyzed and the damper was fabricated. The characteristics of the damper were analyzed with various external load changes. Finally, the vibration-control and energy-harvesting performances of the cable structure were evaluated through a hybrid simulation. The vibration-control and energy-harvesting performances for various loads were analyzed and the applicability to the cable structure of the EM damper was evaluated. PMID:29088077

Feasibility Study of the Electromagnetic Damper for Cable Structures Using Real-Time Hybrid Simulation.

PubMed

Jung, Ho-Yeon; Kim, In-Ho; Jung, Hyung-Jo

2017-10-31

Cable structure is a major component of long-span bridges, such as cable-stayed and suspension bridges, and it transfers the main loads of bridges to the pylons. As these cable structures are exposed to continuous external loads, such as vehicle and wind loads, vibration control and continuous monitoring of the cable are required. In this study, an electromagnetic (EM) damper was designed and fabricated for vibration control and monitoring of the cable structure. EM dampers, also called regenerative dampers, consist of permanent magnets and coils. The electromagnetic force due to the relative motion between the coil and the permanent magnet can be used to control the vibration of the structure. The electrical energy can be used as a power source for the monitoring system. The effects of the design parameters of the damper were numerically analyzed and the damper was fabricated. The characteristics of the damper were analyzed with various external load changes. Finally, the vibration-control and energy-harvesting performances of the cable structure were evaluated through a hybrid simulation. The vibration-control and energy-harvesting performances for various loads were analyzed and the applicability to the cable structure of the EM damper was evaluated.

On-line IR analyzer system to monitor cephamycin C loading on ion-exchange resin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shank, Sheldon; Russ, Warren; Gravatt, Douglas; Lee, Wesley; Donahue, Steven M.

1992-08-01

An on-line infrared analyzer is being developed for monitoring cephamycin C loading on ion exchange resin. Accurate measurement of product loading offers productivity improvements with direct savings from product loss avoidance, minimized raw material cost, and reduced off-line laboratory testing. Ultrafiltered fermentation broth is fed onto ion exchange columns under conditions which adsorb the product, cephamycin C, to the resin while allowing impurities to pass unretained. Product loading is stopped when the on-line analyzer determines that resin capacity for adsorbing product is nearly exhausted. Infrared spectroscopy has been shown capable of quantifying cephamycin C in the process matrix at concentrations that support process control decisions. Process-to-analyzer interface challenges have been resolved, including sample conditioning requirements. Analyzer requirements have been defined. The sample conditioning station is under design.

40 CFR 63.9631 - What are my monitoring requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maintain a bag leak detection system to monitor the relative change in particulate matter loadings... of ensuring the proper functioning of removal mechanisms. (3) Check the compressed air supply of... interior for air leaks. (8) Inspect fans for wear, material buildup, and corrosion through quarterly visual...

Live load monitoring for the I-10 twin span bridge : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

To establish a site-specific database for bridge evaluation and future bridge design, : DOTD established a long-term health monitoring system at the I-10 Twin Span Bridge. : The bridge is instrumented from deck to piles to capture bridge response (bo...

Developing strategies to enhance loading efficiency of erythrosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustamante Lopez, Sandra C.; Ritter, Sarah C.; Meissner, Kenith E.

2014-02-01

For diabetics, continuous glucose monitoring and the resulting tighter control of glucose levels ameliorate serious complications from hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Diabetics measure their blood glucose levels multiple times a day by finger pricks, or use implantable monitoring devices. Still, glucose and other analytes in the blood fluctuate throughout the day and the current monitoring methods are invasive, immunogenic, and/or present biodegradation problems. Using carrier erythrocytes loaded with a fluorescent sensor, we seek to develop a biodegradable, efficient, and potentially cost effective method to continuously sense blood analytes. We aim to reintroduce sensor-loaded erythrocytes to the bloodstream and conserve the erythrocytes lifetime of 120 days in the circulatory system. Here, we compare the efficiency of two loading techniques: hypotonic dilution and electroporation. Hypotonic dilution employs hypotonic buffer to create transient pores in the erythrocyte membrane, allowing dye entrance and a hypertonic buffer to restore tonicity. Electroporation relies on controlled electrical pulses that results in reversible pores formation to allow cargo entrance, follow by incubation at 37°C to reseal. As part of the cellular characterization of loaded erythrocytes, we focus on cell size, shape, and hemoglobin content. Cell recovery, loading efficiency and cargo release measurements render optimal loading conditions. The detected fluorescent signal from sensor-loaded erythrocytes can be translated into a direct measurement of analyte levels in the blood stream. The development of a suitable protocol to engineer carrier erythrocytes has profound and lasting implications in the erythrosensor's lifespan and sensing capabilities.

System and method to determine electric motor efficiency using an equivalent circuit

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin; Habetler, Thomas G.

2015-10-27

A system and method for determining electric motor efficiency includes a monitoring system having a processor programmed to determine efficiency of an electric motor under load while the electric motor is online. The determination of motor efficiency is independent of a rotor speed measurement. Further, the efficiency is based on a determination of stator winding resistance, an input voltage, and an input current. The determination of the stator winding resistance occurs while the electric motor under load is online.

System and method to determine electric motor efficiency using an equivalent circuit

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA

2011-06-07

A system and method for determining electric motor efficiency includes a monitoring system having a processor programmed to determine efficiency of an electric motor under load while the electric motor is online. The determination of motor efficiency is independent of a rotor speed measurement. Further, the efficiency is based on a determination of stator winding resistance, an input voltage, and an input current. The determination of the stator winding resistance occurs while the electric motor under load is online.

[Progressive damage monitoring of corrugated composite skins by the FBG spectral characteristics].

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Wang, Bang-Feng; Lu, Ji-Yun; Gu, Li-Li; Su, Yong-Gang

2014-03-01

In the present paper, a method of monitoring progressive damage of composite structures by non-uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) reflection spectrum is proposed. Due to the finite element analysis of corrugated composite skins specimens, the failure process under tensile load and corresponding critical failure loads of corrugated composite skin was predicated. Then, the non-uniform reflection spectrum of FBG sensor could be reconstructed and the corresponding relationship between layer failure order sequence of corrugated composite skin and FBG sensor reflection spectrums was acquired. A monitoring system based on FBG non-uniform reflection spectrum, which can be used to monitor progressive damage of corrugated composite skins, was built. The corrugated composite skins were stretched under this FBG non-uniform reflection spectrum monitoring system. The results indicate that real-time spectrums acquired by FBG non-uniform reflection spectrum monitoring system show the same trend with the reconstruction reflection spectrums. The maximum error between the corresponding failure and the predictive value is 8.6%, which proves the feasibility of using FBG sensor to monitor progressive damage of corrugated composite skin. In this method, the real-time changes in the FBG non-uniform reflection spectrum within the scope of failure were acquired through the way of monitoring and predicating, and at the same time, the progressive damage extent and layer failure sequence of corru- gated composite skin was estimated, and without destroying the structure of the specimen, the method is easy and simple to operate. The measurement and transmission section of the system are completely composed of optical fiber, which provides new ideas and experimental reference for the field of dynamic monitoring of smart skin.

Identifying atmospheric monitoring needs for Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casserly, Dennis M.

1989-01-01

The atmospheric monitoring needs for Space Station Freedom were identified by examining the following from an industrial hygiene perspective: the experiences of past missions; ground based tests of proposed life support systems; the unique experimental and manufacturing facilities; the contaminant load model; metabolic production; and a fire. A target list of compounds to be monitored is presented and information is provided relative to the frequency of analysis, concentration ranges, and locations for monitoring probes.

The Reusable Load Cell with Protection Applied for Online Monitoring of Overhead Transmission Lines Based on Fiber Bragg Grating

PubMed Central

Ma, Guoming; Mao, Naiqiang; Li, Yabo; Jiang, Jun; Zhou, Hongyang; Li, Chengrong

2016-01-01

Heavy ice coating of high–voltage overhead transmission lines may lead to conductor breakage and tower collapse causing the unexpected interrupt of power supply. The optical load cell applied in ice monitoring systems is immune to electromagnetic interference and has no need of a power supply on site. Therefore, it has become a hot research topic in China and other countries. In this paper, to solve the problem of eccentric load in measurement, we adopt the shearing structure with additional grooves to improve the strain distribution and acquire good repeatability. Then, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a permanent weldable package are mounted onto the front/rear groove of the elastic element by spot welding, the direction deviation of FBGs is 90° from each other to achieve temperature compensation without an extra FBG. After that, protection parts are designed to guarantee high sensitivity for a light load condition and industrial safety under a heavy load up to 65 kN. The results of tension experiments indicate that the sensitivity and resolution of the load cell is 0.1285 pm/N and 7.782 N in the conventional measuring range (0–10 kN). Heavy load tension experiments prove that the protection structure works and the sensitivity and resolution are not changed after several high load (65 kN) cycles. In addition, the experiment shows that the resolution of the sensor is 87.79 N in the large load range, allowing the parameter to be used in heavy icing monitoring. PMID:27338403

40 CFR 63.7330 - What are my monitoring requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... relative change in particulate matter loadings using a bag leak detection system according to the... integrity of the baghouse through quarterly visual inspections of the baghouse interior for air leaks; and... must at all times monitor the pressure drop and water flow rate using a CPMS according to the...

Instrument-mounted displays for reducing cognitive load during surgical navigation.

PubMed

Herrlich, Marc; Tavakol, Parnian; Black, David; Wenig, Dirk; Rieder, Christian; Malaka, Rainer; Kikinis, Ron

2017-09-01

Surgical navigation systems rely on a monitor placed in the operating room to relay information. Optimal monitor placement can be challenging in crowded rooms, and it is often not possible to place the monitor directly beside the situs. The operator must split attention between the navigation system and the situs. We present an approach for needle-based interventions to provide navigational feedback directly on the instrument and close to the situs by mounting a small display onto the needle. By mounting a small and lightweight smartwatch display directly onto the instrument, we are able to provide navigational guidance close to the situs and directly in the operator's field of view, thereby reducing the need to switch the focus of view between the situs and the navigation system. We devise a specific variant of the established crosshair metaphor suitable for the very limited screen space. We conduct an empirical user study comparing our approach to using a monitor and a combination of both. Results from the empirical user study show significant benefits for cognitive load, user preference, and general usability for the instrument-mounted display, while achieving the same level of performance in terms of time and accuracy compared to using a monitor. We successfully demonstrate the feasibility of our approach and potential benefits. With ongoing technological advancements, instrument-mounted displays might complement standard monitor setups for surgical navigation in order to lower cognitive demands and for improved usability of such systems.

Airworthiness Qualification Criteria for Rotorcraft with External Sling Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Key, David L.

2002-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to develop airworthiness requirements for rotorcraft with external sling loads. The report starts with a review of the various phenomena that limit external sling load operations. Specifically discussed are the rotorcraft-load aeroservoelastic stability, load-on handling qualities, effects of automatic flight control system failure, load suspension system failure, and load stability at speed. Based on past experience and treatment of these phenomena, criteria are proposed to form a package for airworthiness qualification. The desired end objective is a set of operational flight envelopes for the rotorcraft with intended loads that can be provided to the user to guide operations in the field. The specific criteria proposed are parts of ADS-33E-PRF; MIL-F-9490D, and MIL-STD-913A all applied in the context of external sling loads. The study was performed for the Directorate of Engineering, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), as part of the contract monitored by the Aerothermodynamics Directorate, U.S. Army AMCOM.

Application of Multiplexed FBG and PZT Impedance Sensors for Health Monitoring of Rocks.

PubMed

Yang, Yaowen; Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav; Wang, Chao; Zhou, Yingxin

2008-01-21

Reliable structural health monitoring (SHM) including nondestructiveevaluation (NDE) is essential for safe operation of infrastructure systems. Effectivemonitoring of the rock components of civil infrastructures such as tunnels and cavernsremains challenging. The feasibility of employing smart optical fibre sensor (OFS) andpiezoelectric impedance sensor made up of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) forcomprehensive health monitoring of rocks, covering load history monitoring/retrieval aswell as damage assessment is presented in this paper. The rock specimens are subjected tocyclic loading and their conditions are continuously monitored using OFS and PZTsensors. OFS based multiplexed fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are surface bonded onthe rock specimens. Their strain sensing performance is compared with the conventionalelectric strain gauges (ESGs). In addition, PZT patches are also bonded on the specimensto study the damage pattern during different loading cycles. Unlike the FBGs or ESGs,PZT patches are used as bi-functional sensors and actuators, enabling them to be efficientdetectors of incipient damages using the principle of electromechanical impedance. Theexperimental study demonstrated superior performance of these smart FBG and PZTimpedance sensors. This work is expected to be useful for SHM based NDE application ofrock structures such as caverns and tunnels.

Application of Multiplexed FBG and PZT Impedance Sensors for Health Monitoring of Rocks

PubMed Central

Yang, Yaowen; Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav; Wang, Chao; Zhou, Yingxin

2008-01-01

Reliable structural health monitoring (SHM) including nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential for safe operation of infrastructure systems. Effective monitoring of the rock components of civil infrastructures such as tunnels and caverns remains challenging. The feasibility of employing smart optical fibre sensor (OFS) and piezoelectric impedance sensor made up of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) for comprehensive health monitoring of rocks, covering load history monitoring/retrieval as well as damage assessment is presented in this paper. The rock specimens are subjected to cyclic loading and their conditions are continuously monitored using OFS and PZT sensors. OFS based multiplexed fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are surface bonded on the rock specimens. Their strain sensing performance is compared with the conventional electric strain gauges (ESGs). In addition, PZT patches are also bonded on the specimens to study the damage pattern during different loading cycles. Unlike the FBGs or ESGs, PZT patches are used as bi-functional sensors and actuators, enabling them to be efficient detectors of incipient damages using the principle of electromechanical impedance. The experimental study demonstrated superior performance of these smart FBG and PZT impedance sensors. This work is expected to be useful for SHM based NDE application of rock structures such as caverns and tunnels. PMID:27879708

Monitoring Walker Assistive Devices: A Novel Approach Based on Load Cells and Optical Distance Measurements †

PubMed Central

Viegas, Vítor; Dias Pereira, J. M.; Postolache, Octavian; Girão, Pedro Silva

2018-01-01

This paper presents a measurement system intended to monitor the usage of walker assistive devices. The goal is to guide the user in the correct use of the device in order to prevent risky situations and maximize comfort. Two risk indicators are defined: one related to force unbalance and the other related to motor incoordination. Force unbalance is measured by load cells attached to the walker legs, while motor incoordination is estimated by synchronizing force measurements with distance data provided by an optical sensor. The measurement system is equipped with a Bluetooth link that enables local supervision on a computer or tablet. Calibration and experimental results are included in the paper. PMID:29439428

40 CFR 63.1651 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. Capture system means the equipment (including hoods... due to wind or mechanical inducement such as vehicle traffic. Fugitive dust sources include plant...

40 CFR 63.1651 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. Capture system means the equipment (including hoods... due to wind or mechanical inducement such as vehicle traffic. Fugitive dust sources include plant...

40 CFR 63.1651 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... continuously monitor relative particulate matter loadings. Capture system means the equipment (including hoods... due to wind or mechanical inducement such as vehicle traffic. Fugitive dust sources include plant...

Reversible fastener clamp load monitor with continuous visual or remote readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodge, Malcolm H.; Kausel, Theodore C., Jr.; Begley, Matthew R.

1998-03-01

SIMS has developed a simple means for detecting and monitoring both absolute and relative clamp load, or bolt tension, in fastener systems. More than twenty-five percent of automotive failures are known to be due to undetected loss of fastener clamp load. While the equivalent aerospace maintenance statistics are not known, the average automobile has 3,500 fasteners while a Boeing 747 has closer to one million. It is therefore anticipated that the new SensaBolt clamp load tracking system could find wide applications in the aerospace arena. We describe a visually-evident and retrofitted clamp load monitoring design which is based on the differential joint substrate compression at, and immediately adjacent to, the fastener location. This intrinsically-accurate indicator does not necessarily require alteration in either the bolt or nut geometries, thereby facilitating product introduction and retrofit in aging aircraft applications. In addition, SensaBolt's sole reliance on substrate compression renders it more accurate then torque wrench or turn-of-nut techniques. Readout may be accomplished by any of three principal methods: for those applications with ease of access to the sensor, loss of tension can be determined by direct visual inspection. Application of a standard wrench can then be made to restore the fastener's proper tightness, per the SensaBolt indicators. In those instances where line-of-sight is unimpeded and more formal inspection is desired, the SensaBolt may be interrogated by a laser scanner bar code reader. Finally, SensaBolt may be addressed by the SIMS fiber optic harness for those instances where full-time remote interrogation is desired.

The Research Doesn't Always Apply: Practical Solutions to Evidence-Based Training-Load Monitoring in Elite Team Sports.

PubMed

Burgess, Darren J

2017-04-01

Research describing load-monitoring techniques for team sport is plentiful. Much of this research is conducted retrospectively and typically involves recreational or semielite teams. Load-monitoring research conducted on professional team sports is largely observational. Challenges exist for the practitioner in implementing peer-reviewed research into the applied setting. These challenges include match scheduling, player adherence, manager/coach buy-in, sport traditions, and staff availability. External-load monitoring often attracts questions surrounding technology reliability and validity, while internal-load monitoring makes some assumptions about player adherence, as well as having some uncertainty around the impact these measures have on player performance This commentary outlines examples of load-monitoring research, discusses the issues associated with the application of this research in an elite team-sport setting, and suggests practical adjustments to the existing research where necessary.

Performance of a completely automated system for monitoring CMV DNA in plasma.

PubMed

Mengelle, C; Sandres-Sauné, K; Mansuy, J-M; Haslé, C; Boineau, J; Izopet, J

2016-06-01

Completely automated systems for monitoring CMV-DNA in plasma samples are now available. Evaluate analytical and clinical performances of the VERIS™/MDx System CMV Assay(®). Analytical performance was assessed using quantified quality controls. Clinical performance was assessed by comparison with the COBAS(®) Ampliprep™/COBAS(®) Taqman CMV test using 169 plasma samples that had tested positive with the in-house technique in whole blood. The specificity of the VERIS™/MDx System CMV Assay(®) was 99% [CI 95%: 97.7-100]. Intra-assay reproducibilities were 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.04 log10IU/ml (means 2.78, 3.70, 4.64 and 5.60 log10IU/ml) for expected values of 2.70, 3.70, 4.70 and 5.70 log10IU/ml. The inter-assay reproducibilities were 0.12 and 0.08 (means 6.30 and 2.85 log10IU/ml) for expected values of 6.28 and 2.80 log10IU/ml. The lower limit of detection was 14.6IU/ml, and the assay was linear from 2.34 to 5.58 log10IU/ml. The results for the positive samples were concordant (r=0.71, p<0.0001; slope of Deming regression 0.79 [CI 95%: 0.56-1.57] and y-intercept 0.79 [CI 95%: 0.63-0.95]). The VERIS™/MDx System CMV Assay(®) detected 18 more positive samples than did the COBAS(®) Ampliprep™/COBAS(®) Taqman CMV test and the mean virus load were higher (0.41 log10IU/ml). Patient monitoring on 68 samples collected from 17 immunosuppressed patients showed similar trends between the two assays. As secondary question, virus loads detected by the VERIS™/MDx System CMV Assay(®) were compared to those of the in-house procedure on whole blood. The results were similar between the two assays (-0.09 log10IU/ml) as were the patient monitoring trends. The performances of the VERIS™/MDx System CMV Assay(®) facilitated its routine use in monitoring CMV-DNA loads in plasma samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

System for controlling a hybrid energy system

DOEpatents

Hoff, Brian D.; Akasam, Sivaprasad

2013-01-29

A method includes identifying a first operating sequence of a repeated operation of at least one non-traction load. The method also includes determining first and second parameters respectively indicative of a requested energy and output energy of the at least one non-traction load and comparing the determined first and second parameters at a plurality of time increments of the first operating sequence. The method also includes determining a third parameter of the hybrid energy system indicative of energy regenerated from the at least one non-traction load and monitoring the third parameter at the plurality of time increments of the first operating sequence. The method also includes determining at least one of an energy deficiency or an energy surplus associated with the non-traction load of the hybrid energy system and selectively adjusting energy stored within the storage device during at least a portion of a second operating sequence.

Energy Power Research Institute Shows Benefits of Grid-Connected Devices at

Science.gov Websites

product availability. With real-time status monitoring of the connected devices, a utility system could be devices, this approach can provide grid operators or other load management systems with real-time measure

In-process, non-destructive multimodal dynamic testing of high-speed composite rotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuschmierz, Robert; Filippatos, Angelos; Langkamp, Albert; Hufenbach, Werner; Czarske, Jürgern W.; Fischer, Andreas

2014-03-01

Fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) rotors are lightweight and offer great perspectives in high-speed applications such as turbo machinery. Currently, novel rotor structures and materials are investigated for the purpose of increasing machine efficiency, lifetime and loading limits. Due to complex rotor structures, high anisotropy and non-linear behavior of FRP under dynamic loads, an in-process measurement system is necessary to monitor and to investigate the evolution of damages under real operation conditions. A non-invasive, optical laser Doppler distance sensor measurement system is applied to determine the biaxial deformation of a bladed FRP rotor with micron uncertainty as well as the tangential blade vibrations at surface speeds above 300 m/s. The laser Doppler distance sensor is applicable under vacuum conditions. Measurements at varying loading conditions are used to determine elastic and plastic deformations. Furthermore they allow to determine hysteresis, fatigue, Eigenfrequency shifts and loading limits. The deformation measurements show a highly anisotropic and nonlinear behavior and offer a deeper understanding of the damage evolution in FRP rotors. The experimental results are used to validate and to calibrate a simulation model of the deformation. The simulation combines finite element analysis and a damage mechanics model. The combination of simulation and measurement system enables the monitoring and prediction of damage evolutions of FRP rotors in process.

Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Multi-Service Operational Test and Evaluation-2 Report (with Classified Annex)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

an effective system monitoring and display capability. The SOM, C-SSE, and resource managers access MUOS via a web portal called the MUOS Planning...and Provisioning Application (PlanProvApp). This web portal is their window into MUOS and is designed to provide them with a shared understanding of...including page loading errors, partially loaded web pages, incomplete reports, and inaccurate reports. For example, MUOS reported that there were

Development of an Open Building Automation System Specification Based on ANSI/ASHRAE 135-2004 (BACnet(R) Communications Protocol: A Technical Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

on/off control), trending and trend reports, load shedding/load manage- ment, remote setpoint adjustment, initial diagnosis of a service call and...building-specific operational data such as on/off scheduling com- mands, setpoints , and outside air temperature. With help from several other agencies and...interface for monitoring 3. Provide one interface for device/system management/configuration 4. ( Optimally ) provide one interface for device

Development of an Open Building Automation System Specification Based on ANSI/ASHRAE 135-2004 (BACnet(Registered) Communications Protocol): A Technical Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

on/off control), trending and trend reports, load shedding/load manage- ment, remote setpoint adjustment, initial diagnosis of a service call and...building-specific operational data such as on/off scheduling com- mands, setpoints , and outside air temperature. With help from several other agencies and...interface for monitoring 3. Provide one interface for device/system management/configuration 4. ( Optimally ) provide one interface for device

A wireless smart sensor network for automated monitoring of cable tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sim, Sung-Han; Li, Jian; Jo, Hongki; Park, Jong-Woong; Cho, Soojin; Spencer, Billie F., Jr.; Jung, Hyung-Jo

2014-02-01

As cables are primary load carrying members in cable-stayed bridges, monitoring the tension forces of the cables provides valuable information regarding structural soundness. Incorporating wireless smart sensors with vibration-based tension estimation methods provides an efficient means of autonomous long-term monitoring of cable tensions. This study develops a wireless cable tension monitoring system using MEMSIC’s Imote2 smart sensors. The monitoring system features autonomous operation, sustainable energy harvesting and power consumption, and remote access using the internet. To obtain the tension force, an in-network data processing strategy associated with the vibration-based tension estimation method is implemented on the Imote2-based sensor network, significantly reducing the wireless data transmission and the power consumption. The proposed monitoring system has been deployed and validated on the Jindo Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge located in South Korea.

Tapered Roller Bearing Damage Detection Using Decision Fusion Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Kreider, Gary; Fichter, Thomas

2006-01-01

A diagnostic tool was developed for detecting fatigue damage of tapered roller bearings. Tapered roller bearings are used in helicopter transmissions and have potential for use in high bypass advanced gas turbine aircraft engines. A diagnostic tool was developed and evaluated experimentally by collecting oil debris data from failure progression tests conducted using health monitoring hardware. Failure progression tests were performed with tapered roller bearings under simulated engine load conditions. Tests were performed on one healthy bearing and three pre-damaged bearings. During each test, data from an on-line, in-line, inductance type oil debris sensor and three accelerometers were monitored and recorded for the occurrence of bearing failure. The bearing was removed and inspected periodically for damage progression throughout testing. Using data fusion techniques, two different monitoring technologies, oil debris analysis and vibration, were integrated into a health monitoring system for detecting bearing surface fatigue pitting damage. The data fusion diagnostic tool was evaluated during bearing failure progression tests under simulated engine load conditions. This integrated system showed improved detection of fatigue damage and health assessment of the tapered roller bearings as compared to using individual health monitoring technologies.

Ultrasound monitoring of inter-knee distances during gait.

PubMed

Lai, Daniel T H; Wrigley, Tim V; Palaniswami, M

2009-01-01

Knee osteoarthritis is an extremely common, debilitating disease associated with pain and loss of function. There is considerable interest in monitoring lower limb alignment due to its close association with joint overload leading to disease progression. The effects of gait modifications that can lower joint loading are of particular interest. Here we describe an ultrasound-based system for monitoring an important aspect of dynamic lower limb alignment, the inter-knee distance during walking. Monitoring this gait parameter should facilitate studies in reducing knee loading, a primary risk factor of knee osteoarthritis progression. The portable device is composed of an ultrasound sensor connected to an Intel iMote2 equipped with Bluetooth wireless capability. Static tests and calibration results show that the sensor possesses an effective beam envelope of 120 degrees, with maximum distance errors of 10% at the envelope edges. Dynamic walking trials reveal close correlation of inter-knee distance trends between that measured by an optical system (Optotrak Certus NDI) and the sensor device. The maximum average root mean square error was found to be 1.46 cm. Future work will focus on improving the accuracy of the device.

Monitoring of diesel engine combustions based on the acoustic source characterisation of the exhaust system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, J.; Gu, F.; Gennish, R.; Moore, D. J.; Harris, G.; Ball, A. D.

2008-08-01

Acoustic methods are among the most useful techniques for monitoring the condition of machines. However, the influence of background noise is a major issue in implementing this method. This paper introduces an effective monitoring approach to diesel engine combustion based on acoustic one-port source theory and exhaust acoustic measurements. It has been found that the strength, in terms of pressure, of the engine acoustic source is able to provide a more accurate representation of the engine combustion because it is obtained by minimising the reflection effects in the exhaust system. A multi-load acoustic method was then developed to determine the pressure signal when a four-cylinder diesel engine was tested with faults in the fuel injector and exhaust valve. From the experimental results, it is shown that a two-load acoustic method is sufficient to permit the detection and diagnosis of abnormalities in the pressure signal, caused by the faults. This then provides a novel and yet reliable method to achieve condition monitoring of diesel engines even if they operate in high noise environments such as standby power stations and vessel chambers.

The Implementation Internet of Things(IoT) Technology in Real Time Monitoring of Electrical Quantities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Despa, D.; Nama, G. F.; Muhammad, M. A.; Anwar, K.

2018-04-01

Electrical quantities such as Voltage, Current, Power, Power Factor, Energy, and Frequency in electrical power system tends to fluctuate, as a result of load changes, disturbances, or other abnormal states. The change-state in electrical quantities should be identify immediately, otherwise it can lead to serious problem for whole system. Therefore a necessity is required to determine the condition of electricity change-state quickly and appropriately in order to make effective decisions. Online monitoring of power distribution system based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology was deploy and implemented on Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Lampung (Unila), especially at three-phase main distribution panel H-building. The measurement system involve multiple sensors such current sensors and voltage sensors, while data processing conducted by Arduino, the measurement data stored in to the database server and shown in a real-time through a web-based application. This measurement system has several important features especially for realtime monitoring, robust data acquisition and logging, system reporting, so it will produce an important information that can be used for various purposes of future power analysis such estimation and planning. The result of this research shown that the condition of electrical power system at H-building performed unbalanced load, which often leads to drop-voltage condition

Development of a time-stepping sediment budget model for assessing land use impacts in large river basins.

PubMed

Wilkinson, S N; Dougall, C; Kinsey-Henderson, A E; Searle, R D; Ellis, R J; Bartley, R

2014-01-15

The use of river basin modelling to guide mitigation of non-point source pollution of wetlands, estuaries and coastal waters has become widespread. To assess and simulate the impacts of alternate land use or climate scenarios on river washload requires modelling techniques that represent sediment sources and transport at the time scales of system response. Building on the mean-annual SedNet model, we propose a new D-SedNet model which constructs daily budgets of fine sediment sources, transport and deposition for each link in a river network. Erosion rates (hillslope, gully and streambank erosion) and fine sediment sinks (floodplains and reservoirs) are disaggregated from mean annual rates based on daily rainfall and runoff. The model is evaluated in the Burdekin basin in tropical Australia, where policy targets have been set for reducing sediment and nutrient loads to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon from grazing and cropping land. D-SedNet predicted annual loads with similar performance to that of a sediment rating curve calibrated to monitored suspended sediment concentrations. Relative to a 22-year reference load time series at the basin outlet derived from a dynamic general additive model based on monitoring data, D-SedNet had a median absolute error of 68% compared with 112% for the rating curve. RMS error was slightly higher for D-SedNet than for the rating curve due to large relative errors on small loads in several drought years. This accuracy is similar to existing agricultural system models used in arable or humid environments. Predicted river loads were sensitive to ground vegetation cover. We conclude that the river network sediment budget model provides some capacity for predicting load time-series independent of monitoring data in ungauged basins, and for evaluating the impact of land management on river sediment load time-series, which is challenging across large regions in data-poor environments. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Architecture for Real-Time Interpretation and Visualization of Structural Sensor Data in a Laboratory Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doggett, William; Vazquez, Sixto

2000-01-01

A visualization system is being developed out of the need to monitor, interpret, and make decisions based on the information from several thousand sensors during experimental testing to facilitate development and validation of structural health monitoring algorithms. As an added benefit the system will enable complete real-time sensor assessment of complex test specimens. Complex structural specimens are routinely tested that have hundreds or thousands of sensors. During a test, it is impossible for a single researcher to effectively monitor all the sensors and subsequently interesting phenomena occur that are not recognized until post-test analysis. The ability to detect and alert the researcher to these unexpected phenomena as the test progresses will significantly enhance the understanding and utilization of complex test articles. Utilization is increased by the ability to halt a test when the health monitoring algorithm response is not satisfactory or when an unexpected phenomenon occurs, enabling focused investigation potentially through the installation of additional sensors. Often if the test continues, structural changes make it impossible to reproduce the conditions that exhibited the phenomena. The prohibitive time and costs associated with fabrication, sensoring, and subsequent testing of additional test articles generally makes it impossible to further investigate the phenomena. A scalable architecture is described to address the complex computational demands of structural health monitoring algorithm development and laboratory experimental test monitoring. The researcher monitors the test using a photographic quality 3D graphical model with actual sensor locations identified. In addition, researchers can quickly activate plots displaying time or load versus selected sensor response along with the expected values and predefined limits. The architecture has several key features. First, distributed dissimilar computers may be seamlessly integrated into the information flow. Second, virtual sensors may be defined that are complex functions of existing sensors or other virtual sensors. Virtual sensors represent a calculated value not directly measured by particular physical instrument. They can be used, for example, to represent the maximum difference in a range of sensors or the calculated buckling load based on the current strains. Third, the architecture enables autonomous response to preconceived events, where by the system can be configured to suspend or abort a test if a failure is detected in the load introduction system. Fourth, the architecture is designed to allow cooperative monitoring and control of the test progression from multiple stations both remote and local to the test system. To illustrate the architecture, a preliminary implementation is described monitoring the Stitched Composite Wing recently tested at LaRC.

Fiber-optically sensorized composite wing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Joannes M.; Black, Richard J.; Moslehi, Behzad; Oblea, Levy; Patel, Rona; Sotoudeh, Vahid; Abouzeida, Essam; Quinones, Vladimir; Gowayed, Yasser; Soobramaney, Paul; Flowers, George

2014-04-01

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) immune and light-weight, fiber-optic sensor based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) will find increasing application in aerospace structures ranging from aircraft wings to jet engine vanes. Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) has been developing multi-functional fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor systems including parallel processing FBG interrogators combined with advanced signal processing for SHM, structural state sensing and load monitoring applications. This paper reports work with Auburn University on embedding and testing FBG sensor arrays in a quarter scale model of a T38 composite wing. The wing was designed and manufactured using fabric reinforced polymer matrix composites. FBG sensors were embedded under the top layer of the composite. Their positions were chosen based on strain maps determined by finite element analysis. Static and dynamic testing confirmed expected response from the FBGs. The demonstrated technology has the potential to be further developed into an autonomous onboard system to perform load monitoring, SHM and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of composite aerospace structures (wings and rotorcraft blades). This platform technology could also be applied to flight testing of morphing and aero-elastic control surfaces.

Humanoid Flight Metabolic Simulator Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Stuart

2015-01-01

NASA's Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) has identified several areas of technology that will require significant improvements in terms of performance, capacity, and efficiency, in order to make a manned mission to Mars possible. These include crew vehicle Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), EVA suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) and Information Systems, autonomous environmental monitoring, radiation exposure monitoring and protection, and vehicle thermal control systems (TCS). (MADMACS) in a Suit can be configured to simulate human metabolism, consuming crew resources (oxygen) in the process. In addition to providing support for testing Life Support on unmanned flights, MADMACS will also support testing of suit thermal controls, and monitor radiation exposure, body zone temperatures, moisture, and loads.

DACS II - A distributed thermal/mechanical loads data acquisition and control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zamanzadeh, Behzad; Trover, William F.; Anderson, Karl F.

1987-01-01

A distributed data acquisition and control system has been developed for the NASA Flight Loads Research Facility. The DACS II system is composed of seven computer systems and four array processors configured as a main computer system, three satellite computer systems, and 13 analog input/output systems interconnected through three independent data networks. Up to three independent heating and loading tests can be run concurrently on different test articles or the entire system can be used on a single large test such as a full scale hypersonic aircraft. Thermal tests can include up to 512 independent adaptive closed loop control channels. The control system can apply up to 20 MW of heating to a test specimen while simultaneously applying independent mechanical loads. Each thermal control loop is capable of heating a structure at rates of up to 150 F per second over a temperature range of -300 to +2500 F. Up to 64 independent mechanical load profiles can be commanded along with thermal control. Up to 1280 analog inputs monitor temperature, load, displacement and strain on the test specimens with real time data displayed on up to 15 terminals as color plots and tabular data displays. System setup and operation is accomplished with interactive menu-driver displays with extensive facilities to assist the users in all phases of system operation.

ENERGY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND LOAD MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE REHABILITATION AND RETURN TO PLAY PROCESS.

PubMed

Morrison, Scot; Ward, Patrick; duManoir, Gregory R

2017-08-01

Return-to-play from injury is a complex process involving many factors including the balancing of tissue healing rates with the development of biomotor abilities. This process requires interprofessional cooperation to ensure success. An often-overlooked aspect of return-to-play is the development and maintenance of sports specific conditioning while monitoring training load to ensure that the athlete's training stimulus over the rehabilitation period is appropriate to facilitate a successful return to play. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to address the role of energy systems training as part of the return-to-play process. Additionally the aim is to provide practitioners with an overview of practical sports conditioning training methods and monitoring strategies to allow them to direct and quantify the return-to-play process. 5.

An on-line monitoring system for oil-film, pressure and temperature distributions in large-scale hydro-generator bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höbel, M.; Haffner, K.

1999-05-01

Instrumentation that allows the behaviour of a hydro-generator thrust bearing to be monitored during operation is described. The measurement system was developed at the Asea Brown Boveri corporate research centre in Switzerland and was tested under realistic operating conditions at the Harbin Electric Machinery Company bearing-testing facility in the People's Republic of China. Newly developed fibre-optical proximity probes were used for the on-line monitoring of the thin oil film between the static and rotating parts of the bearing. These sensors are based on a back-reflection technique and can be used for various target materials such as Babbitt and Teflon. The monitoring system comprises about 120 temperature sensors, four pressure sensors and five optical oil-film thickness sensors. Temperature sensors are installed at specific static locations, whereas pressure and oil-film sensors are positioned in the runner and generate data during rotation. A special feature of the monitoring equipment is its on-line processing capability. Digital signal processors operating in parallel handle pressure and oil-film thickness data. Important measurement parameters such as the maximum pressure, maximum temperature and minimum oil-film thickness are displayed on-line. Detailed three-dimensional temperature information on one of the load segments can be obtained from subsequent off-line data analysis. The system also calculates two-dimensional plots of the oil-film thickness and pressure for most of the 12 load segments.

Sericin/Dextran Injectable Hydrogel as an Optically Trackable Drug Delivery System for Malignant Melanoma Treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Qi, Chao; Tao, Kaixiong; Zhang, Jinxiang; Zhang, Jian; Xu, Luming; Jiang, Xulin; Zhang, Yunti; Huang, Lei; Li, Qilin; Xie, Hongjian; Gao, Jinbo; Shuai, Xiaoming; Wang, Guobin; Wang, Zheng; Wang, Lin

2016-03-01

Severe side effects of cancer chemotherapy prompt developing better drug delivery systems. Injectable hydrogels are an effective site-target system. For most of injectable hydrogels, once delivered in vivo, some properties including drug release and degradation, which are critical to chemotherapeutic effects and safety, are challenging to monitor. Developing a drug delivery system for effective cancer therapy with in vivo real-time noninvasive trackability is highly desired. Although fluorescence dyes are used for imaging hydrogels, the cytotoxicity limits their applications. By using sericin, a natural photoluminescent protein from silk, we successfully synthesized a hydrazone cross-linked sericin/dextran injectable hydrogel. This hydrogel is biodegradable and biocompatible. It achieves efficient drug loading and controlled release of both macromolecular and small molecular drugs. Notably, sericin's photoluminescence from this hydrogel is directly and stably correlated with its degradation, enabling long-term in vivo imaging and real-time monitoring of the remaining drug. The hydrogel loaded with Doxorubicin significantly suppresses tumor growth. Together, the work demonstrates the efficacy of this drug delivery system, and the in vivo effectiveness of this sericin-based optical monitoring strategy, providing a potential approach for improving hydrogel design toward optimal efficiency and safety of chemotherapies, which may be widely applicable to other drug delivery systems.

Quality site seasonal report: Army Air Force Exchange Service Headquarters Building, SFBP 1343, August 1984 through May 1985

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pollock, E.O. Jr.

1987-10-15

The active solar Domestic Hot Water (DHW) system at the HQ Army-Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Building was designed and constructed as part of the Solar in Federal Buildings Programs (SFBP). This retrofitted system is one of eight of the systems in the SFBP selected for quality monitoring. The purpose of this monitoring effort is to document the performance of quality state-of-the-art solar systems in large federal building applications. The six-story HQ AAFES Building houses a cafeteria, officer's mess and club and office space for 2400 employees. The siphon-return drainback system uses 1147 ft/sup 2/ of Aircraftsman flat-plate collectors tomore » collect solar energy which is used to preheat domestic hot water. Solar energy is stored in a 1329-gallon tank and transferred to the hot water load through a heat exchanger located in the 356-gallon DHW preheat tank. Auxiliary energy is supplied by two gas fired boilers which boost the temperature to 130/sup 0/F before it is distributed to the load. Highlights of the performance of the HQ AAFES Building solar system during the monitoring period from August 1984 through May 1985 are presented in this report.« less

Supervision strategies for improved reliability of bus routes. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-09-01

The synthesis will be of interest to transit agency managers and supervisors, as well as to operating and planning personnel who are concerned with the reliability and scheduling of buses. Information is provided on service monitoring, service supervision and control, and supervision strategies. Reliability of transit service is critical to bus transit ridership. The extent of service supervision has an important bearing on reliability. The report describes the various procedures that are used by transit agencies to monitor and maintain bus service reliability. Most transit systems conduct checks of the number of riders at maximum load points and monitor schedulemore » adherence at these locations. Other supervisory actions include service restoration techniques, and strategies such as schedule control, headway control, load control, extraboard management, and personnel selection and training. More sophisticated technologies, such as automatic passenger counting (APC) systems and automatic vehicle location and control (AVLC), have been employed by some transit agencies and are described in the synthesis.« less

Autonomous Cryogenics Loading Operations Simulation Software: Knowledgebase Autonomous Test Engineer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wehner, Walter S.

2012-01-01

The Simulation Software, KATE (Knowledgebase Autonomous Test Engineer), is used to demonstrate the automatic identification of faults in a system. The ACLO (Autonomous Cryogenics Loading Operation) project uses KATE to monitor and find faults in the loading of the cryogenics int o a vehicle fuel tank. The KATE software interfaces with the IHM (Integrated Health Management) systems bus to communicate with other systems that are part of ACLO. One system that KATE uses the IHM bus to communicate with is AIS (Advanced Inspection System). KATE will send messages to AIS when there is a detected anomaly. These messages include visual inspection of specific valves, pressure gauges and control messages to have AIS open or close manual valves. My goals include implementing the connection to the IHM bus within KATE and for the AIS project. I will also be working on implementing changes to KATE's Ul and implementing the physics objects in KATE that will model portions of the cryogenics loading operation.

Advanced active health monitoring system of liquid rocket engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Xinlin P.; Wu, Zhanjun; Beard, Shawn; Chang, Fu-Kuo

2008-11-01

An advanced SMART TAPE system has been developed for real-time in-situ monitoring and long term tracking of structural integrity of pressure vessels in liquid rocket engines. The practical implementation of the structural health monitoring (SHM) system including distributed sensor network, portable diagnostic hardware and dedicated data analysis software is addressed based on the harsh operating environment. Extensive tests were conducted on a simulated large booster LOX-H2 engine propellant duct to evaluate the survivability and functionality of the system under the operating conditions of typical liquid rocket engines such as cryogenic temperature, vibration loads. The test results demonstrated that the developed SHM system could survive the combined cryogenic temperature and vibration environments and effectively detect cracks as small as 2 mm.

Real-Time Smart Textile-Based System to Monitor Pressure Offloading of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

PubMed

Raviglione, Andrea; Reif, Roberto; Macagno, Maurizio; Vigano, Davide; Schram, Justin; Armstrong, David

2017-09-01

The lifetime risk of developing a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is at least 25%. A DFU carries a 50% risk for infection and at least 20% of those receive some form of amputation. The most significant parameter that prevents or delays ulcer healing is high plantar pressure. To improve the patient's healing process, the DFU's plantar pressure should remain cumulatively low. Therefore, a tool that continuously measures the DFU loading, and provides real-time feedback can improve the healing outcome. We report the development of a system capable of continuously measuring the pressure, which could have applications to monitor DFU. The system contains a textile pressure sensor attached to a stretchable band, hardware that collects data and transmits them via Bluetooth to a phone, an app that gathers the data and stores them in the cloud, and a web dashboard that displays the data to the clinician. The sensor was characterized in vitro using the system, and the web-dashboard was developed and tested on simulated patient data. We demonstrate the feasibility of developing the system and characterize the pressure response of the device. As a result, we demonstrate a viable method for monitoring DFU off-loading in real time. The presented study demonstrates the feasibility to develop a simple, modular wearable system that opens up new possibilities for diabetic foot ulcer care by providing a way of monitoring the pressure under the ulcer in real time.

Aircraft signal definition for flight safety system monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibbs, Michael (Inventor); Omen, Debi Van (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A system and method compares combinations of vehicle variable values against known combinations of potentially dangerous vehicle input signal values. Alarms and error messages are selectively generated based on such comparisons. An aircraft signal definition is provided to enable definition and monitoring of sets of aircraft input signals to customize such signals for different aircraft. The input signals are compared against known combinations of potentially dangerous values by operational software and hardware of a monitoring function. The aircraft signal definition is created using a text editor or custom application. A compiler receives the aircraft signal definition to generate a binary file that comprises the definition of all the input signals used by the monitoring function. The binary file also contains logic that specifies how the inputs are to be interpreted. The file is then loaded into the monitor function, where it is validated and used to continuously monitor the condition of the aircraft.

Development of real-time thermal neutron monitor using boron-loaded plastic scintillator with optical fiber for boron neutron capture therapy.

PubMed

Ishikawa, M; Ono, K; Sakurai, Y; Unesaki, H; Uritani, A; Bengua, G; Kobayashi, T; Tanaka, K; Kosako, T

2004-11-01

A new thermal neutron monitor for boron neutron capture therapy was developed in this study. We called this monitor equipped boron-loaded plastic scintillator that uses optical fiber for signal transmission as an [scintillator with optical fiber] SOF detector. A water phantom experiment was performed to verify how the SOF detector compared with conventional method of measuring thermal neutron fluence. Measurements with a single SOF detector yielded indistinguishable signals for thermal neutrons and gamma rays. To account for the gamma ray contribution in the signal recorded by the SOF detector, a paired SOF detector system was employed. This was composed of an SOF detector with boron-loaded scintillator and an SOF detector with a boron-free scintillator. The difference between the recorded counts of these paired SOF detectors was used as the measure of the gamma ray contribution in the measured neutron fluence. The paired SOF detectors were ascertained to be effective in measuring thermal neutron flux in the range above 10(6)(n/cm(2)/s). Clinical trials using paired SOF to measure thermal neutron flux during therapy confirmed that paired SOF detectors were effective as a real-time thermal neutron flux monitor.

Online Assessment of Voltage Stability in Power Systems with PMUs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitare, Prasad Bhagwat; Murthy Balijepalli, V. S. K.; Khaparde, S. A.

2013-05-01

Abstract: For the assessment of voltage instability which comprises the detection of voltage instability and identification of critical buses, two indices namely, system wide Qtax, and bus-specific qtax, are proposed. The Qtax, based on the sensitivity of the reactive power injections to the loading in the system provides early detection of impending voltage instability. The computed qtax indices identify the critcal buses among the load buses in the system. The identified critical buses provided optimal lacations for the corrective control actions for averting voltage instability. Additionally, for voltage stability monitoring, determining the poing of exhaustion of the reactive reserves in system is also crucial. This is addressed by proposed Q-Monitoring Index (QMI), which is the ratio of the reactive component of the source current to the sink current that flows through the adjacent transmission line. These proposed indices together can provide early indication to impending voltage instability. This has been illustrated on IEEE-39 bus system. The reactive support on identified critical buses results in maximum increase in the loadability of the system.

CO2 concentration and occupancy density in the critical zones served by the VAV system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etoua Evina, Ghislaine; Kajl, Stanislaw; Lamarche, Louis; Beltran-Galindo, Javier

2017-11-01

This article presents the results obtained from monitoring a VAV system with highly diversified zone occupancy density are presented in the article. The investigated VAV system meets the load for 72 zones (68 perimeters and 4 interiors) consisting of classrooms, offices, conference rooms, etc. with highly diversified occupancy densities from 1.875 to 2.5 m2/person for the classrooms and from 10 to 15 m2/person for the offices. The monitoring shows that the CO2 concentration can exceed the set point in the critical rooms. Simulation results are also presented in the article to show that it is often impossible to adjust the operation of such VAV systems because the adjusted System Outdoor Air Fractions, % OA, can reach 100% even where the zone CO2 concentration is not respected. The presented monitoring and simulation results were obtained in the winter, with the VAV system operating at partial load and with the minimum outdoor air flowrate required by the economizer system. As shown in the article, to respect the zone set point CO2 concentration in such period, the VAV system must operate mostly at a %OA equal to 100% instead of its minimum value. To circumvent this, the supply zone air flow rate may have to be designed taking into account the CO2 concentration resulting from the critical zones occupancy density.

Electrical power distribution control methods, electrical energy demand monitoring methods, and power management devices

DOEpatents

Chassin, David P [Pasco, WA; Donnelly, Matthew K [Kennewick, WA; Dagle, Jeffery E [Richland, WA

2011-12-06

Electrical power distribution control methods, electrical energy demand monitoring methods, and power management devices are described. In one aspect, an electrical power distribution control method includes providing electrical energy from an electrical power distribution system, applying the electrical energy to a load, providing a plurality of different values for a threshold at a plurality of moments in time and corresponding to an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy, and adjusting an amount of the electrical energy applied to the load responsive to an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy triggering one of the values of the threshold at the respective moment in time.

Electrical power distribution control methods, electrical energy demand monitoring methods, and power management devices

DOEpatents

Chassin, David P.; Donnelly, Matthew K.; Dagle, Jeffery E.

2006-12-12

Electrical power distribution control methods, electrical energy demand monitoring methods, and power management devices are described. In one aspect, an electrical power distribution control method includes providing electrical energy from an electrical power distribution system, applying the electrical energy to a load, providing a plurality of different values for a threshold at a plurality of moments in time and corresponding to an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy, and adjusting an amount of the electrical energy applied to the load responsive to an electrical characteristic of the electrical energy triggering one of the values of the threshold at the respective moment in time.

A servo controlled gradient loading triaxial model test system for deep-buried cavern.

PubMed

Chen, Xu-guang; Zhang, Qiang-yong; Li, Shu-cai

2015-10-01

A servo controlled gradient loading model test system is developed to simulate the gradient geostress in deep-buried cavern. This system consists of the gradient loading apparatus, the digital servo control device, and the measurement system. Among them, the gradient loading apparatus is the main component which is used for exerting load onto the model. This loading apparatus is placed inside the counterforce wall/beam and is divided to several different loading zones, with each loading zone independently controlled. This design enables the gradient loading. Hence, the "real" geostress field surrounding the deep-buried cavern can be simulated. The loading or unloading process can be controlled by the human-computer interaction machines, i.e., the digital servo control system. It realizes the automation and visualization of model loading/unloading. In addition, this digital servo could control and regulate hydraulic loading instantaneously, which stabilizes the geostress onto the model over a long term. During the loading procedure, the collision between two adjacent loading platens is also eliminated by developing a guide frame. This collision phenomenon is induced by the volume shrinkage of the model when compressed in true 3D state. In addition, several accurate measurements, including the optical and grating-based method, are adopted to monitor the small deformation of the model. Hence, the distortion of the model could be accurately measured. In order to validate the performance of this innovative model test system, a 3D geomechanical test was conducted on a simulated deep-buried underground reservoir. The result shows that the radial convergence increases rapidly with the release of the stress in the reservoir. Moreover, the deformation increases with the increase of the gas production rate. This observation is consistence with field observation in petroleum engineering. The system is therefore capable of testing deep-buried engineering structures.

Evaluation of an operating MOD-OA 200 kW wind turbine blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donham, R. E.

1979-01-01

Operating loads and structural damage were monitored during operation of the MOD-OA electric generating system. The turbine was damaged locally between stations 48 and 125 after 2.8 million rotations. Loads due to degraded yaw stiffness and fretting at rib station 48 were identified as primary to this distress. The repaired blades operated an additional 4.8 million rotations without problems.

Design and Testing of a Solid-Liquid Interface Monitor for High-Level Waste Tanks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDaniel, D.; Awwad, A.; Roelant, D.

2008-07-01

A high-level waste (HLW) monitor has been designed, fabricated and tested at full-scale for deployment inside a Hanford tank. The Solid-Liquid Interface Monitor (SLIM) integrates a commercial sonar system with a mechanical deployment system for deploying into an underground waste tank. The system has undergone several design modifications based upon changing requirements at Hanford. We will present the various designs of the monitor from first to last and will present performance data from the various prototype systems. We will also present modeling of stresses in the enclosure under 85 mph wind loading. The system must be able to function atmore » winds up to 15 mph and must withstand a maximum loading of 85 mph. There will be several examples presented of engineering tradeoffs made as FIU analyzed new requirements and modified the design to accommodate. We will present our current plans for installing into the Cold Test Facility at Hanford and into a double-shelled tank at Hanford. Finally, we will present our vision for how this technology can be used at Hanford and Savannah River Site to improve the filling and emptying of high-level waste tanks. In conclusion: 1. The manually operated first-generation SLIM is a viable option on tanks where personnel are allowed to work on top of the tank. 2. The remote controlled second-generation SLIM can be utilized on tanks where personnel access is limited. 3. The totally enclosed fourth-generation SLIM, when the design is finalized, can be used when the possibility exists for wind dispersion of any HLW that maybe on the system. 4. The profiling sonar can be used effectively for real-time monitoring of the solid-liquid interface over a large area. (authors)« less

Assessing dry weather flow contribution in TSS and COD storm events loads in combined sewer systems.

PubMed

Métadier, M; Bertrand-Krajewski, J L

2011-01-01

Continuous high resolution long term turbidity measurements along with continuous discharge measurements are now recognised as an appropriate technique for the estimation of in sewer total suspended solids (TSS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) loads during storm events. In the combined system of the Ecully urban catchment (Lyon, France), this technique is implemented since 2003, with more than 200 storm events monitored. This paper presents a method for the estimation of the dry weather (DW) contribution to measured total TSS and COD event loads with special attention devoted to uncertainties assessment. The method accounts for the dynamics of both discharge and turbidity time series at two minutes time step. The study is based on 180 DW days monitored in 2007-2008. Three distinct classes of DW days were evidenced. Variability analysis and quantification showed that no seasonal effect and no trend over the year were detectable. The law of propagation of uncertainties is applicable for uncertainties estimation. The method has then been applied to all measured storm events. This study confirms the interest of long term continuous discharge and turbidity time series in sewer systems, especially in the perspective of wet weather quality modelling.

Methods for Estimating Annual Wastewater Nutrient Loads in the Southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, Gerard; Tervelt, Larinda; Donehoo, William

2007-01-01

This report describes an approach for estimating annual total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads from point-source dischargers in the southeastern United States. Nutrient load estimates for 2002 were used in the calibration and application of a regional nutrient model, referred to as the SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) watershed model. Loads from dischargers permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System were calculated using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Permit Compliance System database and individual state databases. Site information from both state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency databases, including latitude and longitude and monitored effluent data, was compiled into a project database. For sites with a complete effluent-monitoring record, effluent-flow and nutrient-concentration data were used to develop estimates of annual point-source nitrogen and phosphorus loads. When flow data were available but nutrient-concentration data were missing or incomplete, typical pollutant-concentration values of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were used to estimate load. In developing typical pollutant-concentration values, the major factors assumed to influence wastewater nutrient-concentration variability were the size of the discharger (the amount of flow), the season during which discharge occurred, and the Standard Industrial Classification code of the discharger. One insight gained from this study is that in order to gain access to flow, concentration, and location data, close communication and collaboration are required with the agencies that collect and manage the data. In addition, the accuracy and usefulness of the load estimates depend on the willingness of the states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide guidance and review for at least a subset of the load estimates that may be problematic.

Lateral vibration behavior analysis and TLD vibration absorption design of the soft yoke single-point mooring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Bai-cheng; Wu, Wen-hua; Yao, Wei-an; Du, Yu

2017-06-01

Mooring system is the key equipment of FPSO safe operation. The soft yoke mooring system is regarded as one of the best shallow water mooring strategies and widely applied to the oil exploitation in the Bohai Bay in China and the Gulf of Mexico. Based on the analysis of numerous monitoring data obtained by the prototype monitoring system of one FPSO in the Bohai Bay, the on-site lateral vibration behaviors found on the site of the soft yoke subject to wave load were analyzed. ADAMS simulation and model experiment were utilized to analyze the soft yoke lateral vibration and it was determined that lateral vibration was resonance behaviors caused by wave excitation. On the basis of the soft yoke longitudinal restoring force being guaranteed, a TLD-based vibration damper system was constructed and the vibration reduction experiments with multi-tank space and multi-load conditions were developed. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed TLD vibration reduction system can effectively reduce lateral vibration of soft yoke structures.

Structural health monitoring of pipelines rehabilitated with lining technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhidzadeh, Alireza; Dehghan-Niri, Ehsan; Salamone, Salvatore

2014-03-01

Damage detection of pipeline systems is a tedious and time consuming job due to digging requirement, accessibility, interference with other facilities, and being extremely wide spread in metropolitans. Therefore, a real-time and automated monitoring system can pervasively reduce labor work, time, and expenditures. This paper presents the results of an experimental study aimed at monitoring the performance of full scale pipe lining systems, subjected to static and dynamic (seismic) loading, using Acoustic Emission (AE) technique and Guided Ultrasonic Waves (GUWs). Particularly, two damage mechanisms are investigated: 1) delamination between pipeline and liner as the early indicator of damage, and 2) onset of nonlinearity and incipient failure of the liner as critical damage state.

The load shedding advisor: An example of a crisis-response expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bollinger, Terry B.; Lightner, Eric; Laverty, John; Ambrose, Edward

1987-01-01

A Prolog-based prototype expert system is described that was implemented by the Network Operations Branch of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The purpose of the prototype was to test whether a small, inexpensive computer system could be used to host a load shedding advisor, a system which would monitor major physical environment parameters in a computer facility, then recommend appropriate operator reponses whenever a serious condition was detected. The resulting prototype performed significantly to efficiency gains achieved by replacing a purely rule-based design methodology with a hybrid approach that combined procedural, entity-relationship, and rule-based methods.

Research study on multi-KW-DC distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkery, E. A.; Krausz, A.

1975-01-01

A detailed definition of the HVDC test facility and the equipment required to implement the test program are provided. The basic elements of the test facility are illustrated, and consist of: the power source, conventional and digital supervision and control equipment, power distribution harness and simulated loads. The regulated dc power supplies provide steady-state power up to 36 KW at 120 VDC. Power for simulated line faults will be obtained from two banks of 90 ampere-hour lead-acid batteries. The relative merits of conventional and multiplexed power control will be demonstrated by the Supervision and Monitor Unit (SMU) and the Automatically Controlled Electrical Systems (ACES) hardware. The distribution harness is supported by a metal duct which is bonded to all component structures and functions as the system ground plane. The load banks contain passive resistance and reactance loads, solid state power controllers and active pulse width modulated loads. The HVDC test facility is designed to simulate a power distribution system for large aerospace vehicles.

Overload protection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagano, S.

1979-01-01

Overload protection circuit utilizes one circuit for suspending inverter action when load abnormality is detected and second circuit to monitor clearance of abnormality. Device wastes no power during normal operating conditions and responds instantaneously when abnormality is cleared.

A novel CUSUM-based approach for event detection in smart metering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zhicheng; Zhang, Shuai; Wei, Zhiqiang; Yin, Bo; Huang, Xianqing

2018-03-01

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) plays such a significant role in raising consumer awareness on household electricity use to reduce overall energy consumption in the society. With regard to monitoring low power load, many researchers have introduced CUSUM into the NILM system, since the traditional event detection method is not as effective as expected. Due to the fact that the original CUSUM faces limitations given the small shift is below threshold, we therefore improve the test statistic which allows permissible deviation to gradually rise as the data size increases. This paper proposes a novel event detection and corresponding criterion that could be used in NILM systems to recognize transient states and to help the labelling task. Its performance has been tested in a real scenario where eight different appliances are connected to main line of electric power.

The design of the intelligent monitoring system for dam safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Chun-qiao; Jiang, Chen-guang; Wang, Guo-hui

2008-12-01

Being a vital manmade water-control structure, a dam plays a very important role in the living and production of human being. To make a dam run safely, the best design and the superior construction quality are paramount; moreover, with working periods increasing, various dynamic, alternative and bad loads generate little by little various distortions on the dam structure inevitably, which shall lead to potential safety problems or further a disaster (dam burst). There are many signs before the occurrence of a dam accident, so the timely and effective surveying on the distortion of a dam is important. On the basis of the cause supra, two intelligent (automatic) monitoring systems about the dam's safety based on the RTK-GPS technology and the measuring robot has been developed. The basic principle, monitoring method and monitoring process of these two intelligent (automatic) monitoring systems are introduced. It presents examples of monitor and puts forward the basic rule of dam warning based on data of actual monitor.

A geographically-referenced multiple-resource data management system for the oak savannas of the Malpai Borderland Region

Treesearch

Hui Chen; Cody L. Stropki; Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried

2009-01-01

Twelve watersheds in the oak savannas on the eastern side of the Peloncillo Mountains in the Southwestern Borderlands Region of New Mexico are being monitored to document the ecological and hydrologic characteristics, and to determine the effects of burning treatments on this ecosystem. Ecological components monitored include tree overstories, loadings of fuel...

Development and experimentation of an eye/brain/task testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, Nora; Villarreal, James

1987-01-01

The principal objective is to develop a laboratory testbed that will provide a unique capability to elicit, control, record, and analyze the relationship of operator task loading, operator eye movement, and operator brain wave data in a computer system environment. The ramifications of an integrated eye/brain monitor to the man machine interface are staggering. The success of such a system would benefit users of space and defense, paraplegics, and the monitoring of boring screens (nuclear power plants, air defense, etc.)

Analyzing Potential Grid Impacts from Future In-Motion Roadway Wireless Power Transfer Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meintz, Andrew; Gonder, Jeffrey; Jorgenson, Jennie

This work examines the grid impact of in-motion roadway wireless power transfer through the examination of the electrification of high-capacity roadways inside a metropolitan area. The work uses data from a regional travel study and the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Performance Monitoring System to estimate the electrified roadway's hourly power use throughout a week. The data are then combined with hourly grid load estimates for the same metropolitan area to determine the overlay of traditional grid load with additional load from a future electrified roadway.

Analyzing Potential Grid Impacts from Future In-Motion Roadway Wireless Power Transfer Scenarios: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meintz, Andrew; Gonder, Jeffrey; Jorgenson, Jennie

This work examines the grid impact of in-motion roadway wireless power transfer through the examination of the electrification of high-capacity roadways inside a metropolitan area. The work uses data from a regional travel study and the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Performance Monitoring System to estimate the electrified roadway's hourly power use throughout a week. The data are then combined with hourly grid load estimates for the same metropolitan area to determine the overlay of traditional grid load with additional load from a future electrified roadway.

Approach to the vadose zone monitoring in hazardous and solid waste disposal facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twardowska, Irena

2004-03-01

In the solid waste (SW)disposal sites, in particular at the unlined facilities, at the remediated or newly-constructed units equipped with novel protective/reactive permeable barriers or at lined facilities with leachate collection systems that are prone to failure, the vadose zone monitoring should comprise besides the natural soil layer beneath the landfill, also the anthropogenic vadose zone, i.e. the waste layer and pore solutions in the landfill. The vadose zone screening along the vertical profile of SW facilities with use of direct invasive soil-core and soil-pore liquid techniques shows vertical downward redistribution of inorganic (macroconstituents and heavy metals) and organic (PAHs) contaminant loads in water infiltrating through the waste layer. These loads can make ground water down-gradient of the dump unfit for any use. To avoid damage of protective/reactive permeable barriers and liners, an installation of stationary monitoring systems along the waste layer profile during the construction of a landfill, which are amenable to generate accurate data and information in a near-real time should be considered including:(i) permanent samplers of pore solution, with a periodic pump-induced transport of collected solution to the surface, preferably with instant field measurements;(ii)chemical sensors with continuous registration of critical parameters. These techniques would definitely provide an early alert in case when the chemical composition of pore solution percolating downward the waste profile shows unfavorable transformations, which indicate an excessive contaminant load approaching ground water. The problems concerning invasive and stationary monitoring of the vadose zone in SW disposal facilities will be discussed at the background of results of monitoring data and properties of permeable protective/reactive barriers considered for use.

Radar detection of pedestrian-induced vibrations on Michelangelo's David.

PubMed

Pieraccini, Massimiliano; Betti, Michele; Forcellini, Davide; Dei, Devis; Papi, Federico; Bartoli, Gianni; Facchini, Luca; Corazzi, Riccardo; Kovacevic, Vladimir Cerisano

2017-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of a two-day dynamic monitoring of Michelangelo's David subject to environmental loads (city traffic and pedestrian loading induced by tourists visiting the Accademia Gallery). The monitoring was carried out by a no-contact technique using an interferometric radar, whose effectiveness in measuring the resonant frequencies of structures and historic monuments has proved over the last years through numerous monitoring activities. Owing to the dynamic behavior of the measurement system (radar and tripod), an accelerometer has been installed on the radar head to filter out the movement component of the measuring instrument from the measurement of the David's displacement. Measurements were carried out in the presence and absence of visitors, to assess their influence on the dynamic behavior of the statue. A numerical model of the statue was employed to evaluate the experimental results.

Radar detection of pedestrian-induced vibrations on Michelangelo's David

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of a two-day dynamic monitoring of Michelangelo's David subject to environmental loads (city traffic and pedestrian loading induced by tourists visiting the Accademia Gallery). The monitoring was carried out by a no-contact technique using an interferometric radar, whose effectiveness in measuring the resonant frequencies of structures and historic monuments has proved over the last years through numerous monitoring activities. Owing to the dynamic behavior of the measurement system (radar and tripod), an accelerometer has been installed on the radar head to filter out the movement component of the measuring instrument from the measurement of the David's displacement. Measurements were carried out in the presence and absence of visitors, to assess their influence on the dynamic behavior of the statue. A numerical model of the statue was employed to evaluate the experimental results. PMID:28394932

Assessing Human Activity in Elderly People Using Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring.

PubMed

Alcalá, José M; Ureña, Jesús; Hernández, Álvaro; Gualda, David

2017-02-11

The ageing of the population, and their increasing wish of living independently, are motivating the development of welfare and healthcare models. Existing approaches based on the direct heath-monitoring using body sensor networks (BSN) are precise and accurate. Nonetheless, their intrusiveness causes non-acceptance. New approaches seek the indirect monitoring through monitoring activities of daily living (ADLs), which proves to be a suitable solution. ADL monitoring systems use many heterogeneous sensors, are less intrusive, and are less expensive than BSN, however, the deployment and maintenance of wireless sensor networks (WSN) prevent them from a widespread acceptance. In this work, a novel technique to monitor the human activity, based on non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), is presented. The proposal uses only smart meter data, which leads to minimum intrusiveness and a potential massive deployment at minimal cost. This could be the key to develop sustainable healthcare models for smart homes, capable of complying with the elderly people' demands. This study also uses the Dempster-Shafer theory to provide a daily score of normality with regard to the regular behavior. This approach has been evaluated using real datasets and, additionally, a benchmarking against a Gaussian mixture model approach is presented.

Assessing Human Activity in Elderly People Using Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring

PubMed Central

Alcalá, José M.; Ureña, Jesús; Hernández, Álvaro; Gualda, David

2017-01-01

The ageing of the population, and their increasing wish of living independently, are motivating the development of welfare and healthcare models. Existing approaches based on the direct heath-monitoring using body sensor networks (BSN) are precise and accurate. Nonetheless, their intrusiveness causes non-acceptance. New approaches seek the indirect monitoring through monitoring activities of daily living (ADLs), which proves to be a suitable solution. ADL monitoring systems use many heterogeneous sensors, are less intrusive, and are less expensive than BSN, however, the deployment and maintenance of wireless sensor networks (WSN) prevent them from a widespread acceptance. In this work, a novel technique to monitor the human activity, based on non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), is presented. The proposal uses only smart meter data, which leads to minimum intrusiveness and a potential massive deployment at minimal cost. This could be the key to develop sustainable healthcare models for smart homes, capable of complying with the elderly people’ demands. This study also uses the Dempster-Shafer theory to provide a daily score of normality with regard to the regular behavior. This approach has been evaluated using real datasets and, additionally, a benchmarking against a Gaussian mixture model approach is presented. PMID:28208672

Field monitoring of static, dynamic, and statnamic pile loading tests using fibre Bragg grating strain sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jin; Correia, Ricardo P.; Chehura, Edmon; Staines, Stephen; James, Stephen W.; Tatam, Ralph; Butcher, Antony P.; Fuentes, Raul

2009-10-01

Pile loading test plays an important role in the field of piling engineering. In order to gain further insight into the load transfer mechanism, strain gauges are often used to measure local strains along the piles. This paper reports a case whereby FBG strain sensors was employed in a field trial conducted on three different types of pile loading tests in a glacial till. The instrumentation systems were configured to suit the specific characteristic of each type of test. Typical test results are presented. The great potential of using FBG sensors for pile testing is shown.

Increasing precision of turbidity-based suspended sediment concentration and load estimates.

PubMed

Jastram, John D; Zipper, Carl E; Zelazny, Lucian W; Hyer, Kenneth E

2010-01-01

Turbidity is an effective tool for estimating and monitoring suspended sediments in aquatic systems. Turbidity can be measured in situ remotely and at fine temporal scales as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentration (SSC), providing opportunity for a more complete record of SSC than is possible with physical sampling approaches. However, there is variability in turbidity-based SSC estimates and in sediment loadings calculated from those estimates. This study investigated the potential to improve turbidity-based SSC, and by extension the resulting sediment loading estimates, by incorporating hydrologic variables that can be monitored remotely and continuously (typically 15-min intervals) into the SSC estimation procedure. On the Roanoke River in southwestern Virginia, hydrologic stage, turbidity, and other water-quality parameters were monitored with in situ instrumentation; suspended sediments were sampled manually during elevated turbidity events; samples were analyzed for SSC and physical properties including particle-size distribution and organic C content; and rainfall was quantified by geologic source area. The study identified physical properties of the suspended-sediment samples that contribute to SSC estimation variance and hydrologic variables that explained variability of those physical properties. Results indicated that the inclusion of any of the measured physical properties in turbidity-based SSC estimation models reduces unexplained variance. Further, the use of hydrologic variables to represent these physical properties, along with turbidity, resulted in a model, relying solely on data collected remotely and continuously, that estimated SSC with less variance than a conventional turbidity-based univariate model, allowing a more precise estimate of sediment loading, Modeling results are consistent with known mechanisms governing sediment transport in hydrologic systems.

Wireless and embedded carbon nanotube networks for damage detection in concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saafi, Mohamed

2009-09-01

Concrete structures undergo an uncontrollable damage process manifesting in the form of cracks due to the coupling of fatigue loading and environmental effects. In order to achieve long-term durability and performance, continuous health monitoring systems are needed to make critical decisions regarding operation, maintenance and repairs. Recent advances in nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes have opened the door for new smart and advanced sensing materials that could effectively be used in health monitoring of structures where wireless and real time sensing could provide information on damage development. In this paper, carbon nanotube networks were embedded into a cement matrix to develop an in situ wireless and embedded sensor for damage detection in concrete structures. By wirelessly measuring the change in the electrical resistance of the carbon nanotube networks, the progress of damage can be detected and monitored. As a proof of concept, wireless cement-carbon nanotube sensors were embedded into concrete beams and subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading to evaluate the effect of damage on their response. Experimental results showed that the wireless response of the embedded nanotube sensors changes due to the formation of cracks during loading. In addition, the nanotube sensors were able to detect the initiation of damage at an early stage of loading.

Transient multivariable sensor evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vilim, Richard B.; Heifetz, Alexander

A method and system for performing transient multivariable sensor evaluation. The method and system includes a computer system for identifying a model form, providing training measurement data, generating a basis vector, monitoring system data from sensor, loading the system data in a non-transient memory, performing an estimation to provide desired data and comparing the system data to the desired data and outputting an alarm for a defective sensor.

Environmental response of an Irish estuary to changing land management practices.

PubMed

Ní Longphuirt, Sorcha; O'Boyle, Shane; Stengel, Dagmar Brigitte

2015-07-15

Anthropogenic pressures have led to problems of nutrient over-enrichment and eutrophication in estuarine and coastal systems on a global scale. Recent improvements in farming practices, specifically a decrease in fertiliser application rates, have reduced nutrient loadings in Ireland. In line with national and European Directives, monitoring of Irish estuarine systems has been conducted for the last 30years, allowing a comparison of the effectiveness of measures undertaken to improve water quality and chemical and biological trends. The Blackwater Estuary, which drains a large agricultural catchment on the south coast of Ireland, has experienced a decrease in calculated nitrogen (N) (17%) and phosphorus (P) (20%) loads in the last decade. Monitored long-term river inputs reflect the reductions while estuarine P concentrations, chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen saturation show concurrent improvement. Consistently high N concentrations suggest a decoupling between N loads and estuarine responses. This highlights the complex interaction between N and P load reductions, and biochemical processes relating to remineralisation and primary production which can alter the effectiveness of the estuarine filter in reducing nutrient transport to the coastal zone. Effective management and reduction of both diffuse and point nutrient sources to surface waters require a consideration of the processes which may alter the effectiveness of measures in estuarine and coastal waters. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of pollutant load emission from combined sewer overflows based on the online monitoring.

PubMed

Brzezińska, Agnieszka; Zawilski, Marek; Sakson, Grażyna

2016-09-01

Cities equipped with combined sewer systems discharge during wet weather a lot of pollutants into receiving waters by combined storm overflows (CSOs). According to the Polish legislation, CSOs should be activated no more than ten times per year, but in Lodz, most of the 18 existing CSOs operate much more frequently. To assess the pollutant load emitted by one of the existing CSOs, the sensors for measuring the concentration of total suspended solids (SOLITAX sc) and dissolved chemical oxygen demand (UVAS plus) installed in the overflow chamber as well as two flowmeters placed in the outflow sewer were used. In order to check the data from sensors, laboratory tests of combined wastewater quality were conducted simultaneously. For the analysis of the total pollutant load emitted from the overflow, the raw data was denoised using the Savitzky-Golay method. Comparing the load calculated from the analytical results to online smoothed measurements, negligible differences were found, which confirms the usefulness of applying the sensors in the combined sewer system. Online monitoring of the quantity and quality of wastewater emitted by the combined sewer overflows to water receivers, provides a considerable amount of data very useful for combined sewerage upgrading based on computer modelling, and allows for a significant reduction of laboratory analysis.

Power system monitoring and source control of the Space Station Freedom DC power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimnach, Greg L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

1992-01-01

Unlike a terrestrial electric utility which can purchase power from a neighboring utility, the Space Station Freedom (SSF) has strictly limited energy resources; as a result, source control, system monitoring, system protection, and load management are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the SSF Electric Power System (EPS). These functions are being evaluated in the DC Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Testbed which NASA LeRC has developed at the Power System Facility (PSF) located in Cleveland, Ohio. The testbed is an ideal platform to develop, integrate, and verify power system monitoring and control algorithms. State Estimation (SE) is a monitoring tool used extensively in terrestrial electric utilities to ensure safe power system operation. It uses redundant system information to calculate the actual state of the EPS, to isolate faulty sensors, to determine source operating points, to verify faults detected by subsidiary controllers, and to identify high impedance faults. Source control and monitoring safeguard the power generation and storage subsystems and ensure that the power system operates within safe limits while satisfying user demands with minimal interruptions. System monitoring functions, in coordination with hardware implemented schemes, provide for a complete fault protection system. The objective of this paper is to overview the development and integration of the state estimator and the source control algorithms.

Power system monitoring and source control of the Space Station Freedom dc-power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimnach, Greg L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

1992-01-01

Unlike a terrestrial electric utility which can purchase power from a neighboring utility, the Space Station Freedom (SSF) has strictly limited energy resources; as a result, source control, system monitoring, system protection, and load management are essential to the safe and efficient operation of the SSF Electric Power System (EPS). These functions are being evaluated in the dc Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Testbed which NASA LeRC has developed at the Power System Facility (PSF) located in Cleveland, Ohio. The testbed is an ideal platform to develop, integrate, and verify power system monitoring and control algorithms. State Estimation (SE) is a monitoring tool used extensively in terrestrial electric utilities to ensure safe power system operation. It uses redundant system information to calculate the actual state of the EPS, to isolate faulty sensors, to determine source operating points, to verify faults detected by subsidiary controllers, and to identify high impedance faults. Source control and monitoring safeguard the power generation and storage subsystems and ensure that the power system operates within safe limits while satisfying user demands with minimal interruptions. System monitoring functions, in coordination with hardware implemented schemes, provide for a complete fault protection system. The objective of this paper is to overview the development and integration of the state estimator and the source control algorithms.

A study of a space communication system for the control and monitoring of the electric distribution system. Volume 1: Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaisnys, A.

1980-01-01

It is technically feasible to design a satellite communication system to serve the United States electric utility industry's needs relative to load management, real-time operations management, remote meter reading, and to determine the costs of various elements of the system. A definition of distribution control and monitoring functions is given. Associated communications traffic is quantified. A baseline conceptual design in terms of operating capability and equipment is described, important factors to be considered in designing a system are examined, and preliminary cost data are provided. Factors associated with implementation are discussed and conclusions and recommendations are listed.

40 CFR 63.11532 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... scattering, or other effect to monitor relative PM loadings continuously. Capture system means the collection... equipped with the cover with seals around the electrodes and outer edges of the cover to eliminate air...

40 CFR 63.11532 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... scattering, or other effect to monitor relative PM loadings continuously. Capture system means the collection... equipped with the cover with seals around the electrodes and outer edges of the cover to eliminate air...

40 CFR 63.11532 - What definitions apply to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... scattering, or other effect to monitor relative PM loadings continuously. Capture system means the collection... equipped with the cover with seals around the electrodes and outer edges of the cover to eliminate air...

Pregnant and breastfeeding women: A priority population for HIV viral load monitoring.

PubMed

Myer, Landon; Essajee, Shaffiq; Broyles, Laura N; Watts, D Heather; Lesosky, Maia; El-Sadr, Wafaa M; Abrams, Elaine J

2017-08-01

Landon Myer and colleagues discuss viral load monitoring for pregnant HIV-positive women and those breastfeeding; ART treatments can suppress viral load and are key to preventing transmission to the child.

Load evaluation of the da Vinci surgical system for transoral robotic surgery.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Kazunori; Fukuhara, Takahiro; Niimi, Koji; Sato, Takahiro; Kitano, Hiroya

2015-12-01

Transoral robotic surgery, performed with the da Vinci surgical system (da Vinci), is a surgical approach for benign and malignant lesions of the oral cavity and laryngopharynx. It provides several unique advantages, which include a 3-dimensional magnified view and ability to see and work around curves or angles. However, the current da Vinci surgical system does not provide haptic feedback. This is problematic because the potential risks specific to the transoral use of the da Vinci include tooth injury, mucosal laceration, ocular injury and mandibular fracture. To assess the potential for intraoperative injuries, we measured the load of the endoscope and the instrument of the da Vinci Si surgical system. We pressed the endoscope and instrument of the da Vinci Si against Load cell six times each and measured the dynamic load and the time-to-maximum load. We also struck the da Vinci Si endoscope and instrument against the Load cell six times each and measured the impact load. The maximum dynamic load was 7.27 ± 1.31 kg for the endoscope and 1.90 ± 0.72 for the instrument. The corresponding time-to-maximum loads were 1.72 ± 0.22 and 1.29 ± 0.34 s, but the impact loads were significantly lower than the dynamic load. It remains possible that a major load is exerted on adjacent structures by continuous contact with the endoscope and instrument of da Vinci Si. However, there is a minor delay in reaching the maximum load. Careful monitoring by an on-site assistant may, therefore, help prevent contiguous injury.

Transportation and handling loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostrem, F. E.

1971-01-01

Criteria and recommended practices are presented for the prediction and verification of transportation and handling loads for the space vehicle structure and for monitoring these loads during transportation and handling of the vehicle or major vehicle segments. Elements of the transportation and handling systems, and the forcing functions and associated loads are described. The forcing functions for common carriers and typical handling devices are assessed, and emphasis is given to the assessment of loads at the points where the space vehicle is supported during transportation and handling. Factors which must be considered when predicting the loads include the transportation and handling medium; type of handling fixture; transport vehicle speed; types of terrain; weather (changes in pressure of temperature, wind, etc.); and dynamics of the transportation modes or handling devices (acceleration, deceleration, and rotations of the transporter or handling device).

A gas-loading system for LANL two-stage gas guns

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gibson, Lloyd Lee; Bartram, Brian Douglas; Dattelbaum, Dana Mcgraw

A novel gas loading system was designed for the specific application of remotely loading high purity gases into targets for gas-gun driven plate impact experiments. The high purity gases are loaded into well-defined target configurations to obtain Hugoniot states in the gas phase at greater than ambient pressures.The small volume of the gas samples is challenging, as slight changing in the ambient temperature result in measurable pressure changes. Therefore, the ability to load a gas gun target and continually monitor the sample pressure prior to firing provides the most stable and reliable target fielding approach. We present the design andmore » evaluation of a gas loading system built for the LANL 50 mm bore two-stage light gas gun. Targets for the gun are made of 6061 Al or OFHC Cu, and assembled to form a gas containment cell with a volume of approximately 1.38 cc. The compatibility of materials was a major consideration in the design of the system, particularly for its use with corrosive gases. Piping and valves are stainless steel with wetted seals made from Kalrez® and Teflon®. Preliminary testing was completed to ensure proper flow rate and that the proper safety controls were in place. The system has been used to successfully load Ar, Kr, Xe, and anhydrous ammonia with purities of up to 99.999 percent. The design of the system and example data from the plate impact experiments will be shown.« less

A gas-loading system for LANL two-stage gas guns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, L. L.; Bartram, B. D.; Dattelbaum, D. M.; Lang, J. M.; Morris, J. S.

2017-01-01

A novel gas loading system was designed for the specific application of remotely loading high purity gases into targets for gas-gun driven plate impact experiments. The high purity gases are loaded into well-defined target configurations to obtain Hugoniot states in the gas phase at greater than ambient pressures. The small volume of the gas samples is challenging, as slight changing in the ambient temperature result in measurable pressure changes. Therefore, the ability to load a gas gun target and continually monitor the sample pressure prior to firing provides the most stable and reliable target fielding approach. We present the design and evaluation of a gas loading system built for the LANL 50 mm bore two-stage light gas gun. Targets for the gun are made of 6061 Al or OFHC Cu, and assembled to form a gas containment cell with a volume of approximately 1.38 cc. The compatibility of materials was a major consideration in the design of the system, particularly for its use with corrosive gases. Piping and valves are stainless steel with wetted seals made from Kalrez® and Teflon®. Preliminary testing was completed to ensure proper flow rate and that the proper safety controls were in place. The system has been used to successfully load Ar, Kr, Xe, and anhydrous ammonia with purities of up to 99.999 percent. The design of the system and example data from the plate impact experiments will be shown.

[The Key Technology Study on Cloud Computing Platform for ECG Monitoring Based on Regional Internet of Things].

PubMed

Yang, Shu; Qiu, Yuyan; Shi, Bo

2016-09-01

This paper explores the methods of building the internet of things of a regional ECG monitoring, focused on the implementation of ECG monitoring center based on cloud computing platform. It analyzes implementation principles of automatic identifi cation in the types of arrhythmia. It also studies the system architecture and key techniques of cloud computing platform, including server load balancing technology, reliable storage of massive smalfi les and the implications of quick search function.

Feasibility of fatigue crack detection and tracking with a multi-sensor in-situ monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaoliang; Qi, Kevin; Qian, Tao; Mei, Gang

2014-02-01

Fatigue crack is a common problem for steel bridges. A cost effective and reliable method for detecting and verifying growth of a crack is desired. In this work, feasibilities of fatigue crack monitoring with acoustic emission sensors and strain gauges were studied on an A36 steel compact-tension coupon under cyclic tensile loading. By examining the ultrasonic signal time-of-arrival and frequency spectrum, acoustic emissions from a crack growth can be distinguished from other structural borne noises such as those from the interaction of loading bolts with the bolt holes on the plate. Strain sensor and clip gauge sensor data were also correlated well with the growth of the crack.

Classifying Drivers' Cognitive Load Using EEG Signals.

PubMed

Barua, Shaibal; Ahmed, Mobyen Uddin; Begum, Shahina

2017-01-01

A growing traffic safety issue is the effect of cognitive loading activities on traffic safety and driving performance. To monitor drivers' mental state, understanding cognitive load is important since while driving, performing cognitively loading secondary tasks, for example talking on the phone, can affect the performance in the primary task, i.e. driving. Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the reliable measures of cognitive load that can detect the changes in instantaneous load and effect of cognitively loading secondary task. In this driving simulator study, 1-back task is carried out while the driver performs three different simulated driving scenarios. This paper presents an EEG based approach to classify a drivers' level of cognitive load using Case-Based Reasoning (CBR). The results show that for each individual scenario as well as using data combined from the different scenarios, CBR based system achieved approximately over 70% of classification accuracy.

The Automated Logistics Element Planning System (ALEPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaab, Douglas G.

1991-01-01

The design and functions of ALEPS (Automated Logistics Element Planning System) is a computer system that will automate planning and decision support for Space Station Freedom Logistical Elements (LEs) resupply and return operations. ALEPS provides data management, planning, analysis, monitoring, interfacing, and flight certification for support of LE flight load planning activities. The prototype ALEPS algorithm development is described.

Resident Load Influence Analysis Method for Price Based on Non-intrusive Load Monitoring and Decomposition Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wenqian; Zeng, Bo; Yang, Zhou; Li, Gang

2018-01-01

In the non-invasive load monitoring mode, the load decomposition can reflect the running state of each load, which will help the user reduce unnecessary energy costs. With the demand side management measures of time of using price, a resident load influence analysis method for time of using price (TOU) based on non-intrusive load monitoring data are proposed in the paper. Relying on the current signal of the resident load classification, the user equipment type, and different time series of self-elasticity and cross-elasticity of the situation could be obtained. Through the actual household load data test with the impact of TOU, part of the equipment will be transferred to the working hours, and users in the peak price of electricity has been reduced, and in the electricity at the time of the increase Electrical equipment, with a certain regularity.

SSF loads and controllability during assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Charles R.; Ghofranian, S.; Fujii, E.

1993-01-01

The Orbiter Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) pulse width and firing frequency is restricted to prevent excessive loads in the Space Station Freedom (SSF). The feasibility of using the SSF Control Moment Gyros (CMG) as a secondary controller for load relief is evaluated. The studies revealed the CMG not only reduced loads but were useful for other SSF functions: vibration suppression and modal excitation. Vibration suppression lowers the g level for the SSF micro-g experiments and damps the low frequency oscillations that cause crew sickness. Modal excitation could be used for the modal identification experiment and health monitoring. The CMG's reduced the peak loads and damped the vibrations. They were found to be an effective multi-purpose ancillary device for SSF operation.

Web-based monitoring and management system for integrated enterprise-wide imaging networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Keith; Slik, David; Lam, Alvin; Ng, Won

2003-05-01

Mass proliferation of IP networks and the maturity of standards has enabled the creation of sophisticated image distribution networks that operate over Intranets, Extranets, Communities of Interest (CoI) and even the public Internet. Unified monitoring, provisioning and management of such systems at the application and protocol levels represent a challenge. This paper presents a web based monitoring and management tool that employs established telecom standards for the creation of an open system that enables proactive management, provisioning and monitoring of image management systems at the enterprise level and across multi-site geographically distributed deployments. Utilizing established standards including ITU-T M.3100, and web technologies such as XML/XSLT, JSP/JSTL, and J2SE, the system allows for seamless device and protocol adaptation between multiple disparate devices. The goal has been to develop a unified interface that provides network topology views, multi-level customizable alerts, real-time fault detection as well as real-time and historical reporting of all monitored resources, including network connectivity, system load, DICOM transactions and storage capacities.

An Automated and Continuous Plant Weight Measurement System for Plant Factory

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Tai; Yeh, Yu-Hui F.; Liu, Ting-Yu; Lin, Ta-Te

2016-01-01

In plant factories, plants are usually cultivated in nutrient solution under a controllable environment. Plant quality and growth are closely monitored and precisely controlled. For plant growth evaluation, plant weight is an important and commonly used indicator. Traditional plant weight measurements are destructive and laborious. In order to measure and record the plant weight during plant growth, an automated measurement system was designed and developed herein. The weight measurement system comprises a weight measurement device and an imaging system. The weight measurement device consists of a top disk, a bottom disk, a plant holder and a load cell. The load cell with a resolution of 0.1 g converts the plant weight on the plant holder disk to an analog electrical signal for a precise measurement. The top disk and bottom disk are designed to be durable for different plant sizes, so plant weight can be measured continuously throughout the whole growth period, without hindering plant growth. The results show that plant weights measured by the weight measurement device are highly correlated with the weights estimated by the stereo-vision imaging system; hence, plant weight can be measured by either method. The weight growth of selected vegetables growing in the National Taiwan University plant factory were monitored and measured using our automated plant growth weight measurement system. The experimental results demonstrate the functionality, stability and durability of this system. The information gathered by this weight system can be valuable and beneficial for hydroponic plants monitoring research and agricultural research applications. PMID:27066040

An Automated and Continuous Plant Weight Measurement System for Plant Factory.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Tai; Yeh, Yu-Hui F; Liu, Ting-Yu; Lin, Ta-Te

2016-01-01

In plant factories, plants are usually cultivated in nutrient solution under a controllable environment. Plant quality and growth are closely monitored and precisely controlled. For plant growth evaluation, plant weight is an important and commonly used indicator. Traditional plant weight measurements are destructive and laborious. In order to measure and record the plant weight during plant growth, an automated measurement system was designed and developed herein. The weight measurement system comprises a weight measurement device and an imaging system. The weight measurement device consists of a top disk, a bottom disk, a plant holder and a load cell. The load cell with a resolution of 0.1 g converts the plant weight on the plant holder disk to an analog electrical signal for a precise measurement. The top disk and bottom disk are designed to be durable for different plant sizes, so plant weight can be measured continuously throughout the whole growth period, without hindering plant growth. The results show that plant weights measured by the weight measurement device are highly correlated with the weights estimated by the stereo-vision imaging system; hence, plant weight can be measured by either method. The weight growth of selected vegetables growing in the National Taiwan University plant factory were monitored and measured using our automated plant growth weight measurement system. The experimental results demonstrate the functionality, stability and durability of this system. The information gathered by this weight system can be valuable and beneficial for hydroponic plants monitoring research and agricultural research applications.

Packaging and Mounting of In-Fibre Bragg Grating Arrays for Structural Health Monitoring of Large Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

33 Abbreviations CFRP Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer FBG Fibre Bragg Grating FGI Fiberglass International FO... Fibre Optic FOS Fibre Optic Sensor GFRP Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer HDPE High Density Polyethylene LED Light Emitting Diode MHC Mine Hunter...subsequent paragraphs. An operational loads monitoring system for wind turbine blades was demonstrated [7] using FBGs surface-mounted onto glass fibre

Application of Self Nulling Eddy Current Probe Technique to the Detection of Fatigue Crack Initiation and Control of Test Procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Namkung, M.; Nath, S.; Wincheski, B.; Fulton, J. P.

1994-01-01

A major part of fracture mechanics is concerned with studying the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. This typically requires constant monitoring of crack growth during fatigue cycles and the knowledge of the precise location of the crack tip at any given time. One technique currently available for measuring fatigue crack length is the Potential Drop method. The method, however, may be inaccurate if the direction of crack growth deviates considerably from what was assumed initially or the curvature of the crack becomes significant. Another popular approach is to optically view the crack using a high magnification microscope, but this entails a person constantly monitoring it. The present proposed technique uses an automated scheme, in order to eliminate the need for a person to constantly monitor the experiment. Another technique under development elsewhere is to digitize an optical image of the test specimen surface and then apply a pattern recognition algorithm to locate the crack tip. A previous publication showed that the self nulling eddy current probe successfully tracked a simulated crack in an aluminum sample. This was the impetus to develop an online real time crack monitoring system. An automated system has been developed which includes a two axis scanner mounted on the tensile testing machine, the probe and its instrumentation and a personal computer (PC) to communicate and control all the parameters. The system software controls the testing parameters as well as monitoring the fatigue crack as it propagates. This paper will discuss the experimental setup in detail and demonstrate its capabilities. A three dimensional finite element model is utilized to model the magnetic field distribution due to the probe and how the probe voltage changes as it scans the crack. Experimental data of the probe for different samples under zero load, static load and high cycle fatigue load will be discussed. The final section summarizes the major accomplishments of the present work, the elements of the future R&D needs and the advantages and disadvantages of using this system in the laboratory and field.

Description of the PMAD systems test bed facility and data system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trase, Larry; Fong, Don; Adkins, Vicki; Birchenough, Arthur

1992-01-01

The power management and distribution (PMAD) systems test bed facility, including the power sources and loads available, is discussed, and the PMAD data system (PDS) is described. The PDS controls the test-bed facility hardware, and monitors and records the electric power system control data bus and external data. The PDS architecture is discussed, and each of the subsystems is described.

Monitoring the battery status for photovoltaic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Myungsoo; Hwang, Euijin

Photovoltaic power systems in Korea have been installed in remote islands where it is difficult to connect the utilities. Lead/acid batteries are used as an energy storage device for the stand-alone photovoltaic system. Hence, monitoring the battery status of photovoltaic systems is quite important to extend the total system service life. To monitor the state-of-charge of batteries, we adopted a current interrupt technique to measure the internal resistance of the battery. The internal resistance increases at the end of charge/discharge steps and also with cycles. The specific gravity of the electrolyte was measured in relation to the state-of-charge. A home-made optical hydrometer was utilized for automatic monitoring of the specific gravity. It is shown that the specific gravity and stratification increase with cycle number. One of the photovoltaic systems in a remote island, Ho-do, which has 90 kW peak power was checked for actual operational conditions such as solar generation, load, and battery status.

Nonintrusive Load Monitoring Based on Advanced Deep Learning and Novel Signature.

PubMed

Kim, Jihyun; Le, Thi-Thu-Huong; Kim, Howon

2017-01-01

Monitoring electricity consumption in the home is an important way to help reduce energy usage. Nonintrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is existing technique which helps us monitor electricity consumption effectively and costly. NILM is a promising approach to obtain estimates of the electrical power consumption of individual appliances from aggregate measurements of voltage and/or current in the distribution system. Among the previous studies, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based models have been studied very much. However, increasing appliances, multistate of appliances, and similar power consumption of appliances are three big issues in NILM recently. In this paper, we address these problems through providing our contributions as follows. First, we proposed state-of-the-art energy disaggregation based on Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) model and additional advanced deep learning. Second, we proposed a novel signature to improve classification performance of the proposed model in multistate appliance case. We applied the proposed model on two datasets such as UK-DALE and REDD. Via our experimental results, we have confirmed that our model outperforms the advanced model. Thus, we show that our combination between advanced deep learning and novel signature can be a robust solution to overcome NILM's issues and improve the performance of load identification.

Nonintrusive Load Monitoring Based on Advanced Deep Learning and Novel Signature

PubMed Central

Le, Thi-Thu-Huong; Kim, Howon

2017-01-01

Monitoring electricity consumption in the home is an important way to help reduce energy usage. Nonintrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is existing technique which helps us monitor electricity consumption effectively and costly. NILM is a promising approach to obtain estimates of the electrical power consumption of individual appliances from aggregate measurements of voltage and/or current in the distribution system. Among the previous studies, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based models have been studied very much. However, increasing appliances, multistate of appliances, and similar power consumption of appliances are three big issues in NILM recently. In this paper, we address these problems through providing our contributions as follows. First, we proposed state-of-the-art energy disaggregation based on Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) model and additional advanced deep learning. Second, we proposed a novel signature to improve classification performance of the proposed model in multistate appliance case. We applied the proposed model on two datasets such as UK-DALE and REDD. Via our experimental results, we have confirmed that our model outperforms the advanced model. Thus, we show that our combination between advanced deep learning and novel signature can be a robust solution to overcome NILM's issues and improve the performance of load identification. PMID:29118809

Strategic sensor locations of FPR bridge decks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hwai-Chung; Warnemuende, Kraig; Yan, An; Mu, Bin

2003-07-01

Advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composite (FRP) has been increasingly used in bridge deck to replace concrete or steel. A FRP bridge deck can be designed to meet AASHTO HS-25 load requirements. FRP decks have many advantages over the conventional reinforced concrete or steel decks owing to their lightweight, high strength and corrosion resistance. However, such new deck system requires extensive monitoring to ensure its designed performance before its widespread acceptance by the bridge community. For inspection and evaluation purpose, a proper monitoring system consisting of various kinds of sensors installed in the FRP deck is critical. This paper provides a framework for designing an efficient monitoring system. The strategic sensor locations are identified based on the stress analysis of the FRP deck.

Improving ETMS Default Route Assignment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

Twenty-four hours before a scheduled flight departs, data on this flight from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) is loaded into the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS). This flight is then included in the Monitor/Alert demand predictions that ETM...

Quantifying weight bearing while in passive standers and a comparison of standers.

PubMed

Kecskemethy, Heidi H; Herman, Daniel; May, Ryan; Paul, Kathleen; Bachrach, Steven J; Henderson, Richard C

2008-07-01

Mechanical loading plays an important role in skeletal health, and this is a major reason standing devices are widely used with non-ambulatory persons. However, little is known about the true axial loading that occurs while in a stander, or the factors which may impact loading. The purpose of this study was to quantify weight borne while in a stander, and to directly compare different standers. Load measuring footplate adaptors were designed and fabricated specifically for this study. Weight bearing loads in 20 non-ambulatory persons with quadriplegic cerebral palsy aged 6 to 21 years (median 14 y) were continuously monitored during routine 30-minute standing sessions. Fourteen participants were female, six were male; one was Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level IV, and 19 were GMFCS Level V. Each participant was monitored on four to six occasions over an 8-week period, two to three times in each of two different standers (total 108 standing sessions). Weight bearing loads ranged widely from 37 to 101% of body weight. The difference between standers was as much as 29% body weight. There is wide variance in the actual weight borne while in passive standers. The type of stander utilized is one factor which can significantly affect the amount of weight borne.

Automated Power Systems Management (APSM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bridgeforth, A. O.

1981-01-01

A breadboard power system incorporating autonomous functions of monitoring, fault detection and recovery, command and control was developed, tested and evaluated to demonstrate technology feasibility. Autonomous functions including switching of redundant power processing elements, individual load fault removal, and battery charge/discharge control were implemented by means of a distributed microcomputer system within the power subsystem. Three local microcomputers provide the monitoring, control and command function interfaces between the central power subsystem microcomputer and the power sources, power processing and power distribution elements. The central microcomputer is the interface between the local microcomputers and the spacecraft central computer or ground test equipment.

Reflexive aerostructures: increased vehicle survivability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margraf, Thomas W.; Hemmelgarn, Christopher D.; Barnell, Thomas J.; Franklin, Mark A.

2007-04-01

Aerospace systems stand to benefit significantly from the advancement of reflexive aerostructure technologies for increased vehicle survivability. Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG) is developing lightweight, healable composite systems for use as primary load-bearing aircraft components. The reflexive system is comprised of piezoelectric structural health monitoring systems, localized thermal activation systems, and lightweight, healable composite structures. The reflexive system is designed to mimic the involuntary human response to damage. Upon impact, the structural health monitoring system will identify the location and magnitude of the damage, sending a signal to a discrete thermal activation control system to resistively heat the shape memory polymer (SMP) matrix composite above activation temperature, resulting in localized shape recovery and healing of the damaged areas. CRG has demonstrated SMP composites that can recover 90 percent of flexural yield stress and modulus after postfailure healing. During the development, CRG has overcome issues of discrete activation, structural health monitoring integration, and healable resin systems. This paper will address the challenges associated with development of a reflexive aerostructure, including integration of structural health monitoring, discrete healing, and healable shape memory resin systems.

An energy harvesting converter to power sensorized total human knee prosthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luciano, V.; Sardini, E.; Serpelloni, M.; Baronio, G.

2014-02-01

Monitoring the internal loads acting in a total knee prosthesis (TKP) is fundamental aspect to improve their design. One of the main benefits of this improvement is the longer duration of the tibial inserts. In this work, an electromagnetic energy harvesting system, which is implantable in a TKP, is presented. This is conceived for powering a future implantable system that is able to monitor the loads (and, possibly, other parameters) that could influence the working conditions of a TKP in real-time. The energy harvesting system (EHS) is composed of two series of NdFeB magnets, positioned into each condyle, and a coil that is placed in a pin of the tibial insert and connected to an implantable power management circuit. The magnetic flux variation and the induced voltage are generated by the knee's motion. A TKP prototype has been realized in order to reproduce the knee mechanics and to test the EHS performance. In the present work, the experimental results are obtained by adopting a resistive load of 2.2 kΩ, in order to simulate a real implanted autonomous system with a current consumption of 850 µA and voltage of 2 V. The tests showed that, after 7 to 30 s of walking with a gait cycle frequency of about 1.0 Hz, the EHS can generate an energy of about 70 μJ, guaranteeing a voltage between 2 and 1.4 V every 7.6 s. With this prototype we can verify that it is possible to power for 16 ms a circuit having a power consumption of 1.7 mW every 7.6 s. The proposed generator is a viable solution to power an implanted electronic system that is conceived for measuring and transmitting the TKP load parameters.

Cognitive load disrupts implicit theory-of-mind processing.

PubMed

Schneider, Dana; Lam, Rebecca; Bayliss, Andrew P; Dux, Paul E

2012-08-01

Eye movements in Sally-Anne false-belief tasks appear to reflect the ability to implicitly monitor the mental states of other individuals (theory of mind, or ToM). It has recently been proposed that an early-developing, efficient, and automatically operating ToM system subserves this ability. Surprisingly absent from the literature, however, is an empirical test of the influence of domain-general executive processing resources on this implicit ToM system. In the study reported here, a dual-task method was employed to investigate the impact of executive load on eye movements in an implicit Sally-Anne false-belief task. Under no-load conditions, adult participants displayed eye movement behavior consistent with implicit belief processing, whereas evidence for belief processing was absent for participants under cognitive load. These findings indicate that the cognitive system responsible for implicitly tracking beliefs draws at least minimally on executive processing resources. Thus, even the most low-level processing of beliefs appears to reflect a capacity-limited operation.

Passive detection of vehicle loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, Troy R.; Salvaggio, Carl; Faulring, Jason W.; Salvaggio, Philip S.; McKeown, Donald M.; Garrett, Alfred J.; Coleman, David H.; Koffman, Larry D.

2012-01-01

The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory (DIRS) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, along with the Savannah River National Laboratory is investigating passive methods to quantify vehicle loading. The research described in this paper investigates multiple vehicle indicators including brake temperature, tire temperature, engine temperature, acceleration and deceleration rates, engine acoustics, suspension response, tire deformation and vibrational response. Our investigation into these variables includes building and implementing a sensing system for data collection as well as multiple full-scale vehicle tests. The sensing system includes; infrared video cameras, triaxial accelerometers, microphones, video cameras and thermocouples. The full scale testing includes both a medium size dump truck and a tractor-trailer truck on closed courses with loads spanning the full range of the vehicle's capacity. Statistical analysis of the collected data is used to determine the effectiveness of each of the indicators for characterizing the weight of a vehicle. The final sensing system will monitor multiple load indicators and combine the results to achieve a more accurate measurement than any of the indicators could provide alone.

Enabling end-user network monitoring via the multicast consolidated proxy monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanwar, Anshuman; Almeroth, Kevin C.; Bhattacharyya, Supratik; Davy, Matthew

2001-07-01

The debugging of problems in IP multicast networks relies heavily on an eclectic set of stand-alone tools. These tools traditionally neither provide a consistent interface nor do they generate readily interpretable results. We propose the ``Multicast Consolidated Proxy Monitor''(MCPM), an integrated system for collecting, analyzing and presenting multicast monitoring results to both the end user and the network operator at the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP). The MCPM accesses network state information not normally visible to end users and acts as a proxy for disseminating this information. Functionally, through this architecture, we aim to a) provide a view of the multicast network at varying levels of granularity, b) provide end users with a limited ability to query the multicast infrastructure in real time, and c) protect the infrastructure from overwhelming amount of monitoring load through load control. Operationally, our scheme allows scaling to the ISPs dimensions, adaptability to new protocols (introduced as multicast evolves), threshold detection for crucial parameters and an access controlled, customizable interface design. Although the multicast scenario is used to illustrate the benefits of consolidated monitoring, the ultimate aim is to scale the scheme to unicast IP networks.

Smart acoustic emission system for wireless monitoring of concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Dong-Jin; Kim, Young-Gil; Kim, Chi-Yeop; Seo, Dae-Cheol

2008-03-01

Acoustic emission (AE) has emerged as a powerful nondestructive tool to detect preexisting defects or to characterize failure mechanisms. Recently, this technique or this kind of principle, that is an in-situ monitoring of inside damages of materials or structures, becomes increasingly popular for monitoring the integrity of large structures. Concrete is one of the most widely used materials for constructing civil structures. In the nondestructive evaluation point of view, a lot of AE signals are generated in concrete structures under loading whether the crack development is active or not. Also, it was required to find a symptom of damage propagation before catastrophic failure through a continuous monitoring. Therefore we have done a practical study in this work to fabricate compact wireless AE sensor and to develop diagnosis system. First, this study aims to identify the differences of AE event patterns caused by both real damage sources and the other normal sources. Secondly, it was focused to develop acoustic emission diagnosis system for assessing the deterioration of concrete structures such as a bridge, dame, building slab, tunnel etc. Thirdly, the wireless acoustic emission system was developed for the application of monitoring concrete structures. From the previous laboratory study such as AE event patterns analysis under various loading conditions, we confirmed that AE analysis provided a promising approach for estimating the condition of damage and distress in concrete structures. In this work, the algorithm for determining the damage status of concrete structures was developed and typical criteria for decision making was also suggested. For the future application of wireless monitoring, a low energy consumable, compact, and robust wireless acoustic emission sensor module was developed and applied to the concrete beam for performance test. Finally, based on the self-developed diagnosis algorithm and compact wireless AE sensor, new AE system for practical AE diagnosis was demonstrated for assessing the conditions of damage and distress in concrete structures.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood of patients with EBV-associated central nervous system diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Liu, Q-F; Ling, Y-W; Fan, Z-P; Jiang, Q-L; Sun, J; Wu, X-L; Zhao, J; Wei, Q; Zhang, Y; Yu, G-P; Wu, M-Q; Feng, R

2013-08-01

To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of monitoring the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood for the patients with EBV-associated central nervous system (CNS) diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), 172 patients undergoing allo-HSCT were enrolled in the study. The EBV DNA levels of blood were monitored regularly in recipients of transplants for 3 years post transplantation. The EBV DNA levels of CSF were monitored in patients with EBV-associated CNS diseases before the treatment and at different points following the treatment. Post-transplant EBV-associated diseases developed in 27 patients, including 12 patients with EBV-associated CNS diseases. The 3-year cumulative incidences of EBV-associated diseases and EBV-associated CNS diseases were 19.5 ± 3.5% and 8.6 ± 2.4%, respectively. Patients with EBV-associated diseases showed higher loads of EBV DNA in their blood compared with patients with EBV DNA-emia. No difference was seen between the EBV DNA levels of blood in patients with CNS involvement and patients without CNS involvement. The EBV DNA loads of blood increased 3-14 days before the clinical manifestations of EBV-associated diseases emerged. The EBV DNA loads of CSF were higher than that of blood in patients with EBV-associated CNS diseases. In 12 patients with EBV-associated CNS diseases, EBV DNA levels were declining in both blood and CSF with the control of diseases, and the EBV DNA loads of CSF decreased faster than that of blood in 5 patients who responded to treatment, and the EBV DNA levels of CSF increased in 5 patients who were unresponsive to treatment. On multivariate analysis, the use of anti-thymocyte globulin and intensified conditioning regimens were independent risk factors for EBV-associated diseases and EBV-associated CNS diseases. EBV-associated CNS diseases are not rare after allo-HSCT. The EBV DNA loads of CSF could act as an important indicator, but the EBV DNA loads of blood could not, for the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic evaluation of EBV-associated CNS diseases. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Monitoring external and internal loads of brazilian soccer referees during official matches.

PubMed

Costa, Eduardo C; Vieira, Caio M A; Moreira, Alexandre; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Castagna, Carlo; Aoki, Marcelo S

2013-01-01

This study aimed to assess the external and internal loads of Brazilian soccer referees during official matches. A total of 11 field referees (aged 36.2 ± 7.5 years) were monitored during 35 matches. The external (distance covered, mean and maximal speed) and internal load parameters (session ratings of perceived exertion [RPE] training load [TL], Edwards' TL, and time spent in different heart rate [HR] zones) were assessed in 3-4 matches per referee. External load parameters were measured using a wrist Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. No differences in distance covered (5.219 ± 205 vs. 5.230 ± 237 m) and maximal speed (19.3 ± 1.0 vs. 19.4 ± 1.4 km·h(-1)) were observed between the halves of the matches (p > 0.05). However, the mean speed was higher in the first half of the matches (6.6 ± 0.4 vs. 6.4 ± 0.3 km·h(-1)) (p < 0.05) than in the second half. The mean HR during the matches was ~89% of HRmax. In ~95% of the matches, the referees demonstrated a HR ≥ 80% of HRmax. Nonetheless, the time spent at 90-100% of HRmax was higher in the first half (59.9 vs. 52.3%) (p < 0.05). Significant correlations between session RPE TL and distance covered at 90-100% of HRmax (r = 0.62) and session RPE TL and maximal speed (r = 0.54) (p < 0.05) were noted. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between session RPE TL and Edwards' TL (r = 0.61) (p < 0.05). Brazilian soccer referees demonstrated high external and internal load demands during official matches. The portable GPS/HR monitors and session RPE method can provide relevant information regarding the magnitude of the physiological strain during official matches. Key PointsHigh external and internal loads were imposed on Brazilian soccer referees during official matches.There was a high positive correlation between a subjective marker of internal load (session RPE) and parameters of external load (distance covered between 90-100% of HRmax and maximal speed).There was a high positive correlation between session RPE method and Edwards' method.Session RPE seems to be a reliable marker of internal load.The portable GPS/HR monitors and the session RPE method can provide relevant information regarding the magnitude of external and internal loads of soccer referees during official matches.

Continuous Passive Sampling of Solutes from Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindblad Vendelboe, Anders; de Jonge, Hubert; Rozemeijer, Joachim; Wollesen de Jonge, Lis

2015-04-01

Agricultural subsurface tube drain systems play an important role in water and solute transport. One study, focusing on lowland agricultural catchments, showed that subsurface tube drainage contributed up to 80% of the annual discharge and 90% of the annual NO3 load from agricultural fields to the receiving water bodies. Knowledge of e.g. nutrient loads and drainage volumes, based on measurements and modelling, are important for adequate water quality management. Despite the importance of tube drain transport of solutes, monitoring data are scarce. This scarcity is a result of the existing monitoring techniques for flow and contaminant load from tube drains being expensive and labor-extensive. The study presented here aimed at developing a cheap, simple, and robust method to monitor solute loads from tube drains. The method is based on the newly developed Flowcap, which can be attached to existing tube drain outlets and can measure total flow, contaminant load and flow-averaged concentrations of solutes in the drainage. The Flowcap builds on the existing Sorbicell principle, a passive sampling system that measures average concentrations over longer periods of time (days to months) for various compounds. The Sorbicell consists of two compartments permeable to water. One compartment contains an adsorbent and one contains a tracer. When water passes through the Sorbicell the compound of interest is absorbed while a tracer is released. Using the tracer loss to calculate the volume of water that has passed the Sorbicell it is possible to calculate the average concentration of the compound. When mounting Sorbicells in the Flowcap, a flow-proportional part of the drainage is sampled from the main stream. To accommodate the wide range of drainage flow rates two Flowcaps with different capacities were tested in the laboratory: one with a capacity of 25 L min-1 (Q25) and one with a capacity of 256 L min-1 (Q256). In addition, Sorbicells with two different hydraulic resistances were tested, again to accommodate a large range of potential drainage flows rates. The experiment was continued until the Sorbicell's capacity was exhausted, which gave experimentation times from 6 to 34 days, while continuously changing the drainage flow rate to simulate field drainage conditions, and to test the range of the Flowcap. The laboratory testing yielded a very good linear correlation between drainage flow rates and Sorbicell sampling rates, giving r = 0.99 for both the Q25 and the Q256 Flowcap. The Sorbicells in this experiment were designed to measure NO3, but the Flowcap can be used with any Sorbicell and thus be used to measure any compound of interest. The Flowcap does not need housing, electricity, or maintenance and continuously register drainage volumes and contaminant loads for periods up to one month. This, in addition to the low cost of the monitoring system, enables large-scale monitoring of contaminant loads via tube drains, giving valuable data for the improvement of contaminant transport models. Further, these data will help select and evaluate the different mitigation option to improve water quality.

Interpretation of Landscape Scale SWAT Model Outputs in the Western Lake Erie Basin: Potential Implications for Conservation Decision-Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M. V. V.; Behrman, K. D.; Atwood, J. D.; White, M. J.; Norfleet, M. L.

2017-12-01

There is substantial interest in understanding how conservation practices and agricultural management impact water quality, particularly phosphorus dynamics, in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). In 2016, the US and Canada accepted total phosphorus (TP) load targets recommended by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Annex 4 Objectives and Targets Task Team; these were 6,000 MTA delivered to Lake Erie and 3,660 MTA delivered to WLEB. Outstanding challenges include development of metrics to determine achievement of these goals, establishment of sufficient monitoring capacity to assess progress, and identification of appropriate conservation practices to achieve the most cost-effective results. Process-based modeling can help inform decisions to address these challenges more quickly than can system observation. As part of the NRCS-led Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to predict impacts of conservation practice adoption reported by farmers on TP loss and load delivery dynamics in WLEB. SWAT results suggest that once the conservation practices in place in 2003-06 and 2012 are fully functional, TP loads delivered to WLEB will average 3,175 MTA and 3,084 MTA, respectively. In other words, SWAT predicts that currently adopted practices are sufficient to meet Annex 4 TP load targets. Yet, WLEB gauging stations show Annex 4 goals are unmet. There are several reasons the model predictions and current monitoring efforts are not in agreement: 1. SWAT assumes full functionality of simulated conservation practices; 2. SWAT does not simulate changing management over time, nor impacts of past management on legacy loads; 3. SWAT assumes WLEB hydrological system equilibrium under simulated management. The SWAT model runs used to construct the scenarios that informed the Annex 4 targets were similarly constrained by model assumptions. It takes time for a system to achieve equilibrium when management changes and it takes time for monitoring efforts to measure meaningful changes over time. Careful interpretation of model outputs is imperative for appropriate application of current scientific knowledge to inform decision making, especially when models are used to set spatial and temporal goals around conservation practice adoption and water quality.

Crack propagation analysis using acoustic emission sensors for structural health monitoring systems.

PubMed

Kral, Zachary; Horn, Walter; Steck, James

2013-01-01

Aerospace systems are expected to remain in service well beyond their designed life. Consequently, maintenance is an important issue. A novel method of implementing artificial neural networks and acoustic emission sensors to form a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for aerospace inspection routines was the focus of this research. Simple structural elements, consisting of flat aluminum plates of AL 2024-T3, were subjected to increasing static tensile loading. As the loading increased, designed cracks extended in length, releasing strain waves in the process. Strain wave signals, measured by acoustic emission sensors, were further analyzed in post-processing by artificial neural networks (ANN). Several experiments were performed to determine the severity and location of the crack extensions in the structure. ANNs were trained on a portion of the data acquired by the sensors and the ANNs were then validated with the remaining data. The combination of a system of acoustic emission sensors, and an ANN could determine crack extension accurately. The difference between predicted and actual crack extensions was determined to be between 0.004 in. and 0.015 in. with 95% confidence. These ANNs, coupled with acoustic emission sensors, showed promise for the creation of an SHM system for aerospace systems.

Design and Application of a Field Sensing System for Ground Anchors in Slopes

PubMed Central

Choi, Se Woon; Lee, Jihoon; Kim, Jong Moon; Park, Hyo Seon

2013-01-01

In a ground anchor system, cables or tendons connected to a bearing plate are used for stabilization of slopes. Then, the stability of a slope is dependent on maintaining the tension levels in the cables. So far, no research on a strain-based field sensing system for ground anchors has been reported. Therefore, in this study, a practical monitoring system for long-term sensing of tension levels in tendons for anchor-reinforced slopes is proposed. The system for anchor-reinforced slopes is composed of: (1) load cells based on vibrating wire strain gauges (VWSGs), (2) wireless sensor nodes which receive and process the signals from load cells and then transmit the result to a master node through local area communication, (3) master nodes which transmit the data sent from sensor nodes to the server through mobile communication, and (4) a server located at the base station. The system was applied to field sensing of ground anchors in the 62 m-long and 26 m-high slope at the side of the highway. Based on the long-term monitoring, the safety of the anchor-reinforced slope can be secured by the timely applications of re-tensioning processes in tendons. PMID:23507820

Experimental study of mini SCADA renewable energy management system on microgrid using Raspberry Pi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tridianto, E.; Permatasari, P. D.; Ali, I. R.

2018-03-01

Renewable Energy Management System (REMS) is a device that can be able to monitor power through a microgrid. The purpose of this system is to optimize power usage that produced from renewable energy with the result that reduces power demand from the grid. To reach the goal this device manage the load power needs fully supplied by renewable energy when the power produced from renewable energy is higher than load demand, besides power surplus will be stored in battery in this way energy stored in battery can be used when it needed. When the power produced from renewable energy can not satisfy the power demand, power will supply by renewable energy and grid. This device uses power meters for record any power flow through microgrid. In order to manage power flow in microgrid this system use relay module. The user can find out energy consumption (consumed by the load) and production (produced by renewable energy) in a period of time so that the user can switch on the load in right time.

[Comparative analysis of viral load by bDNA HCV RNA-2.0 and amplicor HCV monitor in patients with hepatitis C infection].

PubMed

Córdoba, J; Olaso, V; Molina, J M; López Viedma, B; Argüello, L; Ortiz, V; Esteban, R J; Garijo, R; Pastor, M; Gobernado, M

2000-01-01

Two standardized techniques, Quantiplex (bDNA-2.0) and Amplicor Monitor have been evaluated for the quantification of virus load of HCV with these objectives: a) determinate the relationship between virus load and genotype, and b) evaluate the virus load in serial serum samples and in patients with normal or slightly increased liver enzymes in an area with a high prevalence of genotype 1. A significant correlation of 0.7 (p < 0.0001) in virus load has been observed by both methods, but the virus load is smaller by Monitor than by Quantiplex and does not depend on genotype. The relationship Monitor/Quantiplex is smaller in patients with non-1 genotype than in patients with genotype 1a (p = 0.01) and 1b (p = 0.005). Virus characteristics are similar in patients with normal or slightly increased enzymes than in patients with high enzymes. Virus load by both methods is not related to the age, sex, know duration of the infection, transmission manner of the infection neither to the histologic activity index. The virus load not depends on genotype. The determination of virus load in a single serum sample adequately reflects the virus load are in several serum samples in patients with chronic HCV infection. The genotype and the virus load are similar in patients with normal enzymes than in patients with high enzymes.

MLP-1 on Crawler Transporter 2 (CT-2)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-22

NASA's upgraded crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2), carrying mobile launcher platform 1, moves slowly along the crawlerway at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crawler's upgrades and modifications will be monitored and tested under loaded conditions during its travel to the crawlerway Pad A/B split and back to the crawler yard to confirm it is ready to support the load of the mobile launcher carrying the Space Launch System with Orion atop for the first test flight, Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy is managing upgrades to the crawler.

Bridge condition assessment based on long-term strain monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, LiMin; Sun, Shouwang

2011-04-01

In consideration of the important role that bridges play as transportation infrastructures, their safety, durability and serviceability have always been deeply concerned. Structural Health Monitoring Systems (SHMS) have been installed to many long-span bridges to provide bridge engineers with the information needed in making rational decisions for maintenance. However, SHMS also confronted bridge engineers with the challenge of efficient use of monitoring data. Thus, methodologies which are robust to random disturbance and sensitive to damage become a subject on which many researches in structural condition assessment concentrate. In this study, an innovative probabilistic approach for condition assessment of bridge structures was proposed on the basis of long-term strain monitoring on steel girder of a cable-stayed bridge. First, the methodology of damage detection in the vicinity of monitoring point using strain-based indices was investigated. Then, the composition of strain response of bridge under operational loads was analyzed. Thirdly, the influence of temperature and wind on strains was eliminated and thus strain fluctuation under vehicle loads is obtained. Finally, damage evolution assessment was carried out based on the statistical characteristics of rain-flow cycles derived from the strain fluctuation under vehicle loads. The research conducted indicates that the methodology proposed is qualified for structural condition assessment so far as the following respects are concerned: (a) capability of revealing structural deterioration; (b) immunity to the influence of environmental variation; (c) adaptability to the random characteristic exhibited by long-term monitoring data. Further examination of the applicability of the proposed methodology in aging bridge may provide a more convincing validation.

An experimental work on wireless structural health monitoring system applying on a submarine model scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugroho, W. H.; Purnomo, N. J. H.; Soedarto, T.

2016-11-01

This paper presents an experimental work to monitor the health of submarine hull structures using strain sensors and wireless communication technology. The monitored - submarine hull was built in a hydro elastic model scale 1: 30 with a steel bar backbone and tested on water tank of Indonesian Hydrodynamic Laboratory (IHL). Specifically, this health monitoring system for the submarine model was developed using wireless modems, data communication software and conventional strain sensors. This system was used to monitor the loads on a steel bar backbone of the running submarine model from the edge of the water tank. Commands were issued from a notebook to instruct the health monitoring system to acquire data from sensors mounted externally to the steel bar. Data from measurements made on the structure are then transmitted wirelessly back to a notebook computer for processing and analysis. The results of the tank test have been validated and showed no loss of communication signal over an area of the tank. This work also presents a potential use of involving complete automation of this system with an in-service structure coupled with an on-line warning/damage detection capability.

Understanding transport pathways in a river system - Monitoring sediments contaminated by an incident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, S.; Kleisinger, C.; Hillebrand, G.; Claus, E.; Schwartz, R.; Carls, I.; Winterscheid, A.; Schubert, B.

2016-12-01

Experiments to trace transport of sediments and suspended particulate matter on a river scale are an expensive and difficult venture, since it causes a lot of official requirements. In spring 2015, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were released during restoration works at a bridge in the upper part of the Elbe River, near the Czech-German border. In this study, the particle-bound PCB-transport is applied as a tracer for monitoring transport pathways of suspended solids (SS) along a whole river stretch over 700 km length. The incident was monitored by concentration measurements of seven indicator PCB congeners along the inland part of the Elbe River as well as in the Elbe estuary. Data from 15 monitoring stations (settling tanks) as well as from two longitudinal campaigns (grab samples) along the river in July and August 2015 are considered. The total PCB load is calculated for all stations on the basis of monthly contaminant concentrations and daily suspended sediment concentrations. Monte-Carlo simulations assess the uncertainties of the calculated load. 1D water levels and GIS analysis were used to locate temporal storage areas for the SS. It is shown that the ratio of high versus low chlorinated PCB congeners is a suitable tracer to distinguish the PCB load of the incident from the long-term background signal. Furthermore, the reduction of total PCB load within the upper Elbe indicates that roughly 24% of the SS were transported with the water by wash load. Approximately 600 km downstream of the incident site, the PCB-marked wash load was first identified in July 2015. PCB load transported intermittently in suspension was detected roughly 400 km downstream of the incident site by August 2015. In the Elbe Estuary, PCB-marked SS were only found upstream of the steep slope of water depth (approx. 4 to 15 m) within Hamburg harbor that acts as a major sediment sink. Here, SS from the inland Elbe are mixed with lowly contaminated marine material, which may mask the effect of the PCB release.

An optimized network for phosphorus load monitoring for Lake Okeechobee, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gain, W.S.

1997-01-01

Phosphorus load data were evaluated for Lake Okeechobee, Florida, for water years 1982 through 1991. Standard errors for load estimates were computed from available phosphorus concentration and daily discharge data. Components of error were associated with uncertainty in concentration and discharge data and were calculated for existing conditions and for 6 alternative load-monitoring scenarios for each of 48 distinct inflows. Benefit-cost ratios were computed for each alternative monitoring scenario at each site by dividing estimated reductions in load uncertainty by the 5-year average costs of each scenario in 1992 dollars. Absolute and marginal benefit-cost ratios were compared in an iterative optimization scheme to determine the most cost-effective combination of discharge and concentration monitoring scenarios for the lake. If the current (1992) discharge-monitoring network around the lake is maintained, the water-quality sampling at each inflow site twice each year is continued, and the nature of loading remains the same, the standard error of computed mean-annual load is estimated at about 98 metric tons per year compared to an absolute loading rate (inflows and outflows) of 530 metric tons per year. This produces a relative uncertainty of nearly 20 percent. The standard error in load can be reduced to about 20 metric tons per year (4 percent) by adopting an optimized set of monitoring alternatives at a cost of an additional $200,000 per year. The final optimized network prescribes changes to improve both concentration and discharge monitoring. These changes include the addition of intensive sampling with automatic samplers at 11 sites, the initiation of event-based sampling by observers at another 5 sites, the continuation of periodic sampling 12 times per year at 1 site, the installation of acoustic velocity meters to improve discharge gaging at 9 sites, and the improvement of a discharge rating at 1 site.

Development of noSQL data storage for the ATLAS PanDA Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potekhin, M.; ATLAS Collaboration

2012-06-01

For several years the PanDA Workload Management System has been the basis for distributed production and analysis for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Since the start of data taking PanDA usage has ramped up steadily, typically exceeding 500k completed jobs/day by June 2011. The associated monitoring data volume has been rising as well, to levels that present a new set of challenges in the areas of database scalability and monitoring system performance and efficiency. These challenges are being met with a R&D effort aimed at implementing a scalable and efficient monitoring data storage based on a noSQL solution (Cassandra). We present our motivations for using this technology, as well as data design and the techniques used for efficient indexing of the data. We also discuss the hardware requirements as they were determined by testing with actual data and realistic loads.

Characterization of electrical appliances in transient state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wójcik, Augustyn; Winiecki, Wiesław

2017-08-01

The article contains the study about electrical appliance characterization on the basis of power grid signals. To represent devices, parameters of current and voltage signals recorded during transient states are used. In this paper only transients occurring as a result of switching on devices are considered. The way of data acquisition performed in specialized measurement setup developed for electricity load monitoring is described. The paper presents the method of transients detection and the method of appliance parameters calculation. Using the set of acquired measurement data and appropriate software the set of parameters for several household appliances operating in different operating conditions was processed. Usefulness of appliances characterization in Non-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring System (NIALMS) with the use of proposed method is discussed focusing on obtained results.

Integrating Condition Indicators and Usage Parameters for Improved Spiral Bevel Gear Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Handschuh, Robert F.; Delgado, Irebert R.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to illustrate the importance of combining Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) data with usage monitoring system data when detecting rotorcraft transmission health. Six gear sets were tested in the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Rig. Damage was initiated and progressed on the gear and pinion teeth. Damage progression was measured by debris generation and documented with inspection photos at varying torque values. A contact fatigue analysis was applied to the gear design indicating the effect temperature, load and reliability had on gear life. Results of this study illustrated the benefits of combining HUMS data and actual usage data to indicate progression of damage for spiral bevel gears.

Integrating Condition Indicators and Usage Parameters for Improved Spiral Bevel Gear Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Handschuh, Robert F.; Delgado, Irebert, R.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to illustrate the importance of combining Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) data with usage monitoring system data when detecting rotorcraft transmission health. Three gear sets were tested in the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Rig. Damage was initiated and progressed on the gear and pinion teeth. Damage progression was measured by debris generation and documented with inspection photos at varying torque values. A contact fatigue analysis was applied to the gear design indicating the effect temperature, load and reliability had on gear life. Results of this study illustrated the benefits of combining HUMS data and actual usage data to indicate progression of damage for spiral bevel gears.

Finite element modeling to determine thermal residual strain distribution of bonded composite repairs for structural health monitoring design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Wayne; Jones, Rhys; Davis, Claire; Galea, Stephen C.

2002-11-01

The economic implication of fleet upgrades, particularly in Australia with military aircraft such as the F-111 and F/A-18, has led to an increasing reliance on composite repair technology to address fatigue and corrosion-affected aircraft components. The increasing use of such repairs has led to a research effort to develop various in-situ health monitoring systems that may be incorporated with a repair. This paper reports on the development of a theoretical methodology that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to model the strain profiles which optical sensors, on or within the patch, will be exposed to under various operational scenarios, including load and disbond. Numerical techniques are then used to predict the fibre Bragg grating (FBG) reflections which occur with these strain profiles. The quality of these reflection are a key consideration when designing FBG based structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. This information can be used to optimise the location of both surface mounted, and embedded sensors, and determine feasibility of SHM system design. Research was conducted into the thermal residual strain (TRS) within the patch. A finite element study revealed the presence of significant thermal residual strain gradients along the surface of the tapered region of the patch. As Bragg gratings are particularly sensitive to strain gradients, (producing a result similar to a chirped grating) the strain gradient on the composite at potential sensor locations both under load, and in the event of disbond was considered. A sufficiently high gradient leads to an altered Bragg reflection. These spurious reflections need to be considered, and theoretically obtained reflections can provide information to allow for load scenarios where the Bragg shift is not a smooth, well defined peak. It can also be shown that embedded fibres offer a higher average thermal residual strain reading, while being subject to a much lower strain gradient. This particularly favors the optical disbond detection system that is being developed. While certification concerns exist with embedding sensors in repairs, this study shows that embedded optical fibre sensors may provide for a health monitoring system with enhanced reliability and sensitivity.

Study on fault diagnosis and load feedback control system of combine harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Wang, Kun

2017-01-01

In order to timely gain working status parameters of operating parts in combine harvester and improve its operating efficiency, fault diagnosis and load feedback control system is designed. In the system, rotation speed sensors were used to gather these signals of forward speed and rotation speeds of intermediate shaft, conveying trough, tangential and longitudinal flow threshing rotors, grain conveying auger. Using C8051 single chip microcomputer (SCM) as processor for main control unit, faults diagnosis and forward speed control were carried through by rotation speed ratio analysis of each channel rotation speed and intermediate shaft rotation speed by use of multi-sensor fused fuzzy control algorithm, and these processing results would be sent to touch screen and display work status of combine harvester. Field trials manifest that fault monitoring and load feedback control system has good man-machine interaction and the fault diagnosis method based on rotation speed ratios has low false alarm rate, and the system can realize automation control of forward speed for combine harvester.

Active Learning Framework for Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Xin

2016-05-16

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a set of techniques that estimate the electricity usage of individual appliances from power measurements taken at a limited number of locations in a building. One of the key challenges in NILM is having too much data without class labels yet being unable to label the data manually for cost or time constraints. This paper presents an active learning framework that helps existing NILM techniques to overcome this challenge. Active learning is an advanced machine learning method that interactively queries a user for the class label information. Unlike most existing NILM systems that heuristically requestmore » user inputs, the proposed method only needs minimally sufficient information from a user to build a compact and yet highly representative load signature library. Initial results indicate the proposed method can reduce the user inputs by up to 90% while still achieving similar disaggregation performance compared to a heuristic method. Thus, the proposed method can substantially reduce the burden on the user, improve the performance of a NILM system with limited user inputs, and overcome the key market barriers to the wide adoption of NILM technologies.« less

Reliability, Durability and Packaging of Fibre Bragg Gratings for Large-Scale Structural Health Monitoring of Defence Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

thermoset system designed to achieve good wetting , high-strength and low-creep adhesion. Many commercially-available adhesives were sourced and...Bragg grating: 1. Removal of the fibre coating. 2. Photosensitization of the fibre. 3. Exposure of the grating to UV laser light. 4. Annealing and...molecular hydrogen loading (H2 loading) in a heated pressure vessel . Photosensitisation results in a stronger refractive index contrast for a given

Bioretention Systems: Partial Factorial Designs for Nitrate Removal

EPA Science Inventory

Changes in nutrient loadings are monitored by introducing captured stormwater runoff into eight outdoor rain gardens at EPA’s Urban Water Research Facility in Edison, New Jersey scaled for residential and urban landscapes. The partial factorial design includes non-vegetated meso...

Statistical loads data for Boeing 737-400 aircraft in commercial operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

The primary objective of this research is to support the FAA Airborne Data Monitoring Systems Research Program by developing new and improved methods and criteria for processing and presenting large commercial transport airplane flight and ground loa...

Master Console System Monitoring and Control Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, Russell A.

2013-01-01

The Master Console internship during the spring of 2013 involved the development of firing room displays at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This position was with the Master Console Product Group (MCPG) on the Launch Control System (LCS) project. This project is responsible for the System Monitoring and Control (SMC) and Record and Retrieval (R&R) of launch operations data. The Master Console is responsible for: loading the correct software into each of the remaining consoles in the firing room, connecting the proper data paths to and from the launch vehicle and all ground support equipment, and initializing the entire firing room system to begin processing. During my internship, I developed a system health and status display for use by Master Console Operators (MCO) to monitor and verify the integrity of the servers, gateways, network switches, and firewalls used in the firing room.

Measuring bed load discharge in rivers: bedload-surrogate monitoring workshop Minneapolis, Minnesota, 11-14 April 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, John R.; Laronne, Jonathan B.; Marr, Jeffrey D.G.

2007-01-01

The International Bedload-Surrogate Monitoring Workshop (http://www.nced.umn.edu/BRIC_2007.html), organized by the Bedload Research International Cooperative (BRIC; www.bedloadresearch.org), was held to assess and abet progress in continuous, semiautomated, or fully automated (surrogate) technologies for monitoring bed load discharge in gravel-, sand-, and mixed gravel-sand-bedded rivers. Direct bed load measurements, particularly at medium and high flows, during which most bed load occurs, tend to be time-consuming, expensive, and potentially hazardous. Surrogate technologies developed largely over the past decade and used at a number of research sites around the world show considerable promise toward providing relatively dense, robust, and quantifiably reliable bed load data sets. However, information on the efficacy of selected technologies for use in monitoring programs is needed, as is identification of the ways and means for bringing the most promising and practical of the technologies to fruition.

Application of voltage oriented control technique in a fully renewable, wind powered, autonomous system with storage capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondylis, Georgios P.; Vokas, Georgios A.; Anastasiadis, Anestis G.; Konstantinopoulos, Stavros A.

2017-02-01

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the technological feasibility of a small autonomous network, with electricity storage capability, which is completely electrified by wind energy. The excess energy produced, with respect to the load requirements, is sent to the batteries for storage. When the energy produced by the wind generator is not sufficient, load's energy requirement is covered by the battery system, ensuring, however, that voltage, frequency and other system characteristics are within the proper boundaries. For the purpose of this study, a Voltage Oriented Control system has been developed in order to monitor the autonomous operation and perform the energy management of the network. This system manages the power flows between the load and the storage system by properly controlling the Pulse Width Modulation pulses in the converter, thus ensuring power flows are adequate and frequency remains under control. The experimental results clearly indicate that a stand-alone wind energy system based on battery energy storage system is feasible and reliable. This paves the way for fully renewable and zero emission energy schemes.

A Mock UF6 Feed and Withdrawal System for Testing Safeguards Monitoring Systems and Strategies Intended for Nuclear Fuel Enrichment and Processing Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krichinsky, Alan M; Bates, Bruce E; Chesser, Joel B

2009-12-01

This report describes an engineering-scale, mock UF6 feed and withdrawal (F&W) system, its operation, and its intended uses. This system has been assembled to provide a test bed for evaluating and demonstrating new methodologies that can be used in remote, unattended, continuous monitoring of nuclear material process operations. These measures are being investigated to provide independent inspectors improved assurance that operations are being conducted within declared parameters, and to increase the overall effectiveness of safeguarding nuclear material. Testing applicable technologies on a mock F&W system, which uses water as a surrogate for UF6, enables thorough and cost-effective investigation of hardware,more » software, and operational strategies before their direct installation in an industrial nuclear material processing environment. Electronic scales used for continuous load-cell monitoring also are described as part of the basic mock F&W system description. Continuous monitoring components on the mock F&W system are linked to a data aggregation computer by a local network, which also is depicted. Data collection and storage systems are described only briefly in this report. The mock UF{sub 6} F&W system is economical to operate. It uses a simple process involving only a surge tank between feed tanks and product and withdrawal (or waste) tanks. The system uses water as the transfer fluid, thereby avoiding the use of hazardous UF{sub 6}. The system is not tethered to an operating industrial process involving nuclear materials, thereby allowing scenarios (e.g., material diversion) that cannot be conducted otherwise. These features facilitate conducting experiments that yield meaningful results with a minimum of expenditure and quick turnaround time. Technologies demonstrated on the engineering-scale system lead to field trials (described briefly in this report) for determining implementation issues and performance of the monitoring technologies under plant operating conditions. The ultimate use of technologies tested on the engineering-scale test bed is to work with safeguards agencies to install them in operating plants (e.g., enrichment and fuel processing plants), thereby promoting new safeguards measures with minimal impact to operating plants. In addition, this system is useful in identifying features for new plants that can be incorporated as part of 'safeguards by design,' in which load cells and other monitoring technologies are specified to provide outputs for automated monitoring and inspector evaluation.« less

Method and apparatus for testing surface characteristics of a material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, David L. (Inventor); Kersker, Karl D. (Inventor); Stratton, Troy C. (Inventor); Richardson, David E. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A method, apparatus and system for testing characteristics of a material sample is provided. The system includes an apparatus configured to house the material test sample while defining a sealed volume against a surface of the material test sample. A source of pressurized fluid is in communication with, and configured to pressurize, the sealed volume. A load applying apparatus is configured to apply a defined load to the material sample while the sealed volume is monitored for leakage of the pressurized fluid. Thus, the inducement of surface defects such as microcracking and crazing may be detected and their effects analyzed for a given material. The material test samples may include laminar structures formed of, for example, carbon cloth phenolic, glass cloth phenolic, silica cloth phenolic materials or carbon-carbon materials. In one embodiment the system may be configured to analyze the material test sample while an across-ply loading is applied thereto.

Lamb Wave-Based Structural Health Monitoring on Composite Bolted Joints under Tensile Load

PubMed Central

Yang, Bin; Xuan, Fu-Zhen; Xiang, Yanxun; Li, Dan; Zhu, Wujun; Tang, Xiaojun; Xu, Jichao; Yang, Kang; Luo, Chengqiang

2017-01-01

Online and offline monitoring of composite bolted joints under tensile load were investigated using piezoelectric transducers. The relationships between Lamb wave signals, pre-tightening force, the applied tensile load, as well as the failure modes were investigated. Results indicated that S0/A0 wave amplitudes decrease with the increasing of load. Relationships between damage features and S0/A0 mode were built based on the finite element (FE) simulation and experimental results. The possibility of application of Lamb wave-based structure health monitoring in bolted joint-like composite structures was thus achieved. PMID:28773014

Electronic Performance Support for Operational Systems: A Case Study of the Link Monitor and Control Operator Assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Randall W., Jr.; Cooper, Lynne P.

1993-01-01

For complex operational systems, help needs to come from the inside out. It is often not realistic to call a help desk for problems that need immediate attention, especially for tasks that put a heavy cognitive load on the system operator. This session addresses the issues associated with providing electronic performance support for operational systems, including situations where the system is already fielded and can only change through evolution rather than revolution. We present a case study based on our experiences in developing the Link Monitor and Control Operator Assistant for NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). The goals of the Operator Assistant are to improve the operability of the system and increase the efficiency of mission operations.

Health Monitoring of a Rotating Disk Using a Combined Analytical-Experimental Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdul-Aziz, Ali; Woike, Mark R.; Lekki, John D.; Baaklini, George Y.

2009-01-01

Rotating disks undergo rigorous mechanical loading conditions that make them subject to a variety of failure mechanisms leading to structural deformities and cracking. During operation, periodic loading fluctuations and other related factors cause fractures and hidden internal cracks that can only be detected via noninvasive types of health monitoring and/or nondestructive evaluation. These evaluations go further to inspect material discontinuities and other irregularities that have grown to become critical defects that can lead to failure. Hence, the objectives of this work is to conduct a collective analytical and experimental study to present a well-rounded structural assessment of a rotating disk by means of a health monitoring approach and to appraise the capabilities of an in-house rotor spin system. The analyses utilized the finite element method to analyze the disk with and without an induced crack at different loading levels, such as rotational speeds starting at 3000 up to 10 000 rpm. A parallel experiment was conducted to spin the disk at the desired speeds in an attempt to correlate the experimental findings with the analytical results. The testing involved conducting spin experiments which, covered the rotor in both damaged and undamaged (i.e., notched and unnotched) states. Damaged disks had artificially induced through-thickness flaws represented in the web region ranging from 2.54 to 5.08 cm (1 to 2 in.) in length. This study aims to identify defects that are greater than 1.27 cm (0.5 in.), applying available means of structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation, and documenting failure mechanisms experienced by the rotor system under typical turbine engine operating conditions.

Effect of State of Stress on Velocity of Low-Amplitude Shear Waves Propagating along Principal Stress Directions in Dry Sand.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

TESTING DEVICE .... ....... 63 3.1 INTRODUCTION .... ............... .. 43 3.2 STRUCTURE OF THE CUBE ... ........... .. 43 3.3 LOADING SYSTEM ...45 3.4 EXCITATION SYSTEM ............ 47 3.5 MONITORING AND RECORDING SYSTEM ...... . 48 3.6 STRESS MEASUREMENT ... ............ .. 49 3.7...Roesler (1979) .. ......... .. 265 xx Figure Page A.1 Schematic Diagram of Model Cube and Associated Systems ........ ..................... . 281 A.2 Cut

The Doubting System 1: Evidence for automatic substitution sensitivity.

PubMed

Johnson, Eric D; Tubau, Elisabet; De Neys, Wim

2016-02-01

A long prevailing view of human reasoning suggests severe limits on our ability to adhere to simple logical or mathematical prescriptions. A key position assumes these failures arise from insufficient monitoring of rapidly produced intuitions. These faulty intuitions are thought to arise from a proposed substitution process, by which reasoners unknowingly interpret more difficult questions as easier ones. Recent work, however, suggests that reasoners are not blind to this substitution process, but in fact detect that their erroneous responses are not warranted. Using the popular bat-and-ball problem, we investigated whether this substitution sensitivity arises out of an automatic System 1 process or whether it depends on the operation of an executive resource demanding System 2 process. Results showed that accuracy on the bat-and-ball problem clearly declined under cognitive load. However, both reduced response confidence and increased response latencies indicated that biased reasoners remained sensitive to their faulty responses under load. Results suggest that a crucial substitution monitoring process is not only successfully engaged, but that it automatically operates as an autonomous System 1 process. By signaling its doubt along with a biased intuition, it appears System 1 is "smarter" than traditionally assumed.

Experimental Studies on Geocells and Mat Systems for Stabilization of Unpaved Shoulders and Temporary Roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jun

Geosynthetics have been used to improve the performance of geomaterials, especially when weak soil exists in roadway applications. In this study, two types of geosynthetic materials, geocell and a mat system, were studied for their applications for unpaved roads and shoulders. The study of geocell was focused on its application for unpaved shoulders. The ability of geocell to improve different geomaterials over intermediate strength subgrade and its possible effect on vegetation were investigated. The study of the mat system was focused on investigating the performance of the mat system over soft and intermediate subgrade with different strengths under cyclic loading to simulate temporary roadway conditions. In the study of geocell for the application for unpaved shoulders, six large scale plate loading tests were conducted on a single type of geocell on target 5% CBR subgrade to investigate the benefits of geocell reinforcement on different base course and topsoil combinations. Different base course and topsoil combinations were investigated including: 200-mm thick unreinforced aggregate, 200-mm thick soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% top soil) with and without geocell reinforcement, 200-mm thick geocell-reinforced topsoil, 50-mm thick aggregate over 150-mm soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% top soil), and 50-mm thick top soil over 150-mm thick geocell-reinforced soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% top soil). Earth pressure cells were install at the interface between subgrade and base course to monitor the load distribution. The cyclic plate loading tests showed that geocell effectively reduced the permanent deformation and the geocell-reinforced soil-aggregate mixture slightly outperformed the unreinforced aggregate at the same thickness. The plate loading tests also suggested the topsoil cover resulted in large permanent deformations. A one-year long outdoor field vegetation test was conducted on base courses with different combinations of aggregate and topsoil including: 200-mm thick unreinforced topsoil, 200-mm thick soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% topsoil), 50-mm thick aggregate over 150-mm soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% topsoil), and 50-mm thick topsoil over 150-mm reinforced soil-aggregate mixture (50% aggregate and 50% topsoil) to investigate the possible effect of geocell on shoulder vegetation established mainly by tall fescue grass and perennial ryegrass. One control (unreinforced) section and one geocell-reinforced section were prepared for each base course combination with a surface area of 1.5 m by 1.5 m. During the one-year test period, soil moisture temperature and volumetric moisture content were monitored. Weather data, such as precipitation and air temperature, were obtain from the nearby weather station at the Lawrence airport. Vegetation growth was evaluated by grass leaf blade length, root length, and grass density. Vegetation biomass was obtained at the end of the test. The test results showed no definite evidence of geocell influencing the vegetation in unpaved shoulders. In the study of the mat system, six large-scale cyclic plate loading tests were conducted on a single type of polyethylene mat system with anchorage to study its performance over soft and intermediate subgrade with the CBR ranging from 1% to 4%. For the comparison purposes, test sections with and without the mat system were prepared and evaluated. For the test section with 1% CBR subgrade, an aggregate base course was used for the test section without the mat system to enable the cyclic plate loading test. The size of the mat system under the investigation was 1.92 m by 1.92 m. A cyclic load at the magnitude of 40 kN was applied through a 300 mm diameter loading plate with a thin rubber pad to simulate a vehicle tire. Earth pressure cells were installed at the interface between the mat system and the subgrade to monitor the load distribution. Loading plate displacements were measured by the displacement transducer inside the actuator. Test results concluded that the mat system was more effective over the intermediate subgrade than the soft subgrade and when large permanent deformations were allowed.

Passive acoustic monitoring of bed load for fluvial applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The sediment transported as bed load in streams and rivers is notoriously difficult to monitor cheaply and accurately. Passive acoustic methods are relatively simple, inexpensive, and provide spatial integration along with high temporal resolution. In 1963 work began on monitoring emissions from par...

Development of a real-time bridge structural monitoring and warning system: a case study in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khemapech, I.; Sansrimahachai, W.; Toachoodee, M.

2017-04-01

Regarded as one of the physical aspects under societal and civil development and evolution, engineering structure is required to support growth of the nation. It also impacts life quality and safety of the civilian. Despite of its own weight (dead load) and live load, structural members are also significantly affected by disaster and environment. Proper inspection and detection are thus crucial both during regular and unsafe events. An Enhanced Structural Health Monitoring System Using Stream Processing and Artificial Neural Network Techniques (SPANNeT) has been developed and is described in this paper. SPANNeT applies wireless sensor network, real-time data stream processing and artificial neural network based upon the measured bending strains. Major contributions include an effective, accurate and energy-aware data communication and damage detection of the engineering structure. Strain thresholds have been defined according to computer simulation results and the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) LRFD (Load and Resistance Factor Design) Bridge Design specifications for launching several warning levels. SPANNeT has been tested and evaluated by means of computer-based simulation and on-site levels. According to the measurements, the observed maximum values are 25 to 30 microstrains during normal operation. The given protocol provided at least 90% of data communication reliability. SPANNeT is capable of real-time data report, monitoring and warning efficiently conforming to the predefined thresholds which can be adjusted regarding user's requirements and structural engineering characteristics.

Acoustic signal propagation and measurement in natural stream channels for application to surrogate bed load measurements: Halfmoon Creek, Colorado

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Monitoring sediment-generated noise using submerged hydrophones is a surrogate method for measuring bed load transport in streams with the potential for improving estimates of bed load transport through widespread, inexpensive monitoring. Understanding acoustic signal propagation in natural stream e...

40 CFR 63.11527 - What are the monitoring requirements for new and existing sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... an existing affected source, you may install, operate, and maintain a bag leak detection system for.... If you own or operate a new affected source, you must install, operate, and maintain a bag leak... foot) or less. (ii) The bag leak detection system sensor must provide output of relative PM loadings...

Monitoring of Bridges by a Laser Pointer: Dynamic Measurement of Support Rotations and Elastic Line Displacements: Methodology and First Test

PubMed Central

Artese, Serena; Achilli, Vladimiro; Zinno, Raffaele

2018-01-01

Deck inclination and vertical displacements are among the most important technical parameters to evaluate the health status of a bridge and to verify its bearing capacity. Several methods, both conventional and innovative, are used for structural rotations and displacement monitoring; however, none of these allow, at the same time, precision, automation, static and dynamic monitoring without using high cost instrumentation. The proposed system uses a common laser pointer and image processing. The elastic line inclination is measured by analyzing the single frames of an HD video of the laser beam imprint projected on a flat target. For the image processing, a code was developed in Matlab® that provides instantaneous rotation and displacement of a bridge, charged by a mobile load. An important feature is the synchronization of the load positioning, obtained by a GNSS receiver or by a video. After the calibration procedures, a test was carried out during the movements of a heavy truck maneuvering on a bridge. Data acquisition synchronization allowed us to relate the position of the truck on the deck to inclination and displacements. The inclination of the elastic line at the support was obtained with a precision of 0.01 mrad. The results demonstrate the suitability of the method for dynamic load tests, and the control and monitoring of bridges. PMID:29370082

Monitoring of Microbial Loads During Long Duration Missions as a Risk Reduction Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roman, Monsi C.

2011-01-01

Humans have been exploring space for more than 40 years. For all those years microorganisms have accompanied, first un-manned spacecraft/cargo and later manned vessels. Microorganisms are everywhere on Earth, could easily adapt to new environments and/or can rapidly mutate to survive in very harsh conditions. Their presence in spacecraft and cargo have caused a few inconveniences over the years of humans spaceflight, ranging from crew health, life support systems challenges and material degradation. The sterilization of spacecraft that will host humans in long duration mission would be a costly operation that will not provide a long-term solution to the microbial colonization of the vessels. As soon as a human is exposed to the spacecraft, during the mission, microorganisms will start to populate the new environment. As the hum an presence in space increases in length, the risk from the microbial load, to hardware and crew will also increase. Mitigation of this risk includes several different strategies that will include minimizing the microbial load (in numbers and diversity) and monitoring. This presentation will provide a list of the risk mitigation strategies that should be implemented during ground processing, and during the mission. It will also discuss the areas that should be discussed before an effective in-flight microbial monitoring regimen is implemented. Microbial monitoring technologies will also be presented.

Amplifying human ability through autonomics and machine learning in IMPACT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzieciuch, Iryna; Reeder, John; Gutzwiller, Robert; Gustafson, Eric; Coronado, Braulio; Martinez, Luis; Croft, Bryan; Lange, Douglas S.

2017-05-01

Amplifying human ability for controlling complex environments featuring autonomous units can be aided by learned models of human and system performance. In developing a command and control system that allows a small number of people to control a large number of autonomous teams, we employ an autonomics framework to manage the networks that represent mission plans and the networks that are composed of human controllers and their autonomous assistants. Machine learning allows us to build models of human and system performance useful for monitoring plans and managing human attention and task loads. Machine learning also aids in the development of tactics that human supervisors can successfully monitor through the command and control system.

Sled Control and Safety System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forrest, L. J.

1982-01-01

Computerized system for controlling motion of linear-track accelerator applied to other automated equipment, such as numerically-controlled machine tools and robot manipulators on assembly lines. System controls motions of sled with sine-wave signal created digitally by microprocessor. Dynamic parameters of sled motion are monitored so sled may be stopped safely if malfunction occurs. Sled is capable of sinusoidal accelerations up to 0.5 g with 125-kg load.

Analysis of Nitrogen Loads From Long Island Sound Watersheds, 1988-98

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullaney, J. R.; Trench, E. C.

2001-05-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently estimated annual nonpoint-source nitrogen loads from watersheds that drain to Long Island Sound. The study, was conducted in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to assist these agencies with the issue of low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound caused by nitrogen enrichment. A regression model was used to determine annual nitrogen loads at 27 streams monitored by the USGS during 1988-98. Estimates of nitrogen loads from municipal wastewater-treatment plants (where applicable) were subtracted from the total nitrogen loads to determine the nonpoint-source nitrogen load for each water-quality monitoring station. The nonpoint-source load information was applied to unmonitored areas by comparing the land-use and land-cover characteristics of monitored areas with unmonitored areas, and selecting basins that were most similar. In extrapolating load estimates to unmonitored areas, regional differences in mean annual runoff between monitored and unmonitored areas also were considered, using flow information from nearby USGS gaging stations. Estimates of nonpoint nitrogen loads from monitored areas with point sources of nitrogen discharge and estimates from unmonitored areas are subject to uncertainty. These estimates could be improved with additional data collection in coastal basins and in basins with a large percentage of urbanized land, measurements of instream transformation or losses of nitrogen, improved reporting of total nitrogen concentrations from municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and tracking of intrabasin and (or) interbasin diversion of water.

Monitoring of Pre-Load on Rock Bolt Using Piezoceramic-Transducer Enabled Time Reversal Method.

PubMed

Huo, Linsheng; Wang, Bo; Chen, Dongdong; Song, Gangbing

2017-10-27

Rock bolts ensure structural stability for tunnels and many other underground structures. The pre-load on a rock bolt plays an important role in the structural reinforcement and it is vital to monitor the pre-load status of rock bolts. In this paper, a rock bolt pre-load monitoring method based on the piezoceramic enabled time reversal method is proposed. A lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patch transducer, which works as an actuator to generate stress waves, is bonded onto the anchor plate of the rock bolt. A smart washer, which is fabricated by sandwiching a PZT patch between two metal rings, is installed between the hex nut and the anchor plate along the rock bolt. The smart washer functions as a sensor to detect the stress wave. With the increase of the pre-load values on the rock bolt, the effective contact surface area between the smart washer and the anchor plate, benefiting the stress wave propagation crossing the contact surface. With the help of time reversal technique, experimental results reveal that the magnitude of focused signal clearly increases with the increase of the pre-load on a rock bolt before the saturation which happens beyond a relatively high value of the pre-load. The proposed method provides an innovative and real time means to monitor the pre-load level of a rock bolt. By employing this method, the pre-load degradation process on a rock bolt can be clearly monitored. Please note that, currently, the proposed method applies to only new rock bolts, on which it is possible to install the PZT smart washer.

Sample Fabrication and Experimental Approach for Studying Interfacial Sliding in Thin Film-Substrate Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9...SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) N/A 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed...mounted in a SATEC load frame. Figure 4 is a schematic of the diffusion bonding chamber and associated equipment. Al/Si and Cu/Quartz samples were

An Inverse Interpolation Method Utilizing In-Flight Strain Measurements for Determining Loads and Structural Response of Aerospace Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shkarayev, S.; Krashantisa, R.; Tessler, A.

2004-01-01

An important and challenging technology aimed at the next generation of aerospace vehicles is that of structural health monitoring. The key problem is to determine accurately, reliably, and in real time the applied loads, stresses, and displacements experienced in flight, with such data establishing an information database for structural health monitoring. The present effort is aimed at developing a finite element-based methodology involving an inverse formulation that employs measured surface strains to recover the applied loads, stresses, and displacements in an aerospace vehicle in real time. The computational procedure uses a standard finite element model (i.e., "direct analysis") of a given airframe, with the subsequent application of the inverse interpolation approach. The inverse interpolation formulation is based on a parametric approximation of the loading and is further constructed through a least-squares minimization of calculated and measured strains. This procedure results in the governing system of linear algebraic equations, providing the unknown coefficients that accurately define the load approximation. Numerical simulations are carried out for problems involving various levels of structural approximation. These include plate-loading examples and an aircraft wing box. Accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed method are discussed in detail. The experimental validation of the methodology by way of structural testing of an aircraft wing is also discussed.

A method to approximate a closest loadability limit using multiple load flow solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yorino, Naoto; Harada, Shigemi; Cheng, Haozhong

A new method is proposed to approximate a closest loadability limit (CLL), or closest saddle node bifurcation point, using a pair of multiple load flow solutions. More strictly, the obtainable points by the method are the stationary points including not only CLL but also farthest and saddle points. An operating solution and a low voltage load flow solution are used to efficiently estimate the node injections at a CLL as well as the left and right eigenvectors corresponding to the zero eigenvalue of the load flow Jacobian. They can be used in monitoring loadability margin, in identification of weak spotsmore » in a power system and in the examination of an optimal control against voltage collapse. Most of the computation time of the proposed method is taken in calculating the load flow solution pair. The remaining computation time is less than that of an ordinary load flow.« less

Halloysite clay nanotubes for resveratrol delivery to cancer cells.

PubMed

Vergaro, Viviana; Lvov, Yuri M; Leporatti, Stefano

2012-09-01

Halloysite is natural aluminosilicate clay with hollow tubular structure which allows loading with low soluble drugs using their saturated solutions in organic solvents. Resveratrol, a polyphenol known for having antioxidant and antineoplastic properties, is loaded inside these clay nanotubes lumens. Release time of 48 h is demonstrated. Spectroscopic and ζ-potential measurements are used to study the drug loading/release and for monitoring the nanotube layer-by-layer (LbL) coating with polyelectrolytes for further release control. Resveratrol-loaded clay nanotubes are added to breast cell cultures for toxicity tests. Halloysite functionalization with LbL polyelectrolyte multilayers remarkably decrease nanotube self-toxicity. MTT measurements performed with a neoplastic cell lines model system (MCF-7) as function of the resveratrol-loaded nanotubes concentration and incubation time indicate that drug-loaded halloysite strongly increase of cytotoxicity leading to cell apoptosis. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a tool to monitor exhaust air from poultry operations.

PubMed

Druckenmüller, Katharina; Günther, Klaus; Elbers, Gereon

2018-07-15

Intensive poultry operation systems emit a considerable volume of inorganic and organic matter in the surrounding environment. Monitoring cleaning properties of exhaust air cleaning systems and to detect small but significant changes in emission characteristics during a fattening cycle is important for both emission and fattening process control. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometric techniques as a monitoring tool of exhaust air from poultry operation systems. To generate a high-quality data set for evaluation, the exhaust air of two poultry houses was sampled by applying state-of-the-art filter sampling protocols. The two stables were identical except for one crucial difference, the presence or absence of an exhaust air cleaning system. In total, twenty-one exhaust air samples were collected at the two sites to monitor spectral differences caused by the cleaning device, and to follow changes in exhaust air characteristics during a fattening period. The total dust load was analyzed by gravimetric determination and included as a response variable in multivariate data analysis. The filter samples were directly measured with NIR spectroscopy. Principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and factor analysis (FA) were effective in classifying the NIR exhaust air spectra according to fattening day and origin. The results indicate that the dust load and the composition of exhaust air (inorganic or organic matter) substantially influence the NIR spectral patterns. In conclusion, NIR spectroscopy as a tool is a promising and very rapid way to detect differences between exhaust air samples based on still not clearly defined circumstances triggered during a fattening period and the availability of an exhaust air cleaning system. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extracting a representative loading spectrum from recorded flight data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denyer, Anthony G.

1994-01-01

One of the more important ingredients when computing the life of a structure is the loading environment. This paper describes the development of an aircraft loading spectrum that closely matches the service experience, thus allowing a more accurate assessment of the structural life. The paper outlines the flight loads data collection system, the procedures developed to compile and interpret the service records and the techniques used to define a spectrum suitable for structural life analysis. The areas where the procedures were tailored to suit the special situation of the USAF B-1B bomber are also discussed. the results of the methodology verification, achieved by comparing the generated spectra with the results of strain gage monitoring during service operations, are also presented.

Improved Speed Control System for the 87,000 HP Wind Tunnel Drive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becks, Edward A.; Bencic, Timothy J.; Blumenthal, Philip Z.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the design, installation, and integrated systems tests for a new drive motor speed control system which was part of a recent rehab project for the NASA Lewis 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The tunnel drive consists of three mechanically-coupled 29,000 HP wound rotor induction motors driving an axial flow compressor. Liquid rheostats are used to vary the impedance of the rotor circuits, thus varying the speed of the drive system. The new design utilizes a distributed digital control system with a dual touch screen CRT operator console to provide alarm monitoring, logging, and trending. The liquid rheostats are driven by brushtype servomotor systems with magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers used for position feedback. The new system achieved all goals for speed variations with load, motor load balance, and control of total power.

Improved speed control system for the 87,000 HP wind tunnel drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becks, Edward A.; Bencic, Timothy J.; Blumenthal, Philip Z.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the design, installation, and integrated systems tests for a new drive motor speed control system which was part of a recent rehab project for the NASA Lewis 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The tunnel drive consists of three mechanically-coupled 29,000 HP wound rotor induction motors driving an axial flow compressor. Liquid rheostats are used to vary the impedance of the rotor circuits, thus varying the speed of the drive system. The new design utilizes a distributed digital control system with a dual touch screen CRT operator console to provide alarm monitoring, logging, and trending. The liquid rheostats are driven by brushtype servomotor systems with magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers used for position feedback. The new system achieved all goals for speed variations with load, motor load balance, and control of total power.

Seasonal and spatial variability of nitrosamines and their precursor sources at a large-scale urban drinking water system.

PubMed

Woods, Gwen C; Trenholm, Rebecca A; Hale, Bruce; Campbell, Zeke; Dickenson, Eric R V

2015-07-01

Nitrosamines are considered to pose greater health risks than currently regulated DBPs and are subsequently listed as a priority pollutant by the EPA, with potential for future regulation. Denver Water, as part of the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 2 (UCMR2) monitoring campaign, found detectable levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at all sites of maximum residency within the distribution system. To better understand the occurrence of nitrosamines and nitrosamine precursors, Denver Water undertook a comprehensive year-long monitoring campaign. Samples were taken every two weeks to monitor for NDMA in the distribution system, and quarterly sampling events further examined 9 nitrosamines and nitrosamine precursors throughout the treatment and distribution systems. NDMA levels within the distribution system were typically low (>1.3 to 7.2 ng/L) with a remote distribution site (frequently >200 h of residency) experiencing the highest concentrations found. Eight other nitrosamines (N-nitrosomethylethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine, N-nitroso-di-n-butylamine, N-nitroso-di-phenylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosomorpholine) were also monitored but none of these 8, or precursors of these 8 [as estimated with formation potential (FP) tests], were detected anywhere in raw, partially-treated or distribution samples. Throughout the year, there was evidence that seasonality may impact NDMA formation, such that lower temperatures (~5-10°C) produced greater NDMA than during warmer months. The year of sampling further provided evidence that water quality and weather events may impact NDMA precursor loads. Precursor loading estimates demonstrated that NDMA precursors increased during treatment (potentially from cationic polymer coagulant aids). The precursor analysis also provided evidence that precursors may have increased further within the distribution system itself. This comprehensive study of a large-scale drinking water system provides insight into the variability of NDMA occurrence in a chloraminated system, which may be impacted by seasonality, water quality changes and/or the varied origins of NDMA precursors within a given system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compact photoacoustic tomography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalva, Sandeep Kumar; Pramanik, Manojit

2017-03-01

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a non-ionizing biomedical imaging modality which finds applications in brain imaging, tumor angiogenesis, monitoring of vascularization, breast cancer imaging, monitoring of oxygen saturation levels etc. Typical PAT systems uses Q-switched Nd:YAG laser light illumination, single element large ultrasound transducer (UST) as detector. By holding the UST in horizontal plane and moving it in a circular motion around the sample in full 2π radians photoacoustic data is collected and images are reconstructed. The horizontal positioning of the UST make the scanning radius large, leading to larger water tank and also increases the load on the motor that rotates the UST. To overcome this limitation, we present a compact photoacoustic tomographic (ComPAT) system. In this ComPAT system, instead of holding the UST in horizontal plane, it is held in vertical plane and the photoacoustic waves generated at the sample are detected by the UST after it is reflected at 45° by an acoustic reflector attached to the transducer body. With this we can reduce the water tank size and load on the motor, thus overall PAT system size can be reduced. Here we show that with the ComPAT system nearly similar PA images (phantom and in vivo data) can be obtained as that of the existing PAT systems using both flat and cylindrically focused transducers.

Operating system for a real-time multiprocessor propulsion system simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, G. L.

1984-01-01

The success of the Real Time Multiprocessor Operating System (RTMPOS) in the development and evaluation of experimental hardware and software systems for real time interactive simulation of air breathing propulsion systems was evaluated. The Real Time Multiprocessor Operating System (RTMPOS) provides the user with a versatile, interactive means for loading, running, debugging and obtaining results from a multiprocessor based simulator. A front end processor (FEP) serves as the simulator controller and interface between the user and the simulator. These functions are facilitated by the RTMPOS which resides on the FEP. The RTMPOS acts in conjunction with the FEP's manufacturer supplied disk operating system that provides typical utilities like an assembler, linkage editor, text editor, file handling services, etc. Once a simulation is formulated, the RTMPOS provides for engineering level, run time operations such as loading, modifying and specifying computation flow of programs, simulator mode control, data handling and run time monitoring. Run time monitoring is a powerful feature of RTMPOS that allows the user to record all actions taken during a simulation session and to receive advisories from the simulator via the FEP. The RTMPOS is programmed mainly in PASCAL along with some assembly language routines. The RTMPOS software is easily modified to be applicable to hardware from different manufacturers.

Concentrations and Loads of Nutrients and Suspended Sediments in Englesby Brook and Little Otter Creek, Lake Champlain Basin, Vermont, 2000-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medalie, Laura

2007-01-01

The effectiveness of best-management practices (BMPs) in improving water quality in Lake Champlain tributaries was evaluated from 2000 through 2005 on the basis of analysis of data collected on concentrations of total phosphorus and suspended sediment in Englesby Brook, an urban stream in Burlington, and Little Otter Creek, an agricultural stream in Ferrisburg. Data also were collected on concentrations of total nitrogen in the Englesby Brook watershed. In the winter of 2001-2002, one of three planned structural BMPs was installed in the urban watershed. At approximately the same time, a set of barnyard BMPs was installed in the agricultural watershed; however, the other planned BMPs, which included streambank fencing and nutrient management, were not implemented within the study period. At Englesby Brook, concentrations of phosphorus ranged from 0.024 to 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/L) during base-flow and from 0.032 to 11.8 mg/L during high-flow conditions. Concentrations of suspended sediment ranged from 3 to 189 mg/L during base-flow and from 5 to 6,880 mg/L during high-flow conditions. An assessment of the effectiveness of an urban BMP was made by comparing concentrations and loads of phosphorus and suspended sediment before and after a golf-course irrigation pond in the Englesby Brook watershed was retrofitted with the objective of reducing sediment transport. Results from a modified paired watershed study design showed that the BMP reduced concentrations of phosphorus and suspended sediment during high-flow events - when average streamflow was greater than 3 cubic feet per second. While construction of the BMP did not reduce storm loads of phosphorus or suspended sediment, an evaluation of changes in slope of double-mass curves showing cumulative monthly streamflow plotted against cumulative monthly loads indicated a possible reduction in cumulative loads of phosphorus and suspended sediment after BMP construction. Results from the Little Otter Creek assessment of agricultural BMPs showed that concentrations of phosphorus ranged from 0.016 to 0.141 mg/L during base-flow and from 0.019 to 0.565 mg/L during high-flow conditions at the upstream monitoring station. Concentrations of suspended sediment ranged from 2 to 13 mg/L during base-flow and from 1 to 473 mg/L during high-flow conditions at the upstream monitoring station. Concentrations of phosphorus ranged from 0.018 to 0.233 mg/L during base-flow and from 0.019 to 1.95 mg/L during high-flow conditions at the downstream monitoring station. Concentrations of suspended sediment ranged from 10 to 132 mg/L during base-flow and from 8 to 1,190 mg/L during high-flow conditions at the downstream monitoring station. Annual loads of phosphorus at the downstream monitoring station were significantly larger than loads at the upstream monitoring station, and annual loads of suspended sediment at the downstream monitoring station were larger than loads at the upstream monitoring station for 4 out of 6 years. On a monthly basis, loads of phosphorus and suspended sediment at the downstream monitoring station were significantly larger than loads at the upstream monitoring station. Pairs of concentrations of phosphorus and monthly loads of phosphorus and suspended sediment from the upstream and downstream monitoring stations were evaluated using the paired watershed study design. The only significant reduction between the calibration and treatment periods was for monthly loads of phosphorus; all other evaluations showed no change between periods.

The use of One-Dimensional Laboratory Experiments to Assess Hydraulic Processes in Wastewater Soil Absorption Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huntzinger, D. N.; McCray, J. E.; Siegrist, R.; Lowe, K.; VanCuyk, S.

2001-05-01

Sixteen, one-dimensional column lysimeters have been developed to evaluate the influence of loading regime and infiltrative surface character on hydraulic performance in wastewater soil absorption systems. A duplicate design was utilized to evaluate two infiltrative surface conditions (gravel-free vs. gravel-laden) under four hydraulic loading regimes representative of possible field conditions. By loading the columns at rates of 25 to 200 cm/day, the 17 weeks of column operation actually reflect up to approximately 13 yrs of field operation (at 5 cm/day). Therefore, the cumulative mass throughput and infiltrative rate loss for each loading regime can be examined to determine the viability of accelerated loading as a means to compress the time scale of observation, while still producing meaningfully results for the field scale. During operation, the columns were loaded with septic tank effluent at a prescribed rate and routinely monitoring for applied effluent composition, infiltration rate, time-dependant soil water content, water volume throughput, and percolate composition. Bromide tracer tests were completed prior to system startup and at weeks 2, 6, and 17 of system operation. Hydraulic characterization of the columns is based on measurements of the hydraulic loading rate, volumetric throughput, soil water content, and bromide breakthrough curves. Incipient ponding of wastewater developed during the 1st week of operation for columns loaded at the highest hydraulic rate (loading regimes 1 and 2), and during the 3rd and 6th week of operation for loading regimes 3 and 4, respectfully. The bromide breakthrough curves exhibit later breakthrough and tailing as system life increases, indicating the development of spatially variability in hydraulic conductivity within the column and the development of a clogging zone at the infiltrative surface. Throughput is assessed for each loading regime to determine the infiltration rate loss versus days of operation. Loading regimes 1 and 2 approach a comparable long-term throughput rate less than 20 cm/day, while loading regimes 3 and 4 reach a long-term throughput rate of less than 10 cm/day. These one-dimensional columns allow for the analysis of infiltrative rate loss and hydraulic behavior as a result of infiltrative surface character and loading regime.

Data processing of high-rate low-voltage distribution grid recordings for smart grid monitoring and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maaß, Heiko; Cakmak, Hüseyin Kemal; Bach, Felix; Mikut, Ralf; Harrabi, Aymen; Süß, Wolfgang; Jakob, Wilfried; Stucky, Karl-Uwe; Kühnapfel, Uwe G.; Hagenmeyer, Veit

2015-12-01

Power networks will change from a rigid hierarchic architecture to dynamic interconnected smart grids. In traditional power grids, the frequency is the controlled quantity to maintain supply and load power balance. Thereby, high rotating mass inertia ensures for stability. In the future, system stability will have to rely more on real-time measurements and sophisticated control, especially when integrating fluctuating renewable power sources or high-load consumers like electrical vehicles to the low-voltage distribution grid.

Policy Guidance From a Multi-scale Suite of Natural Field and Digital Laboratories of Change: Hydrological Catchment Studies of Nutrient and Pollutant Source Releases, Waterborne Transport-Transformations and Mass Flows in Water Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, G.

2008-12-01

Continental fresh water transports and loads excess nutrients and pollutants from various land surface sources, through the landscape, into downstream inland and coastal water environments. Our ability to understand, predict and control the eutrophication and the pollution pressures on inland, coastal and marine water ecosystems relies on our ability to quantify these mass flows. This paper synthesizes a series of hydro- biogeochemical studies of nutrient and pollutant sources, transport-transformations and mass flows in catchment areas across a range of scales, from continental, through regional and national, to individual drainage basin scales. Main findings on continental scales include correlations between country/catchment area, population and GDP and associated pollutant and nutrient loading, which differ significantly between world regions with different development levels. On regional scales, essential systematic near-coastal gaps are identified in the national monitoring of nutrient and pollutant loads from land to the sea. Combination of the unmonitored near-coastal area characteristics with the relevant regional nutrient and pollutant load correlations with these characteristics shows that the unmonitored nutrient and pollutant mass loads to the sea may often be as large as, or greater than the monitored river loads. Process studies on individual basin- scales show long-term nutrient and pollutant memories in the soil-groundwater systems of the basins, which may continue to uphold large mass loading to inland and coastal waters long time after mitigation of the sources. Linked hydro-biogeochemical-economic model studies finally demonstrate significant comparative advantages of policies that demand explicit quantitative account of the uncertainties implied by these monitoring gaps and long-term nutrient-pollution memories and time lags, and other knowledge, data and model limitations, instead of the now common neglect or subjective implicit handling of such uncertainties in strategies and practices for combating water pollution and eutrophication.

40 CFR 130.4 - Water quality monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.4 Water quality monitoring. (a) In accordance with section 106(e)(1...; developing and reviewing water quality standards, total maximum daily loads, wasteload allocations and load... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Water quality monitoring. 130.4...

40 CFR 130.4 - Water quality monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.4 Water quality monitoring. (a) In accordance with section 106(e)(1...; developing and reviewing water quality standards, total maximum daily loads, wasteload allocations and load... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Water quality monitoring. 130.4...

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Cahn, Michael

2017-05-15

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may be treated with simple systems designed to promote sorption of contaminants to vegetation and soils and promote infiltration. Two example systems are described: a bioswale treatment system for urban stormwater treatment, and a vegetated drainage ditch for treating agriculture irrigation runoff. Both have similar attributes that reduce contaminant loading in runoff: vegetation that results in sorption of the contaminants to the soil and plant surfaces, and water infiltration. These systems may also include the integration of granulated activated carbon as a polishing step to remove residual contaminants. Implementation of these systems in agriculture and urban watersheds requires system monitoring to verify treatment efficacy. This includes chemical monitoring for specific contaminants responsible for toxicity. The current paper emphasizes monitoring of current use pesticides since these are responsible for surface water toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

MLP-1 on Crawler Transporter 2 (CT-2)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-22

Ground support technicians walk alongside NASA's upgraded crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2), carrying mobile launcher platform 1, as it slowly travels on the crawlerway at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crawler's upgrades and modifications will be monitored and tested under loaded conditions during its travel to the crawlerway Pad A/B split and back to the crawler yard to confirm it is ready to support the load of the mobile launcher carrying the Space Launch System with Orion atop for the first test flight, Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy is managing upgrades to the crawler.

MLP-1 on Crawler Transporter 2 (CT-2)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-22

NASA's upgraded crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2), carrying mobile launcher platform 1, moves slowly along the crawlerway toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crawler's upgrades and modifications were monitored and tested during a loaded test to the crawlerway Pad A/B split. CT-2 will return to the crawler yard. The crawler is being tested to confirm it is ready to support the load of the mobile launcher carrying the Space Launch System with Orion atop for the first test flight, Exploration Mission 1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy is managing upgrades to the crawler.

Best Management Practices for sediment control in a Mediterranean agricultural watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelwahab, Ossama M. M.; Bingner, Ronald L.; Milillo, Fabio; Gentile, Francesco

2015-04-01

Soil erosion can lead to severe destruction of agricultural sustainability that affects not only productivity, but the entire ecosystem in the neighboring areas. Sediments transported together with the associated nutrients and chemicals can significantly impact downstream water bodies. Various conservation and management practices implemented individually or integrated together as a system can be used to reduce the negative impacts on agricultural watersheds from soil erosion. Hydrological models are useful tools for decision makers when selecting the most effective combination of management practices to reduce pollutant loads within a watershed system. The Annualized Agricultural Non-point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollutant loading management model can be used to analyze the effectiveness of diverse management and conservation practices that can control or reduce the impact of soil erosion processes and subsequent sediment loads in agricultural watersheds. A 506 km2 Mediterranean medium-size watershed (Carapelle) located in Apulia, Southern Italy was used as a case study to evaluate the model and best management practices (BMPs) for sediment load control. A monitoring station located at the Ordona bridge has been instrumented to continuously monitor stream flow and suspended sediment loads. The station has been equipped with an ultrasound stage meter and a stage recorder to monitor stream flow. An infrared optic probe was used to measure suspended sediment concentrations (Gentile et al., 2010 ). The model was calibrated and validated in the Carapelle watershed on an event basis (Bisantino et al., 2013), and the validated model was used to evaluate the effectiveness of BMPs on sediment reduction. Various management practices were investigated including evaluating the impact on sediment load of: (1) converting all cropland areas into forest and grass covered conditions; (2) converting the highest eroding cropland areas to forest or grass covered conditions; and (3) utilizing a crop rotation of wheat and forage crops (Abdelwahab et al., 2014). Further evaluations include scenarios with additional improvements in the input data, in particular better reflecting the management operations within model input parameters used to represent the current conditions applied in the watershed, and the study of the efficiency of the model in predicting runoff and sediment loads at a monthly and annual scale using un-calibrated parameters. The effect of riparian buffers as a natural trap that reduce runoff and increase the in-situ sediment deposition are also investigated. Acknowledgements This work is carried out in the framework of the Italian Research Project of Relevant Interest (PRIN2010-2011), prot. 20104ALME4, "National network for monitoring, modeling, and sustainable management of erosion processes in agricultural land and hilly-mountainous area" National Coordinator prof. Mario Lenzi (University of Padova). References Gentile F., Bisantino T., Corbino R., Milillo F., Romano G., Trisorio Liuzzi G. (2010) Monitoring and analysis of suspended sediment transport dynamics in the Carapelle torrent (southern Italy). Catena 80, 1-8, doi:10.1016/j.catena.2009.08.004. Bisantino T., Bingner R., Chouaib W., Gentile F., Trisorio Liuzzi G. (2013) Estimation of runoff, peak discharge and sediment load at the event scale in a medium-size Mediterranean watershed using the AnnAGNPS model. Land Degradation & Development, wileyonlinelibrary.com, doi: 10.1002/ldr.2213. Abdelwahab O.M.M., Bingner R.L., Milillo F., Gentile F. (2014) Effectiveness of alternative management scenarios on the sediment load in a Mediterranean agricultural watershed. Journal of Agricultural Engineering, vol. XLV:430, 125-136, doi: 10.4081/jae.2014.430.

Development of elements of the condition monitoring system of turbo generators of thermal power stations and nuclear power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumenko, A. I.; Kostyukov, V. N.; Kuz'minykh, N. Yu.; Boichenko, S. N.; Timin, A. V.

2017-08-01

The rationale is given for the improvement of the regulatory framework for the use of shaft sensors for the in-service condition monitoring of turbo generators and the development of control systems of shaft surfacing and misalignments of supports. A modern concept and a set of methods are proposed for the condition monitoring of the "shaft line-thrust bearing oil film-turbo generator supports" system elements based on the domestic COMPACS® technology. The system raw data are design, technology, installation, and operating parameters of the turbo generator as well as measured parameters of the absolute vibration of supports and mechanical quantities, relative displacements and relative vibration of the rotor teeth in accordance with GOST R 55263-2012. The precalculated shaft line assembly line in the cold state, the nominal parameters of rotor teeth positions on the dynamic equilibrium curve, the static and dynamic characteristics of the oil film of thrust bearings, and the shaft line stiffness matrix of unit support displacements have been introduced into the system. Using the COMPACS-T system, it is planned to measure positions and oscillations of rotor teeth, to count corresponding static and dynamic characteristics of the oil film, and the static and dynamic loads in the supports in real time. Using the obtained data, the system must determine the misalignments of supports and corrective alignments of rotors of coupling halves, voltages in rotor teeth, welds, and bolts of the coupling halves, and provide automatic conclusion if condition monitoring parameters correspond to standard values. A part of the methodological support for the proposed system is presented, including methods for determining static reactions of supports under load, the method for determining shaft line stiffness matrices, and the method for solving the inverse problem, i.e., the determination of the misalignments of the supports by measurements of rotor teeth relative positions in bearing housings. The procedure for calculating misalignments of turbo generator shaft line supports is set out.

A Low-cost data-logging platform for long-term field sensor deployment in caves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, M. A.; Myre, J. M.; Covington, M. D.

2014-12-01

Active karst systems are notoriously inhospitable environments for humans and equipment. Caves require equipment to cope with high humidity, high velocity flows, submersion, sediment loads, and harassment from local fauna. Equipment taken into caves is often considered "consumable" due to the extreme nature of cave environments and the difficulty of transport. Further, because many interesting monitoring locations within caves can be considered remote, it is ideal for electronic monitoring platforms to require minimal maintenance of parts and power supplies. To partially address the challenge of scientifically monitoring such environments, we have developed an arduino based platform for environmental monitoring of cave systems. The arduino is a general purpose open source microcontroller that is easily programmed with only a basic knowledge of the C programming language. The arduino is capable of controlling digital and analog electronics in a modular fashion. Using this capability, we have created a platform for monitoring CO2 levels in cave systems that costs one-tenth of a comparable commercial system while using a fraction of the power. The modular nature of the arduino system allows the incorporation of additional environmental sensors in the future.

Critical and subcritical damage monitoring of bonded composite repairs using innovative non-destructive techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grammatikos, S. A.; Kordatos, E. Z.; Aggelis, D. G.; Matikas, T. E.; Paipetis, A. S.

2012-04-01

Infrared Thermography (IrT) has been shown to be capable of detecting and monitoring service induced damage of repair composite structures. Full-field imaging, along with portability are the primary benefits of the thermographic technique. On-line lock-in thermography has been reported to successfully monitor damage propagation or/and stress concentration in composite coupons, as mechanical stresses in structures induce heat concentration phenomena around flaws. During mechanical fatigue, cyclic loading plays the role of the heating source and this allows for critical and subcritical damage identification and monitoring using thermography. The Electrical Potential Change Technique (EPCT) is a new method for damage identification and monitoring during loading. The measurement of electrical potential changes at specific points of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) under load are reported to enable the monitoring of strain or/and damage accumulation. Along with the aforementioned techniques Finally, Acoustic Emission (AE) method is well known to provide information about the location and type of damage. Damage accumulation due to cyclic loading imposes differentiation of certain parameters of AE like duration and energy. Within the scope of this study, infrared thermography is employed along with AE and EPCT methods in order to assess the integrity of bonded repair patches on composite substrates and to monitor critical and subcritical damage induced by the mechanical loading. The combined methodologies were effective in identifying damage initiation and propagation of bonded composite repairs.

Structural health monitoring of cylindrical bodies under impulsive hydrodynamic loading by distributed FBG strain measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanelli, Pierluigi; Biscarini, Chiara; Jannelli, Elio; Ubertini, Filippo; Ubertini, Stefano

2017-02-01

Various mechanical, ocean, aerospace and civil engineering problems involve solid bodies impacting the water surface and often result in complex coupled dynamics, characterized by impulsive loading conditions, high amplitude vibrations and large local deformations. Monitoring in such problems for purposes such as remaining fatigue life estimation and real time damage detection is a technical and scientific challenge of primary concern in this context. Open issues include the need for developing distributed sensing systems able to operate at very high acquisition frequencies, to be utilized to study rapidly varying strain fields, with high resolution and very low noise, while scientific challenges mostly relate to the definition of appropriate signal processing and modeling tools enabling the extraction of useful information from distributed sensing signals. Building on previous work by some of the authors, we propose an enhanced method for real time deformed shape reconstruction using distributed FBG strain measurements in curved bodies subjected to impulsive loading and we establish a new framework for applying this method for structural health monitoring purposes, as the main focus of the work. Experiments are carried out on a cylinder impacting the water at various speeds, proving improved performance in displacement reconstruction of the enhanced method compared to its previous version. A numerical study is then carried out considering the same physical problem with different delamination damages affecting the body. The potential for detecting, localizing and quantifying this damage using the reconstruction algorithm is thoroughly investigated. Overall, the results presented in the paper show the potential of distributed FBG strain measurements for real time structural health monitoring of curved bodies under impulsive hydrodynamic loading, defining damage sensitive features in terms of strain or displacement reconstruction errors at selected locations along the structure.

Research on on-line monitoring technology for steel ball's forming process based on load signal analysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying-jun; Ai, Chang-sheng; Men, Xiu-hua; Zhang, Cheng-liang; Zhang, Qi

2013-04-01

This paper presents a novel on-line monitoring technology to obtain forming quality in steel ball's forming process based on load signal analysis method, in order to reveal the bottom die's load characteristic in initial cold heading forging process of steel balls. A mechanical model of the cold header producing process is established and analyzed by using finite element method. The maximum cold heading force is calculated. The results prove that the monitoring on the cold heading process with upsetting force is reasonable and feasible. The forming defects are inflected on the three feature points of the bottom die signals, which are the initial point, infection point, and peak point. A novel PVDF piezoelectric force sensor which is simple on construction and convenient on installation is designed. The sensitivity of the PVDF force sensor is calculated. The characteristics of PVDF force sensor are analyzed by FEM. The PVDF piezoelectric force sensor is fabricated to acquire the actual load signals in the cold heading process, and calibrated by a special device. The measuring system of on-line monitoring is built. The characteristics of the actual signals recognized by learning and identification algorithm are in consistence with simulation results. Identification of actual signals shows that the timing difference values of all feature points for qualified products are not exceed ±6 ms, and amplitude difference values are less than ±3%. The calibration and application experiments show that PVDF force sensor has good static and dynamic performances, and is competent at dynamic measuring on upsetting force. It greatly improves automatic level and machining precision. Equipment capacity factor with damages identification method depends on grade of steel has been improved to 90%.

Remote Monitoring of the Structural Health of Hydrokinetic Composite Turbine Blades

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.L. Rovey

A health monitoring approach is investigated for hydrokinetic turbine blade applications. In-service monitoring is critical due to the difficult environment for blade inspection and the cost of inspection downtime. Composite blade designs have advantages that include long life in marine environments and great control over mechanical properties. Experimental strain characteristics are determined for static loads and free-vibration loads. These experiments are designed to simulate the dynamic characteristics of hydrokinetic turbine blades. Carbon/epoxy symmetric composite laminates are manufactured using an autoclave process. Four-layer composite beams, eight-layer composite beams, and two-dimensional eight-layer composite blades are instrumented for strain. Experimental results for strainmore » measurements from electrical resistance gages are validated with theoretical characteristics obtained from in-house finite-element analysis for all sample cases. These preliminary tests on the composite samples show good correlation between experimental and finite-element strain results. A health monitoring system is proposed in which damage to a composite structure, e.g. delamination and fiber breakage, causes changes in the strain signature behavior. The system is based on embedded strain sensors and embedded motes in which strain information is demodulated for wireless transmission. In-service monitoring is critical due to the difficult environment for blade inspection and the cost of inspection downtime. Composite blade designs provide a medium for embedding sensors into the blades for in-situ health monitoring. The major challenge with in-situ health monitoring is transmission of sensor signals from the remote rotating reference frame of the blade to the system monitoring station. In the presented work, a novel system for relaying in-situ blade health measurements in hydrokinetic systems is described and demonstrated. An ultrasonic communication system is used to transmit sensor data underwater from the rotating frame of the blade to a fixed relay station. Data are then broadcast via radio waves to a remote monitoring station. Results indicate that the assembled system can transmit simulated sensor data with an accuracy of ±5% at a maximum sampling rate of 500 samples/sec. A power investigation of the transmitter within the blade shows that continuous max-sampling operation is only possible for short durations (~days), and is limited due to the capacity of the battery power source. However, intermittent sampling, with long periods between samples, allows for the system to last for very long durations (~years). Finally, because the data transmission system can operate at a high sampling rate for short durations or at a lower sampling rate/higher duty cycle for long durations, it is well-suited for short-term prototype and environmental testing, as well as long-term commercially-deployed hydrokinetic machines.« less

Monitoring Hitting Load in Tennis Using Inertial Sensors and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Whiteside, David; Cant, Olivia; Connolly, Molly; Reid, Machar

2017-10-01

Quantifying external workload is fundamental to training prescription in sport. In tennis, global positioning data are imprecise and fail to capture hitting loads. The current gold standard (manual notation) is time intensive and often not possible given players' heavy travel schedules. To develop an automated stroke-classification system to help quantify hitting load in tennis. Nineteen athletes wore an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on their wrist during 66 video-recorded training sessions. Video footage was manually notated such that known shot type (serve, rally forehand, slice forehand, forehand volley, rally backhand, slice backhand, backhand volley, smash, or false positive) was associated with the corresponding IMU data for 28,582 shots. Six types of machine-learning models were then constructed to classify true shot type from the IMU signals. Across 10-fold cross-validation, a cubic-kernel support vector machine classified binned shots (overhead, forehand, or backhand) with an accuracy of 97.4%. A second cubic-kernel support vector machine achieved 93.2% accuracy when classifying all 9 shot types. With a view to monitoring external load, the combination of miniature inertial sensors and machine learning offers a practical and automated method of quantifying shot counts and discriminating shot types in elite tennis players.

Field application of smart SHM using field programmable gate array technology to monitor an RC bridge in New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azarbayejani, M.; Jalalpour, M.; El-Osery, A. I.; Reda Taha, M. M.

2011-08-01

In this paper, an innovative field application of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system using field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology and wireless communication is presented. The new SHM system was installed to monitor a reinforced concrete (RC) bridge on Interstate 40 (I-40) in Tucumcari, New Mexico. This newly installed system allows continuous remote monitoring of this bridge using solar power. Details of the SHM component design and installation are discussed. The integration of FPGA and solar power technologies make it possible to remotely monitor infrastructure with limited access to power. Furthermore, the use of FPGA technology enables smart monitoring where data communication takes place on-need (when damage warning signs are met) and on-demand for periodic monitoring of the bridge. Such a system enables a significant cut in communication cost and power demands which are two challenges during SHM operation. Finally, a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the bridge was developed and calibrated using a static loading field test. This model is then used for simulating damage occurrence on the bridge. Using the proposed automation process for SHM will reduce human intervention significantly and can save millions of dollars currently spent on prescheduled inspection of critical infrastructure worldwide.

Forecasting staffing needs for productivity management in hospital laboratories.

PubMed

Pang, C Y; Swint, J M

1985-12-01

Daily and weekly prediction models are developed to help forecast hospital laboratory work load for the entire laboratory and individual sections of the laboratory. The models are tested using historical data obtained from hospital census and laboratory log books of a 90-bed southwestern hospital. The results indicate that the predictor variables account for 50%, 81%, 56%, and 82% of the daily work load variation for chemistry, hematology, and microbiology sections, and for the entire laboratory, respectively. Equivalent results for the weekly model are 53%, 72%, 12%, and 78% for the same respective sections. On the basis of the predicted work load, staffing assessment is made and a productivity monitoring system constructed. The purpose of such a system is to assist laboratory management in efforts to utilize laboratory manpower in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Automated Power-Distribution System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomason, Cindy; Anderson, Paul M.; Martin, James A.

1990-01-01

Automated power-distribution system monitors and controls electrical power to modules in network. Handles both 208-V, 20-kHz single-phase alternating current and 120- to 150-V direct current. Power distributed to load modules from power-distribution control units (PDCU's) via subsystem distributors. Ring busses carry power to PDCU's from power source. Needs minimal attention. Detects faults and also protects against them. Potential applications include autonomous land vehicles and automated industrial process systems.

Air-to-Water Heat Pumps With Radiant Delivery in Low-Load Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Backman, C.; German, A.; Dakin, B.

2013-12-01

Space conditioning represents nearly 50% of average residential household energy consumption, highlighting the need to identify alternative cost-effective, energy-efficient cooling and heating strategies. As homes are better built, there is an increasing need for strategies that are particularly well suited for high performance, low load homes. ARBI researchers worked with two test homes in hot-dry climates to evaluate the in-situ performance of air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) systems, an energy efficient space conditioning solution designed to cost-effectively provide comfort in homes with efficient, safe, and durable operation. Two monitoring projects of test houses in hot-dry climates were initiated in 2010 tomore » test this system. Both systems were fully instrumented and have been monitored over one year to capture complete performance data over the cooling and heating seasons. Results are used to quantify energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and system performance using different operating modes and strategies. A calibrated TRNSYS model was developed and used to evaluate performance in various climate regions. This strategy is most effective in tight, insulated homes with high levels of thermal mass (i.e. exposed slab floors).« less

Crack Propagation Analysis Using Acoustic Emission Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring Systems

DOE PAGES

Kral, Zachary; Horn, Walter; Steck, James

2013-01-01

Aerospace systems are expected to remain in service well beyond their designed life. Consequently, maintenance is an important issue. A novel method of implementing artificial neural networks and acoustic emission sensors to form a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for aerospace inspection routines was the focus of this research. Simple structural elements, consisting of flat aluminum plates of AL 2024-T3, were subjected to increasing static tensile loading. As the loading increased, designed cracks extended in length, releasing strain waves in the process. Strain wave signals, measured by acoustic emission sensors, were further analyzed in post-processing by artificial neural networks (ANN).more » Several experiments were performed to determine the severity and location of the crack extensions in the structure. ANNs were trained on a portion of the data acquired by the sensors and the ANNs were then validated with the remaining data. The combination of a system of acoustic emission sensors, and an ANN could determine crack extension accurately. The difference between predicted and actual crack extensions was determined to be between 0.004 in. and 0.015 in. with 95% confidence. These ANNs, coupled with acoustic emission sensors, showed promise for the creation of an SHM system for aerospace systems.« less

Crack Propagation Analysis Using Acoustic Emission Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring Systems

PubMed Central

Horn, Walter; Steck, James

2013-01-01

Aerospace systems are expected to remain in service well beyond their designed life. Consequently, maintenance is an important issue. A novel method of implementing artificial neural networks and acoustic emission sensors to form a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for aerospace inspection routines was the focus of this research. Simple structural elements, consisting of flat aluminum plates of AL 2024-T3, were subjected to increasing static tensile loading. As the loading increased, designed cracks extended in length, releasing strain waves in the process. Strain wave signals, measured by acoustic emission sensors, were further analyzed in post-processing by artificial neural networks (ANN). Several experiments were performed to determine the severity and location of the crack extensions in the structure. ANNs were trained on a portion of the data acquired by the sensors and the ANNs were then validated with the remaining data. The combination of a system of acoustic emission sensors, and an ANN could determine crack extension accurately. The difference between predicted and actual crack extensions was determined to be between 0.004 in. and 0.015 in. with 95% confidence. These ANNs, coupled with acoustic emission sensors, showed promise for the creation of an SHM system for aerospace systems. PMID:24023536

Portable Load Measurement Device for Use During ARED Exercise on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, A.; Peters, B.; Caldwell, E.; Sinka, J.; Kreutzburg, G.; Ploutz-Snyder, L.

2014-01-01

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) (Fig.1) is unique countermeasure hardware available to crewmembers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) used for resistance exercise training to protect against bone and muscle loss during long duration space missions. ARED instrumentation system was designed to measure and record exercise load data, but: - Reliably accurate data has not been available due to a defective force platform. - No ARED data has been recorded since mid-2011 due to failures in the instrumentation power system. ARED load data supports on-going HRP funded research, and is available to extramural researchers through LSDA-Repository. Astronaut Strength, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation specialists (ASCRs) use ARED data to track training progress and advance exercise prescriptions. ARED load data is necessary to fulfill medical requirements. HRP directed task intends to reduce to program risk (HRP IRMA Risk 1735), and evaluate the XSENS ForceShoeTM as a means of obtaining ARED load data during exercise sessions. The XSENS ForceShoes"TM" will fly as a hardware demonstration to ISS in May 2014 (39S). Additional portable load monitoring devices (PLMDs) are under evaluation in the ExPC Lab. PLMDs are favored over platform redesign as they support future exploration needs.

Evaluation of submarine strain-gage systems for monitoring coastal sediment migration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shideler, G. L.; Mcgrath, D. G.

1973-01-01

Single and multiple strain-gage systems were respectively evaluated as in situ point and areal sensors for monitoring sand-height variations in coastal environments. Static loading tests indicate that gage response pressure is linear for sand heights up to 24 inches. Response pressures are a function of both sand height and aggregate density, with density being influenced by both sediment texture and degree of compaction. Poorer sediment sorting and greater compaction result in higher response pressures. Field tests in a beach foreshore environment indicate that the gage systems are effective qualitative instruments for monitoring long-period migration trends of beach sediments; whereas, short-period responses are not sufficiently reliable. The durability and compactness of the gage systems must be substantially increased for effective field operations. It is recommended that the systems' qualitative potentials be further developed, whereas their development as quantitative instruments be terminated. Further development should emphasize the construction of remote recording systems designed for semipermanent installation.

Master Console System Monitoring and Control Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, Russell A.

2013-01-01

The Master Console internship during the summer of 2013 involved the development of firing room displays and support applications at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This position was with the Master Console Product Group (MCPG) on the Launch Control System (LCS) project. This project is responsible for the System Monitoring and Control (SMC) and Record and Retrieval (R&R) of launch operations data. The Master Console is responsible for: loading the correct software into each of the remaining consoles in the firing room, connecting the proper data paths to and from the launch vehicle and all ground support equipment, and initializing the entire firing room system to begin processing. During my internship, I created control scripts using the Application Control Language (ACL) to analyze the health and status of Kennedy Ground Control System (KGCS) programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This application provides a system health and status display I created with summarized data for use by Master Console Operators (MCO) to monitor and verify the integrity of KGCS subsystems.

40 CFR 60.1320 - How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1320 Section 60.1320 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After... Monitoring Requirements § 60.1320 How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit? (a) If...

40 CFR 60.1320 - How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1320 Section 60.1320 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After... Monitoring Requirements § 60.1320 How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit? (a) If...

40 CFR 60.1320 - How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1320 Section 60.1320 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After... Monitoring Requirements § 60.1320 How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit? (a) If...

40 CFR 60.1320 - How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1320 Section 60.1320 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After... Monitoring Requirements § 60.1320 How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit? (a) If...

40 CFR 60.1320 - How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1320 Section 60.1320 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which Construction is Commenced After... Monitoring Requirements § 60.1320 How do I monitor the load of my municipal waste combustion unit? (a) If...

Damage tolerance and structural monitoring for wind turbine blades

PubMed Central

McGugan, M.; Pereira, G.; Sørensen, B. F.; Toftegaard, H.; Branner, K.

2015-01-01

The paper proposes a methodology for reliable design and maintenance of wind turbine rotor blades using a condition monitoring approach and a damage tolerance index coupling the material and structure. By improving the understanding of material properties that control damage propagation it will be possible to combine damage tolerant structural design, monitoring systems, inspection techniques and modelling to manage the life cycle of the structures. This will allow an efficient operation of the wind turbine in terms of load alleviation, limited maintenance and repair leading to a more effective exploitation of offshore wind. PMID:25583858

Cost Effectiveness of Potential ART Adherence Monitoring Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Phillips, Andrew N; Cambiano, Valentina; Nakagawa, Fumiyo; Bansi-Matharu, Loveleen; Sow, Papa Salif; Ehrenkranz, Peter; Ford, Deborah; Mugurungi, Owen; Apollo, Tsitsi; Murungu, Joseph; Bangsberg, David R; Revill, Paul

2016-01-01

Interventions based around objective measurement of adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV have potential to improve adherence and to enable differentiation of care such that clinical visits are reduced in those with high adherence. It would be useful to understand the approximate upper limit of cost that could be considered for such interventions of a given effectiveness in order to be cost effective. Such information can guide whether to implement an intervention in the light of a trial showing a certain effectiveness and cost. An individual-based model, calibrated to Zimbabwe, which incorporates effects of adherence and resistance to antiretroviral therapy, was used to model the potential impact of adherence monitoring-based interventions on viral suppression, death rates, disability adjusted life years and costs. Potential component effects of the intervention were: enhanced average adherence when on ART, reduced risk of ART discontinuation, and reduced risk of resistance acquisition. We considered a situation in which viral load monitoring is not available and one in which it is. In the former case, it was assumed that care would be differentiated based on the adherence level, with fewer clinic visits in those demonstrated to have high adherence. In the latter case, care was assumed to be primarily differentiated according to viral load level. The maximum intervention cost required to be cost effective was calculated based on a cost effectiveness threshold of $500 per DALY averted. In the absence of viral load monitoring, an adherence monitoring-based intervention which results in a durable 6% increase in the proportion of ART experienced people with viral load < 1000 cps/mL was cost effective if it cost up to $50 per person-year on ART, mainly driven by the cost savings of differentiation of care. In the presence of viral load monitoring availability, an intervention with a similar effect on viral load suppression was cost-effective when costing $23-$32 per year, depending on whether the adherence intervention is used to reduce the level of need for viral load measurement. The cost thresholds identified suggest that there is clear scope for adherence monitoring-based interventions to provide net population health gain, with potential cost-effective use in situations where viral load monitoring is or is not available. Our results guide the implementation of future adherence monitoring interventions found in randomized trials to have health benefit.

Cost Effectiveness of Potential ART Adherence Monitoring Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Cambiano, Valentina; Nakagawa, Fumiyo; Bansi-Matharu, Loveleen; Sow, Papa Salif; Ehrenkranz, Peter; Ford, Deborah; Mugurungi, Owen; Apollo, Tsitsi; Murungu, Joseph; Bangsberg, David R.; Revill, Paul

2016-01-01

Background Interventions based around objective measurement of adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV have potential to improve adherence and to enable differentiation of care such that clinical visits are reduced in those with high adherence. It would be useful to understand the approximate upper limit of cost that could be considered for such interventions of a given effectiveness in order to be cost effective. Such information can guide whether to implement an intervention in the light of a trial showing a certain effectiveness and cost. Methods An individual-based model, calibrated to Zimbabwe, which incorporates effects of adherence and resistance to antiretroviral therapy, was used to model the potential impact of adherence monitoring-based interventions on viral suppression, death rates, disability adjusted life years and costs. Potential component effects of the intervention were: enhanced average adherence when on ART, reduced risk of ART discontinuation, and reduced risk of resistance acquisition. We considered a situation in which viral load monitoring is not available and one in which it is. In the former case, it was assumed that care would be differentiated based on the adherence level, with fewer clinic visits in those demonstrated to have high adherence. In the latter case, care was assumed to be primarily differentiated according to viral load level. The maximum intervention cost required to be cost effective was calculated based on a cost effectiveness threshold of $500 per DALY averted. Findings In the absence of viral load monitoring, an adherence monitoring-based intervention which results in a durable 6% increase in the proportion of ART experienced people with viral load < 1000 cps/mL was cost effective if it cost up to $50 per person-year on ART, mainly driven by the cost savings of differentiation of care. In the presence of viral load monitoring availability, an intervention with a similar effect on viral load suppression was cost-effective when costing $23-$32 per year, depending on whether the adherence intervention is used to reduce the level of need for viral load measurement. Conclusion The cost thresholds identified suggest that there is clear scope for adherence monitoring-based interventions to provide net population health gain, with potential cost-effective use in situations where viral load monitoring is or is not available. Our results guide the implementation of future adherence monitoring interventions found in randomized trials to have health benefit. PMID:27977702

Description of the SSF PMAD DC testbed control system data acquisition function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baez, Anastacio N.; Mackin, Michael; Wright, Theodore

1992-01-01

The NASA LeRC in Cleveland, Ohio has completed the development and integration of a Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC Testbed. This testbed is a reduced scale representation of the end to end, sources to loads, Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF EPS). This unique facility is being used to demonstrate DC power generation and distribution, power management and control, and system operation techniques considered to be prime candidates for the Space Station Freedom. A key capability of the testbed is its ability to be configured to address system level issues in support of critical SSF program design milestones. Electrical power system control and operation issues like source control, source regulation, system fault protection, end-to-end system stability, health monitoring, resource allocation, and resource management are being evaluated in the testbed. The SSF EPS control functional allocation between on-board computers and ground based systems is evolving. Initially, ground based systems will perform the bulk of power system control and operation. The EPS control system is required to continuously monitor and determine the current state of the power system. The DC Testbed Control System consists of standard controllers arranged in a hierarchical and distributed architecture. These controllers provide all the monitoring and control functions for the DC Testbed Electrical Power System. Higher level controllers include the Power Management Controller, Load Management Controller, Operator Interface System, and a network of computer systems that perform some of the SSF Ground based Control Center Operation. The lower level controllers include Main Bus Switch Controllers and Photovoltaic Controllers. Power system status information is periodically provided to the higher level controllers to perform system control and operation. The data acquisition function of the control system is distributed among the various levels of the hierarchy. Data requirements are dictated by the control system algorithms being implemented at each level. A functional description of the various levels of the testbed control system architecture, the data acquisition function, and the status of its implementationis presented.

Advanced aircraft service life monitoring method via flight-by-flight load spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hongchul

This research is an effort to understand current method and to propose an advanced method for Damage Tolerance Analysis (DTA) for the purpose of monitoring the aircraft service life. As one of tasks in the DTA, the current indirect Individual Aircraft Tracking (IAT) method for the F-16C/D Block 32 does not properly represent changes in flight usage severity affecting structural fatigue life. Therefore, an advanced aircraft service life monitoring method based on flight-by-flight load spectra is proposed and recommended for IAT program to track consumed fatigue life as an alternative to the current method which is based on the crack severity index (CSI) value. Damage Tolerance is one of aircraft design philosophies to ensure that aging aircrafts satisfy structural reliability in terms of fatigue failures throughout their service periods. IAT program, one of the most important tasks of DTA, is able to track potential structural crack growth at critical areas in the major airframe structural components of individual aircraft. The F-16C/D aircraft is equipped with a flight data recorder to monitor flight usage and provide the data to support structural load analysis. However, limited memory of flight data recorder allows user to monitor individual aircraft fatigue usage in terms of only the vertical inertia (NzW) data for calculating Crack Severity Index (CSI) value which defines the relative maneuver severity. Current IAT method for the F-16C/D Block 32 based on CSI value calculated from NzW is shown to be not accurate enough to monitor individual aircraft fatigue usage due to several problems. The proposed advanced aircraft service life monitoring method based on flight-by-flight load spectra is recommended as an improved method for the F-16C/D Block 32 aircraft. Flight-by-flight load spectra was generated from downloaded Crash Survival Flight Data Recorder (CSFDR) data by calculating loads for each time hack in selected flight data utilizing loads equations. From the comparison of interpolated fatigue life using CSI value and fatigue test results, it is obvious that proposed advanced IAT method via flight-by-flight load spectra is more reliable and accurate than current IAT method. Therefore, the advanced aircraft service life monitoring method based on flight-by-flight load spectra not only monitors the individual aircraft consumed fatigue life for inspection but also ensures the structural reliability of aging aircrafts throughout their service periods.

Applicability of the PEMS technique for simplified NO X monitoring on board ships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, D. A.; Ekström, M.

The performance of a predictive emission monitoring system (PEMS) as a technique for NO x monitoring on medium speed marine diesel engines has been evaluated for 16 similar engines on four different ships. The PEMS function tested measured O 2 concentration in the exhaust gas, engine load, combustion air temperature and humidity, and barometric pressure to calculate the NO x concentration. Emission measurements were carried out by means of a conventional continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) and the measured NO x concentrations were compared with those calculated by the PEMS function. For 11 of the 16 engines, the average error between measured and calculated NO x concentration was <10% of the calibration range (1725 ppm). In addition, 10 of the engines displayed correlation coefficients between measured and calculated NO x as 0.90 or higher. For two of the ships, the predicted NO x concentrations from all engines on board gave good agreement with those measured (2.6-4.7% and 2.6-8.0% average error). In other cases however, the performance of the PEMS function was poor e.g. the four engines of ship D showed average errors of 10.3-17.7%. Although similar engine models, fuel and load characteristics were compared in the tests, the specific NO x emissions at steady-state loads used varied from 12.6 up to 15.8 g k -1Wh corr. Although a single PEMS function may prove universal and adequate for calculating NO x emissions from similar engines on board the same ship, an engine specific PEMS function is recommended. The form of the PEMS function, i.e. using exhaust O 2 and engine load as inputs, is however likely to be applicable to most propeller-law diesel engines. Bearing in mind the performance criteria for using PEMS at land-based installations, the results from this study are promising. Viewed as a single data set of 56 h with 16 separate engine comparisons between CEMS and PEMS, the data set shows a relative accuracy of 14.5% i.e. within the 20% requirement of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In light of the increased interest and international guidelines for continuous NO x monitoring on board ships, the PEMS technique can offer a simple but cost-effective option.

Electropneumatic transducer automatically limits motor current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovitt, T. F.

1966-01-01

Pneumatic controller regulates the load on a centrifugal freon compressor in a water cooling system, thus limiting the current input to an electric motor driving it. An electromechanical transducer monitoring the motor input current sends out air signals which indicate changes in the current to the pneumatic controller.

Nitrous Oxide Production at a Fully Covered Wastewater Treatment Plant: Results of a Long-Term Online Monitoring Campaign.

PubMed

Kosonen, Heta; Heinonen, Mari; Mikola, Anna; Haimi, Henri; Mulas, Michela; Corona, Francesco; Vahala, Riku

2016-06-07

The nitrous oxide emissions of the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant were measured in a 12 month online monitoring campaign. The measurements, which were conducted with a continuous gas analyzer, covered all of the unit operations of the advanced wastewater-treatment process. The relation between the nitrous oxide emissions and certain process parameters, such as the wastewater temperature, influent biological oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen load, was investigated by applying online data obtained from the process-control system at 1 min intervals. Although seasonal variations in the measured nitrous oxide emissions were remarkable, the measurement data indicated no clear relationship between these emissions and seasonal changes in the wastewater temperature. The diurnal variations of the nitrous oxide emissions did, however, strongly correlate with the alternation of the influent biological oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen load to the aerated zones of the activated sludge process. Overall, the annual nitrous oxide emissions of 168 g/PE/year and the emission factor of 1.9% of the influent nitrogen load are in the high range of values reported in the literature but in very good agreement with the results of other long-term online monitoring campaigns implemented at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

A glasses-type wearable device for monitoring the patterns of food intake and facial activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Jungman; Chung, Jungmin; Oh, Wonjun; Yoo, Yongkyu; Lee, Won Gu; Bang, Hyunwoo

2017-01-01

Here we present a new method for automatic and objective monitoring of ingestive behaviors in comparison with other facial activities through load cells embedded in a pair of glasses, named GlasSense. Typically, activated by subtle contraction and relaxation of a temporalis muscle, there is a cyclic movement of the temporomandibular joint during mastication. However, such muscular signals are, in general, too weak to sense without amplification or an electromyographic analysis. To detect these oscillatory facial signals without any use of obtrusive device, we incorporated a load cell into each hinge which was used as a lever mechanism on both sides of the glasses. Thus, the signal measured at the load cells can detect the force amplified mechanically by the hinge. We demonstrated a proof-of-concept validation of the amplification by differentiating the force signals between the hinge and the temple. A pattern recognition was applied to extract statistical features and classify featured behavioral patterns, such as natural head movement, chewing, talking, and wink. The overall results showed that the average F1 score of the classification was about 94.0% and the accuracy above 89%. We believe this approach will be helpful for designing a non-intrusive and un-obtrusive eyewear-based ingestive behavior monitoring system.

Monitoring of Microbial Loads During Long Duration Missions as a Risk Reduction Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roman, M. C.; Mena, K. D.

2012-01-01

Humans have been exploring space for more than 40 years. For all those years, microorganisms have accompanied both un-manned spacecraft/cargo and manned vessels. Microorganisms are everywhere on Earth, could easily adapt to new environments, and/or can rapidly mutate to survive in very harsh conditions. Their presence in spacecraft and cargo have caused a few inconveniences over the years of human spaceflight, ranging from crew health, life support systems challenges, and material degradation. The sterilization of spacecraft that will host humans in long duration mission would be a costly operation that will not provide a long-term solution to the microbial colonization of the vessels. As soon as a human is exposed to the spacecraft, microorganisms start populating the new environment during the mission. As the human presence in space increases in length, the risk from the microbial load to hardware and crew will also increase. Mitigation of this risk involves several different strategies that will include minimizing the microbial load (in numbers and diversity) and monitoring. This paper will provide a list of the risk mitigation strategies that should be implemented during ground processing, and during the mission. It will also discuss the areas that should be reviewed before an effective in-flight microbial monitoring regimen is implemented.

System interface for an integrated intelligent safety system (ISS) for vehicle applications.

PubMed

Hannan, Mahammad A; Hussain, Aini; Samad, Salina A

2010-01-01

This paper deals with the interface-relevant activity of a vehicle integrated intelligent safety system (ISS) that includes an airbag deployment decision system (ADDS) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). A program is developed in LabWindows/CVI, using C for prototype implementation. The prototype is primarily concerned with the interconnection between hardware objects such as a load cell, web camera, accelerometer, TPM tire module and receiver module, DAQ card, CPU card and a touch screen. Several safety subsystems, including image processing, weight sensing and crash detection systems, are integrated, and their outputs are combined to yield intelligent decisions regarding airbag deployment. The integrated safety system also monitors tire pressure and temperature. Testing and experimentation with this ISS suggests that the system is unique, robust, intelligent, and appropriate for in-vehicle applications.

System Interface for an Integrated Intelligent Safety System (ISS) for Vehicle Applications

PubMed Central

Hannan, Mahammad A.; Hussain, Aini; Samad, Salina A.

2010-01-01

This paper deals with the interface-relevant activity of a vehicle integrated intelligent safety system (ISS) that includes an airbag deployment decision system (ADDS) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). A program is developed in LabWindows/CVI, using C for prototype implementation. The prototype is primarily concerned with the interconnection between hardware objects such as a load cell, web camera, accelerometer, TPM tire module and receiver module, DAQ card, CPU card and a touch screen. Several safety subsystems, including image processing, weight sensing and crash detection systems, are integrated, and their outputs are combined to yield intelligent decisions regarding airbag deployment. The integrated safety system also monitors tire pressure and temperature. Testing and experimentation with this ISS suggests that the system is unique, robust, intelligent, and appropriate for in-vehicle applications. PMID:22205861

Large scale centrifuge test of a geomembrane-lined landfill subject to waste settlement and seismic loading.

PubMed

Kavazanjian, Edward; Gutierrez, Angel

2017-10-01

A large scale centrifuge test of a geomembrane-lined landfill subject to waste settlement and seismic loading was conducted to help validate a numerical model for performance based design of geomembrane liner systems. The test was conducted using the 240g-ton centrifuge at the University of California at Davis under the U.S. National Science Foundation Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research (NEESR) program. A 0.05mm thin film membrane was used to model the liner. The waste was modeled using a peat-sand mixture. The side slope membrane was underlain by lubricated low density polyethylene to maximize the difference between the interface shear strength on the top and bottom of the geomembrane and the induced tension in it. Instrumentation included thin film strain gages to monitor geomembrane strains and accelerometers to monitor seismic excitation. The model was subjected to an input design motion intended to simulate strong ground motion from the 1994 Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake. Results indicate that downdrag waste settlement and seismic loading together, and possibly each phenomenon individually, can induce potentially damaging tensile strains in geomembrane liners. The data collected from this test is publically available and can be used to validate numerical models for the performance of geomembrane liner systems. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Player-Tracking Technology: Half-Full or Half-Empty Glass?

PubMed

Buchheit, Martin; Simpson, Ben Michael

2017-04-01

With the ongoing development of microtechnology, player tracking has become one of the most important components of load monitoring in team sports. The 3 main objectives of player tracking are better understanding of practice (provide an objective, a posteriori evaluation of external load and locomotor demands of any given session or match), optimization of training-load patterns at the team level, and decision making on individual players' training programs to improve performance and prevent injuries (eg, top-up training vs unloading sequences, return to play progression). This paper discusses the basics of a simple tracking approach and the need to integrate multiple systems. The limitations of some of the most used variables in the field (including metabolic-power measures) are debated, and innovative and potentially new powerful variables are presented. The foundations of a successful player-monitoring system are probably laid on the pitch first, in the way practitioners collect their own tracking data, given the limitations of each variable, and how they report and use all this information, rather than in the technology and the variables per se. Overall, the decision to use any tracking technology or new variable should always be considered with a cost/benefit approach (ie, cost, ease of use, portability, manpower/ability to affect the training program).

Comparative Study of Different Methods for Soot Sensing and Filter Monitoring in Diesel Exhausts.

PubMed

Feulner, Markus; Hagen, Gunter; Hottner, Kathrin; Redel, Sabrina; Müller, Andreas; Moos, Ralf

2017-02-18

Due to increasingly tighter emission limits for diesel and gasoline engines, especially concerning particulate matter emissions, particulate filters are becoming indispensable devices for exhaust gas after treatment. Thereby, for an efficient engine and filter control strategy and a cost-efficient filter design, reliable technologies to determine the soot load of the filters and to measure particulate matter concentrations in the exhaust gas during vehicle operation are highly needed. In this study, different approaches for soot sensing are compared. Measurements were conducted on a dynamometer diesel engine test bench with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The DPF was monitored by a relatively new microwave-based approach. Simultaneously, a resistive type soot sensor and a Pegasor soot sensing device as a reference system measured the soot concentration exhaust upstream of the DPF. By changing engine parameters, different engine out soot emission rates were set. It was found that the microwave-based signal may not only indicate directly the filter loading, but by a time derivative, the engine out soot emission rate can be deduced. Furthermore, by integrating the measured particulate mass in the exhaust, the soot load of the filter can be determined. In summary, all systems coincide well within certain boundaries and the filter itself can act as a soot sensor.

Comparative Study of Different Methods for Soot Sensing and Filter Monitoring in Diesel Exhausts

PubMed Central

Feulner, Markus; Hagen, Gunter; Hottner, Kathrin; Redel, Sabrina; Müller, Andreas; Moos, Ralf

2017-01-01

Due to increasingly tighter emission limits for diesel and gasoline engines, especially concerning particulate matter emissions, particulate filters are becoming indispensable devices for exhaust gas after treatment. Thereby, for an efficient engine and filter control strategy and a cost-efficient filter design, reliable technologies to determine the soot load of the filters and to measure particulate matter concentrations in the exhaust gas during vehicle operation are highly needed. In this study, different approaches for soot sensing are compared. Measurements were conducted on a dynamometer diesel engine test bench with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The DPF was monitored by a relatively new microwave-based approach. Simultaneously, a resistive type soot sensor and a Pegasor soot sensing device as a reference system measured the soot concentration exhaust upstream of the DPF. By changing engine parameters, different engine out soot emission rates were set. It was found that the microwave-based signal may not only indicate directly the filter loading, but by a time derivative, the engine out soot emission rate can be deduced. Furthermore, by integrating the measured particulate mass in the exhaust, the soot load of the filter can be determined. In summary, all systems coincide well within certain boundaries and the filter itself can act as a soot sensor. PMID:28218700

Test load verification through strain data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verderaime, V.; Harrington, F.

1995-01-01

A traditional binding acceptance criterion on polycrystalline structures is the experimental verification of the ultimate factor of safety. At fracture, the induced strain is inelastic and about an order-of-magnitude greater than designed for maximum expected operational limit. At this extreme strained condition, the structure may rotate and displace at the applied verification load such as to unknowingly distort the load transfer into the static test article. Test may result in erroneously accepting a submarginal design or rejecting a reliable one. A technique was developed to identify, monitor, and assess the load transmission error through two back-to-back surface-measured strain data. The technique is programmed for expediency and convenience. Though the method was developed to support affordable aerostructures, the method is also applicable for most high-performance air and surface transportation structural systems.

A decision support system for adaptive real-time management ofseasonal wetlands in California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, Nigel W.T.; Hanna, W. Mark

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive flow and salinity monitoring system and application of a decision support system (DSS) to improve management of seasonal wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates salinity discharges from non-point sources to the San Joaquin River using a procedure known as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to allocate the assimilative capacity of the River for salt among watershed sources. Management of wetland sources of salt load will require the development of monitoring systems, more integrative management strategies and coordination with other entities. To obtain local cooperationmore » the Grassland Water District, whose primary function is to supply surface water to private duck clubs and managed wetlands, needs to communicate to local landowners the likely impacts of salinity regulation on the long term health and function of wildfowl habitat. The project described in this paper will also provide this information. The models that form the backbone of the DSS develop salinity balances at both a regional and local scale. The regional scale concentrates on deliveries to and exports from the Grasland Water District while the local scale focuses on an individual wetland unit where more intensive monitoring is being conducted. The design of the DSS is constrained to meet the needs of busy wetland managers and is being designed from the bottom up utilizing tools and procedures familiar to these individuals.« less

Load identification approach based on basis pursuit denoising algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginsberg, D.; Ruby, M.; Fritzen, C. P.

2015-07-01

The information of the external loads is of great interest in many fields of structural analysis, such as structural health monitoring (SHM) systems or assessment of damage after extreme events. However, in most cases it is not possible to measure the external forces directly, so they need to be reconstructed. Load reconstruction refers to the problem of estimating an input to a dynamic system when the system output and the impulse response functions are usually the knowns. Generally, this leads to a so called ill-posed inverse problem, which involves solving an underdetermined linear system of equations. For most practical applications it can be assumed that the applied loads are not arbitrarily distributed in time and space, at least some specific characteristics about the external excitation are known a priori. In this contribution this knowledge was used to develop a more suitable force reconstruction method, which allows identifying the time history and the force location simultaneously by employing significantly fewer sensors compared to other reconstruction approaches. The properties of the external force are used to transform the ill-posed problem into a sparse recovery task. The sparse solution is acquired by solving a minimization problem known as basis pursuit denoising (BPDN). The possibility of reconstructing loads based on noisy structural measurement signals will be demonstrated by considering two frequently occurring loading conditions: harmonic excitation and impact events, separately and combined. First a simulation study of a simple plate structure is carried out and thereafter an experimental investigation of a real beam is performed.

Spatially and temporally variable urinary N loads deposited by lactating cows on a grazing system dairy farm.

PubMed

Ahmed, Awais; Sohi, Rajneet; Roohi, Rakhshan; Jois, Markandeya; Raedts, Peter; Aarons, Sharon R

2018-06-01

Feed nitrogen (N) intakes in Australian grazing systems average 545 g cow -1 day -1 , indicating that urinary N is likely to be the dominant form excreted. Grazing animals spend disproportionate amounts of time in places on dairy farms where N accumulation is likely to occur. We attached to grazing cows sensors that measure urine volume and N concentration, as well as global positioning systems sensors used to monitor the times the cows spent in different places on a farm and the location of urination events. The cows were monitored for up to 72 h in each of two seasons. More urination events and greater urine volumes per event were recorded in spring 2014 (3.1 L) compared with winter 2015 (1.4 L), most likely influenced by environmental conditions and the greater spring rainfall observed. Mean (range) N concentration (0.71%; 0.02 to 1.52%) and N load (12.8 g cow -1 event -1 ; 0.3 to 64.5 g cow -1 event -1 ) did not differ over the two monitoring periods. However, mean (range) daily N load was greater in spring (277 g cow -1 day -1 ; 200 to 346 g cow -1 day -1 ) than in winter (90 g cow -1 day -1 ; 44 to 116 g cow -1 day -1 ) due to the influence of urine volume. Relatively greater time was spent in paddocks overnight (13.3 h) than in paddocks between morning and evening milking (6.4 h), compared with the mean numbers of urinations in these places (6.4 and 3.8 respectively). The mean N load deposited overnight in paddocks (89.6 g cow -1 ) was more than twice that deposited in paddocks during the day (43.8 g cow -1 ), due to the greater N load per event overnight, and was more closely linked to the relative difference in time spent in paddocks than in the number of urination events. These data suggest that routinely holding cows in the same paddocks overnight will lead to high urinary N depositions, increasing the potential for N losses from these places. Further research using this technology is required to acquire farm and environment specific urinary data to improve N management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Station operation, record computation, and data reporting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Richard J.; Boulger, Robert W.; Oblinger, Carolyn J.; Smith, Brett A.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey uses continuous water-quality monitors to assess the quality of the Nation's surface water. A common monitoring-system configuration for water-quality data collection is the four-parameter monitoring system, which collects temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH data. Such systems also can be configured to measure other properties, such as turbidity or fluorescence. Data from sensors can be used in conjunction with chemical analyses of samples to estimate chemical loads. The sensors that are used to measure water-quality field parameters require careful field observation, cleaning, and calibration procedures, as well as thorough procedures for the computation and publication of final records. This report provides guidelines for site- and monitor-selection considerations; sensor inspection and calibration methods; field procedures; data evaluation, correction, and computation; and record-review and data-reporting processes, which supersede the guidelines presented previously in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report WRIR 00-4252. These procedures have evolved over the past three decades, and the process continues to evolve with newer technologies.

Organic matter degradation in a greywater recycling system using a multistage moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR).

PubMed

Saidi, Assia; Masmoudi, Khaoula; Nolde, Erwin; El Amrani, Btissam; Amraoui, Fouad

2017-12-01

Greywater is an important non-conventional water resource which can be treated and recycled in buildings. A decentralized greywater recycling system for 223 inhabitants started operating in 2006 in Berlin, Germany. High load greywater undergoes advanced treatment in a multistage moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) followed by sand filtration and UV disinfection. The treated water is used safely as service water for toilet flushing. Monitoring of the organic matter degradation was pursued to describe the degradation processes in each stage and optimize the system. Results showed that organic matter reduction was achieved for the most part in the first three reactors, whereas the highest reduction rate was observed in the third reactor in terms of COD (chemical oxygen demand), dissolved organic carbon and BOD 7 (biological oxygen demand). The results also showed that the average loading rate entering the system was 3.7 kg COD/d, while the removal rate was 3.4 kg COD/d in a total bioreactor volume of 11.7 m³. In terms of BOD, the loading rate was 2.8 kg BOD/d and it was almost totally removed. This system requires little space (0.15 m²/person) and maintenance work of less than one hour per month and it shows operational stability under peak loads.

The development of an electronic system to continually monitor, indicate and control, 'belt slippage' in industrial friction 'V' belt drive transmission systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, R. E.

2012-05-01

Belts have been used for centuries as a mechanism to transfer power from some form of drive system to a variety of load systems. Within industry today, many designs of belts but particularly friction, trapezoidal shaped 'V' belts are used and generally transfer power generated by electrical motors to numerous forms of driven load systems. It is suggested that belt systems, through their simplicity are sadly neglected by maintenance functions and generally are left unattended until high degrees of 'belt slippage' through loss of friction or 'belt breakage' provokes maintenance attention. These circumstances are most often identified through the reduced or loss of manufacturing production or the occurrence of catastrophic circumstances such as fire caused through excessive friction/ high belt slippage conditions. Obviously, these situations incur financial losses to companies and in some cases the near loss of the company's main manufacturing plant. Consequently, a satisfactory, viable solution is currently sought by industry to improve on current labour intensive maintenance practices. This paper will present an account of the development of an industrially robust, accurate and repeatable electronic system which continually monitors and indicates the degree of 'slippage' in a 'V' belt drive transmission system and in the circumstance of belt breakage or high belt slippage will enable and control the switching off the drive motor.

Correlation between viral load of cytomegalovirus and tacrolimus and sirolimus levels in transplanted pediatric patients.

PubMed

Reyes-Pérez, Herlinda; Sánchez-Huerta, José Luis; Varela-Fascinetto, Gustavo; Romo-Vázquez, José Carlos; Morales-Sánchez, Abigail; Fuentes-Pananá, Ezequiel M; Parra-Ortega, Israel; Ramírez-Ramírez, Graciela; López-Martínez, Briceida

Survival of transplant patients and grafts depends largely on the use of immunosuppressive drugs. However, a balance remains to be established among immunosuppression, transplant rejection and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which results in a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to define a better strategy for monitoring transplanted patients based on the analysis of the blood concentration of sirolimus and tacrolimus and the burden of CMV. Fifty five post-transplant (kidney and liver) pediatric patients, nine treated with sirolimus and 46 treated with tacrolimus, were included. A total of 541 measurements were obtained. In each measurement the concentration of immunosuppressant in whole blood and CMV viral load in plasma and whole blood was quantified by real-time PCR. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was estimated. Values of r ≤0.0747 were found for the relationship between dose and concentration of immunosuppressant; r = 0.9406 for the relationship between viral load in whole blood and plasma, and r ≤0.4616 for the relationship between concentration of immunosuppressant and viral load. These data support that the doses of immunosuppressive drugs do not correlate with the levels of the same in whole blood. Therefore, systemic levels of immunosuppressant should be constantly monitored together with CMV load. Meanwhile, a high correlation between viral load measured in whole blood and plasma was found. Copyright © 2016 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

An investigation of preload relaxation behaviour of three zinc- aluminum alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mir, A. A.

2016-08-01

Zinc alloy castings are usually assembled together or mounted by screwed steel fasteners, and are tightened to a predetermined torque to develop the required tensile preload in the fastener. Due to relaxation processes in the castings, creep may cause a partial preload loss at an elevated temperature. The equipment used for load relaxation tests consists of a loadmonitoring device, an oil bath, and a data-acquisition system. A load cell monitoring device is used to monitor the load loss in an ISO-metric M6*1 steel screw set into sand castings made from alloys No. 3, No. 5 and No. 2 and tightened to produce an initial preload of 6 kN. The castings were held at constant temperature in the range 80 - 120°C in an oil bath. The oil bath maintains the desired test temperature throughout the experiment. All tests were conducted for periods of up to 160 h. For all alloys, the initial load loss was high, decreasing gradually with time, but not ceasing. The load loss increased rapidly with test temperature, and almost all of the relaxation curves approximated to a logarithmic decay of load with time. Alloy No. 2 had the best resistance to load loss, with No. 5 next and No. 3 worst at all temperatures. The lower resistance to relaxation of alloy No. 3 was mainly due to the lower relaxation strength of copper-free primary dendrites, whereas in alloys No. 5 and No. 2, the higher copper contents contribute greatly to their relaxation strength in the form of second-phase particles.

Design of a Hybrid (Wired/Wireless) Acquisition Data System for Monitoring of Cultural Heritage Physical Parameters in Smart Cities

PubMed Central

García Diego, Fernando-Juan; Esteban, Borja; Merello, Paloma

2015-01-01

Preventive conservation represents a working method and combination of techniques which helps in determining and controlling the deterioration process of cultural heritage in order to take the necessary actions before it occurs. It is acknowledged as important, both in terms of preserving and also reducing the cost of future conservation measures. Therefore, long-term monitoring of physical parameters influencing cultural heritage is necessary. In the context of Smart Cities, monitoring of cultural heritage is of interest in order to perform future comparative studies and load information into the cloud that will be useful for the conservation of other heritage sites. In this paper the development of an economical and appropriate acquisition data system combining wired and wireless communication, as well as third party hardware for increased versatility, is presented. The device allows monitoring a complex network of points with high sampling frequency, with wired sensors in a 1-wire bus and a wireless centralized system recording data for monitoring of physical parameters, as well as the future possibility of attaching an alarm system or sending data over the Internet. This has been possible with the development of three board’s designs and more than 5000 algorithm lines. System tests have shown an adequate system operation. PMID:25815447

Design of a hybrid (wired/wireless) acquisition data system for monitoring of cultural heritage physical parameters in Smart Cities.

PubMed

García Diego, Fernando-Juan; Esteban, Borja; Merello, Paloma

2015-03-25

Preventive conservation represents a working method and combination of techniques which helps in determining and controlling the deterioration process of cultural heritage in order to take the necessary actions before it occurs. It is acknowledged as important, both in terms of preserving and also reducing the cost of future conservation measures. Therefore, long-term monitoring of physical parameters influencing cultural heritage is necessary. In the context of Smart Cities, monitoring of cultural heritage is of interest in order to perform future comparative studies and load information into the cloud that will be useful for the conservation of other heritage sites. In this paper the development of an economical and appropriate acquisition data system combining wired and wireless communication, as well as third party hardware for increased versatility, is presented. The device allows monitoring a complex network of points with high sampling frequency, with wired sensors in a 1-wire bus and a wireless centralized system recording data for monitoring of physical parameters, as well as the future possibility of attaching an alarm system or sending data over the Internet. This has been possible with the development of three board's designs and more than 5000 algorithm lines. System tests have shown an adequate system operation.

Measurement of peak impact loads differ between accelerometers - Effects of system operating range and sampling rate.

PubMed

Ziebart, Christina; Giangregorio, Lora M; Gibbs, Jenna C; Levine, Iris C; Tung, James; Laing, Andrew C

2017-06-14

A wide variety of accelerometer systems, with differing sensor characteristics, are used to detect impact loading during physical activities. The study examined the effects of system characteristics on measured peak impact loading during a variety of activities by comparing outputs from three separate accelerometer systems, and by assessing the influence of simulated reductions in operating range and sampling rate. Twelve healthy young adults performed seven tasks (vertical jump, box drop, heel drop, and bilateral single leg and lateral jumps) while simultaneously wearing three tri-axial accelerometers including a criterion standard laboratory-grade unit (Endevco 7267A) and two systems primarily used for activity-monitoring (ActiGraph GT3X+, GCDC X6-2mini). Peak acceleration (gmax) was compared across accelerometers, and errors resulting from down-sampling (from 640 to 100Hz) and range-limiting (to ±6g) the criterion standard output were characterized. The Actigraph activity-monitoring accelerometer underestimated gmax by an average of 30.2%; underestimation by the X6-2mini was not significant. Underestimation error was greater for tasks with greater impact magnitudes. gmax was underestimated when the criterion standard signal was down-sampled (by an average of 11%), range limited (by 11%), and by combined down-sampling and range-limiting (by 18%). These effects explained 89% of the variance in gmax error for the Actigraph system. This study illustrates that both the type and intensity of activity should be considered when selecting an accelerometer for characterizing impact events. In addition, caution may be warranted when comparing impact magnitudes from studies that use different accelerometers, and when comparing accelerometer outputs to osteogenic impact thresholds proposed in literature. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suspended-Sediment Loads and Yields in the North Santiam River Basin, Oregon, Water Years 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bragg, Heather M.; Sobieszczyk, Steven; Uhrich, Mark A.; Piatt, David R.

2007-01-01

The North Santiam River provides drinking water to the residents and businesses of the city of Salem, Oregon, and many surrounding communities. Since 1998, water-quality data, including turbidity, were collected continuously at monitoring stations throughout the basin as part of the North Santiam River Basin Turbidity and Suspended Sediment Study. In addition, sediment samples have been collected over a range of turbidity and streamflow values. Regression models were developed between the instream turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration from the samples collected from each monitoring station. The models were then used to estimate the daily and annual suspended-sediment loads and yields. For water years 1999-2004, suspended-sediment loads and yields were estimated for each station. Annual suspended-sediment loads and yields were highest during water years 1999 and 2000. A drought during water year 2001 resulted in the lowest suspended-sediment loads and yields for all monitoring stations. High-turbidity events that were unrelated or disproportional to increased streamflow occurred at several of the monitoring stations during the period of study. These events highlight the advantage of estimating suspended-sediment loads and yields from instream turbidity rather than from streamflow alone.

Anomaly Detection Techniques with Real Test Data from a Spinning Turbine Engine-Like Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdul-Aziz, Ali; Woike, Mark R.; Oza, Nikunj C.; Matthews, Bryan L.

2012-01-01

Online detection techniques to monitor the health of rotating engine components are becoming increasingly attractive to aircraft engine manufacturers in order to increase safety of operation and lower maintenance costs. Health monitoring remains a challenge to easily implement, especially in the presence of scattered loading conditions, crack size, component geometry, and materials properties. The current trend, however, is to utilize noninvasive types of health monitoring or nondestructive techniques to detect hidden flaws and mini-cracks before any catastrophic event occurs. These techniques go further to evaluate material discontinuities and other anomalies that have grown to the level of critical defects that can lead to failure. Generally, health monitoring is highly dependent on sensor systems capable of performing in various engine environmental conditions and able to transmit a signal upon a predetermined crack length, while acting in a neutral form upon the overall performance of the engine system.

Monitoring osseointegration and developing intelligent systems (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvino, Liming W.

2017-05-01

Effective monitoring of structural and biological systems is an extremely important research area that enables technology development for future intelligent devices, platforms, and systems. This presentation provides an overview of research efforts funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to establish structural health monitoring (SHM) methodologies in the human domain. Basic science efforts are needed to utilize SHM sensing, data analysis, modeling, and algorithms to obtain the relevant physiological and biological information for human-specific health and performance conditions. This overview of current research efforts is based on the Monitoring Osseointegrated Prosthesis (MOIP) program. MOIP develops implantable and intelligent prosthetics that are directly anchored to the bone of residual limbs. Through real-time monitoring, sensing, and responding to osseointegration of bones and implants as well as interface conditions and environment, our research program aims to obtain individualized actionable information for implant failure identification, load estimation, infection mitigation and treatment, as well as healing assessment. Looking ahead to achieve ultimate goals of SHM, we seek to expand our research areas to cover monitoring human, biological and engineered systems, as well as human-machine interfaces. Examples of such include 1) brainwave monitoring and neurological control, 2) detecting and evaluating brain injuries, 3) monitoring and maximizing human-technological object teaming, and 4) closed-loop setups in which actions can be triggered automatically based on sensors, actuators, and data signatures. Finally, some ongoing and future collaborations across different disciplines for the development of knowledge automation and intelligent systems will be discussed.

Automatic aeroponic irrigation system based on Arduino’s platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montoya, A. P.; Obando, F. A.; Morales, J. G.; Vargas, G.

2017-06-01

The recirculating hydroponic culture techniques, as aeroponics, has several advantages over traditional agriculture, aimed to improve the efficiently and environmental impact of agriculture. These techniques require continuous monitoring and automation for proper operation. In this work was developed an automatic monitored aeroponic-irrigation system based on the Arduino’s free software platform. Analog and digital sensors for measuring the temperature, flow and level of a nutrient solution in a real greenhouse were implemented. In addition, the pH and electric conductivity of nutritive solutions are monitored using the Arduino’s differential configuration. The sensor network, the acquisition and automation system are managed by two Arduinos modules in master-slave configuration, which communicate one each other wireless by Wi-Fi. Further, data are stored in micro SD memories and the information is loaded on a web page in real time. The developed device brings important agronomic information when is tested with an arugula culture (Eruca sativa Mill). The system also could be employ as an early warning system to prevent irrigation malfunctions.

Numerical modeling of the load effect on PZT-induced guided wave for load compensation of damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hu; Zhang, Aijia; Wang, Yishou; Qing, Xinlin P.

2017-04-01

Guided wave-based structural health monitoring (SHM) has been given considerable attention and widely studied for large-scale aircraft structures. Nevertheless, it is difficult to apply SHM systems on board or online, for which one of the most serious reasons is the environmental influence. Load is one fact that affects not only the host structure, in which guided wave propagates, but also the PZT, by which guided wave is transmitted and received. In this paper, numerical analysis using finite element method is used to study the load effect on guided wave acquired by PZT. The static loads with different grades are considered to analyze its effect on guided wave signals that PZT transmits and receives. Based on the variation trend of guided waves versus load, a load compensation method is developed to eliminate effects of load in the process of damage detection. The probabilistic reconstruction algorithm based on the signal variation of transmitter-receiver path is employed to identify the damage. Numerical tests is conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the given method.

40 CFR 60.51c - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... blood, including but not limited to blood plasma, platelets, red or white blood corpuscles, and other... Incinerators for Which Construction is Commenced After June 20, 1996 § 60.51c Definitions. Bag leak detection system means an instrument that is capable of monitoring PM loadings in the exhaust of a fabric filter in...

40 CFR 60.1885 - What must I include in my annual report?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... monitoring system (§ 60.1850(a)(1)). (d) For municipal waste combustion units that use activated carbon for controlling dioxins/furans or mercury emissions, include four records: (1) The average carbon feed rates... municipal waste combustion units only, nitrogen oxides emissions. (3) Carbon monoxide emissions. (4) Load...

40 CFR 63.1350 - Monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... alkali bypass PMCDs. (i) The temperature recorder response range must include zero and 1.5 times the... provide output of relative or absolute particulate matter loadings. (v) The bag leak detection system must... period. (7) The flow rate sensor must have provisions to determine the daily zero and upscale calibration...

Using fiber-optic sensor technology to measure strains under the asphalt layer of a flexible pavement structure.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

In this study, a flexible pavement system was instrumented using fiber-optic strain sensors (FOSS). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a FOSS installation, monitor the long-term strains under repeated traffic loading, and...

Tailored magnetoelastic sensor geometry for advanced functionality in wireless biliary stent monitoring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Scott R.; Gianchandani, Yogesh B.

2010-07-01

This paper presents three types of wireless magnetoelastic resonant sensors with specific functionalities for monitoring sludge accumulation within biliary stents. The first design uses a geometry with a repeated cell shape that provides two well-separated resonant mode shapes and associated frequencies to permit spatial localization of mass loading. The second design implements a pattern with specific variation in feature densities to improve sensitivity to mass loading. The third design uses narrow ribbons joined by flexible couplers; this design adopts the advantages in flexibility and expandability of the other designs while maintaining the robust longitudinal mode shapes of a ribbon-shaped sensor. The sensors are batch patterned using photochemical machining from 25 µm thick 2605SA1 Metglas™, an amorphous Fe-Si alloy. Accumulation of biliary sludge is simulated with paraffin or gelatin, and the effects of viscous bile are simulated with a range of silicone fluids. Results from the first design show that the location of mass loads can be resolved within ~5 mm along the length of the sensor. The second design offers twice the sensitivity to mass loads (3000-36 000 ppm mg-1) of other designs. The third design provides a wide range of loading (sensitive to at least 10× the mass of the sensor) and survives compression into a 2 mm diameter tube as would be required for catheter-based delivery.

Assessing pharmacokinetics of indocyanine green-loaded nanoparticle in tumor with a dynamic diffuse fluorescence tomography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanqi; Yin, Guoyan; Zhao, Huijuan; Ma, Wenjuan; Gao, Feng; Zhang, Limin

2018-02-01

Real-time and continuous monitoring of drug release in vivo is an important task in pharmaceutical development. Here, we devoted to explore a real-time continuous study of the pharmacokinetics of free indocyanine green (ICG) and ICG loaded in the shell-sheddable nanoparticles in tumor based on a dynamic diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) system: A highly-sensitive dynamic DFT system of CT-scanning mode generates informative and instantaneous sampling datasets; An analysis procedure extracts the pharmacokinetic parameters from the reconstructed time curves of the mean ICG concentration in tumor, using the Gauss-Newton scheme based on two-compartment model. Compared with the pharmacokinetic parameters of free ICG in tumor, the ICG loaded in the shell-sheddable nanoparticles shows efficient accumulation in tumor. The results demonstrate our proposed dynamic-DFT can provide an integrated and continuous view of the drug delivery of the injected agents in different formulations, which is helpful for the development of diagnosis and therapy for tumors.

Edgewise Compression Testing of STIPS-0 (Structurally Integrated Thermal Protection System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, Amy R.

2011-01-01

The Structurally Integrated Thermal Protection System (SITPS) task was initiated by the NASA Hypersonics Project under the Fundamental Aeronautics Program to develop a structural load-carrying thermal protection system for use in aerospace applications. The initial NASA concept for SITPS consists of high-temperature composite facesheets (outer and inner mold lines) with a light-weight insulated structural core. An edgewise compression test was performed on the SITPS-0 test article at room temperature using conventional instrumentation and methods in order to obtain panel-level mechanical properties and behavior of the panel. Three compression loadings (10, 20 and 37 kips) were applied to the SITPS-0 panel. The panel behavior was monitored using standard techniques and non-destructive evaluation methods such as photogrammetry and acoustic emission. The elastic modulus of the SITPS-0 panel was determined to be 1.146x106 psi with a proportional limit at 1039 psi. Barrel-shaped bending of the panel and partial delamination of the IML occurred under the final loading.

Development of the oil-water monitor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swanson, C.

1990-04-02

The oil-water monitor is a device invented by Dr. Claude Swanson of Applied Physics Technology to respond to the petroleum-loss problem in crude oil transfers. It is a device which measures water content in crude oil and other petroleum products, in a flowing pipe such as a pipeline or tanker manifold. It is capable of accurately measuring the water contamination levels in crude oil shipments, in real time as the crude oil flows through the loading manifold into the tanker, or at the receiving point as the oil is off-loaded It has application in the verification of oil volumes andmore » concentration of contaminants at petroleum transfer points. The industry-estimated level of water loss at transfer points due to inadequate monitoring technology amounts to several billion dollars per year, so there is a definite perceived need within the petroleum community for this type of accurate water monitoring technology. The device has been patented, and initial feasibility experiments have been conducted. The present research is directed toward developing and demonstrating a bench model prototype of the oil-water monitor, complete with the computer software and automated microwave equipment and electronics which will demonstrate the performance of the invention, for implementation in full-scale fielded systems. 3 figs.« less

Properties of train load frequencies and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milne, D. R. M.; Le Pen, L. M.; Thompson, D. J.; Powrie, W.

2017-06-01

A train in motion applies moving steady loads to the railway track as well as dynamic excitation; this causes track deflections, vibration and noise. At low frequency, the spectrum of measured track vibration has been found to have a distinct pattern; with spectral peaks occurring at multiples of the vehicle passing frequency. This pattern can be analysed to quantify aspects of train and track performance as well as to design sensors and systems for trackside condition monitoring. To this end, analytical methods are developed to determine frequency spectra based on known vehicle geometry and track properties. It is shown that the quasi-static wheel loads from a moving train, which are the most significant cause of the track deflections at low frequency, can be understood by considering a loading function representing the train geometry in combination with the response of the track to a single unit load. The Fourier transform of the loading function describes how the passage of repeating vehicles within a train leads to spectral peaks at various multiples of the vehicle passing frequency. When a train consists of a single type of repeating vehicle, these peaks depend on the geometry of that vehicle type as the separation of axles on a bogie and spacing of those bogies on a vehicle cause certain frequencies to be suppressed. Introduction of different vehicle types within a train or coupling of trainsets with a different inter-car length changes the spectrum, although local peaks still occur at multiples of the passing frequency of the primary vehicle. Using data from track-mounted geophones, it is shown that the properties of the train load spectrum, together with a model for track behaviour, allows calculation of the track system support modulus without knowledge of the axle loads, and enables rapid determination of the train speed. For continuous remote condition monitoring, track-mounted transducers are ideally powered using energy harvesting devices. These need to be tuned to optimise energy abstraction; the appropriate energy harvesting frequencies for given vehicle types and line speeds can also be predicted using the models developed.

Development of methodology for component testing under impact loading for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Church, Phillip; Taylor, Nicholas; Perkinson, Marie-Claire; Wishart, Alex; Vijendran, Sanjay; Braithwaite, Chris

2017-06-01

A number of recent studies have highlighted the scientific benefits of penetrator technology in conducting exploration on other planetary bodies and moons within the solar system. Such a ``hard landing'' approach is cheaper and easier than the traditional ``soft landing'' method. However it is necessary for the science package of such a mission to withstand the rapid decelerations that will occur upon impact. This paper outlines an approach that has been developed to simulate the loading appropriate to Europa and also to monitor component performance before, during and after the impact.

Strain Gage Load Calibration of the Wing Interface Fittings for the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flap Flight Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Eric J.; Holguin, Andrew C.; Cruz, Josue; Lokos, William A.

2014-01-01

This is the presentation to follow conference paper of the same name. The adaptive compliant trailing edge (ACTE) flap experiment safety of flight requires that the flap to wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the wing structural load limits are not exceeded. This paper discusses the strain gage load calibration testing and load equation derivation methodology for the ACTE interface fittings. Both the left and right wing flap interfaces will be monitored and each contains four uniquely designed and instrumented flap interface fittings. The interface hardware design and instrumentation layout are discussed. Twenty one applied test load cases were developed using the predicted in-flight loads for the ACTE experiment.

Investigations upon the effects of an auxiliary brake system on the working parameters of diesel engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suciu, Cornel; Mihai, Ioan

2016-12-01

Classical systems have the main disadvantage of being unable to ensure that high load diesel engine vehicles are slowed in good conditions, for the entire range of combinations of inclinations and lengths of sloped public roads. On such roads, where brakes are used repeatedly and for long periods, friction components that enter classical braking systems will overheat and lead to failure. The present paper aims to investigate, the efficiency of a braking system based on compression release, called a Jake Brake. In such a system, the exhaust valve is actuated at a certain predetermined angle of the crankshaft. The presented research was conducted on an experimental rig based on a four-stroke mono-cylinder diesel engine model Lombardini 6 LD400. Pressure and temperature evolutions were monitored before and during the use of the Jake Brake system. As the generated phonic pollution is the main disadvantage of such systems, noise generated in the vicinity of the engine was monitored as well. The monitored parameters were then plotted in diagrams that allowed evaluating the performances of the system.

Unit undergoes controls upgrade to meet cycling needs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weston, B.; Tinkham, R.; Chloupek, J.

1994-04-01

New England Electric System's Brayton Point Unit 3, Somerset, Mass, along with many other units in the US, has been forced into cycling operation on a much more frequent basis than was intended when the original controls were installed. Low-load operation and lengthy startup times also had to be addressed. An integrated control and monitoring system installed at Unit 3 to handle the boiler/turbine controls, burner management, and equipment monitoring functions. New strategies, particularly with the startup valves, were implemented to provide faster, safer, and more economical startups. The retrofit has been a success, with marked improvement in both startupmore » and operation.« less

Final report on development and testing of the microwave oil-water monitor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swanson, C.

1991-06-15

The oil-water monitor is a device invented by Dr. Claude Swanson of Applied Physics Technology to respond to the petroleum-loss problem in crude oil transfers. It is a device which measures water content in crude oil and other petroleum products, in a flowing pipe such as a pipeline or tanker manifold. It is capable of accurately measuring the water contamination levels in crude oil shipments, in real time as the crude oil flows through the loading manifold into the tanker, or at the receiving point as the oil is off-loaded. The oil-water monitor has application in the verification of oilmore » volumes and concentration of contaminants at petroleum transfer points. The industry-estimated level of water loss at transfer points due to inadequate monitoring technology amounts to several billion dollars per year, so there is a definite perceived need within the petroleum community for this type of accurate water monitoring technology. News articles indicating the importance of this problem are shown. The microwave oil-water monitor measures the water content in the oil, whether in the form of small droplets or large globules. Therefore it can be applied to the crude oil as it flows through crude oil pipes into the ship, or at transfer points in a crude oil distribution system. 4 refs., 18 figs.« less

Overview of aerothermodynamic loads definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaugler, Raymond E.

1989-01-01

Over the years, NASA has been conducting the Advanced Earth-to-Orbit (AETO) Propulsion Technology Program to provide the knowledge, understanding, and design methodology that will allow the development of advanced Earth-to-orbit propulsion systems with high performance, extended service life, automated operations, and diagnostics for in-flight health monitoring. The objective of the Aerothermodynamic Loads Definition Study is to develop methods to more accurately predict the operating environment in AETO propulsion systems, such as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) powerhead. The approach taken consists of 2 parts: to modify, apply, and disseminate existing computational fluid dynamics tools in response to current needs and to develop new technology that will enable more accurate computation of the time averaged and unsteady aerothermodynamic loads in the SSME powerhead. The software tools are detailed. Significant progress was made in the area of turbomachinery, where there is an overlap between the AETO efforts and research in the aeronautical gas turbine field.

Research and application of thermal power unit’s load dynamic adjustment based on extraction steam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Li, Huicong; Li, Weiwei

2018-02-01

The rapid development of heat and power generation in large power plant has caused tremendous constraints on the load adjustment of power grids and power plants. By introducing the thermodynamic system of thermal power unit, the relationship between thermal power extraction steam and unit’s load has analyzed and calculated. The practical application results show that power capability of the unit affected by extraction and it is not conducive to adjust the grid frequency. By monitoring the load adjustment capacity of thermal power units, especially the combined heat and power generating units, the upper and lower limits of the unit load can be dynamically adjusted by the operator on the grid side. The grid regulation and control departments can effectively control the load adjustable intervals of the operating units and provide reliable for the cooperative action of the power grid and power plants, to ensure the safety and stability of the power grid.

Mechanochemical solvent-free in situ synthesis of drug-loaded {Cu2(1,4-bdc)2(dabco)}n MOFs for controlled drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadizadeh, Zahra; Naimi-Jamal, M. Reza; Panahi, Leila

2018-03-01

In the present study, ibuprofen-loaded nano metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) {Cu2(1,4-bdc)2(dabco)}n and {Cu2(1,4-bdc-NH2)2(dabco)}n (bdc=benzenedicarboxylic acid, and dabco=diazabicyclooctane) were synthesized by ball-milling at room temperature in 2 h. The produced drug-loaded Cu-NMOFs were studied as ibuprofen drug delivery system and exhibited well-defined drug release behavior, exceptionally high drug loading capacities and the ability to entrap the model drug. The loading efficiency for ibuprofen was determined about 50.54% and 50.27%, respectively. The drug release of NMOFs was also monitored, and all of the loaded drug was released in 1 day. The NMOFs were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), UV-vis spectroscopy and N2 adsorption porosimetry (BET&BJH).

Short communication: identification of a novel HIV type 1 subtype H/J recombinant in Canada with discordant HIV viral load (RNA) values in three different commercial assays.

PubMed

Kim, John E; Beckthold, Brenda; Chen, Zhaoxia; Mihowich, Jennifer; Malloch, Laurie; Gill, Michael John

2007-11-01

The presence of HIV-1 non-B subtypes is increasing worldwide. This poses challenges to commercial diagnostic and viral load (RNA) monitoring tests that are predominantly based on HIV-1 subtype B strains. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the gag, pol, and env gene regions, we describe the first HIV-1 H/J recombinant in Canada that presented divergent viral load values. DNA sequence analysis of the gag gene region further revealed that genetic diversity between this H/J recombinant and the primers and probes used in the bio-Merieux Nuclisens HIV-1 QT (Nuclisens) and Roche Amplicor Monitor HIV-1, v1.5 (Monitor) viral RNA assays can erroneously lead to undetectable viral load values. This observation appears to be more problematic in the Nuclisens assay. In light of increasing genetic diversity in HIV worldwide we recommend that DNA sequencing of HIV, especially in the gag gene region targeted by primers and probes used in molecular diagnostic and viral load tests, be incorporated into clinical monitoring practices.

Monitoring the mechanical behaviour of electrically conductive polymer nanocomposites under ramp and creep conditions.

PubMed

Pedrazzoli, D; Dorigato, A; Pegoretti, A

2012-05-01

Various amounts of carbon black (CB) and carbon nanofibres (CNF) were dispersed in an epoxy resin to prepare nanocomposites whose mechanical behaviour, under ramp and creep conditions, was monitored by electrical measurements. The electrical resistivity of the epoxy resin was dramatically reduced by both nanofillers after the percolation threshold (1 wt% for CB and 0.5 wt% for CNF), reaching values in the range of 10(3)-10(4) omega . cm for filler loadings higher than 2 wt%. Due to the synergistic effects between the nanofillers, an epoxy system containing a total nanofiller amount of 2 wt%, with a relative CB/CNF ratio of 90/10 was selected for the specific applications. A direct correlation between the tensile strain and the increase of the electrical resistance was observed over the whole experimental range, and also the final failure of the samples was clearly detected. Creep tests confirmed the possibility to monitor the various deformational stages under constant loads, with a strong dependency from the temperature and the applied stress. The obtained results are encouraging for a possible application of nanomodified epoxy resin as a matrix for the preparation of structural composites with sensing (i.e., damage-monitoring) capabilities.

Turbine engine rotor health monitoring evaluation by means of finite element analyses and spin tests data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdul-Aziz, Ali; Woike, Mark R.; Clem, Michelle; Baaklini, George Y.

2014-04-01

Generally, rotating engine components undergo high centrifugal loading environment which subject them to various types of failure initiation mechanisms. Health monitoring of these components is a necessity and is often challenging to implement. This is primarily due to numerous factors including the presence of scattered loading conditions, flaw sizes, component geometry and materials properties, all which hinder the simplicity of applying health monitoring applications. This paper represents a summary work of combined experimental and analytical modeling that included data collection from a spin test experiment of a rotor disk addressing the aforementioned durability issues. It further covers presentation of results obtained from a finite element modeling study to characterize the structural durability of a cracked rotor as it relates to the experimental findings. The experimental data include blade tip clearance, blade tip timing and shaft displacement measurements. The tests were conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center's Rotordynamics Laboratory, a high precision spin rig. The results are evaluated and examined to determine their significance on the development of a health monitoring system to pre-predict cracks and other anomalies and to assist in initiating a supplemental physics based fault prediction analytical model.

Diesel emission reduction using internal exhaust gas recirculation

DOEpatents

He, Xin [Denver, CO; Durrett, Russell P [Bloomfield Hills, MI

2012-01-24

A method for controlling combustion in a direct-injection diesel engine includes monitoring a crankshaft rotational position of a cylinder of the engine, monitoring an engine load, determining an intake stroke within the cylinder based upon the crankshaft rotational position, and when the engine load is less than a threshold engine load, opening an exhaust valve for the cylinder during a portion of the intake stroke.

CARRIER/CASK HANDLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

E.F. Loros

2000-06-23

The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives casks on railcars and legal-weight trucks (LWTs) (transporters) that transport loaded casks and empty overpacks to the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) from the Carrier/Cask Transport System. Casks that come to the MGR on heavy-haul trucks (HHTs) are transferred onto railcars before being brought into the Carrier/Cask Handling System. The system is the interfacing system between the railcars and LWTs and the Assembly Transfer System (ATS) and Canister Transfer System (CTS). The Carrier/Cask Handling System removes loaded casks from the cask transporters and transfers the casks to a transfer cart for either the ATS or CTS,more » as appropriate, based on cask contents. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives the returned empty casks from the ATS and CTS and mounts the casks back onto the transporters for reshipment. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount loaded casks back onto the transporters and remove empty casks from the transporters. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives overpacks from the ATS loaded with canisters that have been cut open and emptied and mounts the overpacks back onto the transporters for disposal. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount empty overpacks back onto the transporters and remove loaded overpacks from them. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is located within the Carrier Bay of the Waste Handling Building System. The system consists of cranes, hoists, manipulators, and supporting equipment. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is designed with the tooling and fixtures necessary for handling a variety of casks. The Carrier/Cask Handling System performance and reliability are sufficient to support the shipping and emplacement schedules for the MGR. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Transport System, ATS, and CTS as noted above. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for building structures and space allocations. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Waste Handling Building Electrical System for electrical power.« less

Displacement Theories for In-Flight Deformed Shape Predictions of Aerospace Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Richards, W. L.; Tran, Van t.

2007-01-01

Displacement theories are developed for a variety of structures with the goal of providing real-time shape predictions for aerospace vehicles during flight. These theories are initially developed for a cantilever beam to predict the deformed shapes of the Helios flying wing. The main structural configuration of the Helios wing is a cantilever wing tubular spar subjected to bending, torsion, and combined bending and torsion loading. The displacement equations that are formulated are expressed in terms of strains measured at multiple sensing stations equally spaced on the surface of the wing spar. Displacement theories for other structures, such as tapered cantilever beams, two-point supported beams, wing boxes, and plates also are developed. The accuracy of the displacement theories is successfully validated by finite-element analysis and classical beam theory using input-strains generated by finite-element analysis. The displacement equations and associated strain-sensing system (such as fiber optic sensors) create a powerful means for in-flight deformation monitoring of aerospace structures. This method serves multiple purposes for structural shape sensing, loads monitoring, and structural health monitoring. Ultimately, the calculated displacement data can be visually displayed to the ground-based pilot or used as input to the control system to actively control the shape of structures during flight.

WE-D-9A-06: Open Source Monitor Calibration and Quality Control Software for Enterprise Display Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bevins, N; Vanderhoek, M; Lang, S

2014-06-15

Purpose: Medical display monitor calibration and quality control present challenges to medical physicists. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate and share experiences with an open source package that allows for both initial monitor setup and routine performance evaluation. Methods: A software package, pacsDisplay, has been developed over the last decade to aid in the calibration of all monitors within the radiology group in our health system. The software is used to calibrate monitors to follow the DICOM Grayscale Standard Display Function (GSDF) via lookup tables installed on the workstation. Additional functionality facilitates periodic evaluations of both primary andmore » secondary medical monitors to ensure satisfactory performance. This software is installed on all radiology workstations, and can also be run as a stand-alone tool from a USB disk. Recently, a database has been developed to store and centralize the monitor performance data and to provide long-term trends for compliance with internal standards and various accrediting organizations. Results: Implementation and utilization of pacsDisplay has resulted in improved monitor performance across the health system. Monitor testing is now performed at regular intervals and the software is being used across multiple imaging modalities. Monitor performance characteristics such as maximum and minimum luminance, ambient luminance and illuminance, color tracking, and GSDF conformity are loaded into a centralized database for system performance comparisons. Compliance reports for organizations such as MQSA, ACR, and TJC are generated automatically and stored in the same database. Conclusion: An open source software solution has simplified and improved the standardization of displays within our health system. This work serves as an example method for calibrating and testing monitors within an enterprise health system.« less

A PVDF-Based Sensor for Internal Stress Monitoring of a Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) Column Subject to Impact Loads.

PubMed

Du, Guofeng; Li, Zhao; Song, Gangbing

2018-05-23

Impact loads can have major adverse effects on the safety of civil engineering structures, such as concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns. The study of mechanical behavior and stress analysis of CFST columns under impact loads is very important to ensure their safety against such loads. At present, the internal stress monitoring of the concrete cores CFST columns under impact loads is still a very challenging subject. In this paper, a PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) piezoelectric smart sensor was developed and successfully applied to the monitoring of the internal stress of the concrete core of a CFST column under impact loads. The smart sensor consists of a PVDF piezoelectric film sandwiched between two thin steel plates through epoxy. The protection not only prevents the PVDF film from impact damages but also ensures insulation and waterproofing. The smart sensors were embedded into the circular concrete-filled steel tube specimen during concrete pouring. The specimen was tested against impact loads, and testing data were collected. The time history of the stress obtained from the PVDF smart sensor revealed the evolution of core concrete internal stress under impact loads when compared with the impact force⁻time curve of the hammer. Nonlinear finite element simulations of the impact process were also carried out. The results of FEM simulations had good agreement with the test results. The results showed that the proposed PVDF piezoelectric smart sensors can effectively monitor the internal stress of concrete-filled steel tubular columns under impact loads.

Potential effects of anticipated coal mining on salinity of the Price, San Rafael, and Green Rivers, Utah. Water Resources Investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindskov, K.L.

1986-01-01

The overall objective of the report is to describe the potential cumulative impacts of anticipated coal mining on the dissolved-solids concentrations in the Price, San Rafael, and Green Rivers. The changes considered were (1) salt loads in ground water that would be intercepted by mines and discharged to nearby streams in order to dewater the mines and (2) salt loads resulting from surface disturbance associated with the anticipated mining. The anticipated salt loads were estimated from (1) reports prepared under contract with the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement--Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessments of several drainages tributary to the Pricemore » and San Rafael Rivers that may be impacted by the mining, (2) information from determinations of probable hydrologic impacts in individual permit applications submitted to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining, (3) monitoring reports for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System furnished to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and (4) other miscellaneous monitoring data for the permit areas.« less

Monitoring loading and environmental effects on bridge performance : research brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

A pilot project was initiated to assess the performance of the HPS bridge members as well as to evaluate : the response of the structure to actual traffic and environmental loads under in-service conditions : through monitoring of strain, temperature...

The signatures of acoustic emission waveforms from fatigue crack advancing in thin metallic plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeasin Bhuiyan, Md; Giurgiutiu, Victor

2018-01-01

The acoustic emission (AE) waveforms from a fatigue crack advancing in a thin metallic plate possess diverse and complex spectral signatures. In this article, we analyze these waveform signatures in coordination with the load level during cyclic fatigue. The advancing fatigue crack may generate numerous AE hits while it grows under fatigue loading. We found that these AE hits can be sorted into various groups based on their AE waveform signatures. Each waveform group has a particular time-domain signal pattern and a specific frequency spectrum. This indicates that each group represents a certain AE event related to the fatigue crack growth behavior. In situ AE-fatigue experiments were conducted to monitor the fatigue crack growth with simultaneous measurement of AE signals, fatigue loading, and optical crack growth measurement. An in situ microscope was installed in the load-frame of the mechanical testing system (MTS) to optically monitor the fatigue crack growth and relate the AE signals with the crack growth measurement. We found the AE signal groups at higher load levels (75%-85% of maximum load) were different from the AE signal groups that happened at lower load levels (below 60% of load level). These AE waveform groups are highly related to the fatigue crack-related AE events. These AE signals mostly contain the higher frequency peaks (100 kHz, 230 kHz, 450 kHz, 550 kHz). Some AE signal groups happened as a clustered form that relates a sequence of small AE events within the fatigue crack. They happened at relatively lower load level (50%-60% of the maximum load). These AE signal groups may be related to crack friction and micro-fracture during the friction process. These AE signals mostly contain the lower frequency peaks (60 kHz, 100 kHz, 200 kHz). The AE waveform based analysis may give us comprehensive information of the metal fatigue.

Heavy metal transport in large river systems: heavy metal emissions and loads in the Rhine and Elbe river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vink, Rona; Behrendt, Horst

2002-11-01

Pollutant transport and management in the Rhine and Elbe basins is still of international concern, since certain target levels set by the international committees for protection of both rivers have not been reached. The analysis of the chain of emissions of point and diffuse sources to river loads will provide policy makers with a tool for effective management of river basins. The analysis of large river basins such as the Elbe and Rhine requires information on the spatial and temporal characteristics of both emissions and physical information of the entire river basin. In this paper, an analysis has been made of heavy metal emissions from various point and diffuse sources in the Rhine and Elbe drainage areas. Different point and diffuse pathways are considered in the model, such as inputs from industry, wastewater treatment plants, urban areas, erosion, groundwater, atmospheric deposition, tile drainage, and runoff. In most cases the measured heavy metal loads at monitoring stations are lower than the sum of the heavy metal emissions. This behaviour in large river systems can largely be explained by retention processes (e.g. sedimentation) and is dependent on the specific runoff of a catchment. Independent of the method used to estimate emissions, the source apportionment analysis of observed loads was used to determine the share of point and diffuse sources in the heavy metal load at a monitoring station by establishing a discharge dependency. The results from both the emission analysis and the source apportionment analysis of observed loads were compared and gave similar results. Between 51% (for Hg) and 74% (for Pb) of the total transport in the Elbe basin is supplied by inputs from diffuse sources. In the Rhine basin diffuse source inputs dominate the total transport and deliver more than 70% of the total transport. The diffuse hydrological pathways with the highest share are erosion and urban areas.

A new approach for structural health monitoring by applying anomaly detection on strain sensor data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trichias, Konstantinos; Pijpers, Richard; Meeuwissen, Erik

2014-03-01

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems help to monitor critical infrastructures (bridges, tunnels, etc.) remotely and provide up-to-date information about their physical condition. In addition, it helps to predict the structure's life and required maintenance in a cost-efficient way. Typically, inspection data gives insight in the structural health. The global structural behavior, and predominantly the structural loading, is generally measured with vibration and strain sensors. Acoustic emission sensors are more and more used for measuring global crack activity near critical locations. In this paper, we present a procedure for local structural health monitoring by applying Anomaly Detection (AD) on strain sensor data for sensors that are applied in expected crack path. Sensor data is analyzed by automatic anomaly detection in order to find crack activity at an early stage. This approach targets the monitoring of critical structural locations, such as welds, near which strain sensors can be applied during construction and/or locations with limited inspection possibilities during structural operation. We investigate several anomaly detection techniques to detect changes in statistical properties, indicating structural degradation. The most effective one is a novel polynomial fitting technique, which tracks slow changes in sensor data. Our approach has been tested on a representative test structure (bridge deck) in a lab environment, under constant and variable amplitude fatigue loading. In both cases, the evolving cracks at the monitored locations were successfully detected, autonomously, by our AD monitoring tool.

An approach to improve the spatial resolution of a force mapping sensing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negri, Lucas Hermann; Manfron Schiefer, Elberth; Sade Paterno, Aleksander; Muller, Marcia; Luís Fabris, José

2016-02-01

This paper proposes a smart sensor system capable of detecting sparse forces applied to different positions of a metal plate. The sensing is performed with strain transducers based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) distributed under the plate. Forces actuating in nine squared regions of the plate, resulting from up to three different loads applied simultaneously to the plate, were monitored with seven transducers. The system determines the magnitude of the force/pressure applied on each specific area, even in the absence of a dedicated transducer for that area. The set of strain transducers with coupled responses and a compressive sensing algorithm are employed to solve the underdetermined inverse problem which emerges from mapping the force. In this configuration, experimental results have shown that the system is capable of recovering the value of the load distributed on the plate with a signal-to-noise ratio better than 12 dB, when the plate is submitted to three simultaneous test loads. The proposed method is a practical illustration of compressive sensing algorithms for the reduction of the number of FBG-based transducers used in a quasi-distributed configuration.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Touati, Said; Chennai, Salim; Souli, Aissa

The increased requirements on supervision, control, and performance in modern power systems make power quality monitoring a common practise for utilities. Large databases are created and automatic processing of the data is required for fast and effective use of the available information. Aim of the work presented in this paper is the development of tools for analysis of monitoring power quality data and in particular measurements of voltage and currents in various level of electrical power distribution. The study is extended to evaluate the reliability of the electrical system in nuclear plant. Power Quality is a measure of how wellmore » a system supports reliable operation of its loads. A power disturbance or event can involve voltage, current, or frequency. Power disturbances can originate in consumer power systems, consumer loads, or the utility. The effect of power quality problems is the loss power supply leading to severe damage to equipments. So, we try to track and improve system reliability. The assessment can be focused on the study of impact of short circuits on the system, harmonics distortion, power factor improvement and effects of transient disturbances on the Electrical System during motor starting and power system fault conditions. We focus also on the review of the Electrical System design against the Nuclear Directorate Safety Assessment principles, including those extended during the last Fukushima nuclear accident. The simplified configuration of the required system can be extended from this simple scheme. To achieve these studies, we have used a demo ETAP power station software for several simulations. (authors)« less

Diagnostics for Magnetically Driven Implosions on the 1-MA MAIZE Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Paul; Yager-Elorriaga, David; Miller, Stephanie; Woolstrum, Jeff; Jones, Michael; Jordan, Nicholas; Lau, Y. Y.; Gilgenbach, Ronald; McBride, Ryan

2017-10-01

The Michigan Accelerator for Inductive Z-pinch Experiments (MAIZE) is a 3-m-diameter Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) at the University of Michigan which supplies a fast electrical pulse (0-1 MA in 100 ns, for matched loads) to various experimental configurations. In order to better investigate these loads, new diagnostics are being developed. First, an EUV/XUV micro-channel plate pinhole camera and a UV laser imaging system are being implemented to better observe the instability structures that form during implosions. Second, an x-pinch radiography diagnostic is being developed to probe deeper into the plasma loads. Third, Rogowski coils are being developed for enhanced load current measurements. Finally, a bolometry system and photo-conducting diamond (PCD) detectors will be implemented to measure x-ray power and energy. These new systems, combined with the existing twelve-frame laser shadowgraphy, and b-dot current monitors, will be powerful tools for the investigation of imploding z-pinch experiments. This research was supported by the DOE through award DE-SC0012328, Sandia National Laboratories contract DE-NA0003525, the National Science Foundation, and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission new-faculty development Grant. D.Y.E. was supported by an NSF fello.

Self-Sensing of Position-Related Loads in Continuous Carbon Fibers-Embedded 3D-Printed Polymer Structures Using Electrical Resistance Measurement

PubMed Central

Luan, Congcong; Shen, Hongyao; Fu, Jianzhong

2018-01-01

Condition monitoring in polymer composites and structures based on continuous carbon fibers show overwhelming advantages over other potentially competitive sensing technologies in long-gauge measurements due to their great electromechanical behavior and excellent reinforcement property. Although carbon fibers have been developed as strain- or stress-sensing agents in composite structures through electrical resistance measurements, the electromechanical behavior under flexural loads in terms of different loading positions still lacks adequate research, which is the most common situation in practical applications. This study establishes the relationship between the fractional change in electrical resistance of carbon fibers and the external loads at different loading positions along the fibers’ longitudinal direction. An approach for real-time monitoring of flexural loads at different loading positions was presented simultaneously based on this relationship. The effectiveness and feasibility of the approach were verified by experiments on carbon fiber-embedded three-dimensional (3D) printed thermoplastic polymer beam. The error in using the provided approach to monitor the external loads at different loading positions was less than 1.28%. The study fully taps the potential of continuous carbon fibers as long-gauge sensory agents and reinforcement in the 3D-printed polymer structures. PMID:29584665

Damage tolerance and structural monitoring for wind turbine blades.

PubMed

McGugan, M; Pereira, G; Sørensen, B F; Toftegaard, H; Branner, K

2015-02-28

The paper proposes a methodology for reliable design and maintenance of wind turbine rotor blades using a condition monitoring approach and a damage tolerance index coupling the material and structure. By improving the understanding of material properties that control damage propagation it will be possible to combine damage tolerant structural design, monitoring systems, inspection techniques and modelling to manage the life cycle of the structures. This will allow an efficient operation of the wind turbine in terms of load alleviation, limited maintenance and repair leading to a more effective exploitation of offshore wind. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

German experiences in local fatigue monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abib, E.; Bergholz, S.; Rudolph, J.

The ageing management of nuclear power plants (NPP) has gained an increasing importance in the last years. The reasons are mainly due to the international context of extending period of plants operation. Moreover, new scientific discoveries, such as the corrosive influence of the medium on the fatigue process (environmentally assisted fatigue - EAF) play an important role and influence the code development (ASME, EAF code cases). The fatigue damage process takes a central position in ageing mechanisms of components. It must be ensured through appropriate evidence that facilities are being operated under allowable boundary conditions. In the design phase ofmore » NPP, fatigue analyses are still based on theoretical considerations and empirical values, which are summarized in the design transient catalogue, necessary for licensing. These analyses aim at proving the admissibility of the loads in terms of stress and fatigue usage. These analyses will also provide the fatigue-relevant positions in the NPP and give a basis for future design improvements and optimization of operating modes. The design transients are in practice conservatively correlated with the real transients occurring during operation. Uncertainties reveal very conservative assumptions regarding forecast temperatures, temperature gradients and frequencies of events. During operation of the plant, it has to be recurrently proved, that the plant is being operated under designed boundary conditions. Moreover, operating signals are constantly acquired to enable a fatigue evaluation. For example, in Germany fatigue evaluation is based on decades of experience and regulatory requirements. The rule KTA 3201.4 [1] establishes the rules for qualified fatigue monitoring. The rule DIN 25475-3 [2] on fatigue monitoring systems is available in draft version. Experience shows that some significant differences occur between the design transients and the real occurred transients during plant operation. The reasons for it are the various manual control options and also different operating modes. It is clear that showing the covering of real loads by design loads, requires a relatively complex and well-qualified detection process. The difficulty of this task is increased due to the lack of data or incomplete information and the exclusive reliance on existing operation plant data. The strategy of employing local fatigue monitoring is a straightforward solution enabling the direct measurement of loads on the fatigue-sensitive zones. Nowadays a direct derivation of the complete stress tensor at the fatigue-relevant locations is enabled thanks to the recorded local loads and combination with finite element (FE) analyses. So, additionally to the recorded temperature curves, a representation of the time evolution of the six stress components for each monitored component is possible. This allows the application of the simplified elasto-plastic fatigue check according to design codes. The fatigue level can be realistically analyzed with a suitable cycle-counting method. Furthermore, the knowledge of the time evolution of the stresses and strains enables to take into account an environmental factor to include the corrosive fluid influence in the calculations. Without local recording, it is impossible to calculate realistic fatigue usage. AREVA offers the AREVA fatigue concept (AFC) and the new fatigue monitoring system integrated (FAMOSi), necessary tools to monitor local fatigue and to provide realistic assessment. (authors)« less

High-frequency monitoring reveals nutrient sources and transport processes in an agriculture-dominated lowland water system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Grift, Bas; Broers, Hans Peter; Berendrecht, Wilbert; Rozemeijer, Joachim; Osté, Leonard; Griffioen, Jasper

2016-05-01

Many agriculture-dominated lowland water systems worldwide suffer from eutrophication caused by high nutrient loads. Insight in the hydrochemical functioning of embanked polder catchments is highly relevant for improving the water quality in such areas or for reducing export loads to downstream water bodies. This paper introduces new insights in nutrient sources and transport processes in a polder in the Netherlands situated below sea level using high-frequency monitoring technology at the outlet, where the water is pumped into a higher situated lake, combined with a low-frequency water quality monitoring programme at six locations within the drainage area. Seasonal trends and short-scale temporal dynamics in concentrations indicated that the NO3 concentration at the pumping station originated from N loss from agricultural lands. The NO3 loads appear as losses via tube drains after intensive rainfall events during the winter months due to preferential flow through the cracked clay soil. Transfer function-noise modelling of hourly NO3 concentrations reveals that a large part of the dynamics in NO3 concentrations during the winter months can be related to rainfall. The total phosphorus (TP) concentration and turbidity almost doubled during operation of the pumping station, which points to resuspension of particulate P from channel bed sediments induced by changes in water flow due to pumping. Rainfall events that caused peaks in NO3 concentrations did not results in TP concentration peaks. The rainfall induced and NO3 enriched quick interflow, may also be enriched in TP but retention of TP due to sedimentation of particulate P then results in the absence of rainfall induced TP concentration peaks. Increased TP concentrations associated with run-off events is only observed during a rainfall event at the end of a freeze-thaw cycle. All these observations suggest that the P retention potential of polder water systems is primarily due to the artificial pumping regime that buffers high flows. As the TP concentration is affected by operation of the pumping station, timing of sampling relative to the operating hours of the pumping station should be accounted for when calculating P export loads, determining trends in water quality, or when judging water quality status of polder water systems.

Return to competition after an Achilles tendon rupture using both on and off the field load monitoring as guidance: A case report of a top-level soccer player.

PubMed

Fanchini, Maurizio; Impellizzeri, Franco M; Silbernagel, Karin Grävare; Combi, Franco; Benazzo, Franco; Bizzini, Mario

2018-01-01

To describe the Return to competition after Achilles Tendon rupture (ATR) in an elite soccer player. Case report. Return to sport (RTS) of a professional soccer player who suffered an ATR during a match. The RTS phase started 15 weeks after surgery and specific on-field activities were gradually introduced. Criteria used to monitor the transition through the different phases were strength and endurance of the calf muscle and ability to sustain specific on-field training loads (TL) monitored with Global Positioning System and heart-rate system. TLs were weekly compared to pre-injury values to evaluate recovery and to prescribe future sessions. A 39-year-old (height 178 cm, weight 75 kg) elite soccer defender player, playing in Italian Serie-A league. Days of absence were lower compared to a cohort presented in UEFA study (119 versus 161 ± 65 days, respectively). External-TL and Internal-TL were organized to gradually increase during RTS and resulted in higher values prior to return to competition compared to pre-injury values. Concentric plantar flexion peak torque increased till 9th months after surgery. Monitoring of the field activities allowed comparison with pre-injury values and provided a useful and functional criteria to pass return to team activity and competition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building America Case Study: Indoor Heat Pump Water Heaters During Summer in a Hot-Dry Climate, Redding, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heat pump water heaters offer a significant opportunity to improve water heating performance for the over 40% of U.S. households that heat domestic hot water using electric resistance storage water heaters. Numerous field studies have also been completed documenting performance in a variety of climates and applications. More recent evaluation efforts have focused attention on the performance of May through September 2014, with ongoing winter monitoring being sponsored by California utility partners. Summer results show favorable system performance with extrapolated annual water heating savings of 1,466 to 2,300 kWh per year, based on the observed hot water loads. Additional summermore » space cooling benefits savings of 121 to 135 kWh per year were projected, further increasing the water heating savings by 5-9%. Given the project schedule for 2014 completion, no heating season impacts were able to be monitored. May through September 2014, with ongoing winter monitoring being sponsored by California utility partners. Summer results show favorable system performance with extrapolated annual water heating savings of 1,466 to 2,300 kWh per year, based on the observed hot water loads. Additional summer space cooling benefits savings of 121 to 135 kWh per year were projected, further increasing the water heating savings by 5-9%. Given the project schedule for 2014 completion, no heating season impacts were able to be monitored.« less

A data-driven approach of load monitoring on laminated composite plates using support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwon, Y. S.; Fekrmandi, H.

2018-03-01

In this study, the surface response to excitation method (SuRE) is investigated using a data-driven method for load monitoring on a laminated composite plate structure. The SuRE method is an emerging approach in ultrasonic wavebased structural health monitoring (SHM) field. In this method, a range of high-frequency, surface-guided waves are excited on the structure using piezoceramic elements. The waves propagate on the structure and interact with internal or surface damages. Initially, a baseline data of the intact structure is created by measuring the frequency transfer function between the excitation and sensing point. The integrity of structure is evaluated by monitoring changes in the frequency spectrums. The SuRE method has effectively been used for a variety of SHM applications including the detection of loose bolts, delamination in composite structures, internal corrosion in pipelines, and load and impact monitoring. Data obtained using the SuRE method was used for identifying the location of the applied load on a laminated composite plate using Support Vector Machine (SVM). A set of two piezoelectric elements were attached on the surface of the plate. A sweep excitation (150-250 kHz) generated surface-guided waves, and the transmitted waves were monitored at the sensory positions. The reference data set was measured simultaneously from the sensors. The plate was subjected to static loads while health monitoring data was being captured using the SuRE method. The confusion matrix indicated that the model classified correctly with up to 99.8% accuracy.

Monitoring stream sediment loads in response to agriculture in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

PubMed

Alberto, Ashley; St-Hilaire, Andre; Courtenay, Simon C; van den Heuvel, Michael R

2016-07-01

Increased agricultural land use leads to accelerated erosion and deposition of fine sediment in surface water. Monitoring of suspended sediment yields has proven challenging due to the spatial and temporal variability of sediment loading. Reliable sediment yield calculations depend on accurate monitoring of these highly episodic sediment loading events. This study aims to quantify precipitation-induced loading of suspended sediments on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Turbidity is considered to be a reasonably accurate proxy for suspended sediment data. In this study, turbidity was used to monitor suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and was measured for 2 years (December 2012-2014) in three subwatersheds with varying degrees of agricultural land use ranging from 10 to 69 %. Comparison of three turbidity meter calibration methods, two using suspended streambed sediment and one using automated sampling during rainfall events, revealed that the use of SSC samples constructed from streambed sediment was not an accurate replacement for water column sampling during rainfall events for calibration. Different particle size distributions in the three rivers produced significant impacts on the calibration methods demonstrating the need for river-specific calibration. Rainfall-induced sediment loading was significantly greater in the most agriculturally impacted site only when the load per rainfall event was corrected for runoff volume (total flow minus baseflow), flow increase intensity (the slope between the start of a runoff event and the peak of the hydrograph), and season. Monitoring turbidity, in combination with sediment modeling, may offer the best option for management purposes.

Concepts of scientific integrative medicine applied to the physiology and pathophysiology of catecholamine systems.

PubMed

Goldstein, David S

2013-10-01

This review presents concepts of scientific integrative medicine and relates them to the physiology of catecholamine systems and to the pathophysiology of catecholamine-related disorders. The applications to catecholamine systems exemplify how scientific integrative medicine links systems biology with integrative physiology. Concepts of scientific integrative medicine include (i) negative feedback regulation, maintaining stability of the body's monitored variables; (ii) homeostats, which compare information about monitored variables with algorithms for responding; (iii) multiple effectors, enabling compensatory activation of alternative effectors and primitive specificity of stress response patterns; (iv) effector sharing, accounting for interactions among homeostats and phenomena such as hyperglycemia attending gastrointestinal bleeding and hyponatremia attending congestive heart failure; (v) stress, applying a definition as a state rather than as an environmental stimulus or stereotyped response; (vi) distress, using a noncircular definition that does not presume pathology; (vii) allostasis, corresponding to adaptive plasticity of feedback-regulated systems; and (viii) allostatic load, explaining chronic degenerative diseases in terms of effects of cumulative wear and tear. From computer models one can predict mathematically the effects of stress and allostatic load on the transition from wellness to symptomatic disease. The review describes acute and chronic clinical disorders involving catecholamine systems-especially Parkinson disease-and how these concepts relate to pathophysiology, early detection, and treatment and prevention strategies in the post-genome era. Published 2013. Compr Physiol 3:1569-1610, 2013.

Incorporating voltage security into the planning, operation and monitoring of restructured electric energy markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Nirmal-Kumar

As open access market principles are applied to power systems, significant changes are happening in their planning, operation and control. In the emerging marketplace, systems are operating under higher loading conditions as markets focus greater attention to operating costs than stability and security margins. Since operating stability is a basic requirement for any power system, there is need for newer tools to ensure stability and security margins being strictly enforced in the competitive marketplace. This dissertation investigates issues associated with incorporating voltage security into the unbundled operating environment of electricity markets. It includes addressing voltage security in the monitoring, operational and planning horizons of restructured power system. This dissertation presents a new decomposition procedure to estimate voltage security usage by transactions. The procedure follows physical law and uses an index that can be monitored knowing the state of the system. The expression derived is based on composite market coordination models that have both PoolCo and OpCo transactions, in a shared stressed transmission grid. Our procedure is able to equitably distinguish the impacts of individual transactions on voltage stability, at load buses, in a simple and fast manner. This dissertation formulates a new voltage stability constrained optimal power flow (VSCOPF) using a simple voltage security index. In modern planning, composite power system reliability analysis that encompasses both adequacy and security issues is being developed. We have illustrated the applicability of our VSCOPF into composite reliability analysis. This dissertation also delves into the various applications of voltage security index. Increasingly, FACT devices are being used in restructured markets to mitigate a variety of operational problems. Their control effects on voltage security would be demonstrated using our VSCOPF procedure. Further, this dissertation investigates the application of steady state voltage stability index to detect potential dynamic voltage collapse. Finally, this dissertation examines developments in representation, standardization, communication and exchange of power system data. Power system data is the key input to all analytical engines for system operation, monitoring and control. Data exchange and dissemination could impact voltage security evaluation and therefore needs to be critically examined.

A microprocessor based portable bolt tension monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perey, D. F.

1991-01-01

A bolt tension monitor (BTM) which uses ultrasonics and a pulsed phase locked loop circuit to measure load-induced acoustic phase shifts which are independent of friction is described. The BTM makes it possible to measure the load in a bolt that was tightened at some time in the past. This capability to recertify a load after-the-fact will help to insure the integrity of a bolted joint.

A hydrologic retention system and water quality monitoring program for a human decomposition research facility: concept and design.

PubMed

Wozniak, Jeffrey R; Thies, Monte L; Bytheway, Joan A; Lutterschmidt, William I

2015-01-01

Forensic taphonomy is an essential research field; however, the decomposition of human cadavers at forensic science facilities may lead to nutrient loading and the introduction of unique biological compounds to adjacent areas. The infrastructure of a water retention system may provide a mechanism for the biogeochemical processing and retention of nutrients and compounds, ensuring the control of runoff from forensic facilities. This work provides a proof of concept for a hydrologic retention system and an autonomous water quality monitoring program designed to mitigate runoff from The Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) Facility. Water samples collected along a sample transect were analyzed for total phosphorous, total nitrogen, NO3-, NO2-, NH4, F(-), and Cl(-). Preliminary water quality analyses confirm the overall effectiveness of the water retention system. These results are discussed with relation to how this infrastructure can be expanded upon to monitor additional, more novel, byproducts of forensic science research facilities. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Monitoring and load distribution study for the land bridge.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

A monitoring program and a live load distribution study were conducted for the Land Bridge, located on : State Highway 131 between Ontario and LaFarge in southwest Wisconsin. The bridge is a 275-ft long curved : double trapezoidal steel box girder co...

Microbe Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Under NASA contracts, McDonnell Douglas developed a microbial load monitor to detect bacterial contamination. Vitek Systems, Inc., a subsidiary, was created to commercialize the product for analyzing body fluids. With the AutoMicrobic System, infections may be treated more quickly. The process involves injecting the fluid into identification cards and screening the reaction. Antibiotic treatments are also suggested. Time in hospital and human error is reduced. There are also possible industrial and environmental applications.

Type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance are associated with word memory source monitoring recollection deficits but not simple recognition familiarity deficits following water, low glycaemic load, and high glycaemic load breakfasts.

PubMed

Lamport, Daniel J; Lawton, Clare L; Mansfield, Michael W; Moulin, Chris A J; Dye, Louise

2014-01-30

It has been established that type 2 diabetes, and to some extent, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), are associated with general neuropsychological impairments in episodic memory. However, the effect of abnormalities in glucose metabolism on specific retrieval processes such as source monitoring has not been investigated. The primary aim was to investigate the impact of type 2 diabetes and IGT on simple word recognition (familiarity) and complex source monitoring (recollection). A secondary aim was to examine the effect of acute breakfast glycaemic load manipulations on episodic memory. Data are presented from two separate studies; (i) 24 adults with type 2 diabetes and 12 controls aged 45-75years, (ii) 18 females with IGT and 47 female controls aged 30-50years. Controls were matched for age, IQ, BMI, waist circumference, and depression. Recognition of previously learned words and memory for specifically which list a previously learned word had appeared in (source monitoring) was examined at two test sessions during the morning after consumption of low glycaemic load, high glycaemic load and water breakfasts according to a counterbalanced, crossover design. Type 2 diabetes (p<0.05) and IGT (p<0.01) were associated with significant source monitoring recollection deficits but not impairments in familiarity. Impairments were only observed in the late postprandial stage at the second test session. These impairments were not attenuated by the breakfast glycaemic load manipulations. Isolated source monitoring recollection deficits indicate that abnormalities in glucose metabolism are not detrimental for global episodic memory processes. This enhances our understanding of how metabolic disorders are associated with memory impairments. © 2013.

Software Considerations for Subscale Flight Testing of Experimental Control Laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murch, Austin M.; Cox, David E.; Cunningham, Kevin

2009-01-01

The NASA AirSTAR system has been designed to address the challenges associated with safe and efficient subscale flight testing of research control laws in adverse flight conditions. In this paper, software elements of this system are described, with an emphasis on components which allow for rapid prototyping and deployment of aircraft control laws. Through model-based design and automatic coding a common code-base is used for desktop analysis, piloted simulation and real-time flight control. The flight control system provides the ability to rapidly integrate and test multiple research control laws and to emulate component or sensor failures. Integrated integrity monitoring systems provide aircraft structural load protection, isolate the system from control algorithm failures, and monitor the health of telemetry streams. Finally, issues associated with software configuration management and code modularity are briefly discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Magee, Thoman

The Consolidated Edison, Inc., of New York (Con Edison) Secure Interoperable Open Smart Grid Demonstration Project (SGDP), sponsored by the United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE), demonstrated that the reliability, efficiency, and flexibility of the grid can be improved through a combination of enhanced monitoring and control capabilities using systems and resources that interoperate within a secure services framework. The project demonstrated the capability to shift, balance, and reduce load where and when needed in response to system contingencies or emergencies by leveraging controllable field assets. The range of field assets includes curtailable customer loads, distributed generation (DG), batterymore » storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, building management systems (BMS), home area networks (HANs), high-voltage monitoring, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The SGDP enables the seamless integration and control of these field assets through a common, cyber-secure, interoperable control platform, which integrates a number of existing legacy control and data systems, as well as new smart grid (SG) systems and applications. By integrating advanced technologies for monitoring and control, the SGDP helps target and reduce peak load growth, improves the reliability and efficiency of Con Edison’s grid, and increases the ability to accommodate the growing use of distributed resources. Con Edison is dedicated to lowering costs, improving reliability and customer service, and reducing its impact on the environment for its customers. These objectives also align with the policy objectives of New York State as a whole. To help meet these objectives, Con Edison’s long-term vision for the distribution grid relies on the successful integration and control of a growing penetration of distributed resources, including demand response (DR) resources, battery storage units, and DG. For example, Con Edison is expecting significant long-term growth of DG. The SGDP enables the efficient, flexible integration of these disparate resources and lays the architectural foundations for future scalability. Con Edison assembled an SGDP team of more than 16 different project partners, including technology vendors, and participating organizations, and the Con Edison team provided overall guidance and project management. Project team members are listed in Table 1-1.« less

Modeling and Analysis Tools for Linear and Nonlinear Mechanical Systems Subjected to Extreme Impulsive Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-23

SAMPE, Long Beach, CA, 2008. [28] N Hu and H Fukunaga. A new approach for health monitoring of composite structures through identification of impact...Bernard H Minster . Hysteresis and two- dimensional nonlinear wave propagation in berea sandstone. Journal of Geo- physical Research: Solid Earth (1978–2012

40 CFR 63.11224 - What are my monitoring, installation, operation, and maintenance requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... include a daily calibration drift assessment, a quarterly performance audit, and an annual zero alignment... performance audit, or an annual zero alignment audit. (7) You must calculate and record 6-minute averages from... absolute particulate matter loadings. (5) The bag leak detection system must be equipped with a device to...

40 CFR 63.11224 - What are my monitoring, installation, operation, and maintenance requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... include a daily calibration drift assessment, a quarterly performance audit, and an annual zero alignment... performance audit, or an annual zero alignment audit. (7) You must calculate and record 6-minute averages from... absolute particulate matter loadings. (5) The bag leak detection system must be equipped with a device to...

An Optical Biosensing Platform using Reprecipitated Polyaniline Microparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemzer, Louis; Epstein, Arthur

2009-03-01

A great deal of effort remains focused on the goal of developing a continuous in vivo glucose monitoring system for patients with diabetes mellitus. We report a proof-of-concept study on a reagentless optical biosensing platform that circumvents the problems usually associated with direct glucose detection by utilizing the UV-VIS absorption properties of polyaniline, a biocompatible polymer. When the enzyme glucose oxidase is entrapped within reprecipitated polyaniline microparticles, a glucose molecule readily donates two protons and two electrons to the polyaniline, reversibly altering the polymer's oxidation state. The resultant change can be monitored by measuring the absorption at wavelengths that fall within the ``optical window'' for skin. The micro-structured morphology also insures a high surface-area to volume ratio. Data from in vitro prototype devices indicate that in the low enzyme-loading regime, the response can be fit to the Michaelis-Menten model for enzyme kinetics, but at higher enzyme loading, diffusion effects dominate. As a biosensing platform, the system also has the potential to be adapted to detect other biologically relevant analytes, including cholesterol and ethanol.

Sewer infiltration/inflow: long-term monitoring based on diurnal variation of pollutant mass flux.

PubMed

Bares, V; Stránský, D; Sýkora, P

2009-01-01

The paper deals with a method for quantification of infiltrating groundwater based on the variation of diurnal pollutant load and continuous water quality and quantity monitoring. Although the method gives us the potential to separate particular components of wastewater hygrograph, several aspects of the method should be discussed. Therefore, the paper investigates the cost-effectiveness, the relevance of pollutant load from surface waters (groundwater) and the influence of measurement time step. These aspects were studied in an experimental catchment of Prague sewer system, Czech Republic, within a three-month period. The results indicate high contribution of parasitic waters on night minimal discharge. Taking into account the uncertainty of the results and time-consuming maintenance of the sensor, the principal advantages of the method are evaluated. The study introduces a promising potential of the discussed measuring concept for quantification of groundwater infiltrating into the sewer system. It is shown that the conventional approach is sufficient and cost-effective even in those catchments, where significant contribution of foul sewage in night minima would have been assumed.

A New System to Monitor Data Analyses and Results of Physics Data Validation Between Pulses at DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, S.; Schachter, J. M.; Schissel, D. P.

2001-10-01

A Data Analysis Monitoring (DAM) system has been developed to monitor between pulse physics analysis at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. The system allows for rapid detection of discrepancies in diagnostic measurements or the results from physics analysis codes. This enables problems to be detected and possibly fixed between pulses as opposed to after the experimental run has concluded thus increasing the efficiency of experimental time. An example of a consistency check is comparing the stored energy from integrating the measured kinetic profiles to that calculated from magnetic measurements by EFIT. This new system also tracks the progress of MDSplus dispatching of software for data analysis and the loading of analyzed data into MDSplus. DAM uses a Java Servlet to receive messages, Clips to implement expert system logic, and displays its results to multiple web clients via HTML. If an error is detected by DAM, users can view more detailed information so that steps can be taken to eliminate the error for the next pulse. A demonstration of this system including a simulated DIII-D pulse cycle will be presented.

[Genetic ecological monitoring in human populations: heterozygosity, mtDNA haplotype variation, and genetic load].

PubMed

Balanovskiĭ, O P; Koshel', S M; Zaporozhchenko, V V; Pshenichnov, A S; Frolova, S A; Kuznetsova, M A; Baranova, E E; Teuchezh, I E; Kuznetsova, A A; Romashkina, M V; Utevskaia, O M; Churnosov, M I; Villems, R; Balanovskaia, E V

2011-11-01

Yu. P. Altukhov suggested that heterozygosity is an indicator of the state of the gene pool. The idea and a linked concept of genetic ecological monitoring were applied to a new dataset on mtDNA variation in East European ethnic groups. Haplotype diversity (an analog of the average heterozygosity) was shown to gradually decrease northwards. Since a similar trend is known for population density, interlinked changes were assumed for a set of parameters, which were ordered to form a causative chain: latitude increases, land productivity decreases, population density decreases, effective population size decreases, isolation of subpopulations increases, genetic drift increases, and mtDNA haplotype diversity decreases. An increase in genetic drift increases the random inbreeding rate and, consequently, the genetic load. This was confirmed by a significant correlation observed between the incidence of autosomal recessive hereditary diseases and mtDNA haplotype diversity. Based on the findings, mtDNA was assumed to provide an informative genetic system for genetic ecological monitoring; e.g., analyzing the ecology-driven changes in the gene pool.

Predictive NO x emission monitoring on board a passenger ferry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, D. A.; Andreasson, K.

NO x emissions from a medium speed diesel engine on board a servicing passenger ferry have been indirectly measured using a predictive emission monitoring system (PEMS) over a 1-yr period. Conventional NO x measurements were carried out with a continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) at the start of the study to provide historical data for the empirical PEMS function. On three other occasions during the year the CEMS was also used to verify the PEMS and follow any changes in emission signature of the engine. The PEMS consisted of monitoring exhaust O 2 concentrations (in situ electrochemical probe), engine load, combustion air temperature and humidity, and barometric pressure. Practical experiences with the PEMS equipment were positive and measurement data were transferred to a land-based office by using a modem data communication system. The initial PEMS function (PEMS1) gave systematic differences of 1.1-6.9% of the calibration domain (0-1725 ppm) and a relative accuracy of 6.7% when compared with CEMS for whole journeys and varying load situations. Further improvements on the performance could be obtained by updating this function. The calculated yearly emission for a total engine running time of 4618 h was 316 t NO x±38 t and the average NO x emission corrected for ambient conditions 14.3 g kWh corr-1. The exhaust profile of the engine in terms of NO x, CO and CO 2 emissions as determined by CEMS was similar for most of the year. Towards the end of the study period, a significantly lower NO x emission was detected which was probably caused by replacement of fuel injector nozzles. The study suggests that PEMS can be a viable option for continuous, long-term NO x measurements on board ships.

Properties of active gelatin films incorporated with rutin-loaded nanoemulsions.

PubMed

Dammak, Ilyes; de Carvalho, Rosemary Aparecida; Trindade, Carmen Sílvia Fávaro; Lourenço, Rodrigo Vinicius; do Amaral Sobral, Paulo José

2017-05-01

Physico-chemical, mechanical, barrier, release profiles and antioxidant properties of composite gelatin based-films incorporated with rutin-loaded oil-in-water nanoemulsion, at various concentrations (5, 10, 15, or 20% (based on the weight of the gelatin powder)) were studied. All the gelatin/rutin-loaded nanoemulsion films displayed higher tensile strength and higher elongation at break than the gelatin control film. The composite films did not show significant differences in thickness, color, brightness and transparency. The structural properties evaluated by FTIR showed that the rutin-loaded nanoemulsion achieved complete miscibility within the gelatin matrix. All the gelatin/nanoemulsion films exhibited compact and homogenous microstructure. In addition, these films showed high antioxidant activities monitored by DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power activities. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model described well the rutin release profile. Rutin release was mainly governed by Fickian diffusion with simultaneous interfering swelling and disintegration phenomena. These results indicate that nanoemulsions-in-gelatin systems can function as potential active packaging systems to enhance shelf life of food products and then to provide a high-quality products (fresh/safe). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Energy Management System for PV-Battery-based Microgrids in Future DC Homes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, R. K.; Rajpurohit, B. S.; Gonzalez-Longatt, F. M.; Singh, S. N.

2016-06-01

This paper presents a novel intelligent energy management system (IEMS) for a DC microgrid connected to the public utility (PU), photovoltaic (PV) and multi-battery bank (BB). The control objectives of the proposed IEMS system are: (i) to ensure the load sharing (according to the source capacity) among sources, (ii) to reduce the power loss (high efficient) in the system, and (iii) to enhance the system reliability and power quality. The proposed IEMS is novel because it follows the ideal characteristics of the battery (with some assumptions) for the power sharing and the selection of the closest source to minimize the power losses. The IEMS allows continuous and accurate monitoring with intelligent control of distribution system operations such as battery bank energy storage (BBES) system, PV system and customer utilization of electric power. The proposed IEMS gives the better operational performance for operating conditions in terms of load sharing, loss minimization, and reliability enhancement of the DC microgrid.

Load Segmentation for Convergence of Distribution Automation and Advanced Metering Infrastructure Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pamulaparthy, Balakrishna; KS, Swarup; Kommu, Rajagopal

2014-12-01

Distribution automation (DA) applications are limited to feeder level today and have zero visibility outside of the substation feeder and reaching down to the low-voltage distribution network level. This has become a major obstacle in realizing many automated functions and enhancing existing DA capabilities. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems are being widely deployed by utilities across the world creating system-wide communications access to every monitoring and service point, which collects data from smart meters and sensors in short time intervals, in response to utility needs. DA and AMI systems convergence provides unique opportunities and capabilities for distribution grid modernization with the DA system acting as a controller and AMI system acting as feedback to DA system, for which DA applications have to understand and use the AMI data selectively and effectively. In this paper, we propose a load segmentation method that helps the DA system to accurately understand and use the AMI data for various automation applications with a suitable case study on power restoration.

Online biochemical oxygen demand monitoring for wastewater process control--full-scale studies at Los Angeles Glendale wastewater plant, California.

PubMed

Iranpour, Reza; Zermeno, Miguel

2008-04-01

The main objective of this investigation is to determine whether or not it would be feasible to use the measured values of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater obtained by an online instrument at the Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plant (California) for controlling its activated sludge process. This investigation is part of a project to develop online BOD monitoring for process control in the City of Los Angeles wastewater treatment plants. Tests studied the Siepmann und Teutscher GmbH (ISCO-STIP Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska) BIOX-1010, which uses a bioreactor containing a culture of microbes from the wastewater to measure soluble BOD in 2 minutes. This rapid approximation to the operation of secondary treatment allows anticipation of system response. Calibration measurements allow the operators to find a conversion factor for the instrument's microprocessor to compute values of BOD that agree well with the standard 5-day BOD (BOD5) measurement, despite the differences in the details of the two testing methods. This instrument has recently been used at other wastewater treatment plants, at a number of airports in Europe and the United States to monitor runway runoff, and is also being used on waste streams at an increasing number of food processing plants. A comparison was made between the plant influent BOD values obtained by the BIOX-1010 online monitor from the end of August, 2000, to late January, 2001, and the individual and average values obtained for the same period using the standard BOD5, 20 degrees C test, to determine the effectiveness of the Biox-1010 to identify shock loads and their duration. Individual BOD estimates and averages over periods of overly high biological loads (shock loads) were compared, and the instrument readings were evaluated for their effectiveness in detecting shock loads. The results were highly satisfactory, so the instrument was used to trigger a shock-load warning alarm since late September, 2000. This allowed flow diversion and temporary storage to prevent process upsets.

Autonomous sensing of composites with carbon nanotubes for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yingtao; Yekani Fard, Masoud; Rajadas, Abhishek; Chattopadhyay, Aditi

2012-04-01

The development of structural health monitoring techniques leads to the integration of sensing capability within engineering structures. This study investigates the application of multi walled carbon nanotubes in polymer matrix composites for autonomous damage detection through changes in electrical resistance. The autonomous sensing capabilities of fiber reinforced nanocomposites are studied under multiple loading conditions including tension loads. Single-lap joints with different joint lengths are tested. Acoustic emission sensing is used to validate the matrix crack propagation. A digital image correlation system is used to measure the shear strain field of the joint area. The joints with 1.5 inch length have better autonomous sensing capabilities than those with 0.5 inch length. The autonomous sensing capabilities of nanocomposites are found to be sensitive to crack propagation and can revolutionize the research on composite structural health management in the near future.

Installation of a groundwater monitoring-well network on the east side of the Uncompahgre River in the Lower Gunnison River Basin, Colorado, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Judith C.; Arnold, Larry R. Rick

2015-07-06

The east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin has been a known contributor of dissolved selenium to recipient streams. Discharge of groundwater containing dissolved selenium contributes to surface-water selenium concentrations and loads; however, the groundwater system on the east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin is not well characterized. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Bureau of Reclamation, has established a groundwater-monitoring network on the east side of the Uncompahgre River Basin. Ten monitoring wells were installed during October and November 2012. This report presents location data, lithologic logs, well-construction diagrams, and well-development information. Understanding the groundwater system will provide managers with an additional metric for evaluating the effectiveness of salinity and selenium control projects.

Vision-based stress estimation model for steel frame structures with rigid links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyo Seon; Park, Jun Su; Oh, Byung Kwan

2017-07-01

This paper presents a stress estimation model for the safety evaluation of steel frame structures with rigid links using a vision-based monitoring system. In this model, the deformed shape of a structure under external loads is estimated via displacements measured by a motion capture system (MCS), which is a non-contact displacement measurement device. During the estimation of the deformed shape, the effective lengths of the rigid link ranges in the frame structure are identified. The radius of the curvature of the structural member to be monitored is calculated using the estimated deformed shape and is employed to estimate stress. Using MCS in the presented model, the safety of a structure can be assessed gauge-freely. In addition, because the stress is directly extracted from the radius of the curvature obtained from the measured deformed shape, information on the loadings and boundary conditions of the structure are not required. Furthermore, the model, which includes the identification of the effective lengths of the rigid links, can consider the influences of the stiffness of the connection and support on the deformation in the stress estimation. To verify the applicability of the presented model, static loading tests for a steel frame specimen were conducted. By comparing the stress estimated by the model with the measured stress, the validity of the model was confirmed.

Statewide water-quality network for Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desimone, Leslie A.; Steeves, Peter A.; Zimmerman, Marc James

2001-01-01

A water-quality monitoring program is proposed that would provide data to meet multiple information needs of Massachusetts agencies and other users concerned with the condition of the State's water resources. The program was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management, with input from many organizations involved in water-quality monitoring in the State, and focuses on inland surface waters (streams and lakes). The proposed monitoring program consists of several components, or tiers, which are defined in terms of specific monitoring objectives, and is intended to complement the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative (MWI) basin assessments. Several components were developed using the Neponset River Basin in eastern Massachusetts as a pilot area, or otherwise make use of data from and sampling approaches used in that basin as part of a MWI pilot assessment in 1994. To guide development of the monitoring program, reviews were conducted of general principles of network design, including monitoring objectives and approaches, and of ongoing monitoring activities of Massachusetts State agencies.Network tiers described in this report are primarily (1) a statewide, basin-based assessment of existing surface-water-quality conditions, and (2) a fixed-station network for determining contaminant loads carried by major rivers. Other components, including (3) targeted programs for hot-spot monitoring and other objectives, and (4) compliance monitoring, also are discussed. Monitoring programs for the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads for specific water bodies, which would constitute another tier of the network, are being developed separately and are not described in this report. The basin-based assessment of existing conditions is designed to provide information on the status of surface waters with respect to State water-quality standards and designated uses in accordance with the reporting requirements [Section 305(b)] of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Geographic Information System (GIS)-based procedures were developed to inventory streams and lakes in a basin for these purposes. Several monitoring approaches for this tier and their associated resource requirements were investigated. Analysis of the Neponset Basin for this purpose demonstrated that the large number of sites needed in order for all the small streams in a basin to be sampled (about half of stream miles in the basin were headwater or first-order streams) pose substantial resource-based problems for a comprehensive assessment of existing conditions. The many lakes pose similar problems. Thus, a design is presented in which probabilistic monitoring of small streams is combined with deterministic or targeted monitoring of large streams and lakes to meet CWA requirements and to provide data for other information needs of Massachusetts regulatory agencies and MWI teams.The fixed-station network is designed to permit the determination of contaminant loads carried by the State's major rivers to sensitive inland and coastal receiving waters and across State boundaries. Sampling at 19 proposed sites in 17 of the 27 major basins in Massachusetts would provide information on contaminant loads from 67 percent of the total land area of the State; unsampled areas are primarily coastal areas drained by many small streams that would be impossible to sample within realistic resource limitations. Strategies for hot-spot monitoring, a targeted monitoring program focused on identifying contaminant sources, are described with reference to an analysis of the bacteria sampling program of the 1994 Neponset Basin assessment. Finally, major discharge sites permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) were evaluated as a basis for ambient water-quality monitoring. The discharge sites are well distributed geographically among basins, but are primarily on large rivers (two-thirds or more

Anthropogenic land uses elevate metal levels in stream water in an urbanizing watershed.

PubMed

Yu, Shen; Wu, Qian; Li, Qingliang; Gao, Jinbo; Lin, Qiaoying; Ma, Jun; Xu, Qiufang; Wu, Shengchun

2014-08-01

Land use/cover change is a dominant factor affecting surface water quality in rapidly developing areas of Asia. In this study we examined relationships between land use and instream metal loadings in a rapidly developing mixed land use watershed in southeastern China. Five developing subwatersheds and one forested reference site (head water) were instrumented with timing- and rainfall-triggered autosampler and instream loadings of anthropogenic metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Mn) were monitored from March 2012 to December 2013. Farm land and urban land were positively, and forest and green land were negatively associated with metal loadings (except Cr) in stream water. All developing sites had higher loadings than the reference head water site. Assessed by Chinese surface water quality standard (GB3830-2002), instream loadings of Cu and Zn occasionally exceeded the Class I thresholds at monitoring points within farmland dominated subwatersheds while Mn loadings were greater than the limit for drinking water sources at all monitoring points. Farm land use highly and positively contributed to statistical models of instream loadings of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Mn while urban land use was the dominant contributor to models of Pb and Cd loadings. Rainfall played a crucial role in metal loadings in stream water as a direct source (there were significant levels of Cu and Zn in rain water) and as a driver of watershed processes (loadings were higher in wet years and seasons). Urbanization effects on metal loadings in this watershed are likely to change rapidly with development in future years. Further monitoring to characterize these changes is clearly warranted and should help to develop plans to avoid conflicts between economic development and water quality degradation in this watershed and in watersheds throughout rapidly developing areas of Asia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study on special test stand of automatic and manual descent control in presence of simulated g-load effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glazkov, Yury; Artjuchin, Yury; Astakhov, Alexander; Vas'kov, Alexander; Malyshev, Veniamin; Mitroshin, Edward; Glinsky, Valery; Moiseenko, Vasily; Makovlev, Vyacheslav

The development of aircraft-type reusable space vehicles (RSV) involves the problem of complete compatibility of automatic, director and manual control. Task decision is complicated, in particular, due to considerable quantitative and qualitative changes of vehicle dynamic characteristics, little stability margins (and even of unstability) of the RSV, and stringent requirements to control accuracy at some flight phases. Besides, during control a pilot is affected by g-loads which hamper motor activity and deteriorate its accuracy, alter the functional status of the visual analyser, and influence higher nervous activity. A study of g-load effects on the control efficiency, especially in manual and director modes, is of primary importance. The main tools for study of a rational selection of manual and director vehicle control systems and as an aid in formulating recommendations for optimum crew-automatic control system interactions are special complex and functional flight simulator test stands. The proposed simulator stand includes a powerful digital computer complex combined with the control system of the centrifuge. The interior of a pilot's vehicle cabin is imitated. A situation image system, pyscho-physical monitoring system, physician, centrifuge operator, and instructor stations are linked with the test stand.

Development of a structural health monitoring system for the life assessment of critical transportation infrastructure.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roach, Dennis Patrick; Jauregui, David Villegas; Daumueller, Andrew Nicholas

2012-02-01

Recent structural failures such as the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minnesota have underscored the urgent need for improved methods and procedures for evaluating our aging transportation infrastructure. This research seeks to develop a basis for a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to provide quantitative information related to the structural integrity of metallic structures to make appropriate management decisions and ensuring public safety. This research employs advanced structural analysis and nondestructive testing (NDT) methods for an accurate fatigue analysis. Metal railroad bridges in New Mexico will be the focus since many of these structures are over 100 years old andmore » classified as fracture-critical. The term fracture-critical indicates that failure of a single component may result in complete collapse of the structure such as the one experienced by the I-35W Bridge. Failure may originate from sources such as loss of section due to corrosion or cracking caused by fatigue loading. Because standard inspection practice is primarily visual, these types of defects can go undetected due to oversight, lack of access to critical areas, or, in riveted members, hidden defects that are beneath fasteners or connection angles. Another issue is that it is difficult to determine the fatigue damage that a structure has experienced and the rate at which damage is accumulating due to uncertain history and load distribution in supporting members. A SHM system has several advantages that can overcome these limitations. SHM allows critical areas of the structure to be monitored more quantitatively under actual loading. The research needed to apply SHM to metallic structures was performed and a case study was carried out to show the potential of SHM-driven fatigue evaluation to assess the condition of critical transportation infrastructure and to guide inspectors to potential problem areas. This project combines the expertise in transportation infrastructure at New Mexico State University with the expertise at Sandia National Laboratories in the emerging field of SHM.« less

Monitoring dynamic loads on wind tunnel force balances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferris, Alice T.; White, William C.

1989-01-01

Two devices have been developed at NASA Langley to monitor the dynamic loads incurred during wind-tunnel testing. The Balance Dynamic Display Unit (BDDU), displays and monitors the combined static and dynamic forces and moments in the orthogonal axes. The Balance Critical Point Analyzer scales and sums each normalized signal from the BDDU to obtain combined dynamic and static signals that represent the dynamic loads at predefined high-stress points. The display of each instrument is a multiplex of six analog signals in a way that each channel is displayed sequentially as one-sixth of the horizontal axis on a single oscilloscope trace. Thus this display format permits the operator to quickly and easily monitor the combined static and dynamic level of up to six channels at the same time.

STS-1 operational flight profile. Volume 6: Abort analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The abort analysis for the cycle 3 Operational Flight Profile (OFP) for the Space Transportation System 1 Flight (STS-1) is defined, superseding the abort analysis previously presented. Included are the flight description, abort analysis summary, flight design groundrules and constraints, initialization information, general abort description and results, abort solid rocket booster and external tank separation and disposal results, abort monitoring displays and discussion on both ground and onboard trajectory monitoring, abort initialization load summary for the onboard computer, list of the key abort powered flight dispersion analysis.

Operational Monitoring of GOME-2 and IASI Level 1 Product Processing at EUMETSAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livschitz, Yakov; Munro, Rosemary; Lang, Rüdiger; Fiedler, Lars; Dyer, Richard; Eisinger, Michael

2010-05-01

The growing complexity of operational level 1 radiance products from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) platforms like EUMETSATs Metop series makes near-real-time monitoring of product quality a challenging task. The main challenge is to provide a monitoring system which is flexible and robust enough to identify and to react to anomalies which may be previously unknown to the system, as well as to provide all means and parameters necessary in order to support efficient ad-hoc analysis of the incident. The operational monitoring system developed at EUMETSAT for monitoring of GOME-2 and IASI level 1 data allows to perform near-real-time monitoring of operational products and instrument's health in a robust and flexible fashion. For effective information management, the system is based on a relational database (Oracle). An Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process transforms products in EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) format into relational data structures. The identification of commonalities between products and instruments allows for a database structure design in such a way that different data can be analyzed using the same business intelligence functionality. An interactive analysis software implementing modern data mining techniques is also provided for a detailed look into the data. The system is effectively used for day-to-day monitoring, long-term reporting, instrument's degradation analysis as well as for ad-hoc queries in case of an unexpected instrument or processing behaviour. Having data from different sources on a single instrument and even from different instruments, platforms or numerical weather prediction within the same database allows effective cross-comparison and looking for correlated parameters. Automatic alarms raised by checking for deviation of certain parameters, for data losses and other events significantly reduce time, necessary to monitor the processing on a day-to-day basis.

Operational Monitoring of GOME-2 and IASI Level 1 Product Processing at EUMETSAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livschitz, Y.; Munro, R.; Lang, R.; Fiedler, L.; Dyer, R.; Eisinger, M.

2009-12-01

The growing complexity of operational level 1 radiance products from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) platforms like EUMETSATs Metop series makes near-real-time monitoring of product quality a challenging task. The main challenge is to provide a monitoring system which is flexible and robust enough to identify and to react to anomalies which may be previously unknown to the system, as well as to provide all means and parameters necessary in order to support efficient ad-hoc analysis of the incident. The operational monitoring system developed at EUMETSAT for monitoring of GOME-2 and IASI level 1 data allows to perform near-real-time monitoring of operational products and instrument’s health in a robust and flexible fashion. For effective information management, the system is based on a relational database (Oracle). An Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process transforms products in EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) format into relational data structures. The identification of commonalities between products and instruments allows for a database structure design in such a way that different data can be analyzed using the same business intelligence functionality. An interactive analysis software implementing modern data mining techniques is also provided for a detailed look into the data. The system is effectively used for day-to-day monitoring, long-term reporting, instrument’s degradation analysis as well as for ad-hoc queries in case of an unexpected instrument or processing behaviour. Having data from different sources on a single instrument and even from different instruments, platforms or numerical weather prediction within the same database allows effective cross-comparison and looking for correlated parameters. Automatic alarms raised by checking for deviation of certain parameters, for data losses and other events significantly reduce time, necessary to monitor the processing on a day-to-day basis.

Development of noSQL data storage for the ATLAS PanDA Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, H.; Potekhin, M.; Wenaus, T.

2012-12-01

For several years the PanDA Workload Management System has been the basis for distributed production and analysis for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Since the start of data taking PanDA usage has ramped up steadily, typically exceeding 500k completed jobs/day by June 2011. The associated monitoring data volume has been rising as well, to levels that present a new set of challenges in the areas of database scalability and monitoring system performance and efficiency. These challenges are being met with an R&D effort aimed at implementing a scalable and efficient monitoring data storage based on a noSQL solution (Cassandra). We present our motivations for using this technology, as well as data design and the techniques used for efficient indexing of the data. We also discuss the hardware requirements as they were determined by testing with actual data and realistic rate of queries. In conclusion, we present our experience with operating a Cassandra cluster over an extended period of time and with data load adequate for planned application.

Combination of process and vibration data for improved condition monitoring of industrial systems working under variable operating conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Cárcel, C.; Jaramillo, V. H.; Mba, D.; Ottewill, J. R.; Cao, Y.

2016-01-01

The detection and diagnosis of faults in industrial processes is a very active field of research due to the reduction in maintenance costs achieved by the implementation of process monitoring algorithms such as Principal Component Analysis, Partial Least Squares or more recently Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA). Typically the condition of rotating machinery is monitored separately using vibration analysis or other specific techniques. Conventional vibration-based condition monitoring techniques are based on the tracking of key features observed in the measured signal. Typically steady-state loading conditions are required to ensure consistency between measurements. In this paper, a technique based on merging process and vibration data is proposed with the objective of improving the detection of mechanical faults in industrial systems working under variable operating conditions. The capabilities of CVA for detection and diagnosis of faults were tested using experimental data acquired from a compressor test rig where different process faults were introduced. Results suggest that the combination of process and vibration data can effectively improve the detectability of mechanical faults in systems working under variable operating conditions.

Performance of point-of-care Xpert HIV-1 plasma viral load assay at a tertiary HIV care centre in Southern India.

PubMed

Swathirajan, Chinnambedu Ravichandran; Vignesh, Ramachandran; Boobalan, Jayaseelan; Solomon, Sunil Suhas; Saravanan, Shanmugam; Balakrishnan, Pachamuthu

2017-10-01

Sustainable suppression of HIV replication forms the basis of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medication. Thus, reliable quantification of HIV viral load has become an essential factor to monitor the effectiveness of the ART. Longer turnaround-time (TAT), batch testing and technical skills are major drawbacks of standard real-time PCR assays. The performance of the point-of-care Xpert HIV-1 viral load assay was evaluated against the Abbott RealTime PCR m2000rt system. A total of 96 plasma specimens ranging from 2.5 log10 copies ml -1 to 4.99 log10 copies ml -1 and proficiency testing panel specimens were used. Precision and accuracy were checked using the Pearson correlation co-efficient test and Bland-Altman analysis. Compared to the Abbott RealTime PCR, the Xpert HIV-1 viral load assay showed a good correlation (Pearson r=0.81; P<0.0001) with a mean difference of 0.27 log10 copies ml -1 (95 % CI, -0.41 to 0.96 log10 copies ml -1 ; sd, 0.35 log10 copies ml -1 ). Reliable and ease of testing individual specimens could make the Xpert HIV-1 viral load assay an efficient alternative method for ART monitoring in clinical management of HIV disease in resource-limited settings. The rapid test results (less than 2 h) could help in making an immediate clinical decision, which further strengthens patient care.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Designing a superinsulated home has many benefits including improved comfort, reduced exterior noise penetration, lower energy bills, and the ability to withstand power and fuel outages under much more comfortable conditions than a typical home. Extremely low heating and cooling loads equate to much smaller HVAC equipment than conventionally required. Sizing the mechanical system to these much lower loads reduces first costs and the size of the distribution system needed. While these homes aren't necessarily constructed with excessive mass in the form of concrete floors and walls, the amount of insulation and the increase in the thickness of the buildingmore » envelope can lead to a mass effect, resulting in the structures ability to store much more heat than a code built home. This results in a very low thermal inertia making the building much less sensitive to drastic temperature swings thereby decreasing the peak heating load demand. Alternative methods that take this inertia into account along with solar and internal gains result in smaller more appropriate design loads than those calculated using Manual J version 8. During the winter of 2013/2014, CARB monitored the energy use of three homes in climate zone 6 in an attempt to evaluate the accuracy of two different mechanical system sizing methods for low load homes. Based on the results, it is recommended that internal and solar gains be included and some credit for thermal inertia be used in sizing calculations for superinsulated homes.« less

ISIS and META projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birman, Kenneth; Cooper, Robert; Marzullo, Keith

1990-01-01

The ISIS project has developed a new methodology, virtual synchony, for writing robust distributed software. High performance multicast, large scale applications, and wide area networks are the focus of interest. Several interesting applications that exploit the strengths of ISIS, including an NFS-compatible replicated file system, are being developed. The META project is distributed control in a soft real-time environment incorporating feedback. This domain encompasses examples as diverse as monitoring inventory and consumption on a factory floor, and performing load-balancing on a distributed computing system. One of the first uses of META is for distributed application management: the tasks of configuring a distributed program, dynamically adapting to failures, and monitoring its performance. Recent progress and current plans are reported.

Micrometer-Scale Magnetic-Resonance-Coupled Radio-Frequency Identification and Transceivers for Wireless Sensors in Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xiaolin; Aggarwal, Kamal; Yang, Mimi X.; Parizi, Kokab B.; Xu, Xiaoqing; Akin, Demir; Poon, Ada S. Y.; Wong, H.-S. Philip

2017-07-01

We report the design, analysis, and characterization of a three-inductor radio-frequency identification (RFID) and transceiver system for potential applications in individual cell tracking and monitoring. The RFID diameter is 22 μ m and can be naturally internalized by living cells. Using magnetic resonance coupling, the system shows resonance shifts when the RFID is present and also when the RFID loading capacitance changes. It operates at 60 GHz with a high signal magnitude up to -50 dB and a sensitivity of 0.2. This miniaturized RFID with a high signal magnitude is a promising step toward continuous, real-time monitoring of activities at cellular levels.

Design and fabrication of prototype system for early warning of impending bearing failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meacher, J.; Chen, H. M.

1974-01-01

A test program was conducted with the objective of developing a method and equipment for on-line monitoring of installed ball bearings to detect deterioration or impending failure of the bearings. The program was directed at the spin-axis bearings of a control moment gyro. The bearings were tested at speeds of 6000 and 8000 rpm, thrust loads from 50 to 1000 pounds, with a wide range of lubrication conditions, with and without a simulated fatigue spall implanted in the inner race ball track. It was concluded that a bearing monitor system based on detection and analysis of modulations of a fault indicating bearing resonance frequency can provide a low threshold of sensitivity.

Concepts of Scientific Integrative Medicine Applied to the Physiology and Pathophysiology of Catecholamine Systems

PubMed Central

Goldstein, David S.

2016-01-01

This review presents concepts of scientific integrative medicine and relates them to the physiology of catecholamine systems and to the pathophysiology of catecholamine-related disorders. The applications to catecholamine systems exemplify how scientific integrative medicine links systems biology with integrative physiology. Concepts of scientific integrative medicine include (i) negative feedback regulation, maintaining stability of the body’s monitored variables; (ii) homeostats, which compare information about monitored variables with algorithms for responding; (iii) multiple effectors, enabling compensatory activation of alternative effectors and primitive specificity of stress response patterns; (iv) effector sharing, accounting for interactions among homeostats and phenomena such as hyperglycemia attending gastrointestinal bleeding and hyponatremia attending congestive heart failure; (v) stress, applying a definition as a state rather than as an environmental stimulus or stereotyped response; (vi) distress, using a noncircular definition that does not presume pathology; (vii) allostasis, corresponding to adaptive plasticity of feedback-regulated systems; and (viii) allostatic load, explaining chronic degenerative diseases in terms of effects of cumulative wear and tear. From computer models one can predict mathematically the effects of stress and allostatic load on the transition from wellness to symptomatic disease. The review describes acute and chronic clinical disorders involving catecholamine systems—especially Parkinson disease—and how these concepts relate to pathophysiology, early detection, and treatment and prevention strategies in the post-genome era. PMID:24265239

Estimated nitrogen loads from selected tributaries in Connecticut draining to Long Island Sound, 1999–2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullaney, John R.; Schwarz, Gregory E.

2013-01-01

The total nitrogen load to Long Island Sound from Connecticut and contributing areas to the north was estimated for October 1998 to September 2009. Discrete measurements of total nitrogen concentrations and continuous flow data from 37 water-quality monitoring stations in the Long Island Sound watershed were used to compute total annual nitrogen yields and loads. Total annual computed yields and basin characteristics were used to develop a generalized-least squares regression model for use in estimating the total nitrogen yields from unmonitored areas in coastal and central Connecticut. Significant variables in the regression included the percentage of developed land, percentage of row crops, point-source nitrogen yields from wastewater-treatment facilities, and annual mean streamflow. Computed annual median total nitrogen yields at individual monitoring stations ranged from less than 2,000 pounds per square mile in mostly forested basins (typically less than 10 percent developed land) to more than 13,000 pounds per square mile in urban basins (greater than 40 percent developed) with wastewater-treatment facilities and in one agricultural basin. Medians of computed total annual nitrogen yields for water years 1999–2009 at most stations were similar to those previously computed for water years 1988–98. However, computed medians of annual yields at several stations, including the Naugatuck River, Quinnipiac River, and Hockanum River, were lower than during 1988–98. Nitrogen yields estimated for 26 unmonitored areas downstream from monitoring stations ranged from less than 2,000 pounds per square mile to 34,000 pounds per square mile. Computed annual total nitrogen loads at the farthest downstream monitoring stations were combined with the corresponding estimates for the downstream unmonitored areas for a combined estimate of the total nitrogen load from the entire study area. Resulting combined total nitrogen loads ranged from 38 to 68 million pounds per year during water years 1999–2009. Total annual loads from the monitored basins represent 63 to 74 percent of the total load. Computed annual nitrogen loads from four stations near the Massachusetts border with Connecticut represent 52 to 54 percent of the total nitrogen load during water years 2008–9, the only years with data for all the border sites. During the latter part of the 1999–2009 study period, total nitrogen loads to Long Island Sound from the study area appeared to increase slightly. The apparent increase in loads may be due to higher than normal streamflows, which consequently increased nonpoint nitrogen loads during the study, offsetting major reductions of nitrogen from wastewater-treatment facilities. Nitrogen loads from wastewater treatment facilities declined as much as 2.3 million pounds per year in areas of Connecticut upstream from the monitoring stations and as much as 5.8 million pounds per year in unmonitored areas downstream in coastal and central Connecticut.

Characteristics of sediment data and annual suspended-sediment loads and yields for selected lower Missouri River mainstem and tributary stations, 1976-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heimann, David C.; Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Cline, Teri L.; Pigue, Lori M.; Wagner, Holly R.

2010-01-01

Suspended-sediment data from 18 selected surface-water monitoring stations in the lower Missouri River Basin downstream from Gavins Point Dam were used in the computation of annual suspended-sediment and suspended-sand loads for 1976 through 2008. Three methods of suspended-sediment load determination were utilized and these included the subdivision method, regression of instantaneous turbidity with suspended-sediment concentrations at selected stations, and regression techniques using the Load Estimator (LOADEST) software. Characteristics of the suspended-sediment and streamflow data collected at the 18 monitoring stations and the tabulated annual suspended-sediment and suspended-sand loads and yields are presented.

Solar-energy-system performance-evaluation update: El Toro Library, El Toro, California, December 1981-August 1982

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kendall, P.W.

The El Toro Library is a one-story facility that contains 10,000 square feet of floor area. The solar energy system was designed to provide 97% of the space heating load and 60% of the space cooling load. The solar energy system incorporates 82 panels with a gross area of 1427 square feet of evacuated tubular glass collectors (TC-100) manufactured by General Electric. The storage tank is a 1500-gallon insulated steel tank which is located outside, above ground level. The space heating subsystem uses solar energy from storage and/or thermal energy from the natural-gas-fired boiler. The space cooling subsystem uses anmore » absorption chiller to provide chilled water to the air-handling unit. As compared to the previous year, performance over the nine-month monitoring period was improved, based on overall solar contribution to the load. When compared to design values, the overall performance was poor. Overall solar fraction was an estimated 22% of the 220 million Btu system load. A total of 122 million Btu of solar energy was used by the space conditioning system. Auxiliary fossil fuel consumption was 608 million Btu, or 595,800 cubic feet of natural gas. Auxiliary thermal energy was a measured 68% of the auxiliary fossil fuel consumed. The solar savings ratio, a measure of the solar contribution to the load discounted by solar operating energy, averaged 19% during the analysis period. The previous year, the solar savings ratio was 16%.« less

Karst aquifer characterization using geophysical remote sensing of dynamic recharge events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grapenthin, R.; Bilek, S. L.; Luhmann, A. J.

2017-12-01

Geophysical monitoring techniques, long used to make significant advances in a wide range of deeper Earth science disciplines, are now being employed to track surficial processes such as landslide, glacier, and river flow. Karst aquifers are another important hydrologic resource that can benefit from geophysical remote sensing, as this monitoring allows for safe, noninvasive karst conduit measurements. Conduit networks are typically poorly constrained, let alone the processes that occur within them. Geophysical monitoring can also provide a regionally integrated analysis to characterize subsurface architecture and to understand the dynamics of flow and recharge processes in karst aquifers. Geophysical signals are likely produced by several processes during recharge events in karst aquifers. For example, pressure pulses occur when water enters conduits that are full of water, and experiments suggest seismic signals result from this process. Furthermore, increasing water pressure in conduits during recharge events increases the load applied to conduit walls, which deforms the surrounding rock to yield measureable surface displacements. Measureable deformation should also occur with mass loading, with subsidence and rebound signals associated with increases and decreases of water mass stored in the aquifer, respectively. Additionally, geophysical signals will likely arise with turbulent flow and pore pressure change in the rock surrounding conduits. Here we present seismic data collected during a pilot study of controlled and natural recharge events in a karst aquifer system near Bear Spring, near Eyota, MN, USA as well as preliminary model results regarding the processes described above. In addition, we will discuss an upcoming field campaign where we will use seismometers, tiltmeters, and GPS instruments to monitor for recharge-induced responses in a FL, USA karst system with existing cave maps, coupling these geophysical observations with hydrologic and meteorologic data to map and characterize conduits and other features of the larger karst system and to monitor subsurface flow dynamics during recharge events.

A robust signal processing method for quantitative high-cycle fatigue crack monitoring using soft elastomeric capacitor sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Xiangxiong; Li, Jian; Collins, William; Bennett, Caroline; Laflamme, Simon; Jo, Hongki

2017-04-01

A large-area electronics (LAE) strain sensor, termed soft elastomeric capacitor (SEC), has shown great promise in fatigue crack monitoring. The SEC is able to monitor strain changes over a mesoscale structural surface and endure large deformations without being damaged under cracking. Previous tests verified that the SEC is able to detect, localize, and monitor fatigue crack activities under low-cycle fatigue loading. In this paper, to examine the SEC's capability of monitoring high-cycle fatigue cracks, a compact specimen is tested under cyclic tension, designed to ensure realistic crack opening sizes representative of those in real steel bridges. To overcome the difficulty of low signal amplitude and relatively high noise level under high-cycle fatigue loading, a robust signal processing method is proposed to convert the measured capacitance time history from the SEC sensor to power spectral densities (PSD) in the frequency domain, such that signal's peak-to-peak amplitude can be extracted at the dominant loading frequency. A crack damage indicator is proposed as the ratio between the square root of the amplitude of PSD and load range. Results show that the crack damage indicator offers consistent indication of crack growth.

A semi-analytical bearing model considering outer race flexibility for model based bearing load monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerst, Stijn; Shyrokau, Barys; Holweg, Edward

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a novel semi-analytical bearing model addressing flexibility of the bearing outer race structure. It furthermore presents the application of this model in a bearing load condition monitoring approach. The bearing model is developed as current computational low cost bearing models fail to provide an accurate description of the more and more common flexible size and weight optimized bearing designs due to their assumptions of rigidity. In the proposed bearing model raceway flexibility is described by the use of static deformation shapes. The excitation of the deformation shapes is calculated based on the modelled rolling element loads and a Fourier series based compliance approximation. The resulting model is computational low cost and provides an accurate description of the rolling element loads for flexible outer raceway structures. The latter is validated by a simulation-based comparison study with a well-established bearing simulation software tool. An experimental study finally shows the potential of the proposed model in a bearing load monitoring approach.

Visual display and alarm system for wind tunnel static and dynamic loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanly, Richard D.; Fogarty, James T.

1987-01-01

A wind tunnel balance monitor and alarm system developed at NASA Ames Research Center will produce several beneficial results. The costs of wind tunnel delays because of inadvertent balance damage and the costs of balance repair or replacement can be greatly reduced or eliminated with better real-time information on the balance static and dynamic loading. The wind tunnel itself will have enhanced utility with the elimination of overly cautious limits on test conditions. The microprocessor-based system features automatic scaling and 16 multicolored LED bargraphs to indicate both static and dynamic components of the signals from eight individual channels. Five individually programmable alarm levels are available with relay closures for internal or external visual and audible warning devices and other functions such as automatic activation of external recording devices, model positioning mechanisms, or tunnel shutdown.

Visual display and alarm system for wind tunnel static and dynamic loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanly, Richard D.; Fogarty, James T.

1987-01-01

A wind tunnel balance monitor and alarm system developed at NASA Ames Research Center will produce several beneficial results. The costs of wind tunnel delays because of inadvertent balance damage and the costs of balance repair or replacement can be greatly reduced or eliminated with better real-time information on the balance static and dynamic loading. The wind tunnel itself will have enhanced utility with the elimination of overly cautious limits on test conditions. The microprocessor-based system features automatic scaling and 16 multicolored LED bargraphs to indicate both static and dynamic components of the signals from eight individual channels. Five individually programmable alarm levels are available with relay closures for internal or external visual and audible warning devices and other functions such as automatic activation of external recording devices, model positioning mechanism, or tunnel shutdown.

Excitation of plane Lamb wave in plate-like structures under applied surface loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Kai; Xu, Xinsheng; Zhao, Zhen; Yang, Zhengyan; Zhou, Zhenhuan; Wu, Zhanjun

2018-02-01

Lamb waves play an important role in structure health monitoring (SHM) systems. The excitation of Lamb waves has been discussed for a long time with absorbing results. However, little effort has been made towards the precise characterization of Lamb wave excitation by various transducer models with mathematical foundation. In this paper, the excitation of plane Lamb waves with plane strain assumption in isotropic plate structures under applied surface loading is solved with the Hamiltonian system. The response of the Lamb modes excited by applied loading is expressed analytically. The effect of applied loading is divided into the product of two parts as the effect of direction and the effect of distribution, which can be changed by selecting different types of transducer and the corresponding transducer configurations. The direction of loading determines the corresponding displacement of each mode. The effect of applied loading on the in-plane and normal directions depends on the in-plane and normal displacements at the surface respectively. The effect of the surface loading distribution on the Lamb mode amplitudes is mainly reflected by amplitude versus frequency or wavenumber. The frequencies at which the maxima and minima of the S0 or A0 mode response occur depend on the distribution of surface loading. The numerical results of simulations conducted on an infinite aluminum plate verify the theoretical prediction of not only the direction but also the distribution of applied loading. A pure S0 or A0 mode can be excited by selecting the appropriate direction and distribution at the corresponding frequency.

Turbidity-based sediment monitoring in northern Thailand: Hysteresis, variability, and uncertainty

EPA Science Inventory

Annual total suspended solid (TSS) loads in the Mae Sa Catchment in northern Thailand, determined with an automated, turbidity-based monitoring approach, were approximately 62,000, 33,000, and 14,000 Mg during the three years of observation. These loads were equivalent to basin y...

Comparison of different approaches to quantitative adenovirus detection in stool specimens of hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

PubMed

Kosulin, K; Dworzak, S; Lawitschka, A; Matthes-Leodolter, S; Lion, T

2016-12-01

Adenoviruses almost invariably proliferate in the gastrointestinal tract prior to dissemination, and critical threshold concentrations in stool correlate with the risk of viremia. Monitoring of adenovirus loads in stool may therefore be important for timely initiation of treatment in order to prevent invasive infection. Comparison of a manual DNA extraction kit in combination with a validated in-house PCR assay with automated extraction on the NucliSENS-EasyMAG device coupled with the Adenovirus R-gene kit (bioMérieux) for quantitative adenovirus analysis in stool samples. Stool specimens spiked with adenovirus concentrations in a range from 10E2-10E11 copies/g and 32 adenovirus-positive clinical stool specimens from pediatric stem cell transplant recipients were tested along with appropriate negative controls. Quantitative analysis of viral load in adenovirus-positive stool specimens revealed a median difference of 0.5 logs (range 0.1-2.2) between the detection systems tested and a difference of 0.3 logs (range 0.0-1.7) when the comparison was restricted to the PCR assays only. Spiking experiments showed a detection limit of 10 2 -10 3 adenovirus copies/g stool revealing a somewhat higher sensitivity offered by the automated extraction. The dynamic range of accurate quantitative analysis by both systems investigated was between 10 3 and 10 8 virus copies/g. The differences in quantitative analysis of adenovirus copy numbers between the systems tested were primarily attributable to the DNA extraction method used, while the qPCR assays revealed a high level of concordance. Both systems showed adequate performance for detection and monitoring of adenoviral load in stool specimens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Why a Network Energy Monitoring and Control System?

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

years to complete as they were modified to work with existing, frequently very old, buildings. The benefits derived from those systems that did work were...or groups of workstations, then certain of the occupants could be tasked to turn off their respective lighting. The advantage is the increased...units. Duty Cycle (Strategy J) This strategy takes advantage of the oversizing of the air handling unit. The air handling unit is sized for a peak load

Data report for the Northeast Residential Experiment Station, Apr. 1982

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, M. C.; Raghuraman, P.; Mahoney, P. C.

1982-06-01

Physical performance data obtained from photovoltaic energy systems under test at the Northeast Residential Experiment Station (NE RES) in Concord, Massachusetts, are tabulated for the month of April 1982. Five prototype residential photovoltaic systems are under test at the NE RES, each consisting of a roof mounted array sized to meet at least 50% of the annual electrical demand of an energy conserving house, and an enclosed structure to house the remainder of the photovoltaic system equipment, test instrumentation, and work space. Each system is grid connected. In addition, one full sized PV residence, the Carlisle House, is also being monitored in Carlisle, Massachusetts. The features of the systems and of the houses, are briefly summarized, and the monthly performance of the monitored houses, PV systems, and meteorological data is tabulated. Also tabulated is hourly information for an average day of the month including data on the monitored houses and prototype systems data. Data include energy consumption, array and inverter outputs, energy supplied to and by the utility, solar array panel temperatures, and total tilt insolation. Also included are tables that present the hypothetical energy exchange between the system and the utility if each prototype system supplied energy to each monitored house. These data are also graphed, as well as the duration of time for which the load had a specific value.

A Fiber Bragg Grating-Based Dynamic Tension Detection System for Overhead Transmission Line Galloping.

PubMed

Ma, Guo-Ming; Li, Ya-Bo; Mao, Nai-Qiang; Shi, Cheng; Zhang, Bo; Li, Cheng-Rong

2018-01-26

Galloping of overhead transmission lines (OHTLs) may induce conductor breakage and tower collapse, and there is no effective method for long distance distribution on-line galloping monitoring. To overcome the drawbacks of the conventional galloping monitoring systems, such as sensitivity to electromagnetic interference, the need for onsite power, and short lifetimes, a novel optical remote passive measuring system is proposed in the paper. Firstly, to solve the hysteresis and eccentric load problem in tension sensing, and to extent the dynamic response range, an 'S' type elastic element structure with flanges was proposed. Then, a tension experiment was carried out to demonstrate the dynamic response characteristics. Moreover, the designed tension sensor was stretched continuously for 30 min to observe its long time stability. Last but not the least, the sensor was mounted on a 70 m conductor model, and the conductor was oscillated at different frequencies to investigate the dynamic performance of the sensor. The experimental results demonstrate the sensor is suitable for the OHTL galloping detection. Compared with the conventional sensors for OHTL monitoring, the system has many advantages, such as easy installation, no flashover risk, distribution monitoring, better bandwidth, improved accuracy and higher reliability.

AI mass spectrometers for space shuttle health monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, F. W.

1991-01-01

The facility Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is a mass spectrometer based gas analyzer. Two instruments make up the HGDS, which is installed in a prime/backup arrangement, with the option of using both analyzers on the same sample line, or on two different lines simultaneously. It is used for monitoring the Shuttle during fuel loading, countdown, and drainback, if necessary. The use of complex instruments, operated over many shifts, has caused problems in tracking the status of the ground support equipment (GSE) and the vehicle. A requirement for overall system reliability has been a major force in the development of Shuttle GSE, and is the ultimate driver in the choice to pursue artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for Shuttle and Advanced Launch System (ALS) mass spectrometer systems. Shuttle applications of AI are detailed.

Measured impacts of supermarket humidity level on defrost performance and refrigerating system energy use

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henderson, H.I.; Khattar, M.

This paper presents field-monitor data from two supermarkets where the impact of space humidity on refrigerating system energy use was evaluated. Direct digital control (DDC) systems were used at both stores to collect 15-minute monitored data. At Store A in Minneapolis, the DDC system was used to monitor system performance as well as to implement temperature-terminated control in place of time-terminated control on 16 refrigerated zones using hot gas defrost. At Store B in Indianapolis, the DDC system was used to quantify the performance trends for the single compressor rack system with electric defrost. The results at Store B showedmore » that refrigerating system energy use decreases by nearly 10 kWh/day for each 1% drop in space relative humidity, or about 0.4% of average annual system energy use. This value includes the impact of reduced latent loads, the reduction in direct energy use and imposed load from reduced electric defrost heater operation, and the smaller imposed load from reduced anti-sweat heater energy use. The measured reductions agree well with the impact predicted using the calculation methods developed by Howell (1933b) in ASHRAE Research Project 596. At Store A, the measured data show that implementing temperature-terminated defrost reduced refrigerating system energy use by nearly 70 kWh/day over the winter period when the average space humidity was 22% RH. The savings from temperature-terminated defrost increase by 4 kWh/day per each 1% drop in relative humidity. At both stores, the same type of mechanical controls were used to duty cycle the anti-sweat heaters based on store dew point. Anti-sweat heater electricity use was observed to decrease by 4.6 kWh/day at Store B and 3.4 kWh/day at Store A for each 1% drop in relative humidity. At Store A, a more aggressive control scheme was implemented with the DDC system that reduced anti-sweat heater energy use by 7.8 kWh/day per % RH. The more aggressive control approach was reported to properly control fogging and condensation on display case surfaces. The overall energy reduction factor at the two stores was 12 kWh/day per % RH at Store A and 15 kWh/day per % RH at Store B. With more aggressive anti-sweat heater control, reduction factors as high as 20 kWh/day per % RH appear to be possible.« less

The relationships between internal and external training load models during basketball training.

PubMed

Scanlan, Aaron T; Wen, Neal; Tucker, Patrick S; Dalbo, Vincent J

2014-09-01

The present investigation described and compared the internal and external training loads during basketball training. Eight semiprofessional male basketball players (mean ± SD, age: 26.3 ± 6.7 years; stature: 188.1 ± 6.2 cm; body mass: 92.0 ± 13.8 kg) were monitored across a 7-week period during the preparatory phase of the annual training plan. A total of 44 total sessions were monitored. Player session ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE), heart rate, and accelerometer data were collected across each training session. Internal training load was determined using the sRPE, training impulse (TRIMP), and summated-heart-rate-zones (SHRZ) training load models. External training load was calculated using an established accelerometer algorithm. Pearson product-moment correlations with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the relationships between internal and external training load models. Significant moderate relationships were observed between external training load and the sRPE (r42 = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.23-0.69, p < 0.001) and TRIMP models (r42 = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.09-0.61, p = 0.011). A significant large correlation was evident between external training load and the SHRZ model (r42 = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.38-0.77, p < 0.001). Although significant relationships were found between internal and external training load models, the magnitude of the correlations and low commonality suggest that internal training load models measure different constructs of the training process than the accelerometer training load model in basketball settings. Basketball coaching and conditioning professionals should not assume a linear dose-response between accelerometer and internal training load models during training and are recommended to combine internal and external approaches when monitoring training load in players.

Water-quality control, monitoring and wastewater treatment in Lithuania 1950 to 1999.

PubMed

Cetkauskaite, A; Zarkov, D; Stoskus, L

2001-08-01

The Lithuanian water-management system developed on the basis of Soviet regulations in 1950-1990. Surface-water quality monitoring started in the 1950s, and the system was improved in the 1960s. Today, 48 rivers are being monitored using up to 70 parameters. Statutory monitoring of discharges started in 1962, wastewater standards were issued in 1957 and 1966, and then revised in 1996. Wastewater-treatment plants were built first in rural areas, in factories since the 1950s, and later in towns. Since 1991, large capacity municipal plants have been constructed with foreign assistance. Water quality has improved in some rivers since 1970, but Lithuania's main river, Nemunas, remains moderately polluted. The lower Nemunas is especially affected by discharges of municipal and industrial wastewater from Sovietsk and Neman (Russia), which account for half of the total loading. Hydrobiological data of 1994-1998 indicated the eutrophication of the Curonian Lagoon, and bacteriological pollution and blue-green algae blooms in the Baltic Sea north of Klaipeda.

Demonstration of UAV deployment and control of mobile wireless sensing networks for modal analysis of structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hao; Hirose, Mitsuhito; Greenwood, William; Xiao, Yong; Lynch, Jerome; Zekkos, Dimitrios; Kamat, Vineet

2016-04-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can serve as a powerful mobile sensing platform for assessing the health of civil infrastructure systems. To date, the majority of their uses have been dedicated to vision and laser-based spatial imaging using on-board cameras and LiDAR units, respectively. Comparatively less work has focused on integration of other sensing modalities relevant to structural monitoring applications. The overarching goal of this study is to explore the ability for UAVs to deploy a network of wireless sensors on structures for controlled vibration testing. The study develops a UAV platform with an integrated robotic gripper that can be used to install wireless sensors in structures, drop a heavy weight for the introduction of impact loads, and to uninstall wireless sensors for reinstallation elsewhere. A pose estimation algorithm is embedded in the UAV to estimate the location of the UAV during sensor placement and impact load introduction. The Martlet wireless sensor network architecture is integrated with the UAV to provide the UAV a mobile sensing capability. The UAV is programmed to command field deployed Martlets, aggregate and temporarily store data from the wireless sensor network, and to communicate data to a fixed base station on site. This study demonstrates the integrated UAV system using a simply supported beam in the lab with Martlet wireless sensors placed by the UAV and impact load testing performed. The study verifies the feasibility of the integrated UAV-wireless monitoring system architecture with accurate modal characteristics of the beam estimated by modal analysis.

Three-dimensional printed sample load/inject valves enabling online monitoring of extracellular calcium and zinc ions in living rat brains.

PubMed

Su, Cheng-Kuan; Hsia, Sheng-Chieh; Sun, Yuh-Chang

2014-08-01

We have developed a simple and low-cost flow injection system coupled to a quadruple ICP-MS for the direct and continuous determination of multi-element in microdialysates. To interface microdialysis sampling to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), we employed 3D printing to manufacture an as-designed sample load/inject valve featuring an in-valve sample loop for precise handling of microliter samples with a dissolved solids content of 0.9% NaCl (w/v). To demonstrate the practicality of our developed on-line system, we applied the 3D printed valve equipped a 5-μL sample loop to minimize the occurrence of salt matrix effects and facilitate an online dynamic monitoring of extracellular calcium and zinc ions in living rat brains. Under the practical condition (temporal resolution: 10h(-1)), dynamic profiling of these two metal ions in living rat brain extracellular fluid after probe implantation (the basal values for Ca and Zn were 12.11±0.10mg L(-1) and 1.87±0.05μg L(-1), respectively) and real-time monitoring of the physiological response to excitotoxic stress elicited upon perfusing a solution of 2.5mM N-methyl-d-aspartate were performed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Illinois drainage water management demonstration project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitts, D.J.; Cooke, R.; Terrio, P.J.; ,

2004-01-01

Due to naturally high water tables and flat topography, there are approximately 4 million ha (10 million ac) of farmland artificially drained with subsurface (tile) systems in Illinois. Subsurface drainage is practiced to insure trafficable field conditions for farm equipment and to reduce crop stress from excess water within the root zone. Although drainage is essential for economic crop production, there have been some significant environmental costs. Tile drainage systems tend to intercept nutrient (nitrate) rich soil-water and shunt it to surface water. Data from numerous monitoring studies have shown that a significant amount of the total nitrate load in Illinois is being delivered to surface water from tile drainage systems. In Illinois, these drainage systems are typically installed without control mechanisms and allow the soil to drain whenever the water table is above the elevation of the tile outlet. An assessment of water quality in the tile drained areas of Illinois showed that approximately 50 percent of the nitrate load was being delivered through the tile systems during the fallow period when there was no production need for drainage to occur. In 1998, a demonstration project to introduce drainage water management to producers in Illinois was initiated by NRCS4 An initial aspect of the project was to identify producers that were willing to manage their drainage system to create a raised water table during the fallow (November-March) period. Financial assistance from two federal programs was used to assist producers in retrofitting the existing drainage systems with control structures. Growers were also provided guidance on the management of the structures for both water quality and production benefits. Some of the retrofitted systems were monitored to determine the effect of the practice on water quality. This paper provides background on the water quality impacts of tile drainage in Illinois, the status of the demonstration project, preliminary monitoring results, and other observations.

Data report for the Northeast Residential Experiment Station, January 1982

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, M. C.; Raghuraman, P.; Mahoney, P. C.

1982-06-01

Physical performance data obtained from photovoltaic energy systems under test at the Northeast Residential Experiment Station(NE RES) in Concord, Massachusetts are tabulated. Five prototype residential photovoltaic systems are under test at the NE RES. Each consists of a roof mounted PV array sized to meet at least 50% of the annual electrical demand of an energy conserving house and an enclosed structure to house the remainder of the PV equipment, test instrumentation and work space. The arrays provide DC power which is converted to AC by power conditioning equipment to service all the usual loads of a residence. Each prototype system is grid connected. Another house in Carlisle, Massachusetts provided with a PV system is also being monitored. The computational basis for the data reported is given. A monthly summary tabulates the monthly performance of the PV systems and monitored houses as well as meteorological data.

Solid oxide fuel cell hybrid system: Control strategy for stand-alone configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, Mario L.

2011-03-01

The aim of this study is the development and testing of a control system for solid oxide fuel cell hybrid systems through dynamic simulations. Due to the complexity of these cycles, several parameters, such as the turbine rotational speed, the temperatures within the fuel cell, the differential pressure between the anodic and the cathodic side and the Steam-To-Carbon Ratio need to be monitored and kept within safe limits. Furthermore, in stand-alone conditions the system response to load variations is required to meet the global plant power demand at any time, supporting global load variations and avoiding dangerous or unstable conditions. The plant component models and their integration were carried out in previous studies. This paper focuses on the control strategy required for managing the net electrical power from the system, avoiding malfunctions or damage. Once the control system was developed and tuned, its performance was evaluated by simulating the transient behaviour of the whole hybrid cycle: the results for several operating conditions are presented and discussed.

Guest Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue on 'Advanced Signal Processing Techniques and Telecommunications Network Infrastructures for Smart Grid Analysis, Monitoring, and Management'

DOE PAGES

Bracale, Antonio; Barros, Julio; Cacciapuoti, Angela Sara; ...

2015-06-10

Electrical power systems are undergoing a radical change in structure, components, and operational paradigms, and are progressively approaching the new concept of smart grids (SGs). Future power distribution systems will be characterized by the simultaneous presence of various distributed resources, such as renewable energy systems (i.e., photovoltaic power plant and wind farms), storage systems, and controllable/non-controllable loads. Control and optimization architectures will enable network-wide coordination of these grid components in order to improve system efficiency and reliability and to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the energy flows will be bidirectional from large power plants to end users andmore » vice versa; producers and consumers will continuously interact at different voltage levels to determine in advance the requests of loads and to adapt the production and demand for electricity flexibly and efficiently also taking into account the presence of storage systems.« less

Energy harvesting from localized dynamic transitions in post-buckled elastic beams under quasi-static loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borchani, Wassim

The deployability of structural health monitoring self-powered sensors relies on their capability to harvest energy from signals being monitored. Many of the signals required to assess the structure condition are quasi-static events which limits the levels of power that can be extracted. Several vibration-based techniques have been proposed to increase the transferred level of power and broaden the harvester operating bandwidth. However, these techniques require vibration input excitations at frequencies higher than dominant structural response frequencies which makes them inefficient and not suitable for ambient quasi-static excitations. This research proposes a novel sensing and energy harvesting technique at low frequencies using mechanical energy concentrators and triggers. These mechanisms consist of axially-loaded bilaterally-constrained beams with attached piezoelectric energy harvesters. When the quasi-static axial load reaches a certain mechanical threshold, a sudden snap-through mode-switching occurs. These transitions excite the attached piezoelectric scavengers with high-rate input accelerations, generating then electric power. The main objectives are to understand and model the post-buckling behavior of bilaterally-constrained beams, control it by tailoring geometry and material properties of the buckled elements or stacking them into system assemblies, and finally characterize the energy harvesting and sensing capability of the system under quasi-static excitations. The fundamental principle relies on the following concept. Under axial load, a straight slender beam buckles in the first buckling mode. The increased transverse deformations from a buckled shape lead to contact interaction with the lateral boundaries. The contact interaction generates transverse forces that induce the development of higher order buckling configurations. Transitions between the buckled configurations occur not only during loading, but also unloading. In this work, the post-buckling response of the bilaterally constrained beam subjected to axial loading is investigated experimentally, numerically, and theoretically. The capability of the system to generate electric energy under quasi-static excitation is also assessed experimentally. The post-buckling behavior is reproducible under cyclic loadings and independent of the input loading frequency. The static and dynamic response of the beam is theoretically studied using an energy method. The model adequately predicts the beam geometry at every loading stage, including the flattening behavior just before the snap buckling transitions, the mode transition events and the released kinetic energy as well as accelerations of the beam during transitions. The buckling transitions generate high kinetic energy and acceleration spikes. However, the location of the maximum acceleration differs from one transition to another. Tuning the parameters of the system affects dramatically the accelerations generated during snap-through transitions. However, it does not affect the number and spacing between these events. To achieve better control of the system, multiple slender beams with different geometric and material properties are stacked in parallel configurations. The system allows then to control the spacing between energy bursts and reduce the energy leakage in electronic circuits. As an application example, the mechanical energy concentrators and triggers were integrated with a piezo-floating gate events sensor. This allowed for harvesting and recording of bursts and impulses of released energy at very low frequencies. The system can be calibrated to determine the number of times the magnitude of the input signal exceeded a mechanical threshold. The mechanism allows for frequency up-conversion from the low input frequency (in the order of mHz) to the natural frequency of the piezoelectric scavenger.

Utility gas turbine combustor viewing system: Volume 2, Engine operating envelope test: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morey, W.W.

1988-12-01

This report summarizes the development and field testing of a combustor viewing probe (CVP) as a flame diagnostic monitor for utility gas turbine engines. The prototype system is capable of providing a visual record of combustor flame images, recording flame spectral data, analyzing image and spectral data, and diagnosing certain engine malfunctions. The system should provide useful diagnostic information to utility plant operators, and reduced maintenance costs. The field tests demonstrated the ability of the CVP to monitor combustor flame condition and to relate changes in the engine operation with variations in the flame signature. Engine light off, run upmore » to full speed, the addition of load, and the effect of water injection for NO/sub x/ control could easily be identified on the video monitor. The viewing probe was also valuable in identifying hard startups and shutdowns, as well as transient effects that can seriously harm the engine.« less

Utility gas turbine combustor viewing system: Volume 1, Conceptual design and initial field testing: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morey, W.W.

1988-12-01

This report summarizes the development and field testing of a combustor viewing probe (CVP) as a flame diagnostic monitor for utility gas turbine engines. The prototype system is capable of providing a visual record of combustor flame images, recording flame spectral data, analyzing image and spectral data, and diagnosing certain engine malfunctions. The system should provide useful diagnostic information to utility plant operators, and reduce maintenance costs. The field tests demonstrated the ability of the CVP to monitor combustor flame condition and to relate changes in the engine operation with variations in the flame signature. Engine light off, run upmore » to full speed, the addition of load, and the effect of water injection for NO/sub x/ control could easily be identified on the video monitor. The viewing probe was also valuable in identifying hard startups and shutdowns, as well as transient effects that can seriously harm the engine. 11 refs.« less

Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Site selection, field operation, calibration, record computation, and reporting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Richard J.; Mattraw, Harold C.; Ritz, George F.; Smith, Brett A.

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey uses continuous water-quality monitors to assess variations in the quality of the Nation's surface water. A common system configuration for data collection is the four-parameter water-quality monitoring system, which collects temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH data, although systems can be configured to measure other properties such as turbidity or chlorophyll. The sensors that are used to measure these water properties require careful field observation, cleaning, and calibration procedures, as well as thorough procedures for the computation and publication of final records. Data from sensors can be used in conjunction with collected samples and chemical analyses to estimate chemical loads. This report provides guidelines for site-selection considerations, sensor test methods, field procedures, error correction, data computation, and review and publication processes. These procedures have evolved over the past three decades, and the process continues to evolve with newer technologies.

Bio-implantable passive on-chip RF-MEMS strain sensing resonators for orthopaedic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melik, Rohat; Kosku Perkgoz, Nihan; Unal, Emre; Puttlitz, Christian; Demir, Hilmi Volkan

2008-11-01

One out of ten bone fractures does not heal properly due to improper load distribution and strain profiles during the healing process. To provide implantable tools for the assessment of bone fractures, we have designed novel, bio-implantable, passive, on-chip, RF-MEMS strain sensors that rely on the resonance frequency shift with mechanical deformation. For this purpose, we modeled, fabricated and experimentally characterized two on-chip sensors with high quality factors for in vivo implantation. One of the sensors has an area of ~0.12 mm2 with a quality factor of ~60 and the other has an area of ~0.07 mm2 with a quality factor of ~70. To monitor the mechanical deformation by measuring the change in the resonance frequencies with the applied load, we employed a controllable, point load applying experimental setup designed and constructed for in vitro characterization. In the case of the sensor with the larger area, when we apply a load of 3920 N, we obtain a frequency shift of ~330 MHz and a quality factor of ~76. For the smaller sensor, the frequency shift and the quality factor are increased to 360 MHz and 95, respectively. These data demonstrate that our sensor chips have the capacity to withstand relatively high physiologic loads, and that the concomitant and very large resonant frequency shift with the applied load is achieved while maintaining a high signal quality factor. These experiments demonstrate that these novel sensors have the capacity for producing high sensitivity strain readout, even when the total device area is considerably small. Also, we have demonstrated that our bio-implantable, passive sensors deliver a telemetric, real-time readout of the strain on a chip. Placing two more resonators on the sides of the sensor to serve as transmitter and receiver antennas, we achieved to transfer contactless power and read out loads in the absence of direct wiring to the sensor. With this model, where telemetric measurements become simpler due to the fact that all sensor system is built on the same chip, we obtain a frequency shift of ~190 MHz with an increase in the quality factor from ~38 to ~46 when a load of 3920 N is applied. Therefore, as a first proof of concept, we have demonstrated the feasibility of our on-chip strain sensors for monitoring the mechanical deformation using telemetry-based systems.

Optimizing an estuarine water quality monitoring program through an entropy-based hierarchical spatiotemporal Bayesian framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alameddine, Ibrahim; Karmakar, Subhankar; Qian, Song S.; Paerl, Hans W.; Reckhow, Kenneth H.

2013-10-01

The total maximum daily load program aims to monitor more than 40,000 standard violations in around 20,000 impaired water bodies across the United States. Given resource limitations, future monitoring efforts have to be hedged against the uncertainties in the monitored system, while taking into account existing knowledge. In that respect, we have developed a hierarchical spatiotemporal Bayesian model that can be used to optimize an existing monitoring network by retaining stations that provide the maximum amount of information, while identifying locations that would benefit from the addition of new stations. The model assumes the water quality parameters are adequately described by a joint matrix normal distribution. The adopted approach allows for a reduction in redundancies, while emphasizing information richness rather than data richness. The developed approach incorporates the concept of entropy to account for the associated uncertainties. Three different entropy-based criteria are adopted: total system entropy, chlorophyll-a standard violation entropy, and dissolved oxygen standard violation entropy. A multiple attribute decision making framework is adopted to integrate the competing design criteria and to generate a single optimal design. The approach is implemented on the water quality monitoring system of the Neuse River Estuary in North Carolina, USA. The model results indicate that the high priority monitoring areas identified by the total system entropy and the dissolved oxygen violation entropy criteria are largely coincident. The monitoring design based on the chlorophyll-a standard violation entropy proved to be less informative, given the low probabilities of violating the water quality standard in the estuary.

Acoustic emission monitoring of low velocity impact damage in graphite/epoxy laminates during tensile loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Bradford H.

1992-01-01

An acoustic emission (AE) system was set up in a linear location data acquisition mode to monitor the tensile loading of eight-ply quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy specimens containing low velocity impact damage. The impact damage was induced using an instrumented drop weight tower. During impact, specimens were supported by either an aluminum plate or a membrane configuration. Cross-sectional examinations revealed that the aluminum plate configuration resulted in primarily matrix cracking and back surface fiber failure. The membrane support resulted in only matrix cracking and delamination damage. Penetrant enhanced radiography and immersion ultrasonics were used in order to assess the amount of impact damage in each tensile specimen. During tensile loading, AE reliably detected and located the damage sites which included fiber failure. All specimens with areas of fiber breakage ultimately failed at the impact site. AE did not reliably locate damage which consisted of only delaminations and matrix cracking. Specimens with this type of damage did not ultimately fail at the impact site. In summary, AE demonstrated the ability to increase the reliability of structural proof tests; however, the successful use of this technique requires extensive baseline testing.

Solar photovoltaic flat panel applications experiment at the Oklahoma Center for Science and Arts. Final report, September 30, 1978-May 31, 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Science Applications, Inc., has designed a photovoltaic power system for the Oklahoma Center for Science and Arts in Oklahoma City. The system, with a basic rating of 250 kW, is enhanced to a summer peak output of 350 kW through the use of augmentation glass mirror reflectors which are arranged to maximize summer output and to match the summer output to the summer load. The baseline system consists of 3780 photovoltaic collector modules, utilizing polycrystalline silicon cells, and companion mirror reflectors arranged in modular fashion on the roof of the Center. Total system output is more than 450 MWh, ofmore » which over 420 MWh is used on-site to displace about 65 percent of the current on site load, or about 43 percent of the projected (1981) load. Another 30 MWh is returned to the utility under a buyback agreement. The total amount of energy displaced per year is approximately 850 barrels of oil, or Btu equivalent. The entire system is fully automatic, and is designed for safety and ease in maintenance and repair. It is equipped with the appropriate controls, a power monitoring system, a weather station, and other sensors for acquisition of experimental data.« less

Building Energy Management Open Source Software

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

This is the repository for Building Energy Management Open Source Software (BEMOSS), which is an open source operating system that is engineered to improve sensing and control of equipment in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings. BEMOSS offers the following key features: (1) Open source, open architecture – BEMOSS is an open source operating system that is built upon VOLTTRON – a distributed agent platform developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). BEMOSS was designed to make it easy for hardware manufacturers to seamlessly interface their devices with BEMOSS. Software developers can also contribute to adding additional BEMOSS functionalities and applications.more » (2) Plug & play – BEMOSS was designed to automatically discover supported load controllers (including smart thermostats, VAV/RTUs, lighting load controllers and plug load controllers) in commercial buildings. (3) Interoperability – BEMOSS was designed to work with load control devices form different manufacturers that operate on different communication technologies and data exchange protocols. (4) Cost effectiveness – Implementation of BEMOSS deemed to be cost-effective as it was built upon a robust open source platform that can operate on a low-cost single-board computer, such as Odroid. This feature could contribute to its rapid deployment in small- or medium-sized commercial buildings. (5) Scalability and ease of deployment – With its multi-node architecture, BEMOSS provides a distributed architecture where load controllers in a multi-floor and high occupancy building could be monitored and controlled by multiple single-board computers hosting BEMOSS. This makes it possible for a building engineer to deploy BEMOSS in one zone of a building, be comfortable with its operation, and later on expand the deployment to the entire building to make it more energy efficient. (6) Ability to provide local and remote monitoring – BEMOSS provides both local and remote monitoring ability with role-based access control. (7) Security – In addition to built-in security features provided by VOLTTRON, BEMOSS provides enhanced security features, including BEMOSS discovery approval process, encrypted core-to-node communication, thermostat anti-tampering feature and many more. (8) Support from the Advisory Committee – BEMOSS was developed in consultation with an advisory committee from the beginning of the project. BEMOSS advisory committee comprises representatives from 22 organizations from government and industry.« less

A Novel Sensor System for Measuring Wheel Loads of Vehicles on Highways

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wenbin; Suo, Chunguang; Wang, Qi

2008-01-01

With the development of the highway transportation and business trade, vehicle Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) technology has become a key technology for measuring traffic loads. In this paper a novel WIM system based on monitoring of pavement strain responses in rigid pavement was investigated. In this WIM system multiple low cost, light weight, small volume and high accuracy embedded concrete strain sensors were used as WIM sensors to measure rigid pavement strain responses. In order to verify the feasibility of the method, a system prototype based on multiple sensors was designed and deployed on a relatively busy freeway. Field calibration and tests were performed with known two-axle truck wheel loads and the measurement errors were calculated based on the static weights measured with a static weighbridge. This enables the weights of other vehicles to be calculated from the calibration constant. Calibration and test results for individual sensors or three-sensor fusions are both provided. Repeatability, sources of error, and weight accuracy are discussed. Successful results showed that the proposed method was feasible and proven to have a high accuracy. Furthermore, a sample mean approach using multiple fused individual sensors could provide better performance compared to individual sensors. PMID:27873952

Experimental Study on Mechanical and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Rock-Like Material Under Non-uniformly Distributed Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao; Wen, Zhijie; Jiang, Yujing; Huang, Hao

2018-03-01

The mechanical and acoustic emission characteristics of rock-like materials under non-uniform loads were investigated by means of a self-developed mining-induced stress testing system and acoustic emission monitoring system. In the experiments, the specimens were divided into three regions and different initial vertical stresses and stress loading rates were used to simulate different mining conditions. The mechanical and acoustic emission characteristics between regions were compared, and the effects of different initial vertical stresses and different stress loading rates were analysed. The results showed that the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of rock-like materials can be notably localized. When the initial vertical stress and stress loading rate are fixed, the peak strength of region B is approximately two times that of region A, and the maximum acoustic emission hit value of region A is approximately 1-2 times that of region B. The effects of the initial vertical stress and stress loading rate on the peck strain, maximum hit value, and occurrence time of the maximum hit are similar in that when either of the former increase, the latter all decrease. However, peck strength will increase with the increase in loading rate and decrease with the increase in initial vertical stress. The acoustic emission hits can be used to analyse the damage in rock material, but the number of acoustic emission hits cannot be used alone to determine the degree of rock damage directly.

Wave Phase-Sensitive Transformation of 3d-Straining of Mechanical Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, I. N.; Speranskiy, A. A.

2015-11-01

It is the area of research of oscillatory processes in elastic mechanical systems. Technical result of innovation is creation of spectral set of multidimensional images which reflect time-correlated three-dimensional vector parameters of metrological, and\\or estimated, and\\or design parameters of oscillations in mechanical systems. Reconstructed images of different dimensionality integrated in various combinations depending on their objective function can be used as homeostatic profile or cybernetic image of oscillatory processes in mechanical systems for an objective estimation of current operational conditions in real time. The innovation can be widely used to enhance the efficiency of monitoring and research of oscillation processes in mechanical systems (objects) in construction, mechanical engineering, acoustics, etc. Concept method of vector vibrometry based on application of vector 3D phase- sensitive vibro-transducers permits unique evaluation of real stressed-strained states of power aggregates and loaded constructions and opens fundamental innovation opportunities: conduct of continuous (on-line regime) reliable monitoring of turboagregates of electrical machines, compressor installations, bases, supports, pipe-lines and other objects subjected to damaging effect of vibrations; control of operational safety of technical systems at all the stages of life cycle including design, test production, tuning, testing, operational use, repairs and resource enlargement; creation of vibro-diagnostic systems of authentic non-destructive control of anisotropic characteristics of materials resistance of power aggregates and loaded constructions under outer effects and operational flaws. The described technology is revolutionary, universal and common for all branches of engineering industry and construction building objects.

Daylighting performance and thermal implications of skylights vs. south-facing roof monitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosenbaum, M.; Coldham, B.

1997-12-31

This paper reports the results of a comparison of skylights vs. south-facing roof monitors for daylighting the north wall zone of a 10,000 ft{sup 2} office building near Manchester, NH. A physical model was constructed and tested. Simultaneously, the building`s annual thermal performance was modeled with Energy-10 hourly simulation software, and its peak heating and cooling load performance was modeled with the Carrier Corp. Hourly Analysis Program (HAP). Apertures were built into the roof of the model, and several skylight and south-facing roof monitor configurations were tested in both clear and overcast conditions. A design goal was to have themore » building be daylit on overcast as well as clear days. This goal was based more on enhancement of the working environment than it was on electrical energy savings. Monitors with overhangs performed poorly in the overcast conditions--it was determined that 2.4 times as much monitor aperture was needed to yield equivalent light levels in overcast conditions. The thermal models showed that the annual heating and cooling energy cost for the building was the same for either strategy, but that peak cooling loads and peak heating loads were lower with the skylit version. The authors concluded that skylights were preferred over monitors in this application, due to similar annual energy costs, lower peak loads, and lower construction cost.« less

Mathematical Approach to Identification of Load Structure at the Nodes of the Distribution Grids 6-10 kV and 0.4 kV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nizamutdinova, T.; Mukhlynin, N.

2017-06-01

A significant increasing energy efficiency of the full cycle of production, transmission and distribution of electricity in grids should be based on the management of separate consumers of electricity. The existing energy supply systems based on the concept of «smart things» do not allow to identify the technical structure of the electricity consumption in the load nodes from the grid side. It makes solving the tasks of energy efficiency more difficult. To solve this problem, the use of Wavelet transform to create a mathematical tool for monitoring the load composition in the nodes of the distribution grids of 6-10 kV, 0.4 kV is proposed in this paper. The authors have created a unique wavelet based functions for some consumers, based on their current consumption graphs of these power consumers. Possibility of determination of the characteristics of individual consumers of electricity in total nodal charts of load is shown in the test case. In future, creation of a unified technical and informational model of load control will allow to solve the problem of increasing the economic efficiency of not only certain consumers, but also the entire power supply system as a whole.

Remote monitoring of bi-axial loads on a lifting surface moving unsteadily in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, P. B.; Drake, K. R.; Eames, I.; Wojcik, A.

2014-12-01

A system of measuring the bi-axial load on a lifting surface (blade) which is freely moving and operates submerged in water at the laboratory scale is described. A blade with a span of 500 mm, a chord of 60 mm and a thickness of 9 mm (15% of the chord) was employed and the lift/drag forces were measured using a bespoke strain-gauge based load cell located at the mid-span of the blade, measuring bending moments in two independent directions. The requirement to move freely dictated that the load cell was encapsulated within the blade, along with signal conditioning circuitry, power supply and a data logger with wireless transmission. Submerged operation in water resulted in very short transmission distances, meaning that data were recorded and subsequently transferred using an aerial placed close to the blade while it was stationary. Assumptions based on Euler-Bernoulli beam bending theory were used to infer the total load from measurements of the bending moment at the mid-span and example data from a freely moving aerofoil on a Darrieus-type tidal energy extraction device are presented. The novelty of this system lies in its combination of free movement, submerged operation and small scale.

Application of outlier analysis for baseline-free damage diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung Dae; In, Chi Won; Cronin, Kelly E.; Sohn, Hoon; Harries, Kent

2006-03-01

As carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates have been widely accepted as valuable materials for retrofitting civil infrastructure systems, an appropriate assessment of bonding conditions between host structures and CFRP laminates becomes a critical issue to guarantee the performance of CFRP strengthened structures. This study attempts to develop a continuous performance monitoring system for CFRP strengthened structures by autonomously inspecting the bonding conditions between the CFRP layers and the host structure. The uniqueness of this study is to develop a new concept and theoretical framework of nondestructive testing (NDT), in which debonding is detected "without using past baseline data." The proposed baseline-free damage diagnosis is achieved in two stages. In the first step, features sensitive to debonding of the CFPR layers but insensitive to loading conditions are extracted based on a concept referred to as a time reversal process. This time reversal process allows extracting damage-sensitive features without direct comparison with past baseline data. Then, a statistical damage classifier will be developed in the second step to make a decision regarding the bonding condition of the CFRP layers. The threshold necessary for decision making will be adaptively determined without predetermined threshold values. Monotonic and fatigue load tests of full-scale CFRP strengthened RC beams are conducted to demonstrate the potential of the proposed reference-free debonding monitoring system.

Optical Fiber Distributed Sensing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Strain Measurements Taken During Cryotank Y-Joint Test Article Load Cycling at Liquid Helium Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, Sidney G.; Prosser, William H.; Hare, David A.; Moore, Thomas C.; Kenner, Winfred S.

2007-01-01

This paper outlines cryogenic Y-joint testing at Langley Research Center (LaRC) to validate the performance of optical fiber Bragg grating strain sensors for measuring strain at liquid helium temperature (-240 C). This testing also verified survivability of fiber sensors after experiencing 10 thermal cool-down, warm-up cycles and 400 limit load cycles. Graphite composite skins bonded to a honeycomb substrate in a sandwich configuration comprised the Y-joint specimens. To enable SHM of composite cryotanks for consideration to future spacecraft, a light-weight, durable monitoring technology is needed. The fiber optic distributed Bragg grating strain sensing system developed at LaRC is a viable substitute for conventional strain gauges which are not practical for SHM. This distributed sensing technology uses an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR). This measurement approach has the advantage that it can measure hundreds of Bragg grating sensors per fiber and the sensors are all written at one frequency, greatly simplifying fiber manufacturing. Fiber optic strain measurements compared well to conventional strain gauge measurements obtained during these tests. These results demonstrated a high potential for a successful implementation of a SHM system incorporating LaRC's fiber optic sensing system on the composite cryotank and other future cryogenic applications.

Structural health monitoring using smart optical fiber sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-04-01

This paper describes the potential of a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, to provide important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has application in all areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35 m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions and the resulting strain information could be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. The optical strain sensor system comprises of three main components: the sensor network, the opto-electronic data acquisition unit (OFSSS) and the external PC which acts as a data log and display. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime environment, but can be adapted for any application.

Routine viral load monitoring in HIV-infected infants and children in low- and middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Arpadi, Stephen M; Shiau, Stephanie; De Gusmao, Eduarda Pimentel; Violari, Avy

2017-11-01

The objective of this commentary is to review considerations for implementing routine viral load (VL) monitoring programmes for HIV-infected infants and children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Since 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend VL testing as the preferred monitoring approach for all individuals treated with ART in order to assess treatment response, detect treatment failure and determine the need to switch to a second-line regimen in a timely manner. More recently, WHO guidelines from 2016 identify HIV-infected infants and children as a priority group for routine VL monitoring. There are a number of reasons why HIV-infected infants and children should be prioritized for routine VL monitoring. Data from national VL monitoring programmes as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses from LMIC indicate rates of viral suppression are lower for infants and children compared to adults. The number of antiretroviral drugs and palatable formulations suitable for young children are limited. In addition, emotional and developmental issues particular to children can make daily medication administration difficult and pose a challenge to adherence and achievement of sustained viral suppression. VL monitoring can be instrumental for identifying those in need of additional adherence support, reducing regimen switches and preserving treatment options. The needs of infants and children warrant consideration in all aspects of VL monitoring services. If capacity for paediatric venipuncture is not assured, platforms that accept dried blood spot specimens are necessary in order for infants and children to have equitable access. Healthcare systems also need to prepare to manage the substantial number of infants and children identified with elevated VL, including adherence interventions that are appropriate for children. Establishing robust systems to evaluate processes and outcomes of routine VL monitoring services and to support drug forecasting and supply management is essential to determine best practices for infants and children in LMIC. The particular concerns of HIV-infected infants and children warrant attention during all phases of planning and implementation of VL monitoring services. There are a number of key areas, including frequency of monitoring, blood specimen type and adherence challenges, where specific approaches tailored for infants and children may be required. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & sons Ltd on behalf of the International AIDS Society.

The role of respiratory measures to assess mental load in pilot selection.

PubMed

Grassmann, Mariel; Vlemincx, Elke; von Leupoldt, Andreas; Van den Bergh, Omer

2016-06-01

While cardiovascular measures have a long tradition of being used to determine operator load, responsiveness of the respiratory system to mental load has rarely been investigated. In this study, we assessed basic and variability measures of respiration rate (RR), partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (petCO2) as well as performance measures in 63 male pilot candidates during completion of a complex cognitive task and subsequent recovery. Mental load was associated with an increase in RR and a decrease in respiratory variability. A significant decrease was also found for petCO2. RR and respiratory variability showed partial and complete effects of recovery, respectively, whereas petCO2 did not return to baseline level. Overall, a good performance was related to a stronger reactivity in RR. Our findings suggest that respiratory parameters would be a useful supplement to common measures for the assessment of mental load in pilot selection. Practitioner Summary: Respiratory measures are a promising yet poorly investigated approach to monitor operator load. For pilot selection, we assessed respiration in response to multitasking in 63 candidates. Task-related changes as well as covariation with performance strongly support the consideration of respiratory parameters when evaluating reactivity to mental load.

Changes in abundance of heterotrophic and coliform bacteria resident in stored water bodies in relation to incoming bacterial loads following rain events.

PubMed

Martin, Anthony Richard; Coombes, Peter John; Harrison, Tracey Lee; Hugh Dunstan, R

2010-01-01

Microbial properties of harvested rainwater were assessed at two study sites at Newcastle on the east coast of Australia. The investigation monitored daily counts of heterotrophic bacteria (HPC), total coliforms and E. coli during a mid-winter month (July). Immediately after a major rainfall event, increases in bacterial loads were observed at both sites, followed by gradual reductions in numbers to prior baseline levels within 7 days. Baseline HPC levels ranged from 500-1000 cfu/mL for the sites evaluated, and the loads following rain peaked at 3590-6690 cfu/mL. Baseline levels of total coliforms ranged from 0-100 cfu/100 mL and peaked at 480-1200 cfu/100 mL following rain. At Site 1, there was no evidence of E. coli loading associated with the rain events assessed, and Site 2 had no detectable E.coli colonies at baseline, with a peak load of 17 cfu/100 mL following rain which again diminished to baseline levels. It was concluded that rainfall events contributed to the bacterial load in rainwater storage systems, but processes within the rainwater storage ensured these incoming loads were not sustained.

Long-term monitoring FBG-based cable load sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhichun; Zhou, Zhi; Wang, Chuan; Ou, Jinping

2006-03-01

Stay cables are the main load-bearing components of stayed-cable bridges. The cables stress status is an important factor to the stayed-cable bridge structure safety evaluation. So it's very important not only to the bridge construction, but also to the long-term safety evaluation for the bridge structure in-service. The accurate measurement for cable load depends on an effective sensor, especially to meet the long time durability and measurement demand. FBG, for its great advantage of corrosion resistance, absolute measurement, high accuracy, electro-magnetic resistance, quasi-distribution sensing, absolute measurement and so on, is the most promising sensor, which can cater for the cable force monitoring. In this paper, a load sensor has been developed, which is made up of a bushing elastic supporting body, 4 FBGs uniformly-spaced attached outside of the bushing supporting body, and a temperature compensation FBG for other four FBGs, moreover a cover for protection of FBGs. Firstly, the sensor measuring principle is analyzed, and relationship equation of FBG wavelength shifts and extrinsic load has also been gotten. And then the sensor calibration experiments of a steel cable stretching test with the FBG load sensor and a reference electric pressure sensor is finished, and the results shows excellent linearity of extrinsic load and FBG wavelength shifts, and good repeatability, which indicates that such kind of FBG-based load sensor is suitable for load measurement, especially for long-term, real time monitoring of stay-cables.

Seasonal player wellness and its longitudinal association with internal training load: study in elite volleyball.

PubMed

Clemente, Filipe M; Mendes, Bruno; Palao, José M; Silvério, André; Carriço, Sandro; Calvete, Francisco; Nakamura, Fábio Y

2018-04-04

Monitoring training load is critical to minimize the risk of overreaching, injury or illness. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships and variance between perceived internal load and wellness status of elite male volleyball. Thirteen elite volleyball players were studied during a full competitive season (nine months, 237 training sessions and 37 official matches). Perceived exertion, muscle soreness, stress, fatigue and sleep quality levels were daily measured using session RPE and the Hopper Questionnaire. Moderate-to-large correlations were found between weekly training load and perceived status of muscle soreness, fatigue and stress. Stronger correlations were found between weekly training loads than daily training load. Significant greater stress levels in match days than in training were found. No correlations between load and wellness were not found in the last month when players perceived higher levels of stress due to the competition. The analysis of the weekly training load had a higher relationship with players' wellness status in pre-season and middle of the season. In the last part of the season (final matches for the title), despite of a decrease in perceived load of last month of the season, there was an increase stress and fatigue levels. These results suggest the importance of including the impact on the competition when elite athletes are monitored. The results show the monitoring tools used may help in to characterize the training process of teams and the player's acute and chronic responses.

A Wireless MEMS-Based Inclinometer Sensor Node for Structural Health Monitoring

PubMed Central

Ha, Dae Woong; Park, Hyo Seon; Choi, Se Woon; Kim, Yousok

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a wireless inclinometer sensor node for structural health monitoring (SHM) that can be applied to civil engineering and building structures subjected to various loadings. The inclinometer used in this study employs a method for calculating the tilt based on the difference between the static acceleration and the acceleration due to gravity, using a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based accelerometer. A wireless sensor node was developed through which tilt measurement data are wirelessly transmitted to a monitoring server. This node consists of a slave node that uses a short-distance wireless communication system (RF 2.4 GHz) and a master node that uses a long-distance telecommunication system (code division multiple access—CDMA). The communication distance limitation, which is recognized as an important issue in wireless monitoring systems, has been resolved via these two wireless communication components. The reliability of the proposed wireless inclinometer sensor node was verified experimentally by comparing the values measured by the inclinometer and subsequently transferred to the monitoring server via wired and wireless transfer methods to permit a performance evaluation of the wireless communication sensor nodes. The experimental results indicated that the two systems (wired and wireless transfer systems) yielded almost identical values at a tilt angle greater than 1°, and a uniform difference was observed at a tilt angle less than 0.42° (approximately 0.0032° corresponding to 0.76% of the tilt angle, 0.42°) regardless of the tilt size. This result was deemed to be within the allowable range of measurement error in SHM. Thus, the wireless transfer system proposed in this study was experimentally verified for practical application in a structural health monitoring system. PMID:24287533

Re-Evaluation of Development of the TMDL Using Long-Term Monitoring Data and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squires, A.; Rittenburg, R.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.

2012-12-01

Since 1996, 47,979 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been approved throughout the United States for impaired water bodies. TMDLs are set through the determination of natural background loads for a given water body which then estimate contributions from point and nonpoint sources to create load allocations and determine acceptable pollutant levels to meet water quality standards. Monitoring data and hydrologic models may be used in this process. However, data sets used are often limited in duration and frequency, and model simulations are not always accurate. The objective of this study is to retrospectively look at the development and accuracy of the TMDL for a stream in an agricultural area using long-term monitoring data and a robust modeling process. The study area is the Paradise Creek Watershed in northern Idaho. A sediment TMDL was determined for the Idaho section of Paradise Creek in 1997. Sediment TMDL levels were determined using a short-term data set and the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Background loads used for the TMDL in 1997 were from pre-agricultural levels, based on WEPP model results. We modified the WEPP model for simulation of saturation excess overland flow, the dominant runoff generation mechanism, and analyzed more than 10 years of high resolution monitoring data from 2001 - 2012, including discharge and total suspended solids. Results will compare background loading and current loading based on present-day land use documented during the monitoring period and compare previous WEPP model results with the modified WEPP model results. This research presents a reevaluation of the TMDL process with recommendations for a more scientifically sound methodology to attain realistic water quality goals.

In situ nonlinear ultrasonic technique for monitoring microcracking in concrete subjected to creep and cyclic loading.

PubMed

Kim, Gun; Loreto, Giovanni; Kim, Jin-Yeon; Kurtis, Kimberly E; Wall, James J; Jacobs, Laurence J

2018-08-01

This research conducts in situ nonlinear ultrasonic (NLU) measurements for real time monitoring of load-induced damage in concrete. For the in situ measurements on a cylindrical specimen under sustained load, a previously developed second harmonic generation (SHG) technique with non-contact detection is adapted to a cylindrical specimen geometry. This new setup is validated by demonstrating that the measured nonlinear Rayleigh wave signals are equivalent to those in a flat half space, and thus the acoustic nonlinearity parameter, β can be defined and interpreted in the same way. Both the acoustic nonlinearity parameter and strain are measured to quantitatively assess the early-age damage in a set of concrete specimens subjected to either 25 days of creep, or 11 cycles of cyclic loading at room temperature. The experimental results show that the acoustic nonlinearity parameter is sensitive to early-stage microcrack formation under both loading conditions - the measured β can be directly linked to the accumulated microscale damage. This paper demonstrates the potential of NLU for the in situ monitoring of mechanical load-induced microscale damage in concrete components. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Offshore wind turbine foundation monitoring, extrapolating fatigue measurements from fleet leaders to the entire wind farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weijtens, Wout; Noppe, Nymfa; Verbelen, Tim; Iliopoulos, Alexandros; Devriendt, Christof

2016-09-01

The present contribution is part of the ongoing development of a fatigue assessment strategy driven purely on in-situ measurements on operational wind turbines. The primary objective is to estimate the remaining life time of existing wind farms and individual turbines by instrumenting part of the farm with a load monitoring setup. This load monitoring setup allows to measure interface loads and local stress histories. This contribution will briefly discuss how these load measurements can be translated into fatigue assessment of the instrumented turbine. However, due to different conditions at the wind farm, such as turbulence, differences in water depth and foundation design this turbine will not be fully representable for all turbines in the farm. In this paper we will use the load measurements on two offshore wind turbines in the Northwind offshore wind farm to discuss fatigue progression in an operational wind farm. By calculating the damage equivalent loads on the two turbines the fatigue progression is quantified for every 10 minute interval and can be analyzed against turbulence and site conditions. In future work these results will be used to predict the fatigue life progression in the entire farm.

Conformal and embedded IDT microsensors for health monitoring of structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varadan, Vijay K.; Varadan, Vasundara V.

2000-06-01

MEMS are currently being applied to the structural health monitoring of critical aircraft components and composites. The approach integrates acoustic emission, strain gauges, MEMS accelerometers and vibration monitoring aircraft components with a known history of catastrophic failure due to fracture. Recently a combination of the need for safety in the air and the desire to control costs is encouraging the use of in-flight monitoring of aircraft components and systems using light-weight, wireless and cost effective microsensors and MEMS. An in-situ aircraft structural health monitoring system, with sensors embedded in the composite structure or surface-mounted on the structure, would permit the timely detection of damage in aircraft. Micromachining offers the potential for fabricating a range of microsensor and MEMS for structural applications including load, vibration and acoustics characterization and monitoring. Such microsensors are extremely small; they can be embedded into structural materials, can be mass-produced and are therefore potentially cheap. The smart sensors are being developed using the standard microelectronics and micromachining in conjunction with novel Penn State wireless communication systems suitable for condition monitoring of aircraft structures in-flight. The main application areas of this investigation include continuos monitoring of a) structural integrity of aging aircraft, b) fatigue cracking, c) corrosion, d) deflection and strain of aircraft structures, wings, and rotorblades, e) impact damage, f) delamination and g) location and propagation of cracks. In this paper we give an overview of wireless programmable microsensors and MEMS and their associated driving electronics for such applications.

Team performance in networked supervisory control of unmanned air vehicles: effects of automation, working memory, and communication content.

PubMed

McKendrick, Ryan; Shaw, Tyler; de Visser, Ewart; Saqer, Haneen; Kidwell, Brian; Parasuraman, Raja

2014-05-01

Assess team performance within a net-worked supervisory control setting while manipulating automated decision aids and monitoring team communication and working memory ability. Networked systems such as multi-unmanned air vehicle (UAV) supervision have complex properties that make prediction of human-system performance difficult. Automated decision aid can provide valuable information to operators, individual abilities can limit or facilitate team performance, and team communication patterns can alter how effectively individuals work together. We hypothesized that reliable automation, higher working memory capacity, and increased communication rates of task-relevant information would offset performance decrements attributed to high task load. Two-person teams performed a simulated air defense task with two levels of task load and three levels of automated aid reliability. Teams communicated and received decision aid messages via chat window text messages. Task Load x Automation effects were significant across all performance measures. Reliable automation limited the decline in team performance with increasing task load. Average team spatial working memory was a stronger predictor than other measures of team working memory. Frequency of team rapport and enemy location communications positively related to team performance, and word count was negatively related to team performance. Reliable decision aiding mitigated team performance decline during increased task load during multi-UAV supervisory control. Team spatial working memory, communication of spatial information, and team rapport predicted team success. An automated decision aid can improve team performance under high task load. Assessment of spatial working memory and the communication of task-relevant information can help in operator and team selection in supervisory control systems.

The value of point-of-care CD4+ and laboratory viral load in tailoring antiretroviral therapy monitoring strategies to resource limitations.

PubMed

Hyle, Emily P; Jani, Ilesh V; Rosettie, Katherine L; Wood, Robin; Osher, Benjamin; Resch, Stephen; Pei, Pamela P; Maggiore, Paolo; Freedberg, Kenneth A; Peter, Trevor; Parker, Robert A; Walensky, Rochelle P

2017-09-24

To examine the clinical and economic value of point-of-care CD4 (POC-CD4) or viral load monitoring compared with current practices in Mozambique, a country representative of the diverse resource limitations encountered by HIV treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa. We use the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications-International model to examine the clinical impact, cost (2014 US$), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [$/year of life saved (YLS)] of ART monitoring strategies in Mozambique. We compare: monitoring for clinical disease progression [clinical ART monitoring strategy (CLIN)] vs. annual POC-CD4 in rural settings without laboratory services and biannual laboratory CD4 (LAB-CD4), biannual POC-CD4, and annual viral load in urban settings with laboratory services. We examine the impact of a range of values in sensitivity analyses, using Mozambique's 2014 per capita gross domestic product ($620) as a benchmark cost-effectiveness threshold. In rural settings, annual POC-CD4 compared to CLIN improves life expectancy by 2.8 years, reduces time on failed ART by 0.6 years, and yields an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $480/YLS. In urban settings, biannual POC-CD4 is more expensive and less effective than viral load. Compared to biannual LAB-CD4, viral load improves life expectancy by 0.6 years, reduces time on failed ART by 1.0 year, and is cost-effective ($440/YLS). In rural settings, annual POC-CD4 improves clinical outcomes and is cost-effective compared to CLIN. In urban settings, viral load has the greatest clinical benefit and is cost-effective compared to biannual POC-CD4 or LAB-CD4. Tailoring ART monitoring strategies to specific settings with different available resources can improve clinical outcomes while remaining economically efficient.

Polysilicon planarization and plug recess etching in a decoupled plasma source chamber using two endpoint techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplita, George A.; Schmitz, Stefan; Ranade, Rajiv; Mathad, Gangadhara S.

1999-09-01

The planarization and recessing of polysilicon to form a plug are processes of increasing importance in silicon IC fabrication. While this technology has been developed and applied to DRAM technology using Trench Storage Capacitors, the need for such processes in other IC applications (i.e. polysilicon studs) has increased. Both planarization and recess processes usually have stringent requirements on etch rate, recess uniformity, and selectivity to underlying films. Additionally, both processes generally must be isotropic, yet must not expand any seams that might be present in the polysilicon fill. These processes should also be insensitive to changes in exposed silicon area (pattern factor) on the wafer. A SF6 plasma process in a polysilicon DPS (Decoupled Plasma Source) reactor has demonstrated the capability of achieving the above process requirements for both planarization and recess etch. The SF6 process in the decoupled plasma source reactor exhibited less sensitivity to pattern factor than in other types of reactors. Control of these planarization and recess processes requires two endpoint systems to work sequentially in the same recipe: one for monitoring the endpoint when blanket polysilicon (100% Si loading) is being planarized and one for monitoring the recess depth while the plug is being recessed (less than 10% Si loading). The planarization process employs an optical emission endpoint system (OES). An interferometric endpoint system (IEP), capable of monitoring lateral interference, is used for determining the recess depth. The ability of using either or both systems is required to make these plug processes manufacturable. Measuring the recess depth resulting from the recess process can be difficult, costly and time- consuming. An Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) can greatly alleviate these problems and can serve as a critical tool in the development of recess processes.

Proactive Fault Tolerance for HPC with Xen Virtualization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagarajan, Arun Babu; Mueller, Frank; Engelmann, Christian

2007-01-01

with thousands of processors. At such large counts of compute nodes, faults are becoming common place. Current techniques to tolerate faults focus on reactive schemes to recover from faults and generally rely on a checkpoint/restart mechanism. Yet, in today's systems, node failures can often be anticipated by detecting a deteriorating health status. Instead of a reactive scheme for fault tolerance (FT), we are promoting a proactive one where processes automatically migrate from “unhealthy” nodes to healthy ones. Our approach relies on operating system virtualization techniques exemplied by but not limited to Xen. This paper contributes an automatic and transparent mechanismmore » for proactive FT for arbitrary MPI applications. It leverages virtualization techniques combined with health monitoring and load-based migration. We exploit Xen's live migration mechanism for a guest operating system (OS) to migrate an MPI task from a health-deteriorating node to a healthy one without stopping the MPI task during most of the migration. Our proactive FT daemon orchestrates the tasks of health monitoring, load determination and initiation of guest OS migration. Experimental results demonstrate that live migration hides migration costs and limits the overhead to only a few seconds making it an attractive approach to realize FT in HPC systems. Overall, our enhancements make proactive FT a valuable asset for long-running MPI application that is complementary to reactive FT using full checkpoint/ restart schemes since checkpoint frequencies can be reduced as fewer unanticipated failures are encountered. In the context of OS virtualization, we believe that this is the rst comprehensive study of proactive fault tolerance where live migration is actually triggered by health monitoring.« less

Design of a sensor network for structural health monitoring of a full-scale composite horizontal tail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Dongyue; Wang, Yishou; Wu, Zhanjun; Rahim, Gorgin; Bai, Shengbao

2014-05-01

The detection capability of a given structural health monitoring (SHM) system strongly depends on its sensor network placement. In order to minimize the number of sensors while maximizing the detection capability, optimal design of the PZT sensor network placement is necessary for structural health monitoring (SHM) of a full-scale composite horizontal tail. In this study, the sensor network optimization was simplified as a problem of determining the sensor array placement between stiffeners to achieve the desired the coverage rate. First, an analysis of the structural layout and load distribution of a composite horizontal tail was performed. The constraint conditions of the optimal design were presented. Then, the SHM algorithm of the composite horizontal tail under static load was proposed. Based on the given SHM algorithm, a sensor network was designed for the full-scale composite horizontal tail structure. Effective profiles of cross-stiffener paths (CRPs) and uncross-stiffener paths (URPs) were estimated by a Lamb wave propagation experiment in a multi-stiffener composite specimen. Based on the coverage rate and the redundancy requirements, a seven-sensor array-network was chosen as the optimal sensor network for each airfoil. Finally, a preliminary SHM experiment was performed on a typical composite aircraft structure component. The reliability of the SHM result for a composite horizontal tail structure under static load was validated. In the result, the red zone represented the delamination damage. The detection capability of the optimized sensor network was verified by SHM of a full-scale composite horizontal tail; all the diagnosis results were obtained in two minutes. The result showed that all the damage in the monitoring region was covered by the sensor network.