Unit area control in California forests

Science.gov (United States)

William E. Hallin

1951-01-01

There is a definite distinction between the basic concept of unit area control and the specific techniques or treatments used for specific units. Unit area control as a term was first used in connection with a cutting trial in the sugar pine-fir type; consequently, many foresters think the term refers merely to the technique used in sugar pine management, This is not...

Arbitrating Control of Control and Display Units

Science.gov (United States)

Sugden, Paul C.

2007-01-01

The ARINC 739 Switch is a computer program that arbitrates control of two multi-function control and display units (MCDUs) between (1) a commercial flight-management computer (FMC) and (2) NASA software used in research on transport aircraft. (MCDUs are the primary interfaces between pilots and FMCs on many commercial aircraft.) This program was recently redesigned into a software library that can be embedded in research application programs. As part of the redesign, this software was combined with software for creating custom pages of information to be displayed on a CDU. This software commands independent switching of the left (pilot s) and right (copilot s) MCDUs. For example, a custom CDU page can control the left CDU while the FMC controls the right CDU. The software uses menu keys to switch control of the CDU between the FMC or a custom CDU page. The software provides an interface that enables custom CDU pages to insert keystrokes into the FMC s CDU input interface. This feature allows the custom CDU pages to manipulate the FMC as if it were a pilot.

Computer-Based Monitoring and Remote Controlling for Oil Well Pumps Using Scada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudi Tjiptadi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The research aims to change manually the monitoring and controlling of oil well pumps into a computer-based system using SCADA (Supervisory and Data Acquisition system. To design the protection system which consists of controller unit and display system, RTU (Remote Terminal Unit and MTU (Master Terminal Unit are used. The research results in a controller unit which is able to communicate to personal computer using RS-232 C and an alarm system to protect oil pump motors by detecting sensors installed at the pumps. 

A computer-controlled conformal radiotherapy system. IV: Electronic chart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraass, Benedick A.; McShan, Daniel L.; Matrone, Gwynne M.; Weaver, Tamar A.; Lewis, James D.; Kessler, Marc L.

1995-01-01

Purpose: The design and implementation of a system for electronically tracking relevant plan, prescription, and treatment data for computer-controlled conformal radiation therapy is described. Methods and Materials: The electronic charting system is implemented on a computer cluster coupled by high-speed networks to computer-controlled therapy machines. A methodical approach to the specification and design of an integrated solution has been used in developing the system. The electronic chart system is designed to allow identification and access of patient-specific data including treatment-planning data, treatment prescription information, and charting of doses. An in-house developed database system is used to provide an integrated approach to the database requirements of the design. A hierarchy of databases is used for both centralization and distribution of the treatment data for specific treatment machines. Results: The basic electronic database system has been implemented and has been in use since July 1993. The system has been used to download and manage treatment data on all patients treated on our first fully computer-controlled treatment machine. To date, electronic dose charting functions have not been fully implemented clinically, requiring the continued use of paper charting for dose tracking. Conclusions: The routine clinical application of complex computer-controlled conformal treatment procedures requires the management of large quantities of information for describing and tracking treatments. An integrated and comprehensive approach to this problem has led to a full electronic chart for conformal radiation therapy treatments

Computer Controlled Portable Greenhouse Climate Control System for Enhanced Energy Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Datsenko, Anthony; Myer, Steve; Petties, Albert; Hustek, Ryan; Thompson, Mark

2010-04-01

This paper discusses a student project at Kettering University focusing on the design and construction of an energy efficient greenhouse climate control system. In order to maintain acceptable temperatures and stabilize temperature fluctuations in a portable plastic greenhouse economically, a computer controlled climate control system was developed to capture and store thermal energy incident on the structure during daylight periods and release the stored thermal energy during dark periods. The thermal storage mass for the greenhouse system consisted of a water filled base unit. The heat exchanger consisted of a system of PVC tubing. The control system used a programmable LabView computer interface to meet functional specifications that minimized temperature fluctuations and recorded data during operation. The greenhouse was a portable sized unit with a 5' x 5' footprint. Control input sensors were temperature, water level, and humidity sensors and output control devices were fan actuating relays and water fill solenoid valves. A Graphical User Interface was developed to monitor the system, set control parameters, and to provide programmable data recording times and intervals.

How Do We Really Compute with Units?

Science.gov (United States)

Fiedler, B. H.

2010-01-01

The methods that we teach students for computing with units of measurement are often not consistent with the practice of professionals. For professionals, the vast majority of computations with quantities of measure are performed within programs on electronic computers, for which an accounting for the units occurs only once, in the design of the…

Statistical Power and Optimum Sample Allocation Ratio for Treatment and Control Having Unequal Costs Per Unit of Randomization

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofeng

2003-01-01

This article considers optimal sample allocation between the treatment and control condition in multilevel designs when the costs per sampling unit vary due to treatment assignment. Optimal unequal allocation may reduce the cost from that of a balanced design without sacrificing any power. The optimum sample allocation ratio depends only on the…

Clinical treatment planning optimization by Powell's method for gamma unit treatment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Yulong; Shu Huazhong; Bao Xudong; Luo Limin; Bai Yi

1997-01-01

Purpose: This article presents a new optimization method for stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning for gamma unit treatment system. Methods and Materials: The gamma unit has been utilized in stereotactic radiosurgery for about 30 years, but the usual procedure for a physician-physicist team to design a treatment plan is a trial-and-error approach. Isodose curves are viewed on two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) image planes, which is not only time consuming but also seldom achieves the optimal treatment plan, especially when the isocenter weights are regarded. We developed a treatment-planning system on a computer workstation in which Powell's optimization method is realized. The optimization process starts with the initial parameters (the number of iso centers as well as corresponding 3D iso centers' coordinates, collimator sizes, and weight factors) roughly determined by the physician-physicist team. The objective function can be changed to consider protection of sensitive tissues. Results: We use the plan parameters given by a well-trained physician-physicist team, or ones that the author give roughly as the initial parameters for the optimization procedure. Dosimetric results of optimization show a better high dose-volume conformation to the target volume compared to the doctor's plan. Conclusion: This method converges quickly and is not sensitive to the initial parameters. It achieves an excellent conformation of the estimated isodose curves with the contours of the target volume. If the initial parameters are varied, there will be a little difference in parameters' configuration, but the dosimetric results proved almost to be the same

A computer control system for a research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, K.C.; Sandquist, G.M.

1987-01-01

Most reactor applications until now, have not required computer control of core output. Commercial reactors are generally operated at a constant power output to provide baseline power. However, if commercial reactor cores are to become load following over a wide range, then centralized digital computer control is required to make the entire facility respond as a single unit to continual changes in power demand. Navy and research reactors are much smaller and simpler and are operated at constant power levels as required, without concern for the number of operators required to operate the facility. For navy reactors, centralized digital computer control may provide space savings and reduced personnel requirements. Computer control offers research reactors versatility to efficiently change a system to develop new ideas. The operation of any reactor facility would be enhanced by a controller that does not panic and is continually monitoring all facility parameters. Eventually very sophisticated computer control systems may be developed which will sense operational problems, diagnose the problem, and depending on the severity of the problem, immediately activate safety systems or consult with operators before taking action

Power supply control units for APS ring magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Despe, O.D.

1990-01-01

The APS storage ring (1104 meters) is divided into 40 sectors. Each sector has 38 magnet coils in five magnet bases. Every alternate sector has an additional quadrupole magnet for skew correction. AR the main dipole magnets, two in each sector are connected in series and fed from one power supply unit. A base is controlled by one power supply control unit (PSCU). Each PSCU is connected to the host computer via a local area network (LAN). This note discusses the hardware configuration of the typical power supply control system used by the APS magnets and the software commands supported by the PSCU

Control units for the system of unified modules for multi-channel analysis (SUMMA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bushnin, Yu.B.; Denisenko, A.A.; Dunajtsev, A.F.

1975-01-01

The control units of the ''SUMMA'' system unified modules for multichannel analysis are described; the system is used in the experimental physics installations of the Institute of High-Energy Physics for operation on-line with an electronic computer (e.c.). The units allow control of several crates of electronic equipment (up to seven) according to a program from the internal program units or from the e.c. to be assured. The organization of the control is similar to the organization of the CAMAC electronic system. Examples of communication between the system and an NR2100 electronic computer are presented

Upgrading of Alum Preparation and Dosing Unit for Sharq Dijla Water Treatment Plant by Using Programmable Logic Controller System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aumar Al-Nakeeb

2018-02-01

Full Text Available One of the important units in Sharq Dijla Water Treatment Plant (WTP first and second extensions are the alum solution preparation and dosing unit. The existing operation of this unit accomplished manually starting from unloading the powder alum in the preparation basin and ending by controlling the alum dosage addition through the dosing pumps to the flash mix chambers. Because of the modern trend of monitoring and control the automatic operation of WTPs due to the great benefits that could be gain from optimum equipment operation, reducing the operating costs and human errors. This study deals with how to transform the conventional operation to an automatic monitoring and controlling system depending on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC and online sensors for alum preparation and dosing unit in Sharq Dijla WTP. PLC system will receive, analyze transmitting data, compare them with preset points then automatically orders the operational equipment (such as pumps, valves, and mixers in a way that guarantees the safe and appropriate operation of the unit. As a result of Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (PID that were prepared in this study, these units can be fully operating and manage by using Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA system.

Malaria Treatment (United States)

Science.gov (United States)

... Providers, Emergency Consultations, and General Public. Contact Us Malaria Treatment (United States) Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Treatment of Malaria: Guidelines For Clinicians (United States) Download PDF version ...

Organization of the in-core control system connection with the M-6000 computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovanov, M.N.; Duma, V.R.; Levin, G.L.; Filatov, V.P.

1978-01-01

Problems of organizing communication of a digital computer with the equipment of the in-core control system (CC) are discussed. Three possible modes of joint operation of the CC equipment and the digital computer are given. The off-line control device provides data collection, preliminary processing and recording servicing of peripheral requests, and data exchange with the digital computer; computer-controlled operation of the equipment makes it possible to control input-output operations of the CCS equipment, and also to retain the working capacity of the CCS system when the off-line control device is failed; during file exchange the data are transferred between the computer and the CCS equipment. Requirements for the communication unit design are drawn up. An analysis of existing methods of a digital computer interface with the equipment is presented, and substantiation of the proposed variant of connection of the communication unit directly to the branch highway is given. Operation of the CCS equipment under various conditions is considered. The flowsheet and description of the interface of the M-6000 computer with the CCS equipment are given

Software for a magnetic dick drive unit connected with a computer TPA-1001-i

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizarov, O.I.; Mateeva, A.; Salamatin, I.M.

1977-01-01

The disk drive unit with capacity 1250 K and minimal addressing part of memory 1 sector (128 10 -12-bit words) is connected with a TPA-1001-i computer. The operation regimes of the controller, functions and formats of the commands used are described as well as the software. The data transfer between the computer and magnetic disk drive unit is realized by means of programs relocatable in a binary form. These are inserted in a standard program library with modular structure. The manner of control handling and data transfer betweeen programs stored in the library on a magnetic disk drive are described. The resident program (100sub(8) words) inserted in a monitor takes into account special features of the disk drive unit being used. The algorithms of correction programs for a disk drive unit, programs for rewriting the library from papertape to disk drive unit and of the program for writing and reading the monitor are described

Measurement of parameters for the quality control of X-ray units by using PIN diodes and a personal computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, F.; Gaytan, E.; Mercado, I.; Estrada, M.; Cerdeira, A.

2000-01-01

The design of a new system for the measurement of the main parameters of X-ray units used in medicine is presented. The system measures automatically the exposure time, high voltage applied, waveform of the detected signal, exposure ratio and the total exposure (dose). The X-ray detectors employed are PIN diodes developed at CINVESTAV, the measurements are done in one single shot, without invasion of the X-ray unit. The results are shown in the screen of the computer and can be saved in a file for later analysis. The proposed system is intended to be used in the quality control of X-rays units for clinical radio-diagnosis. It is a simple and inexpensive equipment if compared with available commercial equipment that uses ionization chambers and accurate electrometers that small facilities and hospitals cannot afford

Computing with impure numbers - Automatic consistency checking and units conversion using computer algebra

Science.gov (United States)

Stoutemyer, D. R.

1977-01-01

The computer algebra language MACSYMA enables the programmer to include symbolic physical units in computer calculations, and features automatic detection of dimensionally-inhomogeneous formulas and conversion of inconsistent units in a dimensionally homogeneous formula. Some examples illustrate these features.

Computer programme for operator support in primary frequency control of NPP Dukovany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurka, J.; Petruzela, I.; Piroutek, Z.

1996-01-01

The computer programme for the control room operator support in the primary frequency control operation of the NPP Dukovany power unit is described. This operational mode has recently been implemented. Until now, the plant has been exclusively operated in the based-load mode at nominal power. The stability of the main unit parameters, unit power output and main steam header pressure, is the characteristic feature for this mode of operation of units with WWER 440 type of reactors. This does no more hold in the new mode in which these both principal parameters vary in dependency on the power network frequency changes. This fact, however, has an important impact on the activities of the control room operators. Therefore, to help them to adapt themselves easily and without unnecessary stresses to new conditions the regulatory body when licensing the new mode finally approved its implementation only if computerized operator support system would be installed in the control room. Such a computer program for the operator support has been recently developed in EGU Prague and has already been implemented into the unit information system on all four Dukovany units. (author). 3 refs, 7 figs

Development of new process network for gas chromatograph and analyzers connected with SCADA system and Digital Control Computers at Cernavoda NPP Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deneanu, Cornel; Popa Nemoiu, Dragos; Nica, Dana; Bucur, Cosmin

2007-01-01

The continuous monitoring of gas mixture concentrations (deuterium/ hydrogen/oxygen/nitrogen) accumulated in 'Moderator Cover Gas', 'Liquid Control Zone' and 'Heat Transport D 2 O Storage Tank Cover Gas', as well as the continuous monitoring of Heavy Water into Light Water concentration in 'Boilers Steam', 'Boilers Blown Down', 'Moderator heat exchangers', and 'Recirculated Water System', sensing any leaks of Cernavoda NPP U1 led to requirement of developing a new process network for gas chromatograph and analyzers connected to the SCADA system and Digital Control Computers of Cernavoda NPP Unit 1. In 2005 it was designed and implemented the process network for gas chromatograph which connected the gas chromatograph equipment to the SCADA system and Digital Control Computers of the Cernavoda NPP Unit 1. Later this process network for gas chromatograph has been extended to connect the AE13 and AE14 Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyzers with either. The Gas Chromatograph equipment measures with best accuracy the mixture gases (deuterium/ hydrogen/oxygen/nitrogen) concentration. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) AE13 and AE14 Analyzers measure the Heavy Water into Light Water concentration in Boilers Steam, Boilers BlownDown, Moderator heat exchangers, and Recirculated Water System, monitoring and signaling any leaks. The Gas Chromatograph equipment and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) AE13 and AE14 Analyzers use the new OPC (Object Link Embedded for Process Control) technologies available in ABB's VistaNet network for interoperability with automation equipment. This new process network has interconnected the ABB chromatograph and Fourier Transform Infrared analyzers with plant Digital Control Computers using new technology. The result was an increased reliability and capability for inspection and improved system safety

Effects of a manualized short-term treatment of internet and computer game addiction (STICA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Jäger, Susanne; Müller, Kai W; Ruckes, Christian; Wittig, Tobias; Batra, Anil; Musalek, Michael; Mann, Karl; Wölfling, Klaus; Beutel, Manfred E

2012-04-27

In the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically. Salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse have been defined as diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (IA) and computer addiction (CA) in the scientific community. Despite a growing number of individuals seeking help, there are no specific treatments of established efficacy. This clinical trial aims to determine the effect of the disorder-specific manualized short-term treatment of IA/CA (STICA). The cognitive behavioural treatment combines individual and group interventions with a total duration of 4 months. Patients will be randomly assigned to STICA treatment or to a wait list control group. Reliable and valid measures of IA/CA and co-morbid mental symptoms (for example social anxiety, depression) will be assessed prior to the beginning, in the middle, at the end, and 6 months after completion of treatment. A treatment of IA/CA will establish efficacy and is desperately needed. As this is the first trial to determine efficacy of a disorder specific treatment, a wait list control group will be implemented. Pros and cons of the design were discussed. ClinicalTrials (NCT01434589).

Personal customizing exercise with a wearable measurement and control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhihui; Kiryu, Tohru; Tamura, Naoki

2005-06-28

Recently, wearable technology has been used in various health-related fields to develop advanced monitoring solutions. However, the monitoring function alone cannot meet all the requirements of customizing machine-based exercise on an individual basis by relying on biosignal-based controls. We propose a new wearable unit design equipped with measurement and control functions to support the customization process. The wearable unit can measure the heart rate and electromyogram signals during exercise performance and output workload control commands to the exercise machines. The workload is continuously tracked with exercise programs set according to personally customized workload patterns and estimation results from the measured biosignals by a fuzzy control method. Exercise programs are adapted by relying on a computer workstation, which communicates with the wearable unit via wireless connections. A prototype of the wearable unit was tested together with an Internet-based cycle ergometer system to demonstrate that it is possible to customize exercise on an individual basis. We tested the wearable unit in nine people to assess its suitability to control cycle ergometer exercise. The results confirmed that the unit could successfully control the ergometer workload and continuously support gradual changes in physical activities. The design of wearable units equipped with measurement and control functions is an important step towards establishing a convenient and continuously supported wellness environment.

Personal customizing exercise with a wearable measurement and control unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamura Naoki

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, wearable technology has been used in various health-related fields to develop advanced monitoring solutions. However, the monitoring function alone cannot meet all the requirements of customizing machine-based exercise on an individual basis by relying on biosignal-based controls. We propose a new wearable unit design equipped with measurement and control functions to support the customization process. Methods The wearable unit can measure the heart rate and electromyogram signals during exercise performance and output workload control commands to the exercise machines. The workload is continuously tracked with exercise programs set according to personally customized workload patterns and estimation results from the measured biosignals by a fuzzy control method. Exercise programs are adapted by relying on a computer workstation, which communicates with the wearable unit via wireless connections. A prototype of the wearable unit was tested together with an Internet-based cycle ergometer system to demonstrate that it is possible to customize exercise on an individual basis. Results We tested the wearable unit in nine people to assess its suitability to control cycle ergometer exercise. The results confirmed that the unit could successfully control the ergometer workload and continuously support gradual changes in physical activities. Conclusion The design of wearable units equipped with measurement and control functions is an important step towards establishing a convenient and continuously supported wellness environment.

Improvements in Thermal Performance of Mango Hot-water Treatment Equipments: Data Analysis, Mathematical Modelling and Numerical-computational Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elder M. Mendoza Orbegoso

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mango is one of the most popular and best paid tropical fruits in worldwide markets, its exportation is regulated within a phytosanitary quality control for killing the “fruit fly”. Thus, mangoes must be subject to hot-water treatment process that involves their immersion in hot water over a period of time. In this work, field measurements, analytical and simulation studies are developed on available hot-water treatment equipment called “Original” that only complies with United States phytosanitary protocols. These approaches are made to characterize the fluid-dynamic and thermal behaviours that occur during the mangoes’ hot-water treatment process. Then, analytical model and Computational fluid dynamics simulations are developed for designing new hot-water treatment equipment called “Hybrid” that simultaneously meets with both United States and Japan phytosanitary certifications. Comparisons of analytical results with data field measurements demonstrate that “Hybrid” equipment offers a better fluid-dynamic and thermal performance than “Original” ones.

New Generation General Purpose Computer (GPC) compact IBM unit

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

New Generation General Purpose Computer (GPC) compact IBM unit replaces a two-unit earlier generation computer. The new IBM unit is documented in table top views alone (S91-26867, S91-26868), with the onboard equipment it supports including the flight deck CRT screen and keypad (S91-26866), and next to the two earlier versions it replaces (S91-26869).

Mechanism of remote controlled after-loading radiotherapy unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morimoto, Masaki

1980-01-01

Employing a small amount of Radium-226 or Cesium-137 source was to be used hitherto for the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix in used After-loading techniques. It involved, however, radiation risk to the staff and patient. The long treatment time are also a pain (strain) on the patient. In recent years, we have developed a remote control after-loading unit, which was named as RALSTRON, which was complete eliminated the disadvantage of conventional radium therapy. This unit also has disadvantage, however, that the design for the remote after-loader for intracavitary applicators present considerable difficulties, because many sources of different active lengths and loading patterns are required. A solution to this problem was carried out by using small point source, placed in Tandem applicator, of high activity and moving them back slowly during the treatment. Recently, this unit was installed many hospitals about 80 units in Japan, and are used. In this paper are given about a mechanism and safety deviced of this unit. (author)

A computer-controlled high resolution micro-multi-leaf collimator for stereotactic conformal radio-therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlegel, Wolfgang; Pastyr, Otto; Kubesch, Rudolf; Diemer, Torsten; Kuester, Gunnilla; Rhein, Bernhard; Hoever, Karl-Heinz

1997-01-01

Purpose/Objective In stereotactic conformal radiotherapy of irregularly shaped lesions, either multi-isocentric convergent beam treatment techniques with circular collimators or irregular shaped beams are being used. While the treatment technique with multiple isocenters has the disadvantage of producing inhomogeneous dose distributions, the use of irregular shaped fields is not yet satisfying from a technical point of view: Cerrobend blocking or the use of static micro MLCs need a long preparation time and only allow static treatment techniques, MLC collimators which are commercially available in connection with modern LINACs have leaf-thickness of at least 1 cm which is too coarse for stereotactic radiotherapy of lesions in the brain and head and neck area. For this reason, we developed a computer controlled micro-MLC with technical specifications matched to the needs of stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery. Materials and Methods The mechanical specifications of the computer controlled micro-MLC were derived from our experience with stereotactic treatment techniques, from the requirement that the MLC has to be attachable as an external device to the accessory holders of standard LINACs, including cost considerations, dosimetric measurements as well as Monte Carlo calculations. The Micro-MLC is controlled by an electronic equipment consisting of a standard PC under Windows 95, an interface board, 14 Micro-controller boards, a verification system and 80 driving units equipped with DC motors and potentiometers. The control program has calibrating, operating, visualizing and test options. Irregular field data are transferred from the treatment planning computer to the control PC and distributed to the micro-controllers, which in parallel are driving three leaves each. Beside the special control unit, we are currently investigating whether the electronics of commercially available integrated large field MLCs can also be used for operating the Micro-MLC. Results

Energy efficiency of computer power supply units - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aebischer, B. [cepe - Centre for Energy Policy and Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zuerich, Zuerich (Switzerland); Huser, H. [Encontrol GmbH, Niederrohrdorf (Switzerland)

2002-11-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the efficiency of computer power supply units, which decreases rapidly during average computer use. The background and the purpose of the project are examined. The power supplies for personal computers are discussed and the testing arrangement used is described. Efficiency, power-factor and operating points of the units are examined. Potentials for improvement and measures to be taken are discussed. Also, action to be taken by those involved in the design and operation of such power units is proposed. Finally, recommendations for further work are made.

SU-E-J-70: Feasibility Study of Dynamic Arc and IMRT Treatment Plans Utilizing Vero Treatment Unit and IPlan Planning Computer for SRS/FSRT Brain Cancer Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, S; Lee, S; Dagan, R; Malyapa, R; Mendenhall, N; Mendenhall, W; Ho, M; Hough, D; Yam, M; Li, Z

2014-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of utilizing Dynamic Arc (DA) and IMRT with 5mm MLC leaf of VERO treatment unit for SRS/FSRT brain cancer patients with non-invasive stereotactic treatments. The DA and IMRT plans using the VERO unit (BrainLab Inc, USA) are compared with cone-based planning and proton plans to evaluate their dosimetric advantages. Methods: The Vero treatment has unique features like no rotational or translational movements of the table during treatments, Dynamic Arc/IMRT, tracking of IR markers, limitation of Ring rotation. Accuracies of the image fusions using CBCT, orthogonal x-rays, and CT are evaluated less than ∼ 0.7mm with a custom-made target phantom with 18 hidden targets. 1mm margin is given to GTV to determine PTV for planning constraints considering all the uncertainties of planning computer and mechanical uncertainties of the treatment unit. Also, double-scattering proton plans with 6F to 9F beams and typical clinical parameters, multiple isocenter plans with 6 to 21 isocenters, and DA/IMRT plans are evaluated to investigate the dosimetric advantages of the DA/IMRT for complex shape of targets. Results: 3 Groups of the patients are divided: (1) Group A (complex target shape), CI's are same for IMRT, and DGI of the proton plan are better by 9.5% than that of the IMRT, (2) Group B, CI of the DA plans (1.91+/−0.4) are better than cone-based plan, while DGI of the DA plan is 4.60+/−1.1 is better than cone-based plan (5.32+/−1.4), (3) Group C (small spherical targets), CI of the DA and cone-based plans are almost the same. Conclusion: For small spherical targets, cone-based plans are superior to other 2 plans: DS proton and DA plans. For complex or irregular plans, dynamic and IMRT plans are comparable to cone-based and proton plans for complex targets

Effects of a manualized short-term treatment of internet and computer game addiction (STICA: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jäger Susanne

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically. Salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse have been defined as diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (IA and computer addiction (CA in the scientific community. Despite a growing number of individuals seeking help, there are no specific treatments of established efficacy. Methods/design This clinical trial aims to determine the effect of the disorder-specific manualized short-term treatment of IA/CA (STICA. The cognitive behavioural treatment combines individual and group interventions with a total duration of 4 months. Patients will be randomly assigned to STICA treatment or to a wait list control group. Reliable and valid measures of IA/CA and co-morbid mental symptoms (for example social anxiety, depression will be assessed prior to the beginning, in the middle, at the end, and 6 months after completion of treatment. Discussion A treatment of IA/CA will establish efficacy and is desperately needed. As this is the first trial to determine efficacy of a disorder specific treatment, a wait list control group will be implemented. Pros and cons of the design were discussed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials (NCT01434589

Effects of a manualized short-term treatment of internet and computer game addiction (STICA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background In the last few years, excessive internet use and computer gaming have increased dramatically. Salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse have been defined as diagnostic criteria for internet addiction (IA) and computer addiction (CA) in the scientific community. Despite a growing number of individuals seeking help, there are no specific treatments of established efficacy. Methods/design This clinical trial aims to determine the effect of the disorder-specific manualized short-term treatment of IA/CA (STICA). The cognitive behavioural treatment combines individual and group interventions with a total duration of 4 months. Patients will be randomly assigned to STICA treatment or to a wait list control group. Reliable and valid measures of IA/CA and co-morbid mental symptoms (for example social anxiety, depression) will be assessed prior to the beginning, in the middle, at the end, and 6 months after completion of treatment. Discussion A treatment of IA/CA will establish efficacy and is desperately needed. As this is the first trial to determine efficacy of a disorder specific treatment, a wait list control group will be implemented. Pros and cons of the design were discussed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials (NCT01434589) PMID:22540330

Control and management unit for a computation platform at the PANDA experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galuska, Martin; Gessler, Thomas; Kuehn, Wolfgang; Lang, Johannes; Lange, Jens Soeren; Liang, Yutie; Liu, Ming; Spruck, Bjoern; Wang, Qiang [II. Physikalisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen (Germany)

2010-07-01

The FAIR facility will provide high intensity antiproton and heavy ion beams for the PANDA and HADES experiments, leading to very high reaction rates. PANDA is expected to run at 10-20 MHz with a raw data output rate of up to 200 GB/s. A sophisticated data acquisition system is needed in order to select physically relevant events online. For this purpose a network of interconnected compute nodes can be used. Each compute node can be programmed to run various algorithms, such as online particle track recognition for high level triggering. An ATCA communication shelf provides power, cooling and high-speed interconnections to up to 14 nodes. A single shelf manager supervises and regulates the power distribution and temperature inside the shelf. The shelf manager relies on a local control chip on each node to relay sensor read-outs, provide hardware adresses and power requirements etc. An IPM controller based on an Atmel microcontroller was designed for this purpose, and a prototype was produced. The neccessary software is being developed to allow local communication with the components of the compute node and remote communication with the shelf manager conform to the ATCA specification.

Evaluation of two methods in controlling dental treatment water contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Ritu; Puttaiah, Raghunath; Harris, Robert; Reddy, Anil

2011-03-01

Dental unit water systems are contaminated with biofilms that amplify bacterial counts in dental treatment water in excess of a million colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association have agreed that the maximum allowable contamination of dental treatment water not exceed 500 cfu/ml. This study was conducted to evaluate two protocols in controlling contamination of dental unit water systems and dental treatment water. Both methods used an antimicrobial self-dissolving chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) tablet at a high concentration (50 ppm) to shock the dental unit water system biofilms initially followed by periodic exposure. To treat dental treatment source water for patient care, 3 parts per million (ppm) ClO₂ in municipal/tap water was compared to use of a citrus botanical extract dissolved in municipal water. Heterotrophic microbial counts of effluent water and laser scanning confocal microscopy were performed to evaluate effects of the two treatments. Results from this study indicated that both treatments were effective in controlling biofilm contamination and reducing heterotrophic plate counts Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(2):73-83. Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None declared.

Control conception for REP 1300 MW units of the Electricite de France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanc, P.; Guesnier, G.

1986-01-01

The paper describes the control equipment for the REP 1300 MW units including the reactor protection system, the control rods drive system and nuclear instrumentation, the control of the auxiliaries in the systems important for the reactor safety and the safety survey computer. Finally, the digital connections between different control systems are presented

All-optical quantum computing with a hybrid solid-state processing unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Pei; Zhang Fengyang; Li Chong; Song Heshan

2011-01-01

We develop an architecture of a hybrid quantum solid-state processing unit for universal quantum computing. The architecture allows distant and nonidentical solid-state qubits in distinct physical systems to interact and work collaboratively. All the quantum computing procedures are controlled by optical methods using classical fields and cavity QED. Our methods have a prominent advantage of the insensitivity to dissipation process benefiting from the virtual excitation of subsystems. Moreover, the quantum nondemolition measurements and state transfer for the solid-state qubits are proposed. The architecture opens promising perspectives for implementing scalable quantum computation in a broader sense that different solid-state systems can merge and be integrated into one quantum processor afterward.

Backstepping-based nonlinear adaptive control for coal-fired utility boiler-turbine units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Fang; Wei, Le

2011-01-01

The control system of boiler-turbine unit plays an important role in improving efficiency and reducing emissions of power generation unit. The nonlinear, coupling and uncertainty of the unit caused by varying working conditions should be fully considered during the control system design. This paper presents an efficient control scheme based on backstepping theory for improving load adaptability of boiler-turbines in wide operation range. The design process of the scheme includes model preprocessing, control Lyapunov functions selection, interlaced computation of adaptive control laws, etc. For simplification and accuracy, differential of steam pipe inlet pressure and integral terms of target errors are adopted. Also, to enhance practicality, implementation steps of the scheme are proposed. A practical nonlinear model of a 500 MW coal-fired boiler-turbine unit is used to test the efficiency of the proposed scheme in different conditions.

Simple Multiplexing Hand-Held Control Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Hannaford, Blake

1989-01-01

Multiplexer consists of series of resistors, each shunted by single-pole, single-throw switch. User operates switches by pressing buttons or squeezing triggers. Prototype includes three switches operated successfully in over 200 hours of system operations. Number of switches accommodated determined by signal-to-noise ratio of current source, noise induced in control unit and cable, and number of bits in output of analog-to-digital converter. Because many computer-contolled robots have extra analog-to-digital channels, such multiplexer added at little extra cost.

Control units for APS power supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Despe, O.D.; Saunders, C.; McGhee, D.G.

1993-01-01

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) accelerator facility is made up of five major subsystems in addition to the linac: the positron accumulator ring (PAR), low energy transport (LET), booster synchrotron (SYNCH), high energy transport (HET), the storage ring (SR). Each subsystem has multiple magnet power supply combinations, some requiring multiple of operation. These magnet and power supply combinations computer controlled and monitored. The power supply control unit (PSCU) is the first layer of hardware and software above the power supply itself and is described in this paper. The description includes the basic philosophy for each of operation and how it influences the topology and of implementing control. The design of the analog reference blocks (ARBs) influenced the design of other custom functions well as the feedback controls for vibration and other dynamic corrections. The command set supported by the PSCU is discussed

The Effectiveness of Gaze-Contingent Control in Computer Games.

Science.gov (United States)

Orlov, Paul A; Apraksin, Nikolay

2015-01-01

Eye-tracking technology and gaze-contingent control in human-computer interaction have become an objective reality. This article reports on a series of eye-tracking experiments, in which we concentrated on one aspect of gaze-contingent interaction: Its effectiveness compared with mouse-based control in a computer strategy game. We propose a measure for evaluating the effectiveness of interaction based on "the time of recognition" the game unit. In this article, we use this measure to compare gaze- and mouse-contingent systems, and we present the analysis of the differences as a function of the number of game units. Our results indicate that performance of gaze-contingent interaction is typically higher than mouse manipulation in a visual searching task. When tested on 60 subjects, the results showed that the effectiveness of gaze-contingent systems over 1.5 times higher. In addition, we obtained that eye behavior stays quite stabile with or without mouse interaction. © The Author(s) 2015.

Reduction of energy consumption peaks in a greenhouse by computer control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amsen, M.G.; Froesig Nielsen, O.; Jacobsen, L.H. (Danish Research Service for Plant and Soil Science, Research Centre for Horticulture, Department of Horticultural Engineering, Aarslev (DK))

1990-01-01

The results of using a computer for environmental control in one greenhouse is in this paper compared with using modified analogue control equipment in another one. Energy consumption peaks can be almost prevented by properly applying the computer control and strategy. Both treatments were based upon negative DIF, i.e. low day and high night minimum set points (14 deg. C/ 22 deg. C) for room temperature. No difference in production time and quality was observed in six different pot plant species. Only Kalanchoe showed significant increase in fresh weight and dry weight. By applying computer control, the lack of flexibility of analogue control can be avoided by applying computer control and a more accurate room temperature control can be obtained. (author).

Simulation and design of distillation units for treatment of sulfite pulping condensates to recover methanol and furfural. Part I. Incorporation with an evaporation unit and use of secondary steam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacchi, G.; Aly, G.

1979-06-01

A distillation unit was simulated using DESTLA, a computer program for steady-state calculations of general multicomponent distillation units. Vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria were both computed by EQUIL, a computer program for computation and plotting of such equilibria. The simulations resulted in a distillation unit consisting of three columns. Energy consumed in the first column dominates the operating costs of the unit. The first of the three different alternatives studied for satisfying the energy requirements of the first column is presented. Incorporating the first column into an evaporation unit yields low steam consumption. However, a decrease in evaporation capacity due to the temperature drop in the first column and complex control design are the disadvantages associated with this alternative.

To the problem of reliability standardization in computer-aided manufacturing at NPP units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yastrebenetskij, M.A.; Shvyryaev, Yu.V.; Spektor, L.I.; Nikonenko, I.V.

1989-01-01

The problems of reliability standardization in computer-aided manufacturing of NPP units considering the following approaches: computer-aided manufacturing of NPP units as a part of automated technological complex; computer-aided manufacturing of NPP units as multi-functional system, are analyzed. Selection of the composition of reliability indeces for computer-aided manufacturing of NPP units for each of the approaches considered is substantiated

Trends in the Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension Among Young Adults in the United States, 1999 to 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yiyi; Moran, Andrew E

2017-10-01

Overall hypertension prevalence has not changed in the United States in recent decades although awareness, treatment, and control improved. However, hypertension epidemiology and its temporal trends may differ in younger adults compared with older adults. Our study included 41 331 participants ≥18 years of age from 8 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1999-2014) and estimated temporal trends of hypertension, awareness, treatment, and control among young adults (age, 18-39 years) compared with middle-age (age, 40-59 years) and older adults (age, ≥60 years). In 2013 to 2014, 7.3% of the US young adults had hypertension. During 1999 to 2014, young adults saw larger increases in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control than did older adults. However, all of these components of hypertension control were lower among young adults compared with middle-aged or older adults (74.7% younger versus 81.9% middle versus 88.4% older for awareness; 50.0% versus 70.3% versus 83.0% for treatment; and 40.2% versus 56.7% versus 54.4% for control). Worse hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in young adults overall were mostly driven by worse measures in young adult men compared with young adult women. More frequent healthcare visits by young adult women explained ≈28% of the sex-related difference in awareness, 60% of the difference in treatment, and 52% of the difference in control. These findings suggest that improved access to and engagement in medical care might improve hypertension control in young adults, particularly young adult men, and reduce life-time cardiovascular risk. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

CNC Turning Center Advanced Operations. Computer Numerical Control Operator/Programmer. 444-332.

Science.gov (United States)

Skowronski, Steven D.; Tatum, Kenneth

This student guide provides materials for a course designed to introduce the student to the operations and functions of a two-axis computer numerical control (CNC) turning center. The course consists of seven units. Unit 1 presents course expectations and syllabus, covers safety precautions, and describes the CNC turning center components, CNC…

Computer simulation f the genetic controller for the EB flue gas treatment process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroz, Z.; Bouzyk, J.; Sowinski, M.; Chmielewski, A.G.

2001-01-01

The use of computer genetic algorithm (GA) for driving a controller device for the industrial flue gas purification systems employing the electron beam irradiation, has been studied. As the mathematical model of the installation the properly trained artificial neural net (ANN) was used. Various cost functions and optimising strategies of the genetic code were tested. These computer simulations proved, that ANN + GA controller can be sufficiently precise and fast to be applied in real installations. (author)

Computer control applied to accelerators

CERN Document Server

Crowley-Milling, Michael C

1974-01-01

The differences that exist between control systems for accelerators and other types of control systems are outlined. It is further indicated that earlier accelerators had manual control systems to which computers were added, but that it is essential for the new, large accelerators to include computers in the control systems right from the beginning. Details of the computer control designed for the Super Proton Synchrotron are presented. The method of choosing the computers is described, as well as the reasons for CERN having to design the message transfer system. The items discussed include: CAMAC interface systems, a new multiplex system, operator-to-computer interaction (such as touch screen, computer-controlled knob, and non- linear track-ball), and high-level control languages. Brief mention is made of the contributions of other high-energy research laboratories as well as of some other computer control applications at CERN. (0 refs).

Scintillation camera-computer systems: General principles of quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganatra, R.D.

1992-01-01

Scintillation camera-computer systems are designed to allow the collection, digital analysis and display of the image data from a scintillation camera. The components of the computer in such a system are essentially the same as those of a computer used in any other application, i.e. a central processing unit (CPU), memory and magnetic storage. Additional hardware items necessary for nuclear medicine applications are an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), which converts the analogue signals from the camera to digital numbers, and an image display. It is possible that the transfer of data from camera to computer degrades the information to some extent. The computer can generate the image for display, but it also provides the capability of manipulating the primary data to improve the display of the image. The first function of conversion from analogue to digital mode is not within the control of the operator, but the second type of manipulation is in the control of the operator. These type of manipulations should be done carefully without sacrificing the integrity of the incoming information

Plutonium Finishing Plan (PFP) Treatment and Storage Unit Interim Status Closure Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PRIGNANO, A.L.

2000-01-01

This document describes the planned activities and performance standards for closing the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Treatment and Storage Unit. The PFP Treatment and Storage Unit is located within the 234-52 Building in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Facility. Although this document is prepared based upon Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 265, Subpart G requirements, closure of the unit will comply with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-610 regulations pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Action Plan (Ecology et al. 1996). Because the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit manages transuranic mixed (TRUM) waste, there are many controls placed on management of the waste. Based on the many controls placed on management of TRUM waste, releases of TRUM waste are not anticipated to occur in the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit. Because the intention is to clean close the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit, postclosure activities are not applicable to this closure plan. To clean close the unit, it will be demonstrated that dangerous waste has not been left onsite at levels above the closure performance standard for removal and decontamination. If it is determined that clean closure is not possible or is environmentally impractical, the closure plan will be modified to address required postclosure activities. The PFP Treatment and Storage Unit will be operated to immobilize and/or repackage plutonium-bearing waste in a glovebox process. The waste to be processed is in a solid physical state (chunks and coarse powder) and will be sealed into and out of the glovebox in closed containers. The containers of immobilized waste will be stored in the glovebox and in additional permitted storage locations at PFP. The waste will be managed to minimize the potential for spills outside the glovebox, and to preclude spills from reaching soil. Containment surfaces will be maintained to ensure

A survey of process control computers at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahl, C.A.

1989-01-01

The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory is charged with the safe processing of spent nuclear fuel elements for the United States Department of Energy. The ICPP was originally constructed in the late 1950s and used state-of-the-art technology for process control at that time. The state of process control instrumentation at the ICPP has steadily improved to keep pace with emerging technology. Today, the ICPP is a college of emerging computer technology in process control with some systems as simple as standalone measurement computers while others are state-of-the-art distributed control systems controlling the operations in an entire facility within the plant. The ICPP has made maximal use of process computer technology aimed at increasing surety, safety, and efficiency of the process operations. Many benefits have been derived from the use of the computers for minimal costs, including decreased misoperations in the facility, and more benefits are expected in the future

Digital computer control of a research nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, Kevan

1986-01-01

Currently, the use of digital computers in energy producing systems has been limited to data acquisition functions. These computers have greatly reduced human involvement in the moment to moment decision process and the crisis decision process, thereby improving the safety of the dynamic energy producing systems. However, in addition to data acquisition, control of energy producing systems also includes data comparison, decision making, and control actions. The majority of the later functions are accomplished through the use of analog computers in a distributed configuration. The lack of cooperation and hence, inefficiency in distributed control, and the extent of human interaction in critical phases of control have provided the incentive to improve the later three functions of energy systems control. Properly applied, centralized control by digital computers can increase efficiency by making the system react as a single unit and by implementing efficient power changes to match demand. Additionally, safety will be improved by further limiting human involvement to action only in the case of a failure of the centralized control system. This paper presents a hardware and software design for the centralized control of a research nuclear reactor by a digital computer. Current nuclear reactor control philosophies which include redundancy, inherent safety in failure, and conservative yet operational scram initiation were used as the bases of the design. The control philosophies were applied to the power monitoring system, the fuel temperature monitoring system, the area radiation monitoring system, and the overall system interaction. Unlike the single function analog computers that are currently used to control research and commercial reactors, this system will be driven by a multifunction digital computer. Specifically, the system will perform control rod movements to conform with operator requests, automatically log the required physical parameters during reactor

The Evolution of Computer Based Learning Software Design: Computer Assisted Teaching Unit Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Blandford, A. E.; Smith, P. R.

1986-01-01

Describes the style of design of computer simulations developed by Computer Assisted Teaching Unit at Queen Mary College with reference to user interface, input and initialization, input data vetting, effective display screen use, graphical results presentation, and need for hard copy. Procedures and problems relating to academic involvement are…

Computer-aided Nonlinear Control System Design Using Describing Function Models

CERN Document Server

Nassirharand, Amir

2012-01-01

A systematic computer-aided approach provides a versatile setting for the control engineer to overcome the complications of controller design for highly nonlinear systems. Computer-aided Nonlinear Control System Design provides such an approach based on the use of describing functions. The text deals with a large class of nonlinear systems without restrictions on the system order, the number of inputs and/or outputs or the number, type or arrangement of nonlinear terms. The strongly software-oriented methods detailed facilitate fulfillment of tight performance requirements and help the designer to think in purely nonlinear terms, avoiding the expedient of linearization which can impose substantial and unrealistic model limitations and drive up the cost of the final product. Design procedures are presented in a step-by-step algorithmic format each step being a functional unit with outputs that drive the other steps. This procedure may be easily implemented on a digital computer with example problems from mecha...

Prescribed computer games in addition to occlusion versus standard occlusion treatment for childhood amblyopia: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tailor, Vijay K; Glaze, Selina; Khandelwal, Payal; Davis, Alison; Adams, Gillian G W; Xing, Wen; Bunce, Catey; Dahlmann-Noor, Annegret

2015-01-01

Amblyopia ("lazy eye") is the commonest vision deficit in children. If not fully corrected by glasses, amblyopia is treated by patching or blurring the better-seeing eye. Compliance with patching is often poor. Computer-based activities are increasingly topical, both as an adjunct to standard treatment and as a platform for novel treatments. Acceptability by families has not been explored, and feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) using computer games in terms of recruitment and treatment acceptability is uncertain. We carried out a pilot RCT to test whether computer-based activities are acceptable and accessible to families and to test trial methods such as recruitment and retention rates, randomisation, trial-specific data collection tools and analysis. The trial had three arms: standard near activity advice, Eye Five, a package developed for children with amblyopia, and an off-the-shelf handheld games console with pre-installed games. We enrolled 60 children age 3-8 years with moderate or severe amblyopia after completion of optical treatment. This trial was registered as UKCRN-ID 11074. Pre-screening of 3600 medical notes identified 189 potentially eligible children, of whom 60 remained eligible after optical treatment, and were enrolled between April 2012 and March 2013. One participant was randomised twice and withdrawn from the study. Of the 58 remaining, 37 were boys. The mean (SD) age was 4.6 (1.7) years. Thirty-seven had moderate and 21 severe amblyopia. Three participants were withdrawn at week 6, and in total, four were lost to follow-up at week 12. Most children and parents/carers found the study procedures, i.e. occlusion treatment, usage of the allocated near activity and completion of a study diary, easy. The prescribed cumulative dose of near activity was 84 h at 12 weeks. Reported near activity usage numbers were close to prescribed numbers in moderate amblyopes (94 % of prescribed) but markedly less in severe amblyopes (64

Waste Water Treatment Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadan, A.E.K.

2004-01-01

A wastewater treatment plant to treat both the sanitary and industrial effluent originated from process, utilities and off site units of the refinery is described. The purpose is to obtain at the end of the treatment plant, a water quality that is in compliance with contractual requirements and relevant environmental regulations. first treatment (pretreatment). Primary de-oiling, Equalization, Neutralization, Secondary de-oiling. Second treatment (Biological), The mechanism of BOD removal, Biological flocculation, Nutrient requirements, Nitrification, De-nitrification, Effect of temperature, Effect of ph, Toxicity

Design of a microprocessor-based Control, Interface and Monitoring (CIM unit for turbine engine controls research

Science.gov (United States)

Delaat, J. C.; Soeder, J. F.

1983-01-01

High speed minicomputers were used in the past to implement advanced digital control algorithms for turbine engines. These minicomputers are typically large and expensive. It is desirable for a number of reasons to use microprocessor-based systems for future controls research. They are relatively compact, inexpensive, and are representative of the hardware that would be used for actual engine-mounted controls. The Control, Interface, and Monitoring Unit (CIM) contains a microprocessor-based controls computer, necessary interface hardware and a system to monitor while it is running an engine. It is presently being used to evaluate an advanced turbofan engine control algorithm.

Orthodontics: computer-aided diagnosis and treatment planning

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Yaxing; Li, Zhongke; Wei, Suyuan; Deng, Fanglin; Yao, Sen

2000-10-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce the outline of our newly developed computer-aided 3D dental cast analyzing system with laser scanning, and its preliminary clinical applications. The system is composed of a scanning device and a personal computer as a scanning controller and post processor. The scanning device is composed of a laser beam emitter, two sets of linear CCD cameras and a table which is rotatable by two-degree-of-freedom. The rotating is controlled precisely by a personal computer. The dental cast is projected and scanned with a laser beam. Triangulation is applied to determine the location of each point. Generation of 3D graphics of the dental cast takes approximately 40 minutes. About 170,000 sets of X,Y,Z coordinates are store for one dental cast. Besides the conventional linear and angular measurements of the dental cast, we are also able to demonstrate the size of the top surface area of each molar. The advantage of this system is that it facilitates the otherwise complicated and time- consuming mock surgery necessary for treatment planning in orthognathic surgery.

Implicit Theories of Creativity in Computer Science in the United States and China

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Chaoying; Baer, John; Kaufman, James C.

2015-01-01

To study implicit concepts of creativity in computer science in the United States and mainland China, we first asked 308 Chinese computer scientists for adjectives that would describe a creative computer scientist. Computer scientists and non-computer scientists from China (N = 1069) and the United States (N = 971) then rated how well those…

Clinical and cost effectiveness of computer treatment for aphasia post stroke (Big CACTUS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Rebecca; Cooper, Cindy; Enderby, Pam; Brady, Marian; Julious, Steven; Bowen, Audrey; Latimer, Nicholas

2015-01-27

Aphasia affects the ability to speak, comprehend spoken language, read and write. One third of stroke survivors experience aphasia. Evidence suggests that aphasia can continue to improve after the first few months with intensive speech and language therapy, which is frequently beyond what resources allow. The development of computer software for language practice provides an opportunity for self-managed therapy. This pragmatic randomised controlled trial will investigate the clinical and cost effectiveness of a computerised approach to long-term aphasia therapy post stroke. A total of 285 adults with aphasia at least four months post stroke will be randomly allocated to either usual care, computerised intervention in addition to usual care or attention and activity control in addition to usual care. Those in the intervention group will receive six months of self-managed word finding practice on their home computer with monthly face-to-face support from a volunteer/assistant. Those in the attention control group will receive puzzle activities, supplemented by monthly telephone calls. Study delivery will be coordinated by 20 speech and language therapy departments across the United Kingdom. Outcome measures will be made at baseline, six, nine and 12 months after randomisation by blinded speech and language therapist assessors. Primary outcomes are the change in number of words (of personal relevance) named correctly at six months and improvement in functional conversation. Primary outcomes will be analysed using a Hochberg testing procedure. Significance will be declared if differences in both word retrieval and functional conversation at six months are significant at the 5% level, or if either comparison is significant at 2.5%. A cost utility analysis will be undertaken from the NHS and personal social service perspective. Differences between costs and quality-adjusted life years in the three groups will be described and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio

Noncontrast computed tomographic Hounsfield unit evaluation of cerebral venous thrombosis: a quantitative evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Besachio, David A. [University of Utah, Department of Radiology, Salt Lake City (United States); United States Navy, Bethesda, MD (United States); Quigley, Edward P.; Shah, Lubdha M.; Salzman, Karen L. [University of Utah, Department of Radiology, Salt Lake City (United States)

2013-08-15

Our objective is to determine the utility of noncontrast Hounsfield unit values, Hounsfield unit values corrected for the patient's hematocrit, and venoarterial Hounsfield unit difference measurements in the identification of intracranial venous thrombosis on noncontrast head computed tomography. We retrospectively reviewed noncontrast head computed tomography exams performed in both normal patients and those with cerebral venous thrombosis, acquiring Hounsfield unit values in normal and thrombosed cerebral venous structures. Also, we acquired Hounsfield unit values in the internal carotid artery for comparison to thrombosed and nonthrombosed venous structures and compared the venous Hounsfield unit values to the patient's hematocrit. A significant difference is identified between Hounsfield unit values in thrombosed and nonthrombosed venous structures. Applying Hounsfield unit threshold values of greater than 65, a Hounsfield unit to hematocrit ratio of greater than 1.7, and venoarterial difference values greater than 15 alone and in combination, the majority of cases of venous thrombosis are identifiable on noncontrast head computed tomography. Absolute Hounsfield unit values, Hounsfield unit to hematocrit ratios, and venoarterial Hounsfield unit value differences are a useful adjunct in noncontrast head computed tomographic evaluation of cerebral venous thrombosis. (orig.)

Noncontrast computed tomographic Hounsfield unit evaluation of cerebral venous thrombosis: a quantitative evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besachio, David A.; Quigley, Edward P.; Shah, Lubdha M.; Salzman, Karen L.

2013-01-01

Our objective is to determine the utility of noncontrast Hounsfield unit values, Hounsfield unit values corrected for the patient's hematocrit, and venoarterial Hounsfield unit difference measurements in the identification of intracranial venous thrombosis on noncontrast head computed tomography. We retrospectively reviewed noncontrast head computed tomography exams performed in both normal patients and those with cerebral venous thrombosis, acquiring Hounsfield unit values in normal and thrombosed cerebral venous structures. Also, we acquired Hounsfield unit values in the internal carotid artery for comparison to thrombosed and nonthrombosed venous structures and compared the venous Hounsfield unit values to the patient's hematocrit. A significant difference is identified between Hounsfield unit values in thrombosed and nonthrombosed venous structures. Applying Hounsfield unit threshold values of greater than 65, a Hounsfield unit to hematocrit ratio of greater than 1.7, and venoarterial difference values greater than 15 alone and in combination, the majority of cases of venous thrombosis are identifiable on noncontrast head computed tomography. Absolute Hounsfield unit values, Hounsfield unit to hematocrit ratios, and venoarterial Hounsfield unit value differences are a useful adjunct in noncontrast head computed tomographic evaluation of cerebral venous thrombosis. (orig.)

Exploiting graphics processing units for computational biology and bioinformatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Joshua L; Sinnott-Armstrong, Nicholas A; Moore, Jason H

2010-09-01

Advances in the video gaming industry have led to the production of low-cost, high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) that possess more memory bandwidth and computational capability than central processing units (CPUs), the standard workhorses of scientific computing. With the recent release of generalpurpose GPUs and NVIDIA's GPU programming language, CUDA, graphics engines are being adopted widely in scientific computing applications, particularly in the fields of computational biology and bioinformatics. The goal of this article is to concisely present an introduction to GPU hardware and programming, aimed at the computational biologist or bioinformaticist. To this end, we discuss the primary differences between GPU and CPU architecture, introduce the basics of the CUDA programming language, and discuss important CUDA programming practices, such as the proper use of coalesced reads, data types, and memory hierarchies. We highlight each of these topics in the context of computing the all-pairs distance between instances in a dataset, a common procedure in numerous disciplines of scientific computing. We conclude with a runtime analysis of the GPU and CPU implementations of the all-pairs distance calculation. We show our final GPU implementation to outperform the CPU implementation by a factor of 1700.

A low cost computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system for education and research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cottis, R.A.

1989-01-01

With the advent of low cost computers of significant processing power, it has become economically attractive, as well as offering practical advantages, to replace conventional electrochemical instrumentation with computer-based equipment. For example, the equipment to be described can perform all of the functions required for the measurement of a potentiodynamic polarization curve, replacing the conventional arrangement of sweep generator, potentiostat and chart recorder at a cost (based on the purchase cost of parts) which is less than that of most chart recorders alone. Additionally the use of computer control at a relatively low level provides a versatility (assuming the development of suitable software) which cannot easily be matched by conventional instruments. As a result of these considerations a simple computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system has been developed, with a primary aim being its use in teaching an MSc class in corrosion science and engineering, with additional applications in MSc and PhD research. For education reasons the design of the user interface has tried to make the internal operation of the unit as obvious as possible, and thereby minimize the tendency for students to treat the unit as a 'black box' with incomprehensible inner workings. This has resulted in a unit in which the three main components of function generator, potentiostat and recorder are presented as independent areas on the front panel, and can be configured by the user in exactly the same way as conventional instruments. (author) 11 figs

A low cost computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system for education and research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cottis, R A [Manchester Univ. (UK). Inst. of Science and Technology

1989-01-01

With the advent of low cost computers of significant processing power, it has become economically attractive, as well as offering practical advantages, to replace conventional electrochemical instrumentation with computer-based equipment. For example, the equipment to be described can perform all of the functions required for the measurement of a potentiodynamic polarization curve, replacing the conventional arrangement of sweep generator, potentiostat and chart recorder at a cost (based on the purchase cost of parts) which is less than that of most chart recorders alone. Additionally the use of computer control at a relatively low level provides a versatility (assuming the development of suitable software) which cannot easily be matched by conventional instruments. As a result of these considerations a simple computer-controlled electrochemical measurement system has been developed, with a primary aim being its use in teaching an MSc class in corrosion science and engineering, with additional applications in MSc and PhD research. For education reasons the design of the user interface has tried to make the internal operation of the unit as obvious as possible, and thereby minimize the tendency for students to treat the unit as a 'black box' with incomprehensible inner workings. This has resulted in a unit in which the three main components of function generator, potentiostat and recorder are presented as independent areas on the front panel, and can be configured by the user in exactly the same way as conventional instruments. (author) 11 figs.

NQR spectrometer controlled by a computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoican, Ovidiu

2002-01-01

type P40-12-40, 40 x 40 x 4 mm) is placed. The external side of the bottom end cap is thermally connected to a water cooling coil. An internal polyurethane foam sheet assures heat insulating of the sample. In order to record the dependence of NQR absorption frequencies as a function of sample temperature a thermostat system has been developed. A 10 bits A/D converter, two 8 bits D/A converters, 8 analog switches and a data buffer are contained by the temperature control unit hardware. The system maintains the sample temperature at a fixed value in the 5-25 deg. C range with an accuracy of ± 10 deg. C. A graphical interface allows to user an easy control over the sample temperature. In order to prevent thermal and electrical overloads the system is equipped with protection circuits which disconnect the power supply and send warning messages to the user. The temperature control unit hardware can be connected to the parallel port of the computer or to one of ISA sockets. The RF signal is provided by a Hameg HM8130 type synthesizer. The frequency range of sinewave output is 10 mHz to 10 MHz. In order to perform an exhaustive search of the NQR absorption frequencies for a given sample it is possible to change the frequency in small steps (1 kHz). Another feature of the HM8130 is the integrated sweep generator with two frequency ranges. Sweep rate and start and stop frequencies are quick and easy to set. Separate inputs are provided for external amplitude modulation, trigger/burst, and gate. All variable parameters are precisely adjustable by a RS232 interface connected to serial port of the computer. The gate signal for HM8130 type synthesizer is provided by a timer unit. The pulse length and the period of the pulse sequence can be digitally controlled in the 1 μs - 268 s range with an accuracy of 1 μs. Various gate signal sequences are available. The NQR absorption signal can be recorded by a built-in hardware receiver unit and a PCS64I digital oscilloscope. The

Novel diode-based laser system for combined transcutaneous monitoring and computer-controlled intermittent treatment of jaundiced neonates

Science.gov (United States)

Hamza, Mostafa; El-Ahl, Mohammad H. S.; Hamza, Ahmad M.

2001-06-01

The high efficacy of laser phototherapy combined with transcutaneous monitoring of serum bilirubin provides optimum safety for jaundiced infants from the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy. In this paper the authors introduce the design and operating principles of a new laser system that can provide simultaneous monitoring and treatment of several jaundiced babies at one time. The new system incorporates diode-based laser sources oscillating at selected wavelengths to achieve both transcutaneous differential absorption measurements of bilirubin concentration in addition to the computer controlled intermittent laser therapy through a network of optical fibers. The detailed description and operating characteristics of this system are presented.

Control programs of multichannel pulse height analyzer with CAMAC system using FACOM U-200 mini-computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagishi, Kojiro

1978-02-01

The 4096 channel Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) assembled with CAMAC plug-in units has been developed in JAERI. The PHA consists of ADC unit, CRT-display unit, and CAMAC plug-in units, which are memory-controller, MCA-timer, 4K words RAM memory and CRT-driver. The system is on-line connected to FACOM U-200 Mini-Computer through CAMAC interface unit Crate-controller. The softwares for on-line data acquisition of the system have been developed. These are four utility programs written in FORTRAN and two program packages written in assembler language FASP which are CAMAC Program Package and Basic Input/Output Program Package. CAMAC Program Package has 18 subroutine programs for control of CAMAC plug-in units from FACOM U-200 Mini-Computer; and Basic Input/Output Program Package has 26 subroutine programs to input/output data to/from a typewriter, keyboard, cassette magnetic tape and open reel magnetic tape. These subroutine programs are all FORTRAN callable. The PHA with CAMAC system is first outlined, and then usage is described in detail of four utility programs, CAMAC Program Package and Basic Input/Output Program Package. (auth.)

Process control in conventional power plants. The use of computer systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schievink, A; Woehrle, G

1989-03-01

To process information man can use his knowledge and his experience. Both these means however, permit only slow flows of information (about 25 bit/s) to be processed. The flow of information in a modern 700-MW-coal power station that the staff has to face is about 5000 bit per second, i.e. 200 times as much as a single human brain can process. One therefore needs modern computer-controlled process control systems which support the staff in recognizing and processing the complicated and rapid processes in such a way that the servicing staff is efficiently supported. The computer-man interface is ergonomically improved by visual display units.

Computer control and monitoring of neutral beam injectors on the 2XIIB CTR experiment at LLL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollock, G.G.

1975-01-01

The original manual control system for the 12 neutral beam injectors on the 2XIIB Machine is being integrated with a computer control system. This, in turn, is a part of a multiple computer network comprised of the three computers which are involved in the operation and instrumentation of the 2XIIB experiment. The computer control system simplifies neutral beam operation and centralizes it to a single operating position. A special purpose console utilizes computer generated graphics and interactive function entry buttons to optimize the human/machine interface. Through the facilities of the computer network, a high level control function will be implemented for the use of the experimenter in a remotely located experiment diagnositcs area. In addition to controlling the injectors in normal operation, the computer system provides automatic conditioning of the injectors, bringing rebuilt units back to full energy output with minimum loss of useful life. The computer system also provides detail archive data recording

Study protocol: a randomized controlled trial of a computer-based depression and substance abuse intervention for people attending residential substance abuse treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Peter J

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A large proportion of people attending residential alcohol and other substance abuse treatment have a co-occurring mental illness. Empirical evidence suggests that it is important to treat both the substance abuse problem and co-occurring mental illness concurrently and in an integrated fashion. However, the majority of residential alcohol and other substance abuse services do not address mental illness in a systematic way. It is likely that computer delivered interventions could improve the ability of substance abuse services to address co-occurring mental illness. This protocol describes a study in which we will assess the effectiveness of adding a computer delivered depression and substance abuse intervention for people who are attending residential alcohol and other substance abuse treatment. Methods/Design Participants will be recruited from residential rehabilitation programs operated by the Australian Salvation Army. All participants who satisfy the diagnostic criteria for an alcohol or other substance dependence disorder will be asked to participate in the study. After completion of a baseline assessment, participants will be randomly assigned to either a computer delivered substance abuse and depression intervention (treatment condition or to a computer-delivered typing tutorial (active control condition. All participants will continue to complete The Salvation Army residential program, a predominantly 12-step based treatment facility. Randomisation will be stratified by gender (Male, Female, length of time the participant has been in the program at the commencement of the study (4 weeks or less, 4 weeks or more, and use of anti-depressant medication (currently prescribed medication, not prescribed medication. Participants in both conditions will complete computer sessions twice per week, over a five-week period. Research staff blind to treatment allocation will complete the assessments at baseline, and then 3, 6, 9

CNC Turning Center Operations and Prove Out. Computer Numerical Control Operator/Programmer. 444-334.

Science.gov (United States)

Skowronski, Steven D.

This student guide provides materials for a course designed to instruct the student in the recommended procedures used when setting up tooling and verifying part programs for a two-axis computer numerical control (CNC) turning center. The course consists of seven units. Unit 1 discusses course content and reviews and demonstrates set-up procedures…

Design description of a microprocessor based Engine Monitoring and Control unit (EMAC) for small turboshaft

Science.gov (United States)

Baez, A. N.

1985-01-01

Research programs have demonstrated that digital electronic controls are more suitable for advanced aircraft/rotorcraft turbine engine systems than hydromechanical controls. Commercially available microprocessors are believed to have the speed and computational capability required for implementing advanced digital control algorithms. Thus, it is desirable to demonstrate that off-the-shelf microprocessors are indeed capable of performing real time control of advanced gas turbine engines. The engine monitoring and control (EMAC) unit was designed and fabricated specifically to meet the requirements of an advanced gas turbine engine control system. The EMAC unit is fully operational in the Army/NASA small turboshaft engine digital research program.

Distributed computer control system for reactor optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, A.H.

1983-01-01

At the Oldbury power station a prototype distributed computer control system has been installed. This system is designed to support research and development into improved reactor temperature control methods. This work will lead to the development and demonstration of new optimal control systems for improvement of plant efficiency and increase of generated output. The system can collect plant data from special test instrumentation connected to dedicated scanners and from the station's existing data processing system. The system can also, via distributed microprocessor-based interface units, make adjustments to the desired reactor channel gas exit temperatures. The existing control equipment will then adjust the height of control rods to maintain operation at these temperatures. The design of the distributed system is based on extensive experience with distributed systems for direct digital control, operator display and plant monitoring. The paper describes various aspects of this system, with particular emphasis on: (1) the hierarchal system structure; (2) the modular construction of the system to facilitate installation, commissioning and testing, and to reduce maintenance to module replacement; (3) the integration of the system into the station's existing data processing system; (4) distributed microprocessor-based interfaces to the reactor controls, with extensive security facilities implemented by hardware and software; (5) data transfer using point-to-point and bussed data links; (6) man-machine communication based on VDUs with computer input push-buttons and touch-sensitive screens; and (7) the use of a software system supporting a high-level engineer-orientated programming language, at all levels in the system, together with comprehensive data link management

Checks for quality control of wedge dynamics in treatment units and the planning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mateos Salvador, P.; Rodriguez Lopez, B.; Font Gelabert, J.; Hernandez Rodriguez, J.; Arino Gil, A.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to verify the implementation of enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW) vary in the Eclipse planning system and the experimental determination of the parameters that define the dosimetry characteristics of enhanced dynamic wedge of our treatment units. (Author)

Operating experience of the TPA-1001 mini-computer in experimental control systems of main synchrophasotron parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazanskij, G.S.; Khoshenko, A.A.

1978-01-01

The experience of application of a Mini-computer, TPA-1001 to control the basic parameters of a synchrophasotron is discussed. The available data have shown that the efficiency of a computer management and measurement system (CMMS) for an accelerator can be determined as a trade-off between the accelerator and the system reliability, and betWeen the system mobility and its softWare. At present, the system employs two VT-340 display units, an arithmetic unit and an accelerating frequency measurement loop. In addition, the system memory is expanded up to 12 K. A new interactive program has been developed which enables the user to interact with the system Via three units (a teletype and two display units). An accelerating frequency measuring and control flowchart has been implemented and covers the whole duty cycle, while its measuring accuracy is better than 4x10 -4

Computer-controlled attenuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitov, D; Grozev, Z

1991-01-01

Various possibilities for applying electronic computer-controlled attenuators for the automation of physiological experiments are considered. A detailed description is given of the design of a 4-channel computer-controlled attenuator, in two of the channels of which the output signal can change by a linear step, in the other two channels--by a logarithmic step. This, together with the existence of additional programmable timers, allows to automate a wide range of studies in different spheres of physiology and psychophysics, including vision and hearing.

Design and Evaluation of a Fully Implantable Control Unit for Blood Pumps

Science.gov (United States)

Unthan, Kristin; Gräf, Felix; Laumen, Marco; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Sommer, Christoph; Lanmüller, Hermann; Steinseifer, Ulrich

2015-01-01

As the number of donor hearts is limited while more and more patients suffer from end stage biventricular heart failure, Total Artificial Hearts become a promising alternative to conventional treatment. While pneumatic devices sufficiently supply the patients with blood flow, the patient's quality of life is limited by the percutaneous pressure lines and the size of the external control unit. This paper describes the development of the control unit of the ReinHeart, a fully implantable Total Artificial Heart. General requirements for any implantable control unit are defined from a technical and medical point of view: necessity of a Transcutaneous Energy Transmission, autonomous operation, safety, geometry, and efficiency. Based on the requirements, a prototype is designed; it incorporates a LiFePo4 battery pack with charger, a rectifier for transcutaneous energy transmission, the motor's driver electronics, and a microcontroller which monitors and controls all functions. In validation tests, the control unit demonstrated a stable operation on TET and battery supply and a safe switching from one supply to the other. The overall mean efficiency is 14% on TET and 22% on battery supply. The control unit is suitable for chronic animal trials of the ReinHeart. PMID:26583095

Computer control system of TRISTAN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurokawa, Shin-ichi; Shinomoto, Manabu; Kurihara, Michio; Sakai, Hiroshi.

1984-01-01

For the operation of a large accelerator, it is necessary to connect an enormous quantity of electro-magnets, power sources, vacuum equipment, high frequency accelerator and so on and to control them harmoniously. For the purpose, a number of computers are adopted, and connected with a network, in this way, a large computer system for laboratory automation which integrates and controls the whole system is constructed. As a distributed system of large scale, the functions such as electro-magnet control, file processing and operation control are assigned to respective computers, and the total control is made feasible by network connection, at the same time, as the interface with controlled equipment, the CAMAC (computer-aided measurement and control) is adopted to ensure the flexibility and the possibility of expansion of the system. Moreover, the language ''NODAL'' having network support function was developed so as to easily make software without considering the composition of more complex distributed system. The accelerator in the TRISTAN project is composed of an electron linear accelerator, an accumulation ring of 6 GeV and a main ring of 30 GeV. Two ring type accelerators must be synchronously operated as one body, and are controlled with one computer system. The hardware and software are outlined. (Kako, I.)

CONCEPTUAL BASES OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENT SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT OF COMBINED UNITS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Shtepa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A critical analysis of the shortcomings of the existing water purification systems is conducted. In order to ensure environmental safety and energy savings it is proposed to use the combined units, including physical, chemical, physical-and-chemical and biological methods. The attention is driven to the fact that the most effective way to maintain current water purification is an adaptive control system. The shortcomings of the management of water treatment units were revealed and it was proposed to produce their synthesis based on the mathematical apparatus of artificial intelligence systems. Taking into account the requirements of the environmental safety and the need in the energy savings, the energy efficiency criteria of combined system functioning has been developed. At an industrial plant (slaughterhouse wastewater treatment the compliance of the production conditions of the criterion has been undertaken that confirmed the criterion relevance and usefulness as applied to the synthesis of energy-efficient control systems. A synthetic control system combined the water treatment plants. Having based on the preliminary research and analysis of the current work in the subject area the architecture of a control system of combined water treatment units that use intelligent technology was developed. The key functional of the unit – information-analytical subsystem of the formation control actions including: multilayer perceptrons self-organization Kohonen network, fuzzy cognitive map. The basic difference between the developed design and its analogues is the ability to adjust the settings of equipment adaptively on the basis of processing sensor data, information on the price of consumables, volley discharges of pollutants, a sudden change in the flow and other force majeure. Adjustment of the parameters of the control system is carried out with the use of experimental and analytical data stored in the knowledge base of technological

Control by personal computer and Interface 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eung Mug; Park, Sun Ho

1989-03-01

This book consists of three chapters. The first chapter deals with basic knowledge of micro computer control which are computer system, micro computer system, control of the micro computer and control system for calculator. The second chapter describes Interface about basic knowledge such as 8255 parallel interface, 6821 parallel interface, parallel interface of personal computer, reading BCD code in parallel interface, IEEE-488 interface, RS-232C interface and transmit data in personal computer and a measuring instrument. The third chapter includes control experiment by micro computer, experiment by eight bit computer and control experiment by machine code and BASIC.

Data Acquistion Controllers and Computers that can Endure, Operate and Survive Cryogenic Temperatures, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Current and future NASA exploration flight missions require Avionics systems, Computers, Controllers and Data processing units that are capable of enduring extreme...

PWR hybrid computer model for assessing the safety implications of control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, O.L.; Renier, J.P.; Difilippo, F.C.; Clapp, N.E.; Sozer, A.; Booth, R.S.; Craddick, W.G.; Morris, D.G.

1986-03-01

The ORNL study of safety-related aspects of nuclear power plant control systems consists of two interrelated tasks: (1) failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) that identified single and multiple component failures that might lead to significant plant upsets and (2) computer models that used these failures as initial conditions and traced the dynamic impact on the control system and remainder of the plant. This report describes the simulation of Oconee Unit 1, the first plant analyzed. A first-principles, best-estimate model was developed and implemented on a hybrid computer consisting of AD-4 analog and PDP-10 digital machines. Controls were placed primarily on the analog to use its interactive capability to simulate operator action. 48 refs., 138 figs., 15 tabs

Awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among Filipino immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ursua, Rhodora; Aguilar, David; Wyatt, Laura; Tandon, Shiv Darius; Escondo, Kirklyn; Rey, Mariano; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

2014-03-01

Filipino Americans have high rates of hypertension, yet little research has examined hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in this group. In a community-based sample of hypertensive Filipino American immigrants, we identify 1) rates of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control; and 2) factors associated with awareness, treatment, and control. Cross-sectional analysis of survey data from health screenings collected from 2006 to 2010. A total of 566 hypertensive Filipino immigrants in New York City, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey. Hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. Participants were included in analysis if they were hypertensive, based on: a past physician diagnosis, antihypertensive medication use, and/or high blood pressure (BP) screening measurements. Demographic variables included sex, age, time in the United States, location of residence, and English spoken language fluency. Health-related variables included self-reported health, insurance status, diabetes diagnosis, high cholesterol diagnosis, clinical measures (body mass index [BMI], glucose, and cholesterol), exercise frequency, smoking status, cardiac event history, family history of cardiac event, and family history of hypertension. Among the hypertensive individuals, awareness, treatment, and control rates were suboptimal; 72.1 % were aware of their status, 56.5 % were on medication, and only 21.7 % had controlled BP. Factors related to awareness included older age, worse self-reported health, family history of hypertension, and a diagnosis of high cholesterol or diabetes; factors related to treatment included older age, longer time lived in the United States, and being a non-smoker; having health insurance was found to be the main predictor of hypertension control. Many individuals had other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors; 60.4 % had a BMI ≥25, 12.0 % had at-risk glucose measurements and 12.8 % had cholesterol ≥ 240. Hypertensive Filipinos exhibit poor

The instrument control unit of SPICA SAFARI: a macro-unit to host all the digital control functionalities of the spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giorgio, Anna Maria; Biondi, David; Saggin, Bortolino; Shatalina, Irina; Viterbini, Maurizio; Giusi, Giovanni; Liu, Scige J.; Cerulli-Irelli, Paquale; Van Loon, Dennis; Cara, Christophe

2012-09-01

We present the preliminary design of the Instrument Control Unit (ICU) of the SpicA FAR infrared Instrument (SAFARI), an imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) designed to give continuous wavelength coverage in both photometric and spectroscopic modes from around 34 to 210 µm. Due to the stringent requirements in terms of mass and volume, the overall SAFARI warm electronics will be composed by only two main units: Detector Control Unit and ICU. ICU is therefore a macro-unit incorporating the four digital sub-units dedicated to the control of the overall instrument functionalities: the Cooler Control Unit, the Mechanism Control Unit, the Digital processing Unit and the Power Supply Unit. Both the mechanical solution adopted to host the four sub-units and the internal electrical architecture are presented as well as the adopted redundancy approach.

Graphics processing unit based computation for NDE applications

Science.gov (United States)

Nahas, C. A.; Rajagopal, Prabhu; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan; Krishnamurthy, C. V.

2012-05-01

Advances in parallel processing in recent years are helping to improve the cost of numerical simulation. Breakthroughs in Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) based computation now offer the prospect of further drastic improvements. The introduction of 'compute unified device architecture' (CUDA) by NVIDIA (the global technology company based in Santa Clara, California, USA) has made programming GPUs for general purpose computing accessible to the average programmer. Here we use CUDA to develop parallel finite difference schemes as applicable to two problems of interest to NDE community, namely heat diffusion and elastic wave propagation. The implementations are for two-dimensions. Performance improvement of the GPU implementation against serial CPU implementation is then discussed.

Computer functions in overall plant control of candu generating stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Q.B.; Stokes, H.W.

1976-01-01

System Planning Specifications form the basic requirements for the performance of the plant including its response to abnormal situations. The rules for the computer control programs are devised from these, taking into account limitations imposed by the reactor, heat transport and turbine-generator systems. The paper outlines these specifications and the limitations imposed by the major items of plant equipment. It describes the functions of each of the main programs, their interactions and the control modes used in the existing Ontario Hydro's nuclear station or proposed for future stations. Some simulation results showing the performance of the overall unit control system and plans for future studies are discussed. (orig.) [de

28 CFR 541.47 - Admission to control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Admission to control unit. 541.47 Section... INMATE DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL HOUSING UNITS Control Unit Programs § 541.47 Admission to control unit. Staff shall provide an inmate admitted to a control unit with: (a) Notice of the projected duration of...

Units 3 and 4 steam generators new water level control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dragoev, D.; Genov, St.

2001-01-01

The Steam Generator Water Level Control System is one of the most important for the normal operation systems, related to the safety and reliability of the units. The main upgrading objective for the SG level and SGWLC System modernization is to assure an automatic maintaining of the SG level within acceptable limits (below protections and interlocks) from 0% to 100% of the power in normal operation conditions and in case of transients followed by disturbances in the SG controlled parameters - level, steam flow, feedwater flow and/or pressure/temperature. To achieve this objective, the computerized controllers of new SG water level control system follows current computer control technology and is implemented together with replacement of the feedwater control valves and the needed I and C equipment. (author)

Mixed Waste Treatment Project: Computer simulations of integrated flowsheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietsche, L.J.

1993-12-01

The disposal of mixed waste, that is waste containing both hazardous and radioactive components, is a challenging waste management problem of particular concern to DOE sites throughout the United States. Traditional technologies used for the destruction of hazardous wastes need to be re-evaluated for their ability to handle mixed wastes, and in some cases new technologies need to be developed. The Mixed Waste Treatment Project (MWTP) was set up by DOE's Waste Operations Program (EM30) to provide guidance on mixed waste treatment options. One of MWTP's charters is to develop flowsheets for prototype integrated mixed waste treatment facilities which can serve as models for sites developing their own treatment strategies. Evaluation of these flowsheets is being facilitated through the use of computer modelling. The objective of the flowsheet simulations is to provide mass and energy balances, product compositions, and equipment sizing (leading to cost) information. The modelled flowsheets need to be easily modified to examine how alternative technologies and varying feed streams effect the overall integrated process. One such commercially available simulation program is ASPEN PLUS. This report contains details of the Aspen Plus program

Design of a fault-tolerant reversible control unit in molecular quantum-dot cellular automata

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadori, Golnaz; Houshmand, Monireh; Zomorodi-Moghadam, Mariam

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is a promising emerging nanotechnology that has been attracting considerable attention due to its small feature size, ultra-low power consuming, and high clock frequency. Therefore, there have been many efforts to design computational units based on this technology. Despite these advantages of the QCA-based nanotechnologies, their implementation is susceptible to a high error rate. On the other hand, using the reversible computing leads to zero bit erasures and no energy dissipation. As the reversible computation does not lose information, the fault detection happens with a high probability. In this paper, first we propose a fault-tolerant control unit using reversible gates which improves on the previous design. The proposed design is then synthesized to the QCA technology and is simulated by the QCADesigner tool. Evaluation results indicate the performance of the proposed approach.

A dual computed tomography linear accelerator unit for stereotactic radiation therapy: a new approach without cranially fixated stereotactic frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uematsu, Minoru; Fukui, Toshiharu; Shioda, Akira; Tokumitsu, Hideyuki; Takai, Kenji; Kojima, Tadaharu; Asai, Yoshiko; Kusano, Shoichi

1996-01-01

Purpose: To perform stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) without cranially fixated stereotactic frames, we developed a dual computed tomography (CT) linear accelerator (linac) treatment unit. Methods and Materials: This unit is composed of a linac, CT, and motorized table. The linac and CT are set up at opposite ends of the table, which is suitable for both machines. The gantry axis of the linac is coaxial with that of the CT scanner. Thus, the center of the target detected with the CT can be matched easily with the gantry axis of the linac by rotating the table. Positioning is confirmed with the CT for each treatment session. Positioning and treatment errors with this unit were examined by phantom studies. Between August and December 1994, 8 patients with 11 lesions of primary or metastatic brain tumors received SRT with this unit. All lesions were treated with 24 Gy in three fractions to 30 Gy in 10 fractions to the 80% isodose line, with or without conventional external beam radiation therapy. Results: Phantom studies revealed that treatment errors with this unit were within 1 mm after careful positioning. The position was easily maintained using two tiny metallic balls as vertical and horizontal marks. Motion of patients was negligible using a conventional heat-flexible head mold and dental impression. The overall time for a multiple noncoplanar arcs treatment for a single isocenter was less than 1 h on the initial treatment day and usually less than 20 min on subsequent days. Treatment was outpatient-based and well tolerated with no acute toxicities. Satisfactory responses have been documented. Conclusion: Using this treatment unit, multiple fractionated SRT is performed easily and precisely without cranially fixated stereotactic frames

Hydraulic pressure control unit for control rod drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watabe, Yukio.

1990-01-01

The pressure invention concerns a hydraulic pressure control unit for control rod drives in BWR type reactors. The space above a floating piston possessed by an accumulator and the housing of control rod drives are connected by means of a pipeline. The pipeline has a scram valve which is opened upon occurrence of reactor scram. A pump is disposed between the accumulator and the scram valve for communicating a discharge port to apply a high pressure water to the accumulator. According to the present invention, a control unit is disposed between the scram valve and the housing of the control rod drives in the hydraulic pressure control unit for maintaining the cross sectional area of the flow channel of the pipeline to a usual size when the pressure in a pressure vessel is under a rated operation pressure, while limiting the cross sectional area of the flow channel when the pressure is lower than that in the rated operation. Thus, whole insertion of the control rod substantially at a constant speed is enabled irrespective of the level of the pressure in the pressure vessel. (I.S.)

Social capital and adverse treatment outcomes of tuberculosis: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Deshmukh, P R; Mundra, A; Dawale, A

2017-08-01

'Social capital' refers to social norms, relationships, networks and values that affect the functioning and development of society. Social capital influences health positively, but its role in the treatment outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) is not known. To study the role of social capital in determining adverse TB treatment outcomes. Of 516 patients registered under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in 2014 in Wardha Tuberculosis Unit, Wardha, India, we included 88 patients with adverse treatment outcomes as cases and 187 controls from among those without adverse outcomes. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare standardised Z-scores. A greater proportion of controls than cases belonged to higher quartiles of social capital and its domains than cases, and the mean standardised Z-score was also consistently higher among controls than cases. Respectively 47% and 15% of cases and controls were in the poorest quartile of social capital, whereas respectively 10% and 33% of cases and controls were in the richest quartile. Each unit increase in Z-score of overall social capital reduced the odds of adverse treatment outcomes by 63.1%. Appropriate interventions for building social capital for TB patients and linking them with the programme would improve programme performance.

Logical design for computers and control

CERN Document Server

Dodd, Kenneth N

1972-01-01

Logical Design for Computers and Control Logical Design for Computers and Control gives an introduction to the concepts and principles, applications, and advancements in the field of control logic. The text covers topics such as logic elements; high and low logic; kinds of flip-flops; binary counting and arithmetic; and Boolean algebra, Boolean laws, and De Morgan's theorem. Also covered are topics such as electrostatics and atomic theory; the integrated circuit and simple control systems; the conversion of analog to digital systems; and computer applications and control. The book is recommend

A computationally efficient fuzzy control s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdel Badie Sharkawy

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper develops a decentralized fuzzy control scheme for MIMO nonlinear second order systems with application to robot manipulators via a combination of genetic algorithms (GAs and fuzzy systems. The controller for each degree of freedom (DOF consists of a feedforward fuzzy torque computing system and a feedback fuzzy PD system. The feedforward fuzzy system is trained and optimized off-line using GAs, whereas not only the parameters but also the structure of the fuzzy system is optimized. The feedback fuzzy PD system, on the other hand, is used to keep the closed-loop stable. The rule base consists of only four rules per each DOF. Furthermore, the fuzzy feedback system is decentralized and simplified leading to a computationally efficient control scheme. The proposed control scheme has the following advantages: (1 it needs no exact dynamics of the system and the computation is time-saving because of the simple structure of the fuzzy systems and (2 the controller is robust against various parameters and payload uncertainties. The computational complexity of the proposed control scheme has been analyzed and compared with previous works. Computer simulations show that this controller is effective in achieving the control goals.

Comparison of the pain levels of computer-controlled and conventional anesthesia techniques in prosthodontic treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murat Yenisey

2009-10-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the pain levels on opposite sides of the maxilla at needle insertion during delivery of local anesthetic solution and tooth preparation for both conventional and anterior middle superior alveolar (AMSA technique with the Wand computer-controlled local anesthesia application. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pain scores of 16 patients were evaluated with a 5-point verbal rating scale (VRS and data were analyzed nonparametrically. Pain differences at needle insertion, during delivery of local anesthetic, and at tooth preparation, for conventional versus the Wand technique, were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test (p=0.01. RESULTS: The Wand technique had a lower pain level compared to conventional injection for needle insertion (p0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The AMSA technique using the Wand is recommended for prosthodontic treatment because it reduces pain during needle insertion and during delivery of local anaesthetic. However, these two techniques have the same pain levels for tooth preparation.

Graphics processing units in bioinformatics, computational biology and systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Nobile, Marco S; Cazzaniga, Paolo; Tangherloni, Andrea; Besozzi, Daniela

2017-09-01

Several studies in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Systems Biology rely on the definition of physico-chemical or mathematical models of biological systems at different scales and levels of complexity, ranging from the interaction of atoms in single molecules up to genome-wide interaction networks. Traditional computational methods and software tools developed in these research fields share a common trait: they can be computationally demanding on Central Processing Units (CPUs), therefore limiting their applicability in many circumstances. To overcome this issue, general-purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are gaining an increasing attention by the scientific community, as they can considerably reduce the running time required by standard CPU-based software, and allow more intensive investigations of biological systems. In this review, we present a collection of GPU tools recently developed to perform computational analyses in life science disciplines, emphasizing the advantages and the drawbacks in the use of these parallel architectures. The complete list of GPU-powered tools here reviewed is available at http://bit.ly/gputools. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Unit cell-based computer-aided manufacturing system for tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun-Wook; Park, Jeong Hun; Kang, Tae-Yun; Seol, Young-Joon; Cho, Dong-Woo

2012-01-01

Scaffolds play an important role in the regeneration of artificial tissues or organs. A scaffold is a porous structure with a micro-scale inner architecture in the range of several to several hundreds of micrometers. Therefore, computer-aided construction of scaffolds should provide sophisticated functionality for porous structure design and a tool path generation strategy that can achieve micro-scale architecture. In this study, a new unit cell-based computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system was developed for the automated design and fabrication of a porous structure with micro-scale inner architecture that can be applied to composite tissue regeneration. The CAM system was developed by first defining a data structure for the computing process of a unit cell representing a single pore structure. Next, an algorithm and software were developed and applied to construct porous structures with a single or multiple pore design using solid freeform fabrication technology and a 3D tooth/spine computer-aided design model. We showed that this system is quite feasible for the design and fabrication of a scaffold for tissue engineering. (paper)

Unit cell-based computer-aided manufacturing system for tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hyun-Wook; Park, Jeong Hun; Kang, Tae-Yun; Seol, Young-Joon; Cho, Dong-Woo

2012-03-01

Scaffolds play an important role in the regeneration of artificial tissues or organs. A scaffold is a porous structure with a micro-scale inner architecture in the range of several to several hundreds of micrometers. Therefore, computer-aided construction of scaffolds should provide sophisticated functionality for porous structure design and a tool path generation strategy that can achieve micro-scale architecture. In this study, a new unit cell-based computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system was developed for the automated design and fabrication of a porous structure with micro-scale inner architecture that can be applied to composite tissue regeneration. The CAM system was developed by first defining a data structure for the computing process of a unit cell representing a single pore structure. Next, an algorithm and software were developed and applied to construct porous structures with a single or multiple pore design using solid freeform fabrication technology and a 3D tooth/spine computer-aided design model. We showed that this system is quite feasible for the design and fabrication of a scaffold for tissue engineering.

Organization of Control Units with Operational Addressing

OpenAIRE

Alexander A. Barkalov; Roman M. Babakov; Larysa A. Titarenko

2012-01-01

The using of operational addressing unit as the block of control unit is proposed. The new structure model of Moore finite-state machine with reduced hardware amount is developed. The generalized structure of operational addressing unit is suggested. An example of synthesis process for Moore finite-state machine with operational addressing unit is given. The analytical researches of proposed structure of control unit are executed.

A computer-controlled system for rapid soil analysis of 226Ra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doane, R.W.; Berven, B.A.; Blair, M.S.

1984-01-01

A computer-controlled multichannel analysis system has been developed by the Radiological Survey Activities (RASA) Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the DOE's remedial action programs. The purpose of this system is to provide a rapid estimate of the 226 Ra concentration in soil samples using a 6 x 9 inch NaI(T1) crystal containing a 3.25 inch deep by 3.5 inch diameter well. This gamma detection system is controlled by a minicomputer with a dual floppy disk storage medium, line printer, and optional X-Y plotter. A two-chip interface was also designed at ORNL which handles all control signals generated from the computer keyboard. These computer-generated control signals are processed in machine language for rapid data transfer and BASIC language is used for data processing. The computer system is a Commodore Business Machines (CBM) Model 8032 personal computer with CBM peripherals. Control and data signals are utilized via the parallel user's port to the interface unit. The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is controlled in machine language, bootstrapped to high memory, and is addressed through the BASIC program. The BASIC program is designed to be ''user friendly'' and provides the operator with several modes of operation such as background and analysis acquisition. Any number of energy regions-of-interest (ROI) may be analyzed with automatic background substraction. Also employed in the BASIC program are the 226 Ra algorithms which utilize linear and polynomial regression equations for data conversion and look-up tables for radon equilibrating coefficients. The optional X-Y plotter may be used with two- or three-dimensional curve programs to enhance data analysis and presentation. A description of the system is presented and typical applications are discussed

Computer control of shielded cell operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffords, W.R. III.

1987-01-01

This paper describes in detail a computer system to remotely control shielded cell operations. System hardware, software, and design criteria are discussed. We have designed a computer-controlled buret that provides a tenfold improvement over the buret currently in service. A computer also automatically controls cell analyses, calibrations, and maintenance. This system improves conditions for the operators by providing a safer, more efficient working environment and is expandable for future growth and development

28 CFR 541.49 - Review of control unit placement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Review of control unit placement. 541.49... INMATE DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL HOUSING UNITS Control Unit Programs § 541.49 Review of control unit placement. (a) Unit staff shall evaluate informally and daily an inmate's adjustment within the control unit...

Personal computers in accelerator control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderssen, P.S.

1988-01-01

The advent of the personal computer has created a popular movement which has also made a strong impact on science and engineering. Flexible software environments combined with good computational performance and large storage capacities are becoming available at steadily decreasing costs. Of equal importance, however, is the quality of the user interface offered on many of these products. Graphics and screen interaction is available in ways that were only possible on specialized systems before. Accelerator engineers were quick to pick up the new technology. The first applications were probably for controllers and data gatherers for beam measurement equipment. Others followed, and today it is conceivable to make personal computer a standard component of an accelerator control system. This paper reviews the experience gained at CERN so far and describes the approach taken in the design of the common control center for the SPS and the future LEP accelerators. The design goal has been to be able to integrate personal computers into the accelerator control system and to build the operator's workplace around it. (orig.)

Massively Parallel Signal Processing using the Graphics Processing Unit for Real-Time Brain-Computer Interface Feature Extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J Adam; Williams, Justin C

2009-01-01

The clock speeds of modern computer processors have nearly plateaued in the past 5 years. Consequently, neural prosthetic systems that rely on processing large quantities of data in a short period of time face a bottleneck, in that it may not be possible to process all of the data recorded from an electrode array with high channel counts and bandwidth, such as electrocorticographic grids or other implantable systems. Therefore, in this study a method of using the processing capabilities of a graphics card [graphics processing unit (GPU)] was developed for real-time neural signal processing of a brain-computer interface (BCI). The NVIDIA CUDA system was used to offload processing to the GPU, which is capable of running many operations in parallel, potentially greatly increasing the speed of existing algorithms. The BCI system records many channels of data, which are processed and translated into a control signal, such as the movement of a computer cursor. This signal processing chain involves computing a matrix-matrix multiplication (i.e., a spatial filter), followed by calculating the power spectral density on every channel using an auto-regressive method, and finally classifying appropriate features for control. In this study, the first two computationally intensive steps were implemented on the GPU, and the speed was compared to both the current implementation and a central processing unit-based implementation that uses multi-threading. Significant performance gains were obtained with GPU processing: the current implementation processed 1000 channels of 250 ms in 933 ms, while the new GPU method took only 27 ms, an improvement of nearly 35 times.

High performance computing in linear control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, B.N.

1993-01-01

Remarkable progress has been made in both theory and applications of all important areas of control. The theory is rich and very sophisticated. Some beautiful applications of control theory are presently being made in aerospace, biomedical engineering, industrial engineering, robotics, economics, power systems, etc. Unfortunately, the same assessment of progress does not hold in general for computations in control theory. Control Theory is lagging behind other areas of science and engineering in this respect. Nowadays there is a revolution going on in the world of high performance scientific computing. Many powerful computers with vector and parallel processing have been built and have been available in recent years. These supercomputers offer very high speed in computations. Highly efficient software, based on powerful algorithms, has been developed to use on these advanced computers, and has also contributed to increased performance. While workers in many areas of science and engineering have taken great advantage of these hardware and software developments, control scientists and engineers, unfortunately, have not been able to take much advantage of these developments

Simulation of Digital Control Computer of Nuclear Power Plant Based on Virtual Machine Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Xue Yan; Li, Shu; Li, Qing

2011-01-01

Based on analyzing DCC (Digital Control Computer) instruction sets, memory map, display controllers and I/O system, virtual machine of DCC (abbr. VM DCC) has been developed. The executive and control programs, same as running on NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) unit's DCC, can run on the VM DCC smoothly and get same control results. Dual VM DCC system has been successfully applied in NPP FSS(Full Scope Simulator) training. It not only improves FSS's fidelity but also makes maintaining easier

Manufacturing and application of micro computer for control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seung Man; Heo, Gyeong; Yun, Jun Young

1990-05-01

This book deals with machine code and assembly program for micro computer. It composed of 20 chapters, which are micro computer system, practice of a storage cell, manufacturing 1 of micro computer, manufacturing 2 of micro computer, manufacturing of micro computer AID-80A, making of machine language, interface like Z80-PIO and 8255A(PPI), counter and timer interface, exercise of basic command, arithmetic operation, arrangement operation, an indicator control, music playing, detection of input of PIO. control of LED of PIO, PIO mode, CTC control by micro computer, SIO control by micro computer and application by micro computer.

SmartVeh: Secure and Efficient Message Access Control and Authentication for Vehicular Cloud Computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qinlong; Yang, Yixian; Shi, Yuxiang

2018-02-24

With the growing number of vehicles and popularity of various services in vehicular cloud computing (VCC), message exchanging among vehicles under traffic conditions and in emergency situations is one of the most pressing demands, and has attracted significant attention. However, it is an important challenge to authenticate the legitimate sources of broadcast messages and achieve fine-grained message access control. In this work, we propose SmartVeh, a secure and efficient message access control and authentication scheme in VCC. A hierarchical, attribute-based encryption technique is utilized to achieve fine-grained and flexible message sharing, which ensures that vehicles whose persistent or dynamic attributes satisfy the access policies can access the broadcast message with equipped on-board units (OBUs). Message authentication is enforced by integrating an attribute-based signature, which achieves message authentication and maintains the anonymity of the vehicles. In order to reduce the computations of the OBUs in the vehicles, we outsource the heavy computations of encryption, decryption and signing to a cloud server and road-side units. The theoretical analysis and simulation results reveal that our secure and efficient scheme is suitable for VCC.

Complexity estimates based on integral transforms induced by computational units

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kůrková, Věra

2012-01-01

Roč. 33, September (2012), s. 160-167 ISSN 0893-6080 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP202/11/1368 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : neural networks * estimates of model complexity * approximation from a dictionary * integral transforms * norms induced by computational units Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science Impact factor: 1.927, year: 2012

Computer-based control systems of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalashnikov, V.K.; Shugam, R.A.; Ol'shevsky, Yu.N.

1975-01-01

Computer-based control systems of nuclear power plants may be classified into those using computers for data acquisition only, those using computers for data acquisition and data processing, and those using computers for process control. In the present paper a brief review is given of the functions the systems above mentioned perform, their applications in different nuclear power plants, and some of their characteristics. The trend towards hierarchic systems using control computers with reserves already becomes clear when consideration is made of the control systems applied in the Canadian nuclear power plants that pertain to the first ones equipped with process computers. The control system being now under development for the large Soviet reactors of WWER type will also be based on the use of control computers. That part of the system concerned with controlling the reactor assembly is described in detail

Development of process control capability through the Browns Ferry Integrated Computer System using Reactor Water Clanup System as an example. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.; Mowrey, J.

1995-12-01

This report describes the design, development and testing of process controls for selected system operations in the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFNP) Reactor Water Cleanup System (RWCU) using a Computer Simulation Platform which simulates the RWCU System and the BFNP Integrated Computer System (ICS). This system was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the soft control (video touch screen) of nuclear plant systems through an operator console. The BFNP Integrated Computer System, which has recently. been installed at BFNP Unit 2, was simulated to allow for operator control functions of the modeled RWCU system. The BFNP Unit 2 RWCU system was simulated using the RELAP5 Thermal/Hydraulic Simulation Model, which provided the steady-state and transient RWCU process variables and simulated the response of the system to control system inputs. Descriptions of the hardware and software developed are also included in this report. The testing and acceptance program and results are also detailed in this report. A discussion of potential installation of an actual RWCU process control system in BFNP Unit 2 is included. Finally, this report contains a section on industry issues associated with installation of process control systems in nuclear power plants

28 CFR 541.50 - Release from a control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Release from a control unit. 541.50... INMATE DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL HOUSING UNITS Control Unit Programs § 541.50 Release from a control unit. (a) Only the Executive Panel may release an inmate from a control unit. The following factors are...

28 CFR 541.48 - Search of control unit inmates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Search of control unit inmates. 541.48... INMATE DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL HOUSING UNITS Control Unit Programs § 541.48 Search of control unit inmates. (a) The Warden at an institution housing a control unit may order a digital or simple instrument...

Multiaxis, Lightweight, Computer-Controlled Exercise System

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Leonard; Bachrach, Benjamin; Harvey, William

2006-01-01

The multipurpose, multiaxial, isokinetic dynamometer (MMID) is a computer-controlled system of exercise machinery that can serve as a means for quantitatively assessing a subject s muscle coordination, range of motion, strength, and overall physical condition with respect to a wide variety of forces, motions, and exercise regimens. The MMID is easily reconfigurable and compactly stowable and, in comparison with prior computer-controlled exercise systems, it weighs less, costs less, and offers more capabilities. Whereas a typical prior isokinetic exercise machine is limited to operation in only one plane, the MMID can operate along any path. In addition, the MMID is not limited to the isokinetic (constant-speed) mode of operation. The MMID provides for control and/or measurement of position, force, and/or speed of exertion in as many as six degrees of freedom simultaneously; hence, it can accommodate more complex, more nearly natural combinations of motions and, in so doing, offers greater capabilities for physical conditioning and evaluation. The MMID (see figure) includes as many as eight active modules, each of which can be anchored to a floor, wall, ceiling, or other fixed object. A cable is payed out from a reel in each module to a bar or other suitable object that is gripped and manipulated by the subject. The reel is driven by a DC brushless motor or other suitable electric motor via a gear reduction unit. The motor can be made to function as either a driver or an electromagnetic brake, depending on the required nature of the interaction with the subject. The module includes a force and a displacement sensor for real-time monitoring of the tension in and displacement of the cable, respectively. In response to commands from a control computer, the motor can be operated to generate a required tension in the cable, to displace the cable a required distance, or to reel the cable in or out at a required speed. The computer can be programmed, either locally or via

Towards Realization of Intelligent Medical Treatment at Nanoscale by Artificial Microscopic Swarm Control Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Rowhanimanesh

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: In this paper, the novel concept of artificial microscopic swarm control systems is proposed as a promising approach towards realization of intelligent medical treatment at nanoscale. In this new paradigm, treatment is done autonomously at nanoscale within the patient’s body by the proposed swarm control systems.Methods: From control engineering perspective, medical treatment can be considered as a control problem, in which the ultimate goal is to find the best feasible way to change the state of diseased tissue from unhealthy to healthy in presence of uncertainty. Although a living tissue is a huge swarm of microscopic cells, nearly all of the common treatment methods are based on macroscopic centralized control paradigm. Inspired by natural microscopic swarm control systems such as nervous, endocrine and immune systems that work based on swarm control paradigm, medical treatment needs a paradigm shift from macroscopic centralized control to microscopic swarm control. An artificial microscopic swarm control system consists of a huge number of very simple autonomous microscopic agents that exploit swarm intelligence to realize sense, control (computing and actuation at nanoscale in local, distributed and decentralized manner. This control system can be designed based on mathematical analysis and computer simulation.Results: The proposed approach is used for treatment of atherosclerosis and cancer based on mathematical analysis and in-silico study.Conclusion: The notion of artificial microscopic swarm control systems opens new doors towards realization of autonomous and intelligent medical treatment at nanoscale within the patient’s body.

Computer science approach to quantum control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janzing, D.

2006-01-01

Whereas it is obvious that every computation process is a physical process it has hardly been recognized that many complex physical processes bear similarities to computation processes. This is in particular true for the control of physical systems on the nanoscopic level: usually the system can only be accessed via a rather limited set of elementary control operations and for many purposes only a concatenation of a large number of these basic operations will implement the desired process. This concatenation is in many cases quite similar to building complex programs from elementary steps and principles for designing algorithm may thus be a paradigm for designing control processes. For instance, one can decrease the temperature of one part of a molecule by transferring its heat to the remaining part where it is then dissipated to the environment. But the implementation of such a process involves a complex sequence of electromagnetic pulses. This work considers several hypothetical control processes on the nanoscopic level and show their analogy to computation processes. We show that measuring certain types of quantum observables is such a complex task that every instrument that is able to perform it would necessarily be an extremely powerful computer. Likewise, the implementation of a heat engine on the nanoscale requires to process the heat in a way that is similar to information processing and it can be shown that heat engines with maximal efficiency would be powerful computers, too. In the same way as problems in computer science can be classified by complexity classes we can also classify control problems according to their complexity. Moreover, we directly relate these complexity classes for control problems to the classes in computer science. Unifying notions of complexity in computer science and physics has therefore two aspects: on the one hand, computer science methods help to analyze the complexity of physical processes. On the other hand, reasonable

Computer aided process control equipment at the Karlsruhe reprocessing pilot plant, WAK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, R.; Finsterwalder, L.; Gutzeit, G.; Reif, J.; Stollenwerk, A.H.; Weinbrecht, E.; Weishaupt, M.

1991-01-01

A computer aided process control system has been installed at the Karlsruhe Spent Fuel Reprocessing Plant, WAK. All necessary process control data of the first extraction cycle is collected via a data collection system and is displayed in suitable ways on a screen for the operator in charge of the unit. To aid verification of displayed data, various measurements are associated to each other using balance type process modeling. Thus, deviation of flowsheet conditions and malfunctioning of measuring equipment are easily detected. (orig.) [de

Simulation of Digital Control Computer of Nuclear Power Plant Based on Virtual Machine Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Xue Yan; Li, Shu; Li, Qing [China Nuclear Power Operation Technology Co., Wuhan (China)

2011-08-15

Based on analyzing DCC (Digital Control Computer) instruction sets, memory map, display controllers and I/O system, virtual machine of DCC (abbr. VM DCC) has been developed. The executive and control programs, same as running on NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) unit's DCC, can run on the VM DCC smoothly and get same control results. Dual VM DCC system has been successfully applied in NPP FSS(Full Scope Simulator) training. It not only improves FSS's fidelity but also makes maintaining easier.

Comparison of Tissue Density in Hounsfield Units in Computed Tomography and Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Varshowsaz, Masoud; Goorang, Sepideh; Ehsani, Sara; Azizi, Zeynab; Rahimian, Sepideh

2016-03-01

Bone quality and quantity assessment is one of the most important steps in implant treatment planning. Different methods such as computed tomography (CT) and recently suggested cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) with lower radiation dose and less time and cost are used for bone density assessment. This in vitro study aimed to compare the tissue density values in Hounsfield units (HUs) in CBCT and CT scans of different tissue phantoms with two different thicknesses, two different image acquisition settings and in three locations in the phantoms. Four different tissue phantoms namely hard tissue, soft tissue, air and water were scanned by three different CBCT and a CT system in two thicknesses (full and half) and two image acquisition settings (high and low kVp and mA). The images were analyzed at three sites (middle, periphery and intermediate) using eFilm software. The difference in density values was analyzed by ANOVA and correction coefficient test (P<0.05). There was a significant difference between density values in CBCT and CT scans in most situations, and CBCT values were not similar to CT values in any of the phantoms in different thicknesses and acquisition parameters or the three different sites. The correction coefficients confirmed the results. CBCT is not reliable for tissue density assessment. The results were not affected by changes in thickness, acquisition parameters or locations.

[Clinical characteristics of computer game and internet addiction in persons seeking treatment in an outpatient clinic for computer game addiction].

Science.gov (United States)

Beutel, Manfred E; Hoch, Christina; Wölfling, Klaus; Müller, Kai W

2011-01-01

Since March 2008 we have offered outpatient treatment for computer game and internet addiction. This article presents the assessment and clinical characterization of the first cohort of one year. The reasons for seeking help (phone consultations, N=346) as well as sociodemographic and psychometric characteristics (N=131) (assessment of computer game addiction; SCL-90R) are presented. Consultation was initiated mainly by relatives--mostly the mothers (86%); 48% report achievement failure and social isolation, lack of control (38%) and conflicts within the family (33%). Two-thirds of the mainly male (96%) patients (N=131) with an average age of 22 (range 13-47) years met the criteria for pathological computer gaming, characterized by an excessive number of hours and preoccupation with gaming, high distress, and unemployment. Symptoms resemble those of other addiction disorders. The consequences for disorder-specific treatment concepts and research are discussed.

Using an Integrated Script Control Unit (ISCU to Assist the Power Electronics Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhigang Gao

2017-11-01

Full Text Available An integrated script control unit (ISCU is invented to work as the digital controller in power electronics educations. The ISCU mainly consists of two parts, a control board and computer software. The computer software enables college students to write specific scripts, which can be compiled and saved on the control board, to design the control flow and algorithms. The processor on the board will realize the algorithms that are designed by the user. All of the variables can be monitored by the computer software, which is helpful to find the bugs in the algorithms. ISCU can help the under-graduate students to design converters even if they are unfamiliar with the programming languages and developing environment. Users can write and validate algorithms for converters quickly without writing any tedious codes (such as initialization, dealing with the interrupts for specific processors with ISCU. The college students who lack the necessary skills to program the processor, can benefit when they are studying the power electronic techniques. Importantly, the ISCU is considered to be free for everyone. The details and the principles of ISCU are introduced, and a bi-directional DC-DC converter is built based on ISCU to validate the proposed characteristics.

14 CFR 23.1142 - Auxiliary power unit controls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Auxiliary power unit controls. 23.1142... Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 23.1142 Auxiliary power unit controls. Means must be provided on the... power unit. [Doc. No. 26344, 58 FR 18974, Apr. 9, 1993] ...

Computer application for database management and networking of service radio physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrando Sanchez, A.; Cabello Murillo, E.; Diaz Fuentes, R.; Castro Novais, J.; Clemente Gutierrez, F.; Casa de Juan, M. A. de la; Adaimi Hernandez, P.

2011-01-01

The databases in the quality control prove to be a powerful tool for recording, management and statistical process control. Developed in a Windows environment and under Access (Micros of Office) our service implements this philosophy on the canter's computer network. A computer that acts as the server provides the database to the treatment units to record quality control measures daily and incidents. To remove shortcuts stop working with data migration, possible use of duplicate and erroneous data loss because of errors in network connections, which are common problems, we proceeded to manage connections and access to databases ease of maintenance and use horn to all service personnel.

Biofilm problems in dental unit water systems and its practical control.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Coleman, D C

2009-05-01

Dental chair units (DCUs) contain integrated systems that provide the instruments and services for a wide range of dental procedures. DCUs use water to cool and irrigate DCU-supplied instruments and tooth surfaces during dental treatment. Water is supplied to these instruments by a network of interconnected narrow-bore (2-3 mm) plastic tubes called dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). Many studies over the last 40 years demonstrated that DUWL output water is often contaminated with high densities of micro-organisms, predominantly Gram-negative aerobic heterotropic environmental bacteria, including Legionella and Pseudomonas species. Untreated DUWLs host biofilms that permit micro-organisms to multiply and disperse through the water network and which are aerosolized by DCU instrument use, thus exposing patients and staff to these micro-organisms, to fragments of biofilm and bacterial endotoxins. This review concentrates on how practical developments and innovations in specific areas can contribute to effective DUWL biofilm control. These include the use of effective DUWL treatment agents, improvements to DCU supply water quality, DCU design changes, development of automated DUWL treatment procedures that are effective at controlling biofilm in the long-term and require minimal human intervention, are safe for patients and staff, and which do not cause deterioration of DCU components following prolonged use.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: computed tomography assessment after invasive treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozima, Shigeru; Larranaga, Nebil; Wulfson, Gabriela; Eisele, Guillermo; Ridruejo, Ezequiel; Mando, Oscar; Perazzo, Florencia

2008-01-01

Objective: To show the computed tomography (CT) usefulness after treatment with transcatheter arterial quimioembolization and radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Material and methods: In a period between march 2006 to april 2008 a total of 90 patient presenting 148 nodular lesions with diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma were controlled with triphasic CT. All the lesions were treated with minimally invasive procedure. For the treatment, the patients were classified in two groups following Milan criteria. The first group, constituted by 75 patients with 109 nodules, was treated with quimioembolization. The second group, of 15 patients with 25 nodules, was treated with radiofrequency ablation. In our population, a subgroup of 10 patients was treated with both methods. Results: Of 90 patients after CT control on a month, 3 months and for each 3 months during 2 years, on 63 cases (70%) was observed homogeneous accumulation of iodized oil, partial defect without enhancement or absence of enhancement on treated lesions. In these patients a new treatment after initial one was not performed. The remaining 27 patients (30%) underwent new treatment because we founded partial defect or absence of iodized oil with enhancement or peripheral enhancement on arterial phase in treated lesions. In this last group, 16 treated patients (17.7%) had new nodular enhancement on the remaining hepatic parenquimal. Conclusion: The CT unenhanced and the arterial phase on a month and for each 3 months, allow monitoring the effectiveness, residual disease and/or relapse of hepatocellular carcinoma after minimally invasive treatment. (authors) [es

21 CFR 211.22 - Responsibilities of quality control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Responsibilities of quality control unit. 211.22... Personnel § 211.22 Responsibilities of quality control unit. (a) There shall be a quality control unit that... have been fully investigated. The quality control unit shall be responsible for approving or rejecting...

Computer interfacing of the unified systems for personnel supervising in nuclear units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staicu, M.

1997-01-01

The dosimetric supervising of the personnel working in nuclear units is based on the information supplied by: 1) the dosimetric data obtained by the method of thermoluminescence; 2) the dosimetric data obtained by the method of photo dosimetry: 3) the records from medical periodic control. To create a unified system of supervising the following elements were combined: a) an Automatic System of TLD Reading and Data Processing (SACDTL). The data from this system are transmitted 'on line' to the computer; b) the measuring line of the optical density of exposed dosimetric films. The interface achieved within the general ensemble SACDTL could be adapted to this line of measurement. The transmission of the data from the measurement line to the computer is made 'on line'; c) the medical surveillance data for each person transmitted 'off line' to the database computer. The unified system resulting from the unification of the three supervising systems will achieve the following general functions: - registering of the personnel working in the nuclear field; - recording the dosimetric data; - processing and presentation of the data; - issuing of measurement bulletins. Thus, by means of unified database, dosimetric intercomparison and correlative studies can be undertaken. (author)

Demonstration of Intelligent Control and Fan Improvements in Computer Room Air Handlers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coles, Henry [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Greenberg, Steve [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Vita, Corinne [Vigilent, Oakland, CA (United States)

2012-11-30

This report documents a demonstration of the energy-efficiency improvement provided by a new control system for computer room air handling devices. It also analyzes measured and reported air handling device fan power associated with changing the fan type. A 135,000 square foot commercial data center was used for the demonstration. All air handling units were upgraded with improved efficiency fans, and a control system that automatically adjusts the fan speed for the air handling units was added. Power measurements were collected for a baseline and for a period with the fan speed control system active. Changing the fan type resulted in a savings of 47 percent of energy used by the air handling equipment and associated chiller plant energy needed to cool the air handlers themselves. The addition of the fan speed control resulted in an additional 37 percent savings in the same two categories. The combined savings for the two improvements for the same categories was 66 percent compared to the data center fitted with the original fans without a control system. The energy use reduction provided by the complete air handling device improvement program for the whole data center site is estimated to be 2.9 million kilowatt hours per year—an overall data center site savings of 8.0 percent. The reduced electrical energy use at the site provides a 1.9 million pound yearly reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. This demonstration showed that fan upgrades and a control system addition provide cost-effective improvements for data centers, with a payback reported to be under two years without utility incentives. In addition to the control system providing energy savings, the data collection and visual analysis capabilities provided immediate and long-term benefits. It is recommended that data center operators consider investing in fan upgrades and/or adding fan speed control for computer room air handlers.

Unit Testing for Command and Control Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Joshua

2018-01-01

Unit tests were created to evaluate the functionality of a Data Generation and Publication tool for a command and control system. These unit tests are developed to constantly evaluate the tool and ensure it functions properly as the command and control system grows in size and scope. Unit tests are a crucial part of testing any software project and are especially instrumental in the development of a command and control system. They save resources, time and costs associated with testing, and catch issues before they become increasingly difficult and costly. The unit tests produced for the Data Generation and Publication tool to be used in a command and control system assure the users and stakeholders of its functionality and offer assurances which are vital in the launching of spacecraft safely.

The analysis in real time, during the pre-commissioning period, of the overall plant control system of the CANDU NPP unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapu, C.; Irimia, M.

1994-01-01

The physical processes in the CANDU NPP are controlled by a computer system which, based on the associated package of programmes, performs both the monitoring function at the level of the operational area, and the digital regulation function of the technological systems within the NPP. For an optimal operation of the NPP, in dynamic as well as in stationary regime, the correlation of the direct digital control of the technological systems is very important for the NPP's overall digital control system. Taking into account the fact that during the pre-commissioning period of a CANDU unit it is necessary to test in dynamic regime the performance of the overall digital control function of the NPP, a system of verification and testing in real time was developed, by connecting a micro simulator of the physical process in the NPP to the actual computer system of the unit. The paper presents the methods and techniques used, as well as the results of the tests for various operational modes, which highlight the functioning of the digital control system of the CANDU NPP unit. (Author)

Distributed and recoverable digital control system

Science.gov (United States)

Stange, Kent (Inventor); Hess, Richard (Inventor); Kelley, Gerald B (Inventor); Rogers, Randy (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A real-time multi-tasking digital control system with rapid recovery capability is disclosed. The control system includes a plurality of computing units comprising a plurality of redundant processing units, with each of the processing units configured to generate one or more redundant control commands. One or more internal monitors are employed for detecting data errors in the control commands. One or more recovery triggers are provided for initiating rapid recovery of a processing unit if data errors are detected. The control system also includes a plurality of actuator control units each in operative communication with the computing units. The actuator control units are configured to initiate a rapid recovery if data errors are detected in one or more of the processing units. A plurality of smart actuators communicates with the actuator control units, and a plurality of redundant sensors communicates with the computing units.

Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Treatment and Storage Unit Waste Analysis Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PRIGNANO, A.L.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this waste analysis plan (WAP) is to document waste analysis activities associated with the Plutonium Finishing Plant Treatment and Storage Unit (PFP Treatment and Storage Unit) to comply with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-300(1), (2), (4)(a) and (5). The PFP Treatment and Storage Unit is an interim status container management unit for plutonium bearing mixed waste radiologically managed as transuranic (TRU) waste. TRU mixed (TRUM) waste managed at the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit is destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and therefore is not subject to land disposal restrictions [WAC 173-303-140 and 40 CFR 268]. The PFP Treatment and Storage Unit is located in the 200 West Area of the Hanford Facility, Richland Washington (Figure 1). Because dangerous waste does not include source, special nuclear, and by-product material components of mixed waste, radionuclides are not within the scope of this documentation. The information on radionuclides is provided only for general knowledge

Safety Metrics for Human-Computer Controlled Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Leveson, Nancy G; Hatanaka, Iwao

2000-01-01

The rapid growth of computer technology and innovation has played a significant role in the rise of computer automation of human tasks in modem production systems across all industries. Although the rationale for automation has been to eliminate "human error" or to relieve humans from manual repetitive tasks, various computer-related hazards and accidents have emerged as a direct result of increased system complexity attributed to computer automation. The risk assessment techniques utilized for electromechanical systems are not suitable for today's software-intensive systems or complex human-computer controlled systems.This thesis will propose a new systemic model-based framework for analyzing risk in safety-critical systems where both computers and humans are controlling safety-critical functions. A new systems accident model will be developed based upon modem systems theory and human cognitive processes to better characterize system accidents, the role of human operators, and the influence of software in its direct control of significant system functions Better risk assessments will then be achievable through the application of this new framework to complex human-computer controlled systems.

Computer systems for nuclear installation data control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

The computer programs developed by Divisao de Instalacoes Nucleares (DIN) from Brazilian CNEN for data control on nuclear installations in Brazil are presented. The following computer programs are described: control of registered companies, control of industrial sources, irradiators and monitors; control of liable person; control of industry irregularities; for elaborating credence tests; for shielding analysis; control of waste refuge [pt

Computer controlled multi-leaf conformation radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuda, T [Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital (Japan); Inamura, K

1981-10-01

A conformation radiotherapy system with 5-split collimators of which openings can be controlled symmetrically by computerized techniques during rotational irradiation by a linear accelerator has been developed. Outline of the system performance and its clinical applications are described as follows. 1. Profile of the system: The hardware is composed of three parts, namely, the multi-split collimator, the electronic data processor, and the interface between those two parts. 1) The multi-leaf collimator is composed of 5 pairs (10 leaves) diaphragms. It can be mounted to the X-ray head of a linear accelerator when used, and can be dismounted after its use. 2) The electronic data processor sends control signal to the collimator according to the 5-leaf target volume data which can be stored into a minifloppy disc through the curve digitizer previously. This part is composed of a) dedicated micro processor, b) I/O expansion unit, c) color CRT display with key board, d) dual mini-floppy disc unit, e) curve digitizer and f) digital plotter for recording and verification of resulted accuracy. 2. Performance of the system: 1) Maximum field size: 15 cm x 15 cm at isocenter. 2) Maximum elongation ratio of the target volume: 3 : 1 when the longer diameter is 15 cm. 3) Control accuracy: Within +-3 mm deviation from planned beam focus at isocenter. 3. Clinical application: The method of treatment planning and clinical advantages of this irradiation method are explained by raising clinical experiences such as treating brain tumor and rectal cancer.

Computer controlled multi-leaf conformation radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Tadayoshi; Inamura, Kiyonari.

1981-01-01

A conformation radiotherapy system with 5-split collimators of which openings can be controlled symmetrically by computerized techniques during rotational irradiation by a linear accelerator has been developed. Outline of the system performance and its clinical applications are described as follows. 1. Profile of the system: The hardware is composed of three parts, namely, the multi-split collimator, the electronic data processor, and the interface between those two parts. 1) The multi-leaf collimator is composed of 5 pairs (10 leaves) diaphragms. It can be mounted to the X-ray head of a linear accelerator when used, and can be dismounted after its use. 2) The electronic data processor sends control signal to the collimator according to the 5-leaf target volume data which can be stored into a minifloppy disc through the curve digitizer previously. This part is composed of a) dedicated micro processor, b) I/O expansion unit, c) color CRT display with key board, d) dual mini-floppy disc unit, e) curve digitizer and f) digital plotter for recording and verification of resulted accuracy. 2. Performance of the system: 1) Maximum field size: 15 cm x 15 cm at isocenter. 2) Maximum elongation ratio of the target volume: 3 : 1 when the longer diameter is 15 cm. 3) Control accuracy: Within +-3 mm deviation from planned beam focus at isocenter. 3. Clinical application: The method of treatment planning and clinical advantages of this irradiation method are explained by raising clinical experiences such as treating brain tumor and rectal cancer. (author)

Long-term trends in restoration and associated land treatments in the southwestern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Copeland, Stella M.; Munson, Seth M.; Pilliod, David S.; Welty, Justin L.; Bradford, John B.; Butterfield, Bradley J.

2018-01-01

Restoration treatments, such as revegetation with seeding or invasive species removal, have been applied on U.S. public lands for decades. Temporal trends in these management actions have not been extensively summarized previously, particularly in the southwestern United States where invasive plant species, drought, and fire have altered dryland ecosystems. We assessed long-term (1940–2010) trends in restoration using approximately 4,000 vegetation treatments conducted on Bureau of Land Management lands across the southwestern United States. We found that since 1940, the proportions of seeding and vegetation/soil manipulation (e.g. vegetation removal or plowing) treatments have declined, while the proportions of prescribed burn and invasive species treatments have increased. Treatments in pinyon-juniper and big sagebrush communities declined in comparison to treatments in desert scrub, creosote bush, and riparian woodland communities. Restoration-focused treatment objectives increased relative to resource extraction objectives. Species richness and proportion of native species used in seeding treatments also increased. Inflation-adjusted costs per area rose 750% for vegetation/soil manipulation, 600% for seeding, and 400% for prescribed burn treatments in the decades from 1981 to 2010. Seeding treatments were implemented in warmer and drier years when compared to the climate conditions of the entire study period and warmer and wetter years relative to several years before and after the treatment. These results suggest that treatments over a 70-year period on public lands in the southwestern United States are shifting toward restoration practices that are increasingly large, expensive, and related to fire and invasive species control.

Tally and geometry definition influence on the computing time in radiotherapy treatment planning with MCNP Monte Carlo code.

Science.gov (United States)

Juste, B; Miro, R; Gallardo, S; Santos, A; Verdu, G

2006-01-01

The present work has simulated the photon and electron transport in a Theratron 780 (MDS Nordion) (60)Co radiotherapy unit, using the Monte Carlo transport code, MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle), version 5. In order to become computationally more efficient in view of taking part in the practical field of radiotherapy treatment planning, this work is focused mainly on the analysis of dose results and on the required computing time of different tallies applied in the model to speed up calculations.

Controlling Laboratory Processes From A Personal Computer

Science.gov (United States)

Will, H.; Mackin, M. A.

1991-01-01

Computer program provides natural-language process control from IBM PC or compatible computer. Sets up process-control system that either runs without operator or run by workers who have limited programming skills. Includes three smaller programs. Two of them, written in FORTRAN 77, record data and control research processes. Third program, written in Pascal, generates FORTRAN subroutines used by other two programs to identify user commands with device-driving routines written by user. Also includes set of input data allowing user to define user commands to be executed by computer. Requires personal computer operating under MS-DOS with suitable hardware interfaces to all controlled devices. Also requires FORTRAN 77 compiler and device drivers written by user.

Control of norovirus outbreak on a pediatric oncology unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheahan, Anna; Copeland, Gretchen; Richardson, Lauren; McKay, Shelley; Chou, Alexander; Babady, N Esther; Tang, Yi-Wei; Boulad, Farid; Eagan, Janet; Sepkowitz, Kent; Kamboj, Mini

2015-10-01

Patients undergoing treatment for cancer with chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell recipients are at risk for severe morbidity caused by norovirus (NV). We describe a NV outbreak on the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's pediatric oncology unit. Stool testing for diagnosis of NV was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twelve NV cases occurred; 7 were hospital acquired. Twenty-five health care workers reported NV compatible illness. Patient-to-patient transmission occurred once. The practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were supplemented with electronic surveillance, surrogate screening for NV, and heightened cleaning. Two additional cases occurred after implementation of interventions. Long-term shedding was detected in 2 patients. We describe interventions for controlling NV on a pediatric oncology unit. High-risk chronic shedders pose ongoing transmission risks. PCR is a valuable diagnostic tool but may be overly sensitive. Surrogate markers to assess NV burden in stool and studies on NV screening are needed to develop guidelines for high-risk chronic shedders. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micro-computer control for super-critical He generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamada, Noriharu; Sekine, Takehiro; Tomiyama, Sakutaro

1979-01-01

The development of a large scale refrigeration system is being stimulated by new superconducting techniques representated by a superconducting power cable and a magnet. For the practical operation of such a large system, an automatic control system with a computer is required, because it can attain an effective and systematic operation. For this reason, we examined and developed micro-computer control techniques for supercritical He generation, as a simplified control model of the refrigeration system. The experimental results showed that the computer control system can attain fine controlability, even if the control element is only one magnetic valve, but a BASIK program language of micro-computer, which is convinient and generaly used, isn't enough one to control a more complicated system, because of its low calculating speed. Then we conclude that a more effective program language for micro-computer must be developed to realize practical refrigeration control. (author)

Beyond Ebola treatment units: severe infection temporary treatment units as an essential element of Ebola case management during an outbreak.

Science.gov (United States)

Janke, Christian; Heim, Katrin Moira; Steiner, Florian; Massaquoi, Moses; Gbanya, Miatta Zenabu; Frey, Claudia; Froeschl, Guenter

2017-02-06

In the course of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that was witnessed since early 2014, the response mechanisms showed deficits in terms of timeliness, volume and adequacy. The authors were deployed in the Ebola campaign in the West African country Liberia, where by September 2014 the changing epidemiological pattern made reconsiderations of guidelines and adopted procedures necessary. A temporary facility set up as a conventional Ebola Treatment Unit in the Liberian capital Monrovia was re-dedicated into a Severe Infections Temporary Treatment Unit. This facility allowed for stratification based on the nosocomial risk of exposure to Ebola virus for a growing subgroup of admitted patients that in the end would turn out as Ebola negative cases. At the same time, adequate diagnostic measures and treatment for the non-Ebola conditions of these patients could be provided without compromising work safety of the employed staff. The key elements of the new unit comprised a Suspect Cases Area similar to that of conventional Ebola treatment units for newly arriving patients, an Unlikely Cases Area for patients with a first negative Ebola PCR result, and a Confirmed Negative Cases Area for patients in whom Ebola could be ruled out. The authors, comprising representatives of the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, as well as infectious disease specialists from the German Ebola Task Force are presenting key features of the adapted concept, and are highlighting its relevance in raising acceptance for outbreak counter-measures within the population at stake.

Passivity-Based Control for a Micro Air Vehicle Using Unit Quaternions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Eusebia Guerrero-Sanchez

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper the development and practical implementation of a Passivity-Based Control (PBC algorithm to stabilize an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV described with unit quaternions are presented. First, a mathematical model based on Euler-Lagrange formulation using a logarithmic mapping in the quaternion space is introduced. Then, a new methodology: a quaternion-passivity-based control is derived, which does not compute excessive and complex Partial Differential Equations (PDEs for synthesizing the control law, making a significant advantage in comparison with other methodologies. Therefore, the control design to a system as the quad-rotor is easily solved by the proposed methodology. Another advantage is the possibility to stabilize quad-rotor full dynamics which may not be possible with classical PBC techniques. Experimental results and numerical simulations to validate our proposed scheme are presented.

Experience in the treatment of IMRT in prostate cancer. Planning, dosimetry and quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Barrado, A.; Garcia Vicente, F.; Fernandez Bedoya, V.; Bermudez Luna, R.; Perez Gonzalez, L.; Torres Escobar, J. J.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to review the treatment of prostate cancer at our center. A description of the entire procedure, involving clinical dosimetry, and procedures for verification of treatment, including physical dosimetry and parallel computing system MSure (Standard Imaging, Inc., Middleton) as part of these procedures. This system is based on the model published by trifuente Yang et al. (Yang et al. 2002) for testing treatments regarding the number of monitor unit (MU) given. In addition, this software has a module for the testing of treatments for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which will be analyzed in this study.

[Supportive amblyopia treatment by means of computer games with background stimulation; a placebo controlled pilot study of 10 days].

Science.gov (United States)

Kämpf, U; Muchamedjarow, F; Seiler, T

2001-04-01

Computer programmes for visual stimulation may give new impulses to the field of amblyopia treatment by offering an option to shift the apparative visual training into the domestic sphere. Regarding this aspect we report on a placebo controlled study on a newly developed vision training consisting of a background stimulation by a drifting sinusoidal grating combined with a foreground game aimed to maintain the attention. Fourteen amblyopia patients aged from 6 to 13 years participated in the study. Seven were allocated to a placebo and seven to a treatment group. Both groups had to train at the computer for a period of 10 working days by two sessions of about 20 minutes daily. Whilst the placebo group played in front of a neutral background, the treatment group did this with a drifting sinusoidal grating in the background. The treatment condition resulted in a greater increase of visual acuity than the placebo condition. Near vision improved in the treatment group from 0.20 (SD +/- 4.51 steps) to 0.39 (SD +/- 3.06 steps), i.e. by 3.0 steps of visual acuity (SD +/- 1.8 steps), in the placebo group from 0.14 (SD +/- 6.02 steps) to 0.17 (SD +/- 5.85 steps), i.e. by 0.8 steps of visual acuity (SD +/- 1.6 steps). Far vision improved in the treatment group from 0.29 (SD +/- 2.57 steps) to 0.44 (SD +/- 3.16 steps), i.e. by 1.9 steps of visual acuity (SD +/- 1.3 steps), in the placebo group from 0.24 (SD +/- 5.20 steps) to 0.28 (SD +/- 5.51 steps), i.e. by 0.7 steps of visual acuity (SD +/- 1.1 steps). Stimulation with drifting sinusoidal gratings improves the visual acuity of amblyopic eyes in a specific way. The effect might be accounted for by a synergy of spatial and temporal frequency in form vs. motion channels. A preliminary hypothesis is discussed and will be the subject of ongoing research. The presented method has been developed for the treatment of "delayed" amblyopia in the elder child. It is aimed to support and complement occlusion therapy. However, the

Performance characterization of megavoltage computed tomography imaging on a helical tomotherapy unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meeks, Sanford L.; Harmon, Joseph F. Jr.; Langen, Katja M.; Willoughby, Twyla R.; Wagner, Thomas H.; Kupelian, Patrick A.

2005-01-01

Helical tomotherapy is an innovative means of delivering IGRT and IMRT using a device that combines features of a linear accelerator and a helical computed tomography (CT) scanner. The HI-ART II can generate CT images from the same megavoltage x-ray beam it uses for treatment. These megavoltage CT (MVCT) images offer verification of the patient position prior to and potentially during radiation therapy. Since the unit uses the actual treatment beam as the x-ray source for image acquisition, no surrogate telemetry systems are required to register image space to treatment space. The disadvantage to using the treatment beam for imaging, however, is that the physics of radiation interactions in the megavoltage energy range may force compromises between the dose delivered and the image quality in comparison to diagnostic CT scanners. The performance of the system is therefore characterized in terms of objective measures of noise, uniformity, contrast, and spatial resolution as a function of the dose delivered by the MVCT beam. The uniformity and spatial resolutions of MVCT images generated by the HI-ART II are comparable to that of diagnostic CT images. Furthermore, the MVCT scan contrast is linear with respect to the electron density of material imaged. MVCT images do not have the same performance characteristics as state-of-the art diagnostic CT scanners when one objectively examines noise and low-contrast resolution. These inferior results may be explained, at least partially, by the low doses delivered by our unit; the dose is 1.1 cGy in a 20 cm diameter cylindrical phantom. In spite of the poorer low-contrast resolution, these relatively low-dose MVCT scans provide sufficient contrast to delineate many soft-tissue structures. Hence, these images are useful not only for verifying the patient's position at the time of therapy, but they are also sufficient for delineating many anatomic structures. In conjunction with the ability to recalculate radiotherapy doses on

Computer controlled quality of analytical measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, J.P.; Huff, G.A.

1979-01-01

A PDP 11/35 computer system is used in evaluating analytical chemistry measurements quality control data at the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant. This computerized measurement quality control system has several features which are not available in manual systems, such as real-time measurement control, computer calculated bias corrections and standard deviation estimates, surveillance applications, evaluaton of measurement system variables, records storage, immediate analyst recertificaton, and the elimination of routine analysis of known bench standards. The effectiveness of the Barnwell computer system has been demonstrated in gathering and assimilating the measurements of over 1100 quality control samples obtained during a recent plant demonstration run. These data were used to determine equaitons for predicting measurement reliability estimates (bias and precision); to evaluate the measurement system; and to provide direction for modification of chemistry methods. The analytical chemistry measurement quality control activities represented 10% of the total analytical chemistry effort

Software architecture for a multi-purpose real-time control unit for research purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Epple, S.; Jung, R.; Jalba, K.; Nasui, V.

2017-05-01

A new, freely programmable, scalable control system for academic research purposes was developed. The intention was, to have a control unit capable of handling multiple PT1000 temperature sensors at reasonable accuracy and temperature range, as well as digital input signals and providing powerful output signals. To take full advantage of the system, control-loops are run in real time. The whole eight bit system with very limited memory runs independently of a personal computer. The two on board RS232 connectors allow to connect further units or to connect other equipment, as required in real time. This paper describes the software architecture for the third prototype that now provides stable measurements and an improvement in accuracy compared to the previous designs. As test case a thermal solar system to produce hot tap water and assist heating in a single-family house was implemented. The solar fluid pump was power-controlled and several temperatures at different points in the hydraulic system were measured and used in the control algorithms. The software architecture proved suitable to test several different control strategies and their corresponding algorithms for the thermal solar system.

System for multiprogram control of a specialized computer for geophysical investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gol'bek, G.R.; Grachev, E.M.; Kirillova, B.F.; Veksler, B.E.

1973-01-01

The paper describes the microprogrammed control device of a specialized computer for solving problems of the cyclical type (especially those involving a system of linear algebraic equations) in which the functions of an instruction storage unit are distributed between an address directory and an operational group switch. This made it possible to combine in a single instruction a group of elementary operations over a few numbers and eventually led to a simplification of the operational logic of the device. (author)

Safety analysis of control rod drive computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrenberger, W.; Rauch, G.; Schmeil, U.; Maertz, J.; Mainka, E.U.; Nordland, O.; Gloee, G.

1985-01-01

The analysis of the most significant user programmes revealed no errors in these programmes. The evaluation of approximately 82 cumulated years of operation demonstrated that the operating system of the control rod positioning processor has a reliability that is sufficiently good for the tasks this computer has to fulfil. Computers can be used for safety relevant tasks. The experience gained with the control rod positioning processor confirms that computers are not less reliable than conventional instrumentation and control system for comparable tasks. The examination and evaluation of computers for safety relevant tasks can be done with programme analysis or statistical evaluation of the operating experience. Programme analysis is recommended for seldom used and well structured programmes. For programmes with a long, cumulated operating time a statistical evaluation is more advisable. The effort for examination and evaluation is not greater than the corresponding effort for conventional instrumentation and control systems. This project has also revealed that, where it is technologically sensible, process controlling computers or microprocessors can be qualified for safety relevant tasks without undue effort. (orig./HP) [de

Design parameters for waste effluent treatment unit from beverages production

OpenAIRE

Mona A. Abdel-Fatah; H.O. Sherif; S.I. Hawash

2017-01-01

Based on a successful experimental result from laboratory and bench scale for treatment of wastewater from beverages industry, an industrial and efficient treatment unit is designed and constructed. The broad goal of this study was to design and construct effluent, cost effective and high quality treatment unit. The used technology is the activated sludge process of extended aeration type followed by rapid sand filters and chlorination as tertiary treatment. Experimental results have been con...

A Computer Controlled Precision High Pressure Measuring System

Science.gov (United States)

Sadana, S.; Yadav, S.; Jha, N.; Gupta, V. K.; Agarwal, R.; Bandyopadhyay, A. K.; Saxena, T. K.

2011-01-01

A microcontroller (AT89C51) based electronics has been designed and developed for high precision calibrator based on Digiquartz pressure transducer (DQPT) for the measurement of high hydrostatic pressure up to 275 MPa. The input signal from DQPT is converted into a square wave form and multiplied through frequency multiplier circuit over 10 times to input frequency. This input frequency is multiplied by a factor of ten using phased lock loop. Octal buffer is used to store the calculated frequency, which in turn is fed to microcontroller AT89C51 interfaced with a liquid crystal display for the display of frequency as well as corresponding pressure in user friendly units. The electronics developed is interfaced with a computer using RS232 for automatic data acquisition, computation and storage. The data is acquired by programming in Visual Basic 6.0. This system is interfaced with the PC to make it a computer controlled system. The system is capable of measuring the frequency up to 4 MHz with a resolution of 0.01 Hz and the pressure up to 275 MPa with a resolution of 0.001 MPa within measurement uncertainty of 0.025%. The details on the hardware of the pressure measuring system, associated electronics, software and calibration are discussed in this paper.

ASTEC: Controls analysis for personal computers

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, John P.; Bauer, Frank H.; Thorpe, Christopher J.

1989-01-01

The ASTEC (Analysis and Simulation Tools for Engineering Controls) software is under development at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The design goal is to provide a wide selection of controls analysis tools at the personal computer level, as well as the capability to upload compute-intensive jobs to a mainframe or supercomputer. The project is a follow-on to the INCA (INteractive Controls Analysis) program that has been developed at GSFC over the past five years. While ASTEC makes use of the algorithms and expertise developed for the INCA program, the user interface was redesigned to take advantage of the capabilities of the personal computer. The design philosophy and the current capabilities of the ASTEC software are described.

Computer-aided design system for a complex of problems on calculation and analysis of engineering and economical indexes of NPP power units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanov, V.I.; Koryagin, A.V.; Ruzankov, V.N.

1988-01-01

Computer-aided design system for a complex of problems concerning calculation and analysis of engineering and economical indices of NPP power units is described. In the system there are means for automated preparation and debugging of data base software complex, which realizes th plotted algorithm in the power unit control system. Besides, in the system there are devices for automated preparation and registration of technical documentation

Toward a web-based real-time radiation treatment planning system in a cloud computing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Na, Yong Hum; Suh, Tae-Suk; Kapp, Daniel S; Xing, Lei

2013-09-21

To exploit the potential dosimetric advantages of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), an in-depth approach is required to provide efficient computing methods. This needs to incorporate clinically related organ specific constraints, Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations, and large-scale plan optimization. This paper describes our first steps toward a web-based real-time radiation treatment planning system in a cloud computing environment (CCE). The Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) with a master node (named m2.xlarge containing 17.1 GB of memory, two virtual cores with 3.25 EC2 Compute Units each, 420 GB of instance storage, 64-bit platform) is used as the backbone of cloud computing for dose calculation and plan optimization. The master node is able to scale the workers on an 'on-demand' basis. MC dose calculation is employed to generate accurate beamlet dose kernels by parallel tasks. The intensity modulation optimization uses total-variation regularization (TVR) and generates piecewise constant fluence maps for each initial beam direction in a distributed manner over the CCE. The optimized fluence maps are segmented into deliverable apertures. The shape of each aperture is iteratively rectified to be a sequence of arcs using the manufacture's constraints. The output plan file from the EC2 is sent to the simple storage service. Three de-identified clinical cancer treatment plans have been studied for evaluating the performance of the new planning platform with 6 MV flattening filter free beams (40 × 40 cm(2)) from the Varian TrueBeam(TM) STx linear accelerator. A CCE leads to speed-ups of up to 14-fold for both dose kernel calculations and plan optimizations in the head and neck, lung, and prostate cancer cases considered in this study. The proposed system relies on a CCE that is able to provide an infrastructure for parallel and distributed computing. The resultant plans from the cloud computing are

Toward a web-based real-time radiation treatment planning system in a cloud computing environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Yong Hum; Kapp, Daniel S; Xing, Lei; Suh, Tae-Suk

2013-01-01

To exploit the potential dosimetric advantages of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), an in-depth approach is required to provide efficient computing methods. This needs to incorporate clinically related organ specific constraints, Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations, and large-scale plan optimization. This paper describes our first steps toward a web-based real-time radiation treatment planning system in a cloud computing environment (CCE). The Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) with a master node (named m2.xlarge containing 17.1 GB of memory, two virtual cores with 3.25 EC2 Compute Units each, 420 GB of instance storage, 64-bit platform) is used as the backbone of cloud computing for dose calculation and plan optimization. The master node is able to scale the workers on an ‘on-demand’ basis. MC dose calculation is employed to generate accurate beamlet dose kernels by parallel tasks. The intensity modulation optimization uses total-variation regularization (TVR) and generates piecewise constant fluence maps for each initial beam direction in a distributed manner over the CCE. The optimized fluence maps are segmented into deliverable apertures. The shape of each aperture is iteratively rectified to be a sequence of arcs using the manufacture’s constraints. The output plan file from the EC2 is sent to the simple storage service. Three de-identified clinical cancer treatment plans have been studied for evaluating the performance of the new planning platform with 6 MV flattening filter free beams (40 × 40 cm 2 ) from the Varian TrueBeam TM STx linear accelerator. A CCE leads to speed-ups of up to 14-fold for both dose kernel calculations and plan optimizations in the head and neck, lung, and prostate cancer cases considered in this study. The proposed system relies on a CCE that is able to provide an infrastructure for parallel and distributed computing. The resultant plans from the cloud computing are

21 CFR 870.4300 - Cardiopulmonary bypass gas control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass gas control unit. 870.4300... bypass gas control unit. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass gas control unit is a device used to control and measure the flow of gas into the oxygenator. The device is calibrated for a specific...

Process Control of Pre-Sowing Seed Treatment by Pulsed Electric Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Starodubtseva Galina Petrovna

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Presented paper investigates the application of a line voltage changer to an installation for pre-sowing seed treatment by pulsed electric field (PEF in order to increase the sowing quality of seeds and to suppress pathogenic microflora. The installation comprises an AC voltage regulator, a high voltage source, a voltage inverter, a working chamber for seed treatment, a control unit, and current and voltage sensors. The proposed installation differs from the existing apparatuses as it automatically provides the transformation of the pulsed electric field parameters by constant monitoring of power processes in a layer of treated seeds and feedback sending to the control unit. Seed treatment efficiency depends on the dose being determined by the parameters of electric field, namely, intensity in the seed layer, pulse duration, pulse repetition frequency, and seed treatment time. The parameters of rational treatment were determined, and the minimum treatment dose was calculated on the basis of results from the laboratory tests on the effect of pulsed electric field on sowing qualities of winter wheat seeds. It was experimentally confirmed that the proposed installation provides automatic transformation of electric field parameters depending on the changes taking place in the seed layer on the example of seeds with different moisture content maintaining the necessary treatment dose, ensuring the stability and repeatability of results.

Future Communication, Computing, Control and Management Volume 1

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

This volume contains revised and extended research articles written by prominent researchers participating in the ICF4C 2011 conference. 2011 International Conference on Future Communication, Computing, Control and Management (ICF4C 2011) has been held on December 16-17, 2011, Phuket, Thailand. Topics covered include intelligent computing, network management, wireless networks, telecommunication, power engineering, control engineering, Signal and Image Processing, Machine Learning, Control Systems and Applications, The book will offer the states of arts of tremendous advances in Computing, Communication, Control, and Management and also serve as an excellent reference work for researchers and graduate students working on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management Research.

Future Communication, Computing, Control and Management Volume 2

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

This volume contains revised and extended research articles written by prominent researchers participating in the ICF4C 2011 conference. 2011 International Conference on Future Communication, Computing, Control and Management (ICF4C 2011) has been held on December 16-17, 2011, Phuket, Thailand. Topics covered include intelligent computing, network management, wireless networks, telecommunication, power engineering, control engineering, Signal and Image Processing, Machine Learning, Control Systems and Applications, The book will offer the states of arts of tremendous advances in Computing, Communication, Control, and Management and also serve as an excellent reference work for researchers and graduate students working on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management Research.

Future Computing, Communication, Control and Management Volume 2

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

This volume contains revised and extended research articles written by prominent researchers participating in the ICF4C 2011 conference. 2011 International Conference on Future Communication, Computing, Control and Management (ICF4C 2011) has been held on December 16-17, 2011, Phuket, Thailand. Topics covered include intelligent computing, network management, wireless networks, telecommunication, power engineering, control engineering, Signal and Image Processing, Machine Learning, Control Systems and Applications, The book will offer the states of arts of tremendous advances in Computing, Communication, Control, and Management and also serve as an excellent reference work for researchers and graduate students working on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management Research.

Dynamic optimization of CELSS crop photosynthetic rate by computer-assisted feedback control

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, C.; Mitchell, C. A.

1997-01-01

A procedure for dynamic optimization of net photosynthetic rate (Pn) for crop production in Controlled Ecological Life-Support Systems (CELSS) was developed using leaf lettuce as a model crop. Canopy Pn was measured in real time and fed back for environmental control. Setpoints of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) and CO_2 concentration for each hour of the crop-growth cycle were decided by computer to reach a targeted Pn each day. Decision making was based on empirical mathematical models combined with rule sets developed from recent experimental data. Comparisons showed that dynamic control resulted in better yield per unit energy input to the growth system than did static control. With comparable productivity parameters and potential for significant energy savings, dynamic control strategies will contribute greatly to the sustainability of space-deployed CELSS.

Computer-aided control of high-quality cast iron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The study discusses the possibility of control of the high-quality grey cast iron and ductile iron using the author’s genuine computer programs. The programs have been developed with the help of algorithms based on statistical relationships that are said to exist between the characteristic parameters of DTA curves and properties, like Rp0,2, Rm, A5 and HB. It has been proved that the spheroidisation and inoculation treatment of cast iron changes in an important way the characteristic parameters of DTA curves, thus enabling a control of these operations as regards their correctness and effectiveness, along with the related changes in microstructure and mechanical properties of cast iron. Moreover, some examples of statistical relationships existing between the typical properties of ductile iron and its control process were given for cases of the melts consistent and inconsistent with the adopted technology.A test stand for control of the high-quality cast iron and respective melts has been schematically depicted.

Computer-aided and predictive models for design of controlled release of pesticides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suné, Nuria Muro; Gani, Rafiqul

2004-01-01

In the field of pesticide controlled release technology, a computer based model that can predict the delivery of the Active Ingredient (AI) from fabricated units is important for purposes of product design and marketing. A model for the release of an M from a microcapsule device is presented...... in this paper, together with a specific case study application to highlight its scope and significance. The paper also addresses the need for predictive models and proposes a computer aided modelling framework for achieving it through the development and introduction of reliable and predictive constitutive...... models. A group-contribution based model for one of the constitutive variables (AI solubility in polymers) is presented together with examples of application and validation....

MILA Antenna Control Unit Replacement Project

Science.gov (United States)

Bresette, Jeremy

2007-01-01

The Air to Ground Subsystem (AGS) Antenna Control Units at the MILA Ground Network Tracking Station are at end-of-life and are being replaced. AGS consists of two antennas at MILA (Quad-Helix and Teltrac). Software was taken from the existing Subsystem Controller and modified for the Antenna Control Unit (ACU). The software is capable of receiving and sending commands to and from the ACU. Moving the azimuth clockwise, counterclockwise, moving the elevation up or down, turning servo power on and off, and inputting azimuth and elevation angles are commands that the antenna can receive.

The Dark Side of Computer-Mediated Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cunha, J. V.; Carugati, Andrea; Leclercq, A.

2015-01-01

of computer-mediated control when work and its electronic representation are loosely coupled, because it is employees who report their work in IT systems. Data from a 15-month ethnographic study of the appropriation of a customer relationship management system in the sales department of a large organization......Research on the dark side of computer-mediated control has explained the consequences of computer-mediated control when work is tightly coupled with its electronic representation because information systems record work automatically. Our study complements prior research by addressing the dark side...

Advances in Future Computer and Control Systems v.1

CERN Document Server

Lin, Sally; 2012 International Conference on Future Computer and Control Systems(FCCS2012)

2012-01-01

FCCS2012 is an integrated conference concentrating its focus on Future Computer and Control Systems. “Advances in Future Computer and Control Systems” presents the proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Future Computer and Control Systems(FCCS2012) held April 21-22,2012, in Changsha, China including recent research results on Future Computer and Control Systems of researchers from all around the world.

Advances in Future Computer and Control Systems v.2

CERN Document Server

Lin, Sally; 2012 International Conference on Future Computer and Control Systems(FCCS2012)

2012-01-01

FCCS2012 is an integrated conference concentrating its focus on Future Computer and Control Systems. “Advances in Future Computer and Control Systems” presents the proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Future Computer and Control Systems(FCCS2012) held April 21-22,2012, in Changsha, China including recent research results on Future Computer and Control Systems of researchers from all around the world.

Design concepts and experience in the application of distributed computing to the control of large CEGB power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, J.N.

1980-01-01

With the ever increasing price of fossil fuels it became obvious during the 1970's that Pembroke Power Station (4 x 500MW oil fired) and Didcot Power Station (4 x 500MW coal fired) were going to operate flexibly with many units two-shifting frequently. The region was also expecting to refurbish nuclear plant in the 1980's. Based on previous experience with mini-computers, the region initiated a research/development programme aimed at refitting Pembroke and Didcot using distrubuted computer techniques that were also broadly applicable to nuclear plant. Major schemes have now been implemented at Pembroke and Didcot for plant condition monitoring, control and display. All computers on two units at each station are now functional with a third unit currently being set to work. This paper aims to outline the generic technical aspects of these schemes, describe the implementation strategy adopted and develop some thoughts on nuclear power plant applications. (auth)

Method and system for redundancy management of distributed and recoverable digital control system

Science.gov (United States)

Stange, Kent (Inventor); Hess, Richard (Inventor); Kelley, Gerald B (Inventor); Rogers, Randy (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A method and system for redundancy management is provided for a distributed and recoverable digital control system. The method uses unique redundancy management techniques to achieve recovery and restoration of redundant elements to full operation in an asynchronous environment. The system includes a first computing unit comprising a pair of redundant computational lanes for generating redundant control commands. One or more internal monitors detect data errors in the control commands, and provide a recovery trigger to the first computing unit. A second redundant computing unit provides the same features as the first computing unit. A first actuator control unit is configured to provide blending and monitoring of the control commands from the first and second computing units, and to provide a recovery trigger to each of the first and second computing units. A second actuator control unit provides the same features as the first actuator control unit.

Effects of lyric analysis interventions on treatment motivation in patients on a detoxification unit: a randomized effectiveness study.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Michael J

2015-01-01

Treatment motivation is a key component in the early rehabilitative stages for people with substance use disorders. To date, no music therapy researcher has studied how lyric analysis interventions might affect motivation in a randomized controlled design. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lyric analysis interventions on treatment motivation in patients on a detoxification unit using a single-session wait-list control design. A secondary purpose was to determine if there were between-group differences concerning two contrasting songs used for the lyric analyses. Participants (N=104) were cluster randomized to a group lyric analysis condition or a wait-list control condition. Participants received either a "Hurt" or a "How to Save a Life" lyric analysis treatment. The Texas Christian University Treatment Motivation Scale-Client Evaluation of Self at Intake (CESI) (Simpson, 2008[2005]) was used to measure aspects of treatment motivation: problem recognition, desire for help, treatment readiness, pressures for treatment, and total motivation. Results indicated significant between-group differences in measures of problem recognition, desire for help, treatment readiness, and total motivation, with experimental participants having higher treatment motivation means than control participants. There was no difference between the two lyric analysis interventions. Although the song used for lyric analysis interventions did not affect outcome, a single group-based music therapy lyric analysis session can be an effective psychosocial treatment intervention to enhance treatment motivation in patients on a detoxification unit. Limitations, implications for clinical practice, and suggestions for future research are provided. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

14 CFR 25.1142 - Auxiliary power unit controls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Auxiliary power unit controls. 25.1142... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 25.1142 Auxiliary power unit controls. Means must be provided on the flight deck for starting...

14 CFR 29.1142 - Auxiliary power unit controls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Auxiliary power unit controls. 29.1142... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 29.1142 Auxiliary power unit controls. Means must be provided on the flight deck for starting...

Computational aspects of linear control

CERN Document Server

2002-01-01

Many devices (we say dynamical systems or simply systems) behave like black boxes: they receive an input, this input is transformed following some laws (usually a differential equation) and an output is observed. The problem is to regulate the input in order to control the output, that is for obtaining a desired output. Such a mechanism, where the input is modified according to the output measured, is called feedback. The study and design of such automatic processes is called control theory. As we will see, the term system embraces any device and control theory has a wide variety of applications in the real world. Control theory is an interdisci­ plinary domain at the junction of differential and difference equations, system theory and statistics. Moreover, the solution of a control problem involves many topics of numerical analysis and leads to many interesting computational problems: linear algebra (QR, SVD, projections, Schur complement, structured matrices, localization of eigenvalues, computation of the...

The Effects of Aromatherapy on Intensive Care Unit Patients' Stress and Sleep Quality: A Nonrandomised Controlled Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Eun Hee; Lee, Mi-Young

2017-01-01

Background Stress has both physiological and psychological effects and can negatively impact patients' treatment and recovery. We examined whether the aromatherapy alleviated patients' stress and improved their sleep quality and provided data that can be utilized in clinical settings. Methods This was a nonrandomised controlled experimental study. Participants included lucid adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit and had spent more than two nights there. The experimental treatment required participants to engage in deep breathing with essential oils as part of the aromatherapy. The control group was instructed to go to sleep without receiving the lavender aroma oil. Results The experimental group and control group showed a significant difference in perceived stress (F = 60.11, p aromatherapy alleviated stress and improved sleep quality in intensive care unit patients after 2 days of the experimental treatment. These results demonstrate that aromatherapy affects stress and sleep quality, thus indicating its value in nursing interventions. This trial is registered with KCT0002344. PMID:29375641

A History of Computer Numerical Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Haggen, Gilbert L.

Computer numerical control (CNC) has evolved from the first significant counting method--the abacus. Babbage had perhaps the greatest impact on the development of modern day computers with his analytical engine. Hollerith's functioning machine with punched cards was used in tabulating the 1890 U.S. Census. In order for computers to become a…

Feedback Linearization Control of a Shunt Active Power Filter Using a Fuzzy Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianhua Li

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel feedback linearization based sliding mode controlled parallel active power filter using a fuzzy controller is presented in a three-phase three-wire grid. A feedback linearization control with fuzzy parameter self-tuning is used to implement the DC side voltage regulation while a novel integral sliding mode controller is applied to reduce the total harmonic distortion of the supply current. Since traditional unit synchronous sinusoidal signal calculation methods are not applicable when the supply voltage contains harmonics, a novel unit synchronous sinusoidal signal computing method based on synchronous frame transforming theory is presented to overcome this disadvantage. The simulation results verify that the DC side voltage is very stable for the given value and responds quickly to the external disturbance. A comparison is also made to show the advantages of the novel unit sinusoidal signal calculating method and the super harmonic treatment property of the designed active power filter.

Pivoting output unit control systems activated by jacks. [for controlling aircraft flaps

Science.gov (United States)

Belliere, P.

1978-01-01

An invention to be used for controlling aircraft flaps is described. It is applicable to control systems with two coaxial output units which pivot simultaneously with respect to two fixed units and which are activated by two opposed, straight coaxial jacks.

Integrated Waste Treatment Unit GFSI Risk Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

W. A. Owca

2007-01-01

This GFSI Risk Management Plan (RMP) describes the strategy for assessing and managing project risks for the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) that are specifically within the control and purview of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and identifies the risks that formed the basis for the DOE contingency included in the performance baseline. DOE-held contingency is required to cover cost and schedule impacts of DOE activities. Prior to approval of the performance baseline (Critical Decision-2) project cost contingency was evaluated during a joint meeting of the Contractor Management Team and the Integrated Project Team for both contractor and DOE risks to schedule and cost. At that time, the contractor cost and schedule risk value was $41.3M and the DOE cost and schedule risk contingency value is $39.0M. The contractor cost and schedule risk value of $41.3M was retained in the performance baseline as the contractor's management reserve for risk contingency. The DOE cost and schedule risk value of $39.0M has been retained in the performance baseline as the DOE Contingency. The performance baseline for the project was approved in December 2006 (Garman 2006). The project will continue to manage to the performance baseline and change control thresholds identified in PLN-1963, ''Idaho Cleanup Project Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Project Execution Plan'' (PEP)

The PAMELA storage and control unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casolino, M.; Altamura, F.; Basili, A.; De Pascale, M.P.; Minori, M.; Nagni, M.; Picozza, P.; Sparvoli, R.; Adriani, O.; Papini, P.; Spillantini, P.; Castellini, G.; Boezio, M.

2007-01-01

The PAMELA Storage and Control Unit (PSCU) comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a Mass Memory (MM). The CPU of the experiment is based on a ERC-32 architecture (a SPARC v7 implementation) running a real time operating system (RTEMS). The main purpose of the CPU is to handle slow control, acquisition and store data on a 2 GB MM. Communications between PAMELA and the satellite are done via a 1553B bus. Data acquisition from the sub-detectors is performed via a 2 MB/s interface. Download from the PAMELA MM towards the satellite main storage unit is handled by a 16 MB/s bus. The maximum daily amount of data transmitted to ground is about 20 GB

The PAMELA storage and control unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casolino, M. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy)]. E-mail: Marco.Casolino@roma2.infn.it; Altamura, F. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Basili, A. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); De Pascale, M.P. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Minori, M. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Nagni, M. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Picozza, P. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Sparvoli, R. [INFN, Structure of Rome II, Physics Department, University of Rome II ' Tor Vergata' , I-00133 Rome (Italy); Adriani, O. [INFN, Structure of Florence, Physics Department, University of Florence, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Papini, P. [INFN, Structure of Florence, Physics Department, University of Florence, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Spillantini, P. [INFN, Structure of Florence, Physics Department, University of Florence, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Castellini, G. [CNR-Istituto di Fisica Applicata ' Nello Carrara' , I-50127 Florence (Italy); Boezio, M. [INFN, Structure of Trieste, Physics Department, University of Trieste, I-34147 Trieste (Italy)

2007-03-01

The PAMELA Storage and Control Unit (PSCU) comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a Mass Memory (MM). The CPU of the experiment is based on a ERC-32 architecture (a SPARC v7 implementation) running a real time operating system (RTEMS). The main purpose of the CPU is to handle slow control, acquisition and store data on a 2 GB MM. Communications between PAMELA and the satellite are done via a 1553B bus. Data acquisition from the sub-detectors is performed via a 2 MB/s interface. Download from the PAMELA MM towards the satellite main storage unit is handled by a 16 MB/s bus. The maximum daily amount of data transmitted to ground is about 20 GB.

Plutonium Finishing Plant Treatment and Storage Unit Dangerous Waste Training Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ENTROP, G.E.

2000-01-01

The training program for personnel performing waste management duties pertaining to the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Treatment and Storage Unit is governed by the general requirements established in the Plutonium Finishing Plant Dangerous Waste Training Plan (PFP DWTP). The PFP Treatment and Storage Unit DWTP presented below incorporates all of the components of the PFP DWTP by reference. The discussion presented in this document identifies aspects of the training program specific to the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit. The training program includes specifications for personnel instruction through both classroom and on-the-job training. Training is developed specific to waste management duties. Hanford Facility personnel directly involved with the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit will receive training to container management practices, spill response, and emergency response. These will include, for example, training in the cementation process and training pertaining to applicable elements of WAC 173-303-330(1)(d). Applicable elements from WAC 173-303-330(1)(d) for the PFP Treatment and Storage Unit include: procedures for inspecting, repairing, and replacing facility emergency and monitoring equipment; communications and alarm systems; response to fires or explosions; and shutdown of operations

Human Computer Collaboration at the Edge: Enhancing Collective Situation Understanding with Controlled Natural Language

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-06

conversational agent with information exchange disabled until the end of the experiment run. The meaning of the indicator in the top- right of the agent... Human Computer Collaboration at the Edge: Enhancing Collective Situation Understanding with Controlled Natural Language Alun Preece∗, William...email: PreeceAD@cardiff.ac.uk †Emerging Technology Services, IBM United Kingdom Ltd, Hursley Park, Winchester, UK ‡US Army Research Laboratory, Human

Computer control system of TARN-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, S.

1989-01-01

The CAMAC interface system is employed in order to regulate the power supply, beam diagnostic and so on. Five CAMAC stations are located in the TARN-2 area and are linked with a serial highway system. The CAMAC serial highway is driven by a serial highway driver, Kinetic 3992, which is housed in the CAMAC powered crate and regulated by two successive methods. One is regulated by the mini computer through the standard branch-highway crate controller, named Type-A2, and the other is regulated with the microcomputer through the auxiliary crate controller. The CAMAC serial highway comprises the two-way optical cables with a total length of 300 m. Each CAMAC station has the serial and auxiliary crate controllers so as to realize alternative control with the local computer system. Interpreter, INSBASIC, is used in the main control computer. There are many kinds of the 'device control function' of the INSBASIC. Because the 'device control function' implies physical operating procedure of such a device, only knowledge of the logical operating procedure is required. A touch panel system is employed to regulate the complicated control flow without any knowledge of the usage of the device. A rotary encoder system, which is analogous to the potentiometer operation, is also available for smooth adjustment of the setting parameter. (author)

PEP computer control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-03-01

This paper describes the design and performance of the computer system that will be used to control and monitor the PEP storage ring. Since the design is essentially complete and much of the system is operational, the system is described as it is expected to 1979. Section 1 of the paper describes the system hardware which includes the computer network, the CAMAC data I/O system, and the operator control consoles. Section 2 describes a collection of routines that provide general services to applications programs. These services include a graphics package, data base and data I/O programs, and a director programm for use in operator communication. Section 3 describes a collection of automatic and semi-automatic control programs, known as SCORE, that contain mathematical models of the ring lattice and are used to determine in real-time stable paths for changing beam configuration and energy and for orbit correction. Section 4 describes a collection of programs, known as CALI, that are used for calibration of ring elements

A programmable electronic Microplex Driver Unit for readout of silicon strip detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bairstow, R.

1990-08-01

The unit provides the necessary signals to drive arrays of Microplex devices used to readout silicon strip Vertex detectors as used in DELPHI and OPAL at CERN. The unit has a CAMAC interface allowing operation of the unit by computer in a Remote-control mode. The computer can control all the essential parameters of the drive signals, together with the operational characteristics of the system. Alternatively, the unit can be used in a stand-alone Local-control mode. In this case the front panel controls and displays enable the user to set up the unit. (author)

Wireless infrared computer control

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, George C.; He, Xiaofei

2004-04-01

Wireless mouse is not restricted by cable"s length and has advantage over its wired counterpart. However, all the mice available in the market have detection range less than 2 meters and angular coverage less than 180 degrees. Furthermore, commercial infrared mice are based on track ball and rollers to detect movements. This restricts them to be used in those occasions where users want to have dynamic movement, such as presentations and meetings etc. This paper presents our newly developed infrared wireless mouse, which has a detection range of 6 meters and angular coverage of 180 degrees. This new mouse uses buttons instead of traditional track ball and is developed to be a hand-held device like remote controller. It enables users to control cursor with a distance closed to computer and the mouse to be free from computer operation.

Flow-Control Unit For Nitrogen And Hydrogen Gases

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, B. J.; Novak, D. W.

1990-01-01

Gas-flow-control unit installed and removed as one piece replaces system that included nine separately serviced components. Unit controls and monitors flows of nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Designed for connection via fluid-interface manifold plate, reducing number of mechanical fluid-interface connections from 18 to 1. Unit provides increasing reliability, safety, and ease of maintenance, and for reducing weight, volume, and power consumption.

Computer Drawing Method for Operating Characteristic Curve of PV Power Plant Array Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Jianbin

2018-02-01

According to the engineering design of large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power stations and the research and development of many simulation and analysis systems, it is necessary to draw a good computer graphics of the operating characteristic curves of photovoltaic array elements and to propose a good segmentation non-linear interpolation algorithm. In the calculation method, Component performance parameters as the main design basis, the computer can get 5 PV module performances. At the same time, combined with the PV array series and parallel connection, the computer drawing of the performance curve of the PV array unit can be realized. At the same time, the specific data onto the module of PV development software can be calculated, and the good operation of PV array unit can be improved on practical application.

Control mechanism of double-rotator-structure ternary optical computer

Science.gov (United States)

Kai, SONG; Liping, YAN

2017-03-01

Double-rotator-structure ternary optical processor (DRSTOP) has two characteristics, namely, giant data-bits parallel computing and reconfigurable processor, which can handle thousands of data bits in parallel, and can run much faster than computers and other optical computer systems so far. In order to put DRSTOP into practical application, this paper established a series of methods, namely, task classification method, data-bits allocation method, control information generation method, control information formatting and sending method, and decoded results obtaining method and so on. These methods form the control mechanism of DRSTOP. This control mechanism makes DRSTOP become an automated computing platform. Compared with the traditional calculation tools, DRSTOP computing platform can ease the contradiction between high energy consumption and big data computing due to greatly reducing the cost of communications and I/O. Finally, the paper designed a set of experiments for DRSTOP control mechanism to verify its feasibility and correctness. Experimental results showed that the control mechanism is correct, feasible and efficient.

Computed tomography-controlled stereotactic surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Keizo; Shichijo, Fumio; Gyoten, Tetsuya; Tomida, Keisuke; Miyake, Hajime

1986-01-01

A single use of coordinate system of computed tomography (CT) scanner is utilized for CT-controlled stereotactic surgery. Depth, direction and readjustment of target trajectory were defined by known values of cursor number in CT images and numbers of the sliding table indicator. We loaded calculation formulas into hand held computer to obtain immediate answers. Stereotactic apparatus consisted two main parts: the patient's head fixation and probe holder. Surgery was performed in cases of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage for evacuation of the hematomas successfully. Target accuracy was satisfactory. With further advance of this surgery, automatic stereotactic control with a special robot machine seeing possible. (author)

Independent calculation of the monitor units and times of treatment in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, Marcio Rogerio

2005-01-01

In this work, an independent verification system of calculations in radiotherapy was developed and applied, using Visual Basic TM programming language. The computational program performs calculations of monitor units and treatment time, based on the algorithm of manual calculation. The calculations executed for the independent system had initially been compared with the manual calculations performed by the medical physicists of the Institute of Radiotherapy of the Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade de Sao Paulo. In this step, the results found for more than two hundred fields studied were similar to those found in the literature; deviations larger than +- 1% were found only in five cases involving errors in manual calculation. The application of the independent system, in this stage, could have identified errors up to +- 2,4%. Based on these data, the system was validated for use in clinical routine. In a second step, calculations were compared with calculations realized by the treatment computerized planning system CadPIan TM . When, again, the results were similar to those published in other works allowing to obtain levels of acceptance of the discrepancies between the calculations executed for the independent system and the calculations developed from the planning system, separated by anatomical region, as recommended according by the recent literature. For beams of 6 MV, the levels of acceptance for deviations between the calculations of monitor units, separated by treatment region were the following; breast +- 1.7%, head and neck +2%; hypophysis +- 2.2%; pelvis +- 4 . 1% and thorax +- 1.5%. For beams of 15 MV, the level suggested for pelvis was of +- 4.5%. (author)

Substantiation of Structure of Adaptive Control Systems for Motor Units

Science.gov (United States)

Ovsyannikov, S. I.

2018-05-01

The article describes the development of new electronic control systems, in particular motor units, for small-sized agricultural equipment. Based on the analysis of traffic control systems, the main course of development of the conceptual designs of motor units has been defined. The systems aimed to control the course motion of the motor unit in automatic mode using the adaptive systems have been developed. The article presents structural models of the conceptual motor units based on electrically controlled systems by the operation of drive motors and adaptive systems that make the motor units completely automated.

Production of custom beam profiles in computer-controlled radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lane, R.G.; Loyd, M.D.; Chow, C.H.; Ekwelundu, E.; Rosen, I.I.

1989-01-01

This paper presents a study to produce custom beam profiles in patients that compensate for variations in patient anatomy and achieve uniform dose distributions in the treatment volume. A conventional treatment field is supplemented by a number of centered and/or offset smaller coincident fields of various sizes. The sizes and positions of these supplemental fields and the doses delivered by them are designed to compensate for variations in external patient contour, internal heterogeneities, and variation in tumor volume shape. A computer-controlled linear accelerator with four independent collimator jaws, a built-in motorized wedge filter, an automatic setup capability, and a patient prescription database is used to deliver these complex treatments automatically by means of multiple overlapping beams. Calculations, measurements, and dose distributions demonstrate the efficacy of this technique

Quick setup of test unit for accelerator control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, W.; D'Ottavio, T.; Gassner, D.; Nemesure, S.; Morris, J.

2011-01-01

Testing a single hardware unit of an accelerator control system often requires the setup of a program with graphical user interface. Developing a dedicated application for a specific hardware unit test could be time consuming and the application may become obsolete after the unit tests. This paper documents a methodology for quick design and setup of an interface focused on performing unit tests of accelerator equipment with minimum programming work. The method has three components. The first is a generic accelerator device object (ADO) manager which can be used to setup, store, and log testing controls parameters for any unit testing system. The second involves the design of a TAPE (Tool for Automated Procedure Execution) sequence file that specifies and implements all te testing and control logic. The sting third is the design of a PET (parameter editing tool) page that provides the unit tester with all the necessary control parameters required for testing. This approach has been used for testing the horizontal plane of the Stochastic Cooling Motion Control System at RHIC.

Disk access controller for Multi 8 computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segalard, Jean

1970-01-01

After having presented the initial characteristics and weaknesses of the software provided for the control of a memory disk coupled with a Multi 8 computer, the author reports the development and improvement of this controller software. He presents the different constitutive parts of the computer and the operation of the disk coupling and of the direct access to memory. He reports the development of the disk access controller: software organisation, loader, subprograms and statements

Low cost highly available digital control computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvers, M.W.

1986-01-01

When designing digital controllers for critical plant control it is important to provide several features. Among these are reliability, availability, maintainability, environmental protection, and low cost. An examination of several applications has lead to a design that can be produced for approximately $20,000 (1000 control points). This design is compatible with modern concepts in distributed and hierarchical control. The canonical controller element is a dual-redundant self-checking computer that communicates with a cross-strapped, electrically isolated input/output system. The input/output subsystem comprises multiple intelligent input/output cards. These cards accept commands from the primary processor which are validated, executed, and acknowledged. Each card may be hot replaced to facilitate sparing. The implementation of the dual-redundant computer architecture is discussed. Called the FS-86, this computer can be used for a variety of applications. It has most recently found application in the upgrade of San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train control currently in progress and has been proposed for feedwater control in a boiling water reactor

Feedback controlled electrical nerve stimulation: a computer simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Doruk, R Ozgur

2010-07-01

The role of repetitive firing in neurophysiologic or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson, epilepsy and bipolar type disorders, has always been a topic of medical research as therapies target either the cease of firing or a decrease in its frequency. In electrotherapy, one of the mechanisms to achieve the purpose in point is to apply a low density electric current to the nervous system. In this study, a computer simulation is provided of a treatment in which the stimulation current is computed by nerve fiber cell membrane potential feedback so that the level of the current is automatically instead of manually adjusted. The behavior of the nerve cell is represented by the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model, which is slightly modified into a linear model with state dependent coefficients. Due to this modification, the algebraic and differential Riccati equations can be applied, which allows an optimal controller minimizing a quadratic performance index given by the user. Using a controlled current injection can decrease unnecessarily long current injection times that may be harmful to the neuronal network. This study introduces a prototype for a possible future application to a network of neurons as it is more realistic than a single neuron. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization and real-time control for laser treatment of heterogeneous soft tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yusheng; Fuentes, David; Hawkins, Andrea; Bass, Jon M; Rylander, Marissa Nichole

2009-01-01

Predicting the outcome of thermotherapies in cancer treatment requires an accurate characterization of the bioheat transfer processes in soft tissues. Due to the biological and structural complexity of tumor (soft tissue) composition and vasculature, it is often very difficult to obtain reliable tissue properties that is one of the key factors for the accurate treatment outcome prediction. Efficient algorithms employing in vivo thermal measurements to determine heterogeneous thermal tissues properties in conjunction with a detailed sensitivity analysis can produce essential information for model development and optimal control. The goals of this paper are to present a general formulation of the bioheat transfer equation for heterogeneous soft tissues, review models and algorithms developed for cell damage, heat shock proteins, and soft tissues with nanoparticle inclusion, and demonstrate an overall computational strategy for developing a laser treatment framework with the ability to perform real-time robust calibrations and optimal control. This computational strategy can be applied to other thermotherapies using the heat source such as radio frequency or high intensity focused ultrasound.

Environmental Control Unit Harness Project

Science.gov (United States)

Oliva-Buisson, Yvette J.

2014-01-01

Testing four new Environmental Control Unit Harnesses for improved user comfort during SCAPE operations. Phase I, testing in a lab environment, Phase II will continue testing the best candidates in a field environment.

A NEW CONTROL CIRCUIT AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR CONTROLING PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Berkant SELEK

2008-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, a new microcontroller circuit was designed and new computer software was implemented to control power flow currents of renewable energy system, which is established in Solar Energy Institute, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. PIC18F452 microcontroller based electronic circuit was designed to control another electronic circuit that includes power electronic switching components. Readily available standard control circuits are designed for switching single level inverters. In contrary, implemented circuit allows to switch multilevel inverters. In addition, because the efficiency of solar energy panels is considerably low, solar panels should be operated under the maximum power point (MPP. Therefore, MPP algorithm is included in the designed control circuit. Next, the control circuit also includes a serial communication interface based on RS232 standard. Using this interface enables the user to choose all functions available in the control circuit and take status report via computer software. Last, a general purpose command set was designed to establish communication between the computer software and the microcontroller-based control circuit. As a result, it is aimed that this study supply a basis for the researchers who want to develop own control circuits or more visual software.

B Plant treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) units inspection plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beam, T.G.

1996-01-01

This inspection plan is written to meet the requirements of WAC 173-303 for operations of a TSD facility. Owners/operators of TSD facilities are required to inspection their facility and active waste management units to prevent and/or detect malfunctions, discharges and other conditions potentially hazardous to human health and the environment. A written plan detailing these inspection efforts must be maintained at the facility in accordance with Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Chapter 173-303, ''Dangerous Waste Regulations'' (WAC 173-303), a written inspection plan is required for the operation of a treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facility and individual TSD units. B Plant is a permitted TSD facility currently operating under interim status with an approved Part A Permit. Various operational systems and locations within or under the control of B Plant have been permitted for waste management activities. Included are the following TSD units: Cell 4 Container Storage Area; B Plant Containment Building; Low Level Waste Tank System; Organic Waste Tank System; Neutralized Current Acid Waste (NCAW) Tank System; Low Level Waste Concentrator Tank System. This inspection plan complies with the requirements of WAC 173-303. It addresses both general TSD facility and TSD unit-specific inspection requirements. Sections on each of the TSD units provide a brief description of the system configuration and the permitted waste management activity, a summary of the inspection requirements, and details on the activities B Plant uses to maintain compliance with those requirements

Design parameters for waste effluent treatment unit from beverages production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mona A. Abdel-Fatah

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Based on a successful experimental result from laboratory and bench scale for treatment of wastewater from beverages industry, an industrial and efficient treatment unit is designed and constructed. The broad goal of this study was to design and construct effluent, cost effective and high quality treatment unit. The used technology is the activated sludge process of extended aeration type followed by rapid sand filters and chlorination as tertiary treatment. Experimental results have been considered as the basis for full scale design of the industrial capacity of 1600 m3/day treatment plant. Final effluent characteristics after treatment comply with Egyptian legalizations after reducing COD and BOD5 by about 97% and 95% respectively. So it is recommended to reuse treated effluent in textile industry in dyeing process.

Computationally efficient methods for digital control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guerreiro Tome Antunes, D.J.; Hespanha, J.P.; Silvestre, C.J.; Kataria, N.; Brewer, F.

2008-01-01

The problem of designing a digital controller is considered with the novelty of explicitly taking into account the computation cost of the controller implementation. A class of controller emulation methods inspired by numerical analysis is proposed. Through various examples it is shown that these

Microfouling assessment and its control in a heavy water production unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajesh Kumar; Subba Rao, T.

2015-01-01

The water treatment plant (WTP) of a heavy water production unit was extensively fouled by microorganisms. On-site investigations showed severe algal and bacterial growth in the various units of WTP and very dense microbial fouling in the vacuum degasser (VD) unit. Digital and microscopic images showed that the microfouling problem was primarily due to a slime bacterium and a fungus. Microbiological analysis showed a bacterial count of ∼10 5 cfu ml -1 in the various sections of WTP. The slime/biofilm scrapings had very high bacterial population (>10 9 cfu cm -2 ). High organic carbon values in the system (5.0 to 19.5 ppm) had supported microbial growth in WTP and augmented resin fouling. Chlorination was inadequate in controlling microfouling, consequently chlorine dioxide was tested and found to be a better biocide. A 2.0% sodium omadine solution had completely inhibited the fouling fungus. (author)

EBR-II high-ramp transients under computer control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forrester, R.J.; Larson, H.A.; Christensen, L.J.; Booty, W.F.; Dean, E.M.

1983-01-01

During reactor run 122, EBR-II was subjected to 13 computer-controlled overpower transients at ramps of 4 MWt/s to qualify the facility and fuel for transient testing of LMFBR oxide fuels as part of the EBR-II operational-reliability-testing (ORT) program. A computer-controlled automatic control-rod drive system (ACRDS), designed by EBR-II personnel, permitted automatic control on demand power during the transients

Distributed model based control of multi unit evaporation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yudi Samyudia

2006-01-01

In this paper, we present a new approach to the analysis and design of distributed control systems for multi-unit plants. The approach is established after treating the effect of recycled dynamics as a gap metric uncertainty from which a distributed controller can be designed sequentially for each unit to tackle the uncertainty. We then use a single effect multi-unit evaporation system to illustrate how the proposed method is used to analyze different control strategies and to systematically achieve a better closed-loop performance using a distributed model-based controller

3D Computer aided treatment planning in endodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer, Wicher J; Vissink, Arjan; Ng, Yuan Ling; Gulabivala, Kishor

2016-02-01

Obliteration of the root canal system due to accelerated dentinogenesis and dystrophic calcification can challenge the achievement of root canal treatment goals. This paper describes the application of 3D digital mapping technology for predictable navigation of obliterated canal systems during root canal treatment to avoid iatrogenic damage of the root. Digital endodontic treatment planning for anterior teeth with severely obliterated root canal systems was accomplished with the aid of computer software, based on cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) scans and intra-oral scans of the dentition. On the basis of these scans, endodontic guides were created for the planned treatment through digital designing and rapid prototyping fabrication. The custom-made guides allowed for an uncomplicated and predictable canal location and management. The method of digital designing and rapid prototyping of endodontic guides allows for reliable and predictable location of root canals of teeth with calcifically metamorphosed root canal systems. The endodontic directional guide facilitates difficult endodontic treatments at little additional cost. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Instrumentation, control and modellisation/simulation in waste water treatment plants; Instrumentacion, control y modelizacion/simulacion en plantas depuradoras de aguas residuales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, E.; Martinez, J. L.; Llorente, V.

2002-07-01

Controlling waste water treatment plants presents numerous problems as a result of the complexity of the task involved in managing them. The different instruments used in monitoring and controlling the flow, dissolved oxygen, pH, cloudiness and other parameters involved in the treatment process at level 0 are listed and described. The control and regulation equipment comprising level 1 is operated by the process computers of level 2. The different types of instruments are studied in relation to monitoring and control and the analysis and management o the data supplied by the instrumentation, the control strategies, operational margins and applicable software. Several case studies of activated sludge treatment processes are included to facilitate comprehension. Finally, the simulation models are presented with a view to aiding understanding, management and prediction of the operation of waste water treatment plants, particularly in regard to the problems of bulking and/or foaming. (Author)

Interface control scheme for computer high-speed interface unit

Science.gov (United States)

Ballard, B. K.

1975-01-01

Control scheme is general and performs for multiplexed and dedicated channels as well as for data-bus interfaces. Control comprises two 64-pin, dual in-line packages, each of which holds custom large-scale integrated array built with silicon-on-sapphire complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology.

Design and Implementation of the Control System of an Internal Combustion Engine Test Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tufan Koç

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Accurate tests and performance analysis of engines are required to minimize measurement errors and so the use of the advanced test equipment is imperative. In other words, the reliable test results depend on the measurement of many parameters and recording the experimental data accurately which is depended on engine test unit. This study aims to design the control system of an internal combustion engine test unit. In the study, the performance parameters of an available internal combustion engine have been transferred to computer in real time. A data acquisition (DAQ card has been used to transfer the experimental data to the computer. Also, a user interface has been developed for performing the necessary procedures by using LabVIEW. The dynamometer load, the fuel consumption, and the desired speed can easily be adjusted precisely by using DAQ card and the user interface during the engine test. Load, fuel consumption, and temperature values (the engine inlet-outlet, exhaust inlet-outlet, oil, and environment can be seen on the interface and also these values can be recorded to the computer. It is expected that developed system will contribute both to the education of students and to the researchers’ studies and so it will eliminate a major lack.

Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation activities in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodings, A.

1990-01-01

The paper describes the status of the NPP control and instrumentation in the United Kingdom. The general technology underlying most aspects of power reactor C and I in the UK has not altered since the last progress report although there have been many improvements in detail. In one field, however, that of computer applications, the change has almost been one of kind rather than degree. The following fields are briefly described: The status of nuclear power in the UK, the development of sensors, the development of electronic equipment, signal processing - information technology, quality assurance and the validation and verification of software, expert systems, training simulators. (author). 1 ref

24 CFR 290.21 - Computing annual number of units eligible for substitution of tenant-based assistance or...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Computing annual number of units eligible for substitution of tenant-based assistance or alternative uses. 290.21 Section 290.21 Housing and... Multifamily Projects § 290.21 Computing annual number of units eligible for substitution of tenant-based...

Computation of large covariance matrices by SAMMY on graphical processing units and multicore CPUs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbanas, G.; Dunn, M.E.; Wiarda, D.

2011-01-01

Computational power of Graphical Processing Units and multicore CPUs was harnessed by the nuclear data evaluation code SAMMY to speed up computations of large Resonance Parameter Covariance Matrices (RPCMs). This was accomplished by linking SAMMY to vendor-optimized implementations of the matrix-matrix multiplication subroutine of the Basic Linear Algebra Library to compute the most time-consuming step. The 235 U RPCM computed previously using a triple-nested loop was re-computed using the NVIDIA implementation of the subroutine on a single Tesla Fermi Graphical Processing Unit, and also using the Intel's Math Kernel Library implementation on two different multicore CPU systems. A multiplication of two matrices of dimensions 16,000×20,000 that had previously taken days, took approximately one minute on the GPU. Comparable performance was achieved on a dual six-core CPU system. The magnitude of the speed-up suggests that these, or similar, combinations of hardware and libraries may be useful for large matrix operations in SAMMY. Uniform interfaces of standard linear algebra libraries make them a promising candidate for a programming framework of a new generation of SAMMY for the emerging heterogeneous computing platforms. (author)

Computation of large covariance matrices by SAMMY on graphical processing units and multicore CPUs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arbanas, G.; Dunn, M.E.; Wiarda, D., E-mail: arbanasg@ornl.gov, E-mail: dunnme@ornl.gov, E-mail: wiardada@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2011-07-01

Computational power of Graphical Processing Units and multicore CPUs was harnessed by the nuclear data evaluation code SAMMY to speed up computations of large Resonance Parameter Covariance Matrices (RPCMs). This was accomplished by linking SAMMY to vendor-optimized implementations of the matrix-matrix multiplication subroutine of the Basic Linear Algebra Library to compute the most time-consuming step. The {sup 235}U RPCM computed previously using a triple-nested loop was re-computed using the NVIDIA implementation of the subroutine on a single Tesla Fermi Graphical Processing Unit, and also using the Intel's Math Kernel Library implementation on two different multicore CPU systems. A multiplication of two matrices of dimensions 16,000×20,000 that had previously taken days, took approximately one minute on the GPU. Comparable performance was achieved on a dual six-core CPU system. The magnitude of the speed-up suggests that these, or similar, combinations of hardware and libraries may be useful for large matrix operations in SAMMY. Uniform interfaces of standard linear algebra libraries make them a promising candidate for a programming framework of a new generation of SAMMY for the emerging heterogeneous computing platforms. (author)

Hardware replacements and software tools for digital control computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, R.A.P.; Wang, B-C.; Fung, J.

1996-01-01

Technological obsolescence is an on-going challenge for all computer use. By design, and to some extent good fortune, AECL has had a good track record with respect to the march of obsolescence in CANDU digital control computer technology. Recognizing obsolescence as a fact of life, AECL has undertaken a program of supporting the digital control technology of existing CANDU plants. Other AECL groups are developing complete replacement systems for the digital control computers, and more advanced systems for the digital control computers of the future CANDU reactors. This paper presents the results of the efforts of AECL's DCC service support group to replace obsolete digital control computer and related components and to provide friendlier software technology related to the maintenance and use of digital control computers in CANDU. These efforts are expected to extend the current lifespan of existing digital control computers through their mandated life. This group applied two simple rules; the product, whether new or replacement should have a generic basis, and the products should be applicable to both existing CANDU plants and to 'repeat' plant designs built using current design guidelines. While some exceptions do apply, the rules have been met. The generic requirement dictates that the product should not be dependent on any brand technology, and should back-fit to and interface with any such technology which remains in the control design. The application requirement dictates that the product should have universal use and be user friendly to the greatest extent possible. Furthermore, both requirements were designed to anticipate user involvement, modifications and alternate user defined applications. The replacements for hardware components such as paper tape reader/punch, moving arm disk, contact scanner and Ramtek are discussed. The development of these hardware replacements coincide with the development of a gateway system for selected CANDU digital control

Configurating computer-controlled bar system

OpenAIRE

Šuštaršič, Nejc

2010-01-01

The principal goal of my diploma thesis is creating an application for configurating computer-controlled beverages dispensing systems. In the preamble of my thesis I present the theoretical platform for point of sale systems and beverages dispensing systems, which are required for the understanding of the target problematics. As with many other fields, computer tehnologies entered the field of managing bars and restaurants quite some time ago. Basic components of every bar or restaurant a...

REDUNDANT ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL UNIT DESIGN USING AUTOMATA-BASED APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri Yu. Yankin

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Implementation of redundant unit for motor drive control based on programmable logic devices is discussed. Continuous redundancy method is used. As compared to segregated standby redundancy and whole system standby redundancy, such method provides preservation of all unit functions in case of redundancy and gives the possibility for continuous monitoring of major and redundant elements. Example of that unit is given. Electric motor drive control channel block diagram contains two control units – the major and redundant; it also contains four power supply units. Control units programming was carried out using automata-based approach. Electric motor drive control channel model was developed; it provides complex simulation of control state-machine and power converter. Through visibility and hierarchy of finite state machines debug time was shortened as compared to traditional programming. Control state-machine description using hardware description language is required for its synthesis with FPGA-devices vendor design software. This description was generated automatically by MATLAB software package. To verify results two prototype control units, two prototype power supply units, and device mock-up were developed and manufactured. Units were installed in the device mock-up. Prototype units were created in accordance with requirements claimed to deliverable hardware. Control channel simulation and tests results in the perfect state and during imitation of major element fault are presented. Automata-based approach made it possible to observe and debug control state-machine transitions during simulation of transient processes, occurring at imitation of faults. Results of this work can be used in development of fault tolerant electric motor drive control channels.

Present SLAC accelerator computer control system features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, V.; Johnson, R.

1981-02-01

The current functional organization and state of software development of the computer control system of the Stanford Linear Accelerator is described. Included is a discussion of the distribution of functions throughout the system, the local controller features, and currently implemented features of the touch panel portion of the system. The functional use of our triplex of PDP11-34 computers sharing common memory is described. Also included is a description of the use of pseudopanel tables as data tables for closed loop control functions

Advances in soft computing, intelligent robotics and control

CERN Document Server

Fullér, Robert

2014-01-01

Soft computing, intelligent robotics and control are in the core interest of contemporary engineering. Essential characteristics of soft computing methods are the ability to handle vague information, to apply human-like reasoning, their learning capability, and ease of application. Soft computing techniques are widely applied in the control of dynamic systems, including mobile robots. The present volume is a collection of 20 chapters written by respectable experts of the fields, addressing various theoretical and practical aspects in soft computing, intelligent robotics and control. The first part of the book concerns with issues of intelligent robotics, including robust xed point transformation design, experimental verification of the input-output feedback linearization of differentially driven mobile robot and applying kinematic synthesis to micro electro-mechanical systems design. The second part of the book is devoted to fundamental aspects of soft computing. This includes practical aspects of fuzzy rule ...

Study on the Development of Household Wastewater Treatment Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Hadi Ghawi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The cities of Iraq in general and the city of Al Diwaniyah in particular are characterized by the fact that the majority of households use septic tank to dispose of sewage, leading to contamination of ground and surface water and a disturbance to the environment. The objective of this study is to protect the water and soil sources from the risk of pollution, eliminate the process of perfusion and thus, reduce costs, maintain public health, as well as design and implement the proposed purification unit for domestic wastewater treatment. A domestic wastewater treatment unit has been improved to meet the standard specifications for the quality of the effluent wastewater. In this study, a compact non-electric sewage treatment unit was improved and implemented. Treatment is based on an effective modern biological purification process. Experimental verification and analysis of results were performed to demonstrate the improvement of physical and chemical parameters. The performance of the septic tanks-bioreactor gave satisfactory results. The removal efficiencies of Total Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD, Total Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD, NH4-N, Total Nitrogen and Total Suspended Solid (TSS were 96.9%, 84.6%, 78.8%, 79.9% and 95.3%, respectively.

Computer control for remote wind turbine operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manwell, J.F.; Rogers, A.L.; Abdulwahid, U.; Driscoll, J. [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)

1997-12-31

Light weight wind turbines located in harsh, remote sites require particularly capable controllers. Based on extensive operation of the original ESI-807 moved to such a location, a much more sophisticated controller than the original one has been developed. This paper describes the design, development and testing of that new controller. The complete control and monitoring system consists of sensor and control inputs, the control computer, control outputs, and additional equipment. The control code was written in Microsoft Visual Basic on a PC type computer. The control code monitors potential faults and allows the turbine to operate in one of eight states: off, start, run, freewheel, low wind shut down, normal wind shutdown, emergency shutdown, and blade parking. The controller also incorporates two {open_quotes}virtual wind turbines,{close_quotes} including a dynamic model of the machine, for code testing. The controller can handle numerous situations for which the original controller was unequipped.

40 CFR 75.34 - Units with add-on emission controls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Units with add-on emission controls... add-on emission controls. (a) The owner or operator of an affected unit equipped with add-on SO2 and... assurance/quality control program for the unit, required by section 1 in appendix B of this part. To provide...

Simplified techniques of cerebral angiography using a mobile X-ray unit and computed radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondo, Gakuji; Ishiwata, Yusuke; Yamashita, Toshinori; Iida, Takashi; Moro, Yutaka

1989-01-01

Simplified techniques of cerebral angiography using a mobile X-ray unit and computed radiography (CR) are discussed. Computed radiography is a digital radiography system in which an imaging plate is used as an X-ray detector and a final image is displayed on the film. In the angiograms performed with CR, the spatial frequency components can be enhanced for the easy analysis of fine blood vessels. Computed radiography has an automatic sensitivity and a latitude-setting mechanism, thus serving as an 'automatic camera.' This mechanism is useful for radiography with a mobile X-ray unit in hospital wards, intensive care units, or operating rooms where the appropriate setting of exposure conditions is difficult. We applied this mechanism to direct percutaneous carotid angiography and intravenous digital subtraction angiography with a mobile X-ray unit. Direct percutaneous carotid angiography using CR and a mobile X-ray unit were taken after the manual injection of a small amount of a contrast material through a fine needle. We performed direct percutaneous carotid angiography with this method 68 times on 25 cases from August 1986 to December 1987. Of the 68 angiograms, 61 were evaluated as good, compared with conventional angiography. Though the remaining seven were evaluated as poor, they were still diagnostically effective. This method is found useful for carotid angiography in emergency rooms, intensive care units, or operating rooms. Cerebral venography using CR and a mobile X-ray unit was done after the manual injection of a contrast material through the bilateral cubital veins. The cerebral venous system could be visualized from 16 to 24 seconds after the beginning of the injection of the contrast material. We performed cerebral venography with this method 14 times on six cases. These venograms were better than conventional angiograms in all cases. This method may be useful in managing patients suffering from cerebral venous thrombosis. (J.P.N.)

Computation and control with neural nets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corneliusen, A.; Terdal, P.; Knight, T.; Spencer, J.

1989-10-04

As energies have increased exponentially with time so have the size and complexity of accelerators and control systems. NN may offer the kinds of improvements in computation and control that are needed to maintain acceptable functionality. For control their associative characteristics could provide signal conversion or data translation. Because they can do any computation such as least squares, they can close feedback loops autonomously to provide intelligent control at the point of action rather than at a central location that requires transfers, conversions, hand-shaking and other costly repetitions like input protection. Both computation and control can be integrated on a single chip, printed circuit or an optical equivalent that is also inherently faster through full parallel operation. For such reasons one expects lower costs and better results. Such systems could be optimized by integrating sensor and signal processing functions. Distributed nets of such hardware could communicate and provide global monitoring and multiprocessing in various ways e.g. via token, slotted or parallel rings (or Steiner trees) for compatibility with existing systems. Problems and advantages of this approach such as an optimal, real-time Turing machine are discussed. Simple examples are simulated and hardware implemented using discrete elements that demonstrate some basic characteristics of learning and parallelism. Future microprocessors' are predicted and requested on this basis. 19 refs., 18 figs.

Computation and control with neural nets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corneliusen, A.; Terdal, P.; Knight, T.; Spencer, J.

1989-01-01

As energies have increased exponentially with time so have the size and complexity of accelerators and control systems. NN may offer the kinds of improvements in computation and control that are needed to maintain acceptable functionality. For control their associative characteristics could provide signal conversion or data translation. Because they can do any computation such as least squares, they can close feedback loops autonomously to provide intelligent control at the point of action rather than at a central location that requires transfers, conversions, hand-shaking and other costly repetitions like input protection. Both computation and control can be integrated on a single chip, printed circuit or an optical equivalent that is also inherently faster through full parallel operation. For such reasons one expects lower costs and better results. Such systems could be optimized by integrating sensor and signal processing functions. Distributed nets of such hardware could communicate and provide global monitoring and multiprocessing in various ways e.g. via token, slotted or parallel rings (or Steiner trees) for compatibility with existing systems. Problems and advantages of this approach such as an optimal, real-time Turing machine are discussed. Simple examples are simulated and hardware implemented using discrete elements that demonstrate some basic characteristics of learning and parallelism. Future 'microprocessors' are predicted and requested on this basis. 19 refs., 18 figs

Computer-aided control system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebenhaft, J.R.

1986-01-01

Control systems are typically implemented using conventional PID controllers, which are then tuned manually during plant commissioning to compensate for interactions between feedback loops. As plants increase in size and complexity, such controllers can fail to provide adequate process regulations. Multivariable methods can be utilized to overcome these limitations. At the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, modern control systems are designed and analyzed with the aid of MVPACK, a system of computer programs that appears to the user like a high-level calculator. The software package solves complicated control problems, and provides useful insight into the dynamic response and stability of multivariable systems

Hierarchical control of motor units in voluntary contractions.

Science.gov (United States)

De Luca, Carlo J; Contessa, Paola

2012-01-01

For the past five decades there has been wide acceptance of a relationship between the firing rate of motor units and the afterhyperpolarization of motoneurons. It has been promulgated that the higher-threshold, larger-soma, motoneurons fire faster than the lower-threshold, smaller-soma, motor units. This relationship was based on studies on anesthetized cats with electrically stimulated motoneurons. We questioned its applicability to motor unit control during voluntary contractions in humans. We found that during linearly force-increasing contractions, firing rates increased as exponential functions. At any time and force level, including at recruitment, the firing rate values were inversely related to the recruitment threshold of the motor unit. The time constants of the exponential functions were directly related to the recruitment threshold. From the Henneman size principle it follows that the characteristics of the firing rates are also related to the size of the soma. The "firing rate spectrum" presents a beautifully simple control scheme in which, at any given time or force, the firing rate value of earlier-recruited motor units is greater than that of later-recruited motor units. This hierarchical control scheme describes a mechanism that provides an effective economy of force generation for the earlier-recruited lower force-twitch motor units, and reduces the fatigue of later-recruited higher force-twitch motor units-both characteristics being well suited for generating and sustaining force during the fight-or-flight response.

78 FR 47011 - Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-02

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0195] Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software... revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.171, ``Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses American National Standards...

77 FR 50722 - Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-22

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0195] Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software...) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1208, ``Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' The DG-1208 is proposed...

A real time data acquisition system using the MIL-STD-1553B bus. [for transmission of data to host computer for control law processing

Science.gov (United States)

Peri, Frank, Jr.

1992-01-01

A flight digital data acquisition system that uses the MIL-STD-1553B bus for transmission of data to a host computer for control law processing is described. The instrument, the Remote Interface Unit (RIU), can accommodate up to 16 input channels and eight output channels. The RIU employs a digital signal processor to perform local digital filtering before sending data to the host. The system allows flexible sensor and actuator data organization to facilitate quick control law computations on the host computer. The instrument can also run simple control laws autonomously without host intervention. The RIU and host computer together have replaced a similar larger, ground minicomputer system with favorable results.

Controlling data transfers from an origin compute node to a target compute node

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Charles J [Rochester, MN; Blocksome, Michael A [Rochester, MN; Ratterman, Joseph D [Rochester, MN; Smith, Brian E [Rochester, MN

2011-06-21

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for controlling data transfers from an origin compute node to a target compute node that include: receiving, by an application messaging module on the target compute node, an indication of a data transfer from an origin compute node to the target compute node; and administering, by the application messaging module on the target compute node, the data transfer using one or more messaging primitives of a system messaging module in dependence upon the indication.

Applied & Computational MathematicsChallenges for the Design and Control of Dynamic Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, D L; Burns, J A; Collis, S; Grosh, J; Jacobson, C A; Johansen, H; Mezic, I; Narayanan, S; Wetter, M

2011-03-10

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) was passed with the goal 'to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security.' Energy security and independence cannot be achieved unless the United States addresses the issue of energy consumption in the building sector and significantly reduces energy consumption in buildings. Commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 40% of the U.S. energy consumption and emit 50% of CO{sub 2} emissions in the U.S. which is more than twice the total energy consumption of the entire U.S. automobile and light truck fleet. A 50%-80% improvement in building energy efficiency in both new construction and in retrofitting existing buildings could significantly reduce U.S. energy consumption and mitigate climate change. Reaching these aggressive building efficiency goals will not happen without significant Federal investments in areas of computational and mathematical sciences. Applied and computational mathematics are required to enable the development of algorithms and tools to design, control and optimize energy efficient buildings. The challenge has been issued by the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu (emphasis added): 'We need to do more transformational research at DOE including computer design tools for commercial and residential buildings that enable reductions in energy consumption of up to 80 percent with investments that will pay for themselves in less than 10 years.' On July 8-9, 2010 a team of technical experts from industry, government and academia were assembled in Arlington, Virginia to identify the challenges associated with developing and deploying newcomputational methodologies and tools thatwill address building energy efficiency. These experts concluded that investments in fundamental applied and computational mathematics will be required to build enabling technology that can be used to realize the target of 80% reductions in energy

Computer-supported quality control in X-ray diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maier, W.; Klotz, E.

1989-01-01

Quality control of X-ray facilities in radiological departments of large hospitals is possible only if the instrumentation used for measurements is interfaced to a computer. The central computer helps to organize the measurements as well as analyse and record the results. It can also be connected to a densitometer and camera for evaluating radiographs of test devices. Other quality control tests are supported by a mobile station with equipment for non-invasive dosimetry measurements. Experience with a computer-supported system in quality control of film and film processing is described and the evaluation methods of ANSI and the German industrial standard DIN are compared. The disadvantage of these methods is the exclusion of film quality parameters, which can make processing control almost worthless. (author)

Advanced Off-Gas Control System Design For Radioactive And Mixed Waste Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nick Soelberg

2005-01-01

Treatment of radioactive and mixed wastes is often required to destroy or immobilize hazardous constituents, reduce waste volume, and convert the waste to a form suitable for final disposal. These kinds of treatments usually evolve off-gas. Air emission regulations have become increasingly stringent in recent years. Mixed waste thermal treatment in the United States is now generally regulated under the Hazardous Waste Combustor (HWC) Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards. These standards impose unprecedented requirements for operation, monitoring and control, and emissions control. Off-gas control technologies and system designs that were satisfactorily proven in mixed waste operation prior to the implementation of new regulatory standards are in some cases no longer suitable in new mixed waste treatment system designs. Some mixed waste treatment facilities have been shut down rather than have excessively restrictive feed rate limits or facility upgrades to comply with the new standards. New mixed waste treatment facilities in the U. S. are being designed to operate in compliance with the HWC MACT standards. Activities have been underway for the past 10 years at the INL and elsewhere to identify, develop, demonstrate, and design technologies for enabling HWC MACT compliance for mixed waste treatment facilities. Some specific off-gas control technologies and system designs have been identified and tested to show that even the stringent HWC MACT standards can be met, while minimizing treatment facility size and cost

SU-E-T-222: Computational Optimization of Monte Carlo Simulation On 4D Treatment Planning Using the Cloud Computing Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, J

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficiency of 4D lung radiation treatment planning using Monte Carlo simulation on the cloud. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used in dose calculation on the 4D-CT image set. Methods: 4D lung radiation treatment plan was created by the DOSCTP linked to the cloud, based on the Amazon elastic compute cloud platform. Dose calculation was carried out by Monte Carlo simulation on the 4D-CT image set on the cloud, and results were sent to the FFD4D image deformation program for dose reconstruction. The dependence of computing time for treatment plan on the number of compute node was optimized with variations of the number of CT image set in the breathing cycle and dose reconstruction time of the FFD4D. Results: It is found that the dependence of computing time on the number of compute node was affected by the diminishing return of the number of node used in Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, the performance of the 4D treatment planning could be optimized by using smaller than 10 compute nodes on the cloud. The effects of the number of image set and dose reconstruction time on the dependence of computing time on the number of node were not significant, as more than 15 compute nodes were used in Monte Carlo simulations. Conclusion: The issue of long computing time in 4D treatment plan, requiring Monte Carlo dose calculations in all CT image sets in the breathing cycle, can be solved using the cloud computing technology. It is concluded that the optimized number of compute node selected in simulation should be between 5 and 15, as the dependence of computing time on the number of node is significant

SU-E-T-222: Computational Optimization of Monte Carlo Simulation On 4D Treatment Planning Using the Cloud Computing Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chow, J [Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2015-06-15

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficiency of 4D lung radiation treatment planning using Monte Carlo simulation on the cloud. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used in dose calculation on the 4D-CT image set. Methods: 4D lung radiation treatment plan was created by the DOSCTP linked to the cloud, based on the Amazon elastic compute cloud platform. Dose calculation was carried out by Monte Carlo simulation on the 4D-CT image set on the cloud, and results were sent to the FFD4D image deformation program for dose reconstruction. The dependence of computing time for treatment plan on the number of compute node was optimized with variations of the number of CT image set in the breathing cycle and dose reconstruction time of the FFD4D. Results: It is found that the dependence of computing time on the number of compute node was affected by the diminishing return of the number of node used in Monte Carlo simulation. Moreover, the performance of the 4D treatment planning could be optimized by using smaller than 10 compute nodes on the cloud. The effects of the number of image set and dose reconstruction time on the dependence of computing time on the number of node were not significant, as more than 15 compute nodes were used in Monte Carlo simulations. Conclusion: The issue of long computing time in 4D treatment plan, requiring Monte Carlo dose calculations in all CT image sets in the breathing cycle, can be solved using the cloud computing technology. It is concluded that the optimized number of compute node selected in simulation should be between 5 and 15, as the dependence of computing time on the number of node is significant.

Propulsion controlled aircraft computer

Science.gov (United States)

Cogan, Bruce R. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A low-cost, easily retrofit Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) system for use on a wide range of commercial and military aircraft consists of an propulsion controlled aircraft computer that reads in aircraft data including aircraft state, pilot commands and other related data, calculates aircraft throttle position for a given maneuver commanded by the pilot, and then displays both current and calculated throttle position on a cockpit display to show the pilot where to move throttles to achieve the commanded maneuver, or is automatically sent digitally to command the engines directly.

Computer controlled drifting of Si(Li) detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landis, D.A.; Wong, Y.K.; Walton, J.T.; Goulding, F.S.

1989-01-01

A relatively inexpensive computer-controlled system for performing the drift process used in fabricating Si(Li) detectors is described. The system employs a small computer to monitor the leakage current, applied voltage and temperature on eight individual drift stations. The associated computer program initializes the drift process, monitors the drift progress and then terminates the drift when an operator set drift time has elapsed. The improved control of the drift with this system has been well demonstrated over the past three years in the fabrication of a variety of Si(Li) detectors. A few representative system responses to detector behavior during the drift process are described

Availability of tobacco cessation services in substance use disorder treatment programs: Impact of state tobacco control policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Amanda J; Bagwell-Adams, Grace; Jayawardhana, Jayani

2017-08-01

Given the high prevalence of smoking among substance use disorder (SUD) patients, the specialty SUD treatment system is an important target for adoption and implementation of tobacco cessation (TC) services. While research has addressed the impact of tobacco control on individual tobacco consumption, largely overlooked in the literature is the potential impact of state tobacco control policies on availability of services for tobacco cessation. This paper examines the association between state tobacco control policy and availability of TC services in SUD treatment programs in the United States. State tobacco control and state demographic data (n=51) were merged with treatment program data from the 2012 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (n=10.413) to examine availability of TC screening, counseling and pharmacotherapy services in SUD treatment programs using multivariate logistic regression models clustered at the state-level. Approximately 60% of SUD treatment programs offered TC screening services, 41% offered TC counseling services and 26% offered TC pharmacotherapy services. Results of multivariate logistic regression showed the odds of offering TC services were greater for SUD treatment programs located in states with higher cigarette excise taxes and greater spending on tobacco prevention and control. Findings indicate cigarette excise taxes and recommended funding levels may be effective policy tools for increasing access to TC services in SUD treatment programs. Coupled with changes to insurance coverage for TC under the Affordable Care Act, state tobacco control policy tools may further reduce tobacco use in the United States. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Distribution of computer functionality for accelerator control at the Brookhaven AGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, A.; Clifford, T.; Frankel, R.

1985-01-01

A set of physical and functional system components and their interconnection protocols have been established for all controls work at the AGS. Portions of these designs were tested as part of enhanced operation of the AGS as a source of polarized protons and additional segments will be implemented during the continuing construction efforts which are adding heavy ion capability to our facility. Included in our efforts are the following computer and control system elements: a broad band local area network, which embodies MODEMS; transmission systems and branch interface units; a hierarchical layer, which performs certain data base and watchdog/alarm functions; a group of work station processors (Apollo's) which perform the function of traditional minicomputer host(s) and a layer, which provides both real time control and standardization functions for accelerator devices and instrumentation. Data base and other accelerator functionality is assigned to the most correct level within our network for both real time performance, long-term utility, and orderly growth

Computer applications in controlled fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Killeen, J.

1975-01-01

The application of computers to controlled thermonuclear research (CTR) is essential. In the near future the use of computers in the numerical modeling of fusion systems should increase substantially. A recent panel has identified five categories of computational models to study the physics of magnetically confined plasmas. A comparable number of types of models for engineering studies is called for. The development and application of computer codes to implement these models is a vital step in reaching the goal of fusion power. To meet the needs of the fusion program the National CTR Computer Center has been established at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. A large central computing facility is linked to smaller computing centers at each of the major CTR Laboratories by a communication network. The crucial element needed for success is trained personnel. The number of people with knowledge of plasma science and engineering trained in numerical methods and computer science must be increased substantially in the next few years. Nuclear engineering departments should encourage students to enter this field and provide the necessary courses and research programs in fusion computing

Computer Use and Vision-Related Problems Among University Students In Ajman, United Arab Emirate

OpenAIRE

Shantakumari, N; Eldeeb, R; Sreedharan, J; Gopal, K

2014-01-01

Background: The extensive use of computers as medium of teaching and learning in universities necessitates introspection into the extent of computer related health disorders among student population. Aim: This study was undertaken to assess the pattern of computer usage and related visual problems, among University students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 Students studying in Gulf Medical University, Ajman and Ajman University of Science and Technology we...

Multibeam radiation therapy treatment application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manens, J.P.; Le Gall, G.; Chenal, C.; Ben Hassel, M.; Fresne, F.; Barillot, C.; Gibaud, B.; Lemoine, D.; Bouliou, A.; Scarabin, J.M.

1991-01-01

A software package has been developed for multibeam radiation therapy treatment application. We present in this study a computer-assisted dosimetric planning procedure which includes: i), an analytical stage for setting up the large volume via 2D and 3D displays; ii), a planning stage for issue of a treatment strategy including dosimetric simulations; and iii), a treatment stage to drive the target volume to the radiation unit isocenter. The combined use of stereotactic methods and multimodality imagery ensures spatial coherence and makes target definition and cognition of structure environment more accurate. The dosimetric planning suited to the spatial reference (the stereotactic frame) guarantees optimal distribution of the dose, computed by the original 3D volumetric algorithm. A computer-driven chair-framework cluster was designed to position the target volume at the radiation unit isocenter [fr

Personal computer control system for small size tandem accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takayama, Hiroshi; Kawano, Kazuhiro; Shinozaki, Masataka [Nissin - High Voltage Co. Ltd., Kyoto (Japan)

1996-12-01

As the analysis apparatus using tandem accelerator has a lot of control parameter, numbers of control parts set on control panel are so many to make the panel more complex and its operativity worse. In order to improve these faults, development and design of a control system using personal computer for the control panel mainly constituted by conventional hardware parts were tried. Their predominant characteristics are shown as follows: (1) To make the control panel construction simpler and more compact, because the hardware device on the panel surface becomes the smallest limit as required by using a personal computer for man-machine interface. (2) To make control speed more rapid, because sequence control is closed within each block by driving accelerator system to each block and installing local station of the sequencer network at each block. (3) To make expandability larger, because of few improvement of the present hardware by interrupting the sequencer local station into the net and correcting image of the computer when increasing a new beamline. And, (4) to make control system cheaper, because of cheaper investment and easier programming by using the personal computer. (G.K.)

MAS2-8 radar and digital control unit

Science.gov (United States)

Oberg, J. M.; Ulaby, F. T.

1974-01-01

The design of the MAS 2-8 (2 to 8 GHz microwave-active spectrometer), a ground-based sensor system, is presented. A major modification in 1974 to the MAS 2-8, that of a control subsystem to automate the data-taking operation, is the prime focus. The digital control unit automatically changes all system parameters except FM rate and records the return signal on paper tape. The overall system operation and a detailed discussion of the design and operation of the digital control unit are presented.

Upgrade plan for HANARO control computer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min Jin; Kim, Young Ki; Jung, Hwan Sung; Choi, Young San; Woo, Jong Sub; Jun, Byung Jin

2001-01-01

A microprocessor based digital control system, the Multi-Loop Controller (MLC), which was chosen to control HANARO, was introduced to the market in early '80s and it had been used to control petrochemical plant, paper mill and Slowpoke reactor in Canada. Due to the development in computer technology, it has become so outdated model and the production of this model was discontinued a few years ago. Hence difficulty in acquiring the spare parts is expected. To achieve stable reactor control during its lifetime and to avoid possible technical dependency to the manufacturer, a long-term replacement plan for HANARO control computer system is on its way. The plan will include a few steps in its process. This paper briefly introduces the methods of implementation of the process and discusses the engineering activities of the plan

Computer control versus manual control of systemic hypertension during cardiac surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeksel, S.A.A.P.; Blom, J.A.; Jansen, J.R.C.; Maessen, J.G.; Schreuder, J.J.

2001-01-01

Keywords:Cardiac surgery;hypertension;closed-loop controlBackground: We recently demonstrated the feasibility of computer controlled infusion of vasoactive drugs for the control of systemic hypertension during cardiac surgery. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of

Anticorrosion and halobios control for tidal power generating units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, J C; Ding, L X

2012-01-01

The anticorrosion and halobios control is the key techniquesrelated to the safety and durability of tidal power generating units. The technique of material application, antifouling coating and cathodic protection are often adopted. The technical research, application, updating and development are carried on Jiangxia Tidal Power Station, which is based on the old Unit 1-Unit 5 operated for nearly 30 years, and the new Unit 6 operated in 2007. It is found that stainless steeland the antifouling coating used in Unit 1- Unit 5 are very effective, but cathodic protection is often likely to fail because of the limitation of structure and installation. Analyses and studies for anticorrosion and halobios control techniques of tidal power generating units according to theory, experience and actual effects have been done, which can be for reference to the tidal power station designers and builders.

Mechanical properties of regular porous biomaterials made from truncated cube repeating unit cells: Analytical solutions and computational models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedayati, R; Sadighi, M; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Zadpoor, A A

2016-03-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) has enabled fabrication of open-cell porous biomaterials based on repeating unit cells. The micro-architecture of the porous biomaterials and, thus, their physical properties could then be precisely controlled. Due to their many favorable properties, porous biomaterials manufactured using AM are considered as promising candidates for bone substitution as well as for several other applications in orthopedic surgery. The mechanical properties of such porous structures including static and fatigue properties are shown to be strongly dependent on the type of the repeating unit cell based on which the porous biomaterial is built. In this paper, we study the mechanical properties of porous biomaterials made from a relatively new unit cell, namely truncated cube. We present analytical solutions that relate the dimensions of the repeating unit cell to the elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, yield stress, and buckling load of those porous structures. We also performed finite element modeling to predict the mechanical properties of the porous structures. The analytical solution and computational results were found to be in agreement with each other. The mechanical properties estimated using both the analytical and computational techniques were somewhat higher than the experimental data reported in one of our recent studies on selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V porous biomaterials. In addition to porosity, the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the porous structures were found to be strongly dependent on the ratio of the length of the inclined struts to that of the uninclined (i.e. vertical or horizontal) struts, α, in the truncated cube unit cell. The geometry of the truncated cube unit cell approaches the octahedral and cube unit cells when α respectively approaches zero and infinity. Consistent with those geometrical observations, the analytical solutions presented in this study approached those of the octahedral and cube unit cells when �

On dosimetry of radiodiagnosis facilities, mainly focused on computed tomography units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghitulescu, Zoe

2008-01-01

The 'talk' refers to the Dosimetry of computed tomography units and it has been thought and structured in three parts, more or less stressed each of them, thus: 1) Basics of image acquisition using computed tomography technique; 2) Effective Dose calculation for a patient and its assessment using BERT concept; 3) Recommended actions of getting a good compromise in between related dose and the image quality. The aim of the first part is that the reader to become acquainted with the CT technique in order to be able of understanding the Effective Dose calculation given example and its conversion into time units using the BERT concept . The drown conclusion is that: 1) Effective dose calculation accomplished by the medical physicist (using a special soft for the CT scanner and the exam type) and, converted in time units through BERT concept, could be then communicated by the radiologist together with the diagnostic notes. Thus, it is obviously necessary a minimum informal of the patients as regards the nature and type of radiation, for instance, by the help of some leaflets. In the third part are discussed the factors which lead to get a good image quality taking into account the ALARA principle of Radiation Protection which states the fact that the dose should be 'as low as reasonable achievable'. (author)

Present and Future Developments in Radiotherapy Treatment Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer

1995-04-01

Technical advances in the design of medical accelerators are making possible the exploration of new treatment techniques. Technology currently available to the radiation oncologist allows the use of internal and dynamic wedges. Multileaf collimators can be used for static treatment ports, and dynamic field shaping and beam modulation using multileaf collimators has been shown to be feasible. Computer interfaces are necessary to transfer the complex treatment sequences that are possible with these devices. Such network interfaces also provide for more efficient conventional treatments. New machines such as X-band linear accelerators and advanced proton accelerators are being developed for applications such as boron neutron capture therapy and proton conformal therapy.

Improved control system power unit for large parachutes

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, J. A.; Grubbs, T. M.

1968-01-01

Improved control system power unit drives the control surfaces of very large controllable parachutes. The design features subassemblies for determining control surface position and cable loading, and protection of the load sensor against the possibility of damage during manipulation.

Lithium-Ion Cell Charge Control Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Concha; Button, Robert; Manzo, Michelle; McKissock, Barbara; Miller, Thomas; Gemeiner, Russel; Bennett, William; Hand, Evan

2006-01-01

Life-test data of Lithium-Ion battery cells is critical in order to establish their performance capabilities for NASA missions and Exploration goals. Lithium-ion cells have the potential to replace rechargeable alkaline cells in aerospace applications, but they require a more complex charging scheme than is typically required for alkaline cells. To address these requirements in our Lithium-Ion Cell Test Verification Program, a Lithium-Ion Cell Charge Control Unit was developed by NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). This unit gives researchers the ability to test cells together as a pack, while allowing each cell to charge individually. This allows the inherent cell-to-cell variations to be addressed on a series string of cells and results in a substantial reduction in test costs as compared to individual cell testing. The Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Indiana developed a power reduction scheme that works in conjunction with the Lithium-Ion Cell Charge Control Unit. This scheme minimizes the power dissipation required by the circuitry to prolong circuit life and improve its reliability.

Computer controlled high voltage system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunov, B; Georgiev, G; Dimitrov, L [and others

1996-12-31

A multichannel computer controlled high-voltage power supply system is developed. The basic technical parameters of the system are: output voltage -100-3000 V, output current - 0-3 mA, maximum number of channels in one crate - 78. 3 refs.

Biofeedback systems and adaptive control hemodialysis treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azar Ahmad

2008-01-01

Full Text Available On-line monitoring devices to control functions such as volume, body temperature, and ultrafiltration, were considered more toys than real tools for routine clinical application. However, bio-feedback blood volume controlled hemodialysis (HD is now possible in routine dialysis, allowing the delivery of a more physiologically acceptable treatment. This system has proved to reduce the incidence of intra-HD hypotension episodes significantly. Ionic dialysance and the patient′s plasma conductivity can be calculated easily from on-line measurements at two different steps of dialysate conductivity. A bio-feedback system has been devised to calculate the patient′s plasma conductivity and modulate the conductivity of the dialysate continuously in order to achieve a desired end-dialysis patient plasma conductivity corresponding to a desired end-dialysis plasma sodium concentration. Another bio-feedback system can control the body tempe-rature by measuring it at the arterial and venous lines of the extra-corporeal circuit, and then modulating the dialysate temperature in order to stabilize the patients′ temperature at constant values that result in improved intra-HD cardiovascular stability. The module can also be used to quantify vascular access recirculation. Finally, the simultaneous computer control of ultrafiltration has proven the most effective means for automatic blood pressure stabilization during hemo-dialysis treatment. The application of fuzzy logic in the blood-pressure-guided biofeedback con-trol of ultrafiltration during hemodialysis is able to minimize HD-induced hypotension. In con-clusion, online monitoring and adaptive control of the patient during the dialysis session using the bio-feedback systems is expected to render the process of renal replacement therapy more physiological and less eventful.

Production Support Flight Control Computers: Research Capability for F/A-18 Aircraft at Dryden Flight Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, John F.

1997-01-01

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is working with the United States Navy to complete ground testing and initiate flight testing of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers. The Production Support Flight Control Computers (PSFCC) can give any fleet F/A-18 airplane an in-flight, pilot-selectable research control law capability. NASA DFRC can efficiently flight test the PSFCC for the following four reasons: (1) Six F/A-18 chase aircraft are available which could be used with the PSFCC; (2) An F/A-18 processor-in-the-loop simulation exists for validation testing; (3) The expertise has been developed in programming the research processor in the PSFCC; and (4) A well-defined process has been established for clearing flight control research projects for flight. This report presents a functional description of the PSFCC. Descriptions of the NASA DFRC facilities, PSFCC verification and validation process, and planned PSFCC projects are also provided.

CANDU Digital Control Computer upgrade options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Jong, M.S.; De Grosbois, J.; Qian, T.

1997-01-01

This paper reviews the evolution of Digital Control Computers (DCC) in CANDU power plants to the present day. Much of this evolution has been to meeting changing control or display requirements as well as the replacement of obsolete, or old and less reliable technology with better equipment that is now available. The current work at AECL and Canadian utilities to investigate DCC upgrade options, alternatives, and strategies are examined. The dependence of a particular upgrade strategy on the overall plant refurbishment plans are also discussed. Presently, the upgrade options range from replacement of individual obsolete system components, to replacement of the entire DCC hardware without changing the software, to complete replacement of the DCCs with a functionally equivalent system using new control computer equipment and software. Key issues, constraints and objectives associated with these DCC upgrade options are highlighted. (author)

Computing the Density Matrix in Electronic Structure Theory on Graphics Processing Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Cawkwell, M J; Sanville, E J; Mniszewski, S M; Niklasson, Anders M N

2012-11-13

The self-consistent solution of a Schrödinger-like equation for the density matrix is a critical and computationally demanding step in quantum-based models of interatomic bonding. This step was tackled historically via the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian. We have investigated the performance and accuracy of the second-order spectral projection (SP2) algorithm for the computation of the density matrix via a recursive expansion of the Fermi operator in a series of generalized matrix-matrix multiplications. We demonstrate that owing to its simplicity, the SP2 algorithm [Niklasson, A. M. N. Phys. Rev. B2002, 66, 155115] is exceptionally well suited to implementation on graphics processing units (GPUs). The performance in double and single precision arithmetic of a hybrid GPU/central processing unit (CPU) and full GPU implementation of the SP2 algorithm exceed those of a CPU-only implementation of the SP2 algorithm and traditional matrix diagonalization when the dimensions of the matrices exceed about 2000 × 2000. Padding schemes for arrays allocated in the GPU memory that optimize the performance of the CUBLAS implementations of the level 3 BLAS DGEMM and SGEMM subroutines for generalized matrix-matrix multiplications are described in detail. The analysis of the relative performance of the hybrid CPU/GPU and full GPU implementations indicate that the transfer of arrays between the GPU and CPU constitutes only a small fraction of the total computation time. The errors measured in the self-consistent density matrices computed using the SP2 algorithm are generally smaller than those measured in matrices computed via diagonalization. Furthermore, the errors in the density matrices computed using the SP2 algorithm do not exhibit any dependence of system size, whereas the errors increase linearly with the number of orbitals when diagonalization is employed.

46 CFR 161.002-10 - Automatic fire detecting system control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Automatic fire detecting system control unit. 161.002-10...-10 Automatic fire detecting system control unit. (a) General. The fire detecting system control unit... and the battery to be charged. (h) Automatic fire detecting system, battery charging and control—(1...

77 FR 31026 - Use of Computer Simulation of the United States Blood Supply in Support of Planning for Emergency...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

...] Use of Computer Simulation of the United States Blood Supply in Support of Planning for Emergency... entitled: ``Use of Computer Simulation of the United States Blood Supply in Support of Planning for... and panel discussions with experts from academia, regulated industry, government, and other...

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TERTIARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY COMPUTER SIMULATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Iordache

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to asses conditions for implementation of a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR process in theWastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP of Moreni city (Romania. In order to meet the more increased environmentalregulations, the wastewater treatment plant that was studied, must update the actual treatment process and have tomodernize it. A comparative study was undertaken of the quality of effluents that could be obtained by implementationof biological nutrient removal process like A2/O (Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic and VIP (Virginia Plant Initiative aswastewater tertiary treatments. In order to asses the efficiency of the proposed treatment schemata based on the datamonitored at the studied WWTP, it were realized computer models of biological nutrient removal configurations basedon A2/O and VIP process. Computer simulation was realized using a well-known simulator, BioWin by EnviroSimAssociates Ltd. The simulation process allowed to obtain some data that can be used in design of a tertiary treatmentstage at Moreni WWTP, in order to increase the efficiency in operation.

42 CFR 455.21 - Cooperation with State Medicaid fraud control units.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cooperation with State Medicaid fraud control units... Detection and Investigation Program § 455.21 Cooperation with State Medicaid fraud control units. In a State with a Medicaid fraud control unit established and certified under subpart C of this part, (a) The...

A Computer-Controlled Laser Bore Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Charles C.

1980-08-01

This paper describes the design and engineering of a laser scanning system for production applications. The laser scanning techniques, the timing control, the logic design of the pattern recognition subsystem, the digital computer servo control for the loading and un-loading of parts, and the laser probe rotation and its synchronization will be discussed. The laser inspection machine is designed to automatically inspect the surface of precision-bored holes, such as those in automobile master cylinders, without contacting the machined surface. Although the controls are relatively sophisticated, operation of the laser inspection machine is simple. A laser light beam from a commercially available gas laser, directed through a probe, scans the entire surface of the bore. Reflected light, picked up through optics by photoelectric sensors, generates signals that are fed to a mini-computer for processing. A pattern recognition techniques program in the computer determines acceptance or rejection of the part being inspected. The system's acceptance specifications are adjustable and are set to the user's established tolerances. However, the computer-controlled laser system is capable of defining from 10 to 75 rms surface finish, and voids or flaws from 0.0005 to 0.020 inch. Following the successful demonstration with an engineering prototype, the described laser machine has proved its capability to consistently ensure high-quality master brake cylinders. It thus provides a safety improvement for the automotive braking system. Flawless, smooth cylinder bores eliminate premature wearing of the rubber seals, resulting in a longer-lasting master brake cylinder and a safer and more reliable automobile. The results obtained from use of this system, which has been in operation about a year for replacement of a tedious, manual operation on one of the high-volume lines at the Bendix Hydraulics Division, have been very satisfactory.

Advances in Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

CERN Document Server

011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

2012-01-01

The volume includes a set of selected papers extended and revised from the 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011). 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011) has been held in Zhuhai, China, November 19-20, 2011. This volume  topics covered include signal and Image processing, speech and audio Processing, video processing and analysis, artificial intelligence, computing and intelligent systems, machine learning, sensor and neural networks, knowledge discovery and data mining, fuzzy mathematics and Applications, knowledge-based systems, hybrid systems modeling and design, risk analysis and management, system modeling and simulation. We hope that researchers, graduate students and other interested readers benefit scientifically from the proceedings and also find it stimulating in the process.

National Ignition Facility integrated computer control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Arsdall, P.J. LLNL

1998-01-01

The NIF design team is developing the Integrated Computer Control System (ICCS), which is based on an object-oriented software framework applicable to event-driven control systems. The framework provides an open, extensible architecture that is sufficiently abstract to construct future mission-critical control systems. The ICCS will become operational when the first 8 out of 192 beams are activated in mid 2000. The ICCS consists of 300 front-end processors attached to 60,000 control points coordinated by a supervisory system. Computers running either Solaris or VxWorks are networked over a hybrid configuration of switched fast Ethernet and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). ATM carries digital motion video from sensors to operator consoles. Supervisory software is constructed by extending the reusable framework components for each specific application. The framework incorporates services for database persistence, system configuration, graphical user interface, status monitoring, event logging, scripting language, alert management, and access control. More than twenty collaborating software applications are derived from the common framework. The framework is interoperable among different kinds of computers and functions as a plug-in software bus by leveraging a common object request brokering architecture (CORBA). CORBA transparently distributes the software objects across the network. Because of the pivotal role played, CORBA was tested to ensure adequate performance

Special processor for in-core control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovanov, M.N.; Duma, V.R.; Levin, G.L.; Mel'nikov, A.V.; Polikanin, A.V.; Filatov, V.P.

1978-01-01

The BUTs-20 special processor is discussed, designed to control the units of the in-core control equipment which are incorporated into the VECTOR communication channel, and to provide preliminary data processing prior to computer calculations. A set of instructions and flowsheet of the processor, organization of its communication with memories and other units of the system are given. The processor components: a control unit and an arithmetic logical unit are discussed. It is noted that the special processor permits more effective utilization of the computer time

Decision unit program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madjar, N.; Pastor, C.; Chambon, B.; Drain, D.; Giorni, A.; Dauchy, A.

1981-01-01

A decision unit has been built to simplify the electronic logic set-up in multi-detectors experiments. This unit, designed with fast memories used as decision making tables, replaces conventional logic modules. Nine inputs are provided for receiving the fast detector signals (charged particles, gammas, neutrons, ...). Fifteen independent outputs allow the identification of the choosen events among the 2 9 possible events. A CAMAC interface between the unit and the computer, or a manual control auxiliary module, is used to load, in the memory, the pattern of the choosen events [fr

Computational Dosimetry and Treatment Planning Considerations for Neutron Capture Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nigg, David Waler

2003-01-01

Specialized treatment planning software systems are generally required for neutron capture therapy (NCT) research and clinical applications. The standard simplifying approximations that work well for treatment planning computations in the case of many other modalities are usually not appropriate for application to neutron transport. One generally must obtain an explicit three-dimensional numerical solution of the governing transport equation, with energy-dependent neutron scattering completely taken into account. Treatment planning systems that have been successfully introduced for NCT applications over the past 15 years rely on the Monte Carlo stochastic simulation method for the necessary computations, primarily because of the geometric complexity of human anatomy. However, historically, there has also been interest in the application of deterministic methods, and there have been some practical developments in this area. Most recently, interest has turned toward the creation of treatment planning software that is not limited to any specific therapy modality, with NCT as only one of several applications. A key issue with NCT treatment planning has to do with boron quantification, and whether improved information concerning the spatial biodistribution of boron can be effectively used to improve the treatment planning process. Validation and benchmarking of computations for NCT are also of current developmental interest. Various institutions have their own procedures, but standard validation models are not yet in wide use

Towards an Approach of Semantic Access Control for Cloud Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Luokai; Ying, Shi; Jia, Xiangyang; Zhao, Kai

With the development of cloud computing, the mutual understandability among distributed Access Control Policies (ACPs) has become an important issue in the security field of cloud computing. Semantic Web technology provides the solution to semantic interoperability of heterogeneous applications. In this paper, we analysis existing access control methods and present a new Semantic Access Control Policy Language (SACPL) for describing ACPs in cloud computing environment. Access Control Oriented Ontology System (ACOOS) is designed as the semantic basis of SACPL. Ontology-based SACPL language can effectively solve the interoperability issue of distributed ACPs. This study enriches the research that the semantic web technology is applied in the field of security, and provides a new way of thinking of access control in cloud computing.

A computable type theory for control systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.J. Collins (Pieter); L. Guo; J. Baillieul

2009-01-01

htmlabstractIn this paper, we develop a theory of computable types suitable for the study of control systems. The theory uses type-two effectivity as the underlying computational model, but we quickly develop a type system which can be manipulated abstractly, but for which all allowable operations

Future Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

CERN Document Server

2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation

2012-01-01

The volume includes a set of selected papers extended and revised from the 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011). 2011 International Conference on Computer, Communication, Control and Automation (3CA 2011) has been held in Zhuhai, China, November 19-20, 2011. This volume topics covered include wireless communications, advances in wireless video, wireless sensors networking, security in wireless networks, network measurement and management, hybrid and discrete-event systems, internet analytics and automation, robotic system and applications, reconfigurable automation systems, machine vision in automation. We hope that researchers, graduate students and other interested readers benefit scientifically from the proceedings and also find it stimulating in the process.

Automatic control unit for neutron transmission measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adib, M.; Abdel-Kawy, A.; Eid, Y.; Ashry, A.; Mostafa, M.; Hamouda, I. (Atomic Energy Establishment, Inshas (Egypt). Reactor and Neutron Physics Dept.)

1981-01-01

An automatic transistorized unit has been designed to control the neutron transmission measurements carried out using the time-of-flight spectrometer. The function of the automatic unit is to control the measurements of the neutron counting rate distribution transmitted through a sample at a selected channel group of the time analyzer for a certain preadjusted time period. At the end of this time, the unit removes the sample out of the neutron beam, selects a second equal channel group of the time analyzer and provides the measurement of the neutron counting rate distribution for the same time period as in the case with the sample on. Such a measuring cycle can be repeated as much as the experiment requires. At the end of these cycles the stored information can be immediately obtained through the analyzer read out unit. It is found that the time of removing the sample out of the neutron beam or returning it back does not exceed 20 seconds instead of the five minutes required in case of manual operation. The most important advantages of using such an automatic unit are saving about 20 percent of the reactor operating time avoidng unnecessary radiation exposure of the experimentalists.

Improvement of Oil-Vapor Treatment Facility for Wolsong Unit 3,4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jeong Guk; Kwon, S. W.; Lee, H. S.

2009-11-01

With the purpose to minimize an oil-vapor discharge to the atmosphere and to be an environmentally friendly nuclear power plant by an improvement of mist eliminator for turbine lubricant system at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3,4, this project - project name : Improvement of Oil-vapor Treatment Facility for Wolsong Unit 3,4 - was conducted for six months (from Apr. 15, 2009 to Oct. 14, 2009). This Project contains Oil-vapor Source and Environmental Regulation, Analysis on the Present Oil-vapor Treatment Facility, Improvement of Oil-vapor Treatment Facility, Test Facility Design, Fabrication, Installation, Test Operation, Evaluation of the Facility

A dynamic model used for controller design of a coal fired once-through boiler-turbine unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Ji-Zhen; Yan, Shu; Zeng, De-Liang; Hu, Yong; Lv, You

2015-01-01

Supercritical OTB (once-through boiler) units with high steam temperature and pressure have been widely used in modern power plants due to their high cycle efficiency and less emissions. To ensure the effective operation of such power generation systems, it is necessary to build a model for the design of the overall control system. There are already detailed models of once-through boilers; however, their complexity prevents them from being applied in the controller design. This study describes a lumped parameter dynamic model that has a relatively low complexity while faithfully capturing the essential overall plant dynamics. The model structure was derived by fundamental physical laws utilizing reasonable simplifications and data analysis to avoid the phase transition position problem. Parameter identification for the model structure was completed using operational data from a 1000 MW ultra-supercritical OTB. The model was determined to be reasonable by comparison tests between computed data and measured data for both steady and dynamic states. The simplified model is verified to have appropriate fidelity in control system design to achieve effective and economic operation of the unit. - Highlights: • A simplified dynamic model of once-through boiler-turbine unit is given. • The essential dynamics of active power and throttle pressure is presented. • The change of phase transition position is avoided in modeling process. • The model has appropriate complexity and fidelity for controller design.

Processes for CO2 capture. Context of thermal waste treatment units. State of the art. Extended abstract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, A.; Roizard, D.; Favre, E.; Dufour, A.

2013-01-01

For most of industrial sectors, Greenhouse Gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) are considered as serious pollutants and have to be controlled and treated. The thermal waste treatment units are part of industrial CO 2 emitters, even if they represent a small part of emissions (2,5 % of GHG emissions in France) compared to power plants (13 % of GHG emissions in France, one third of worldwide GHG emissions) or shaper industries (20 % of GHG emissions in France). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can be a solution to reduce CO 2 emissions from industries (power plants, steel and cement industries...). The issues of CCS applied to thermal waste treatment units are quite similar to those related to power plants (CO 2 flow, flue gas temperature and pressure conditions). The problem is to know if the CO 2 produced by waste treatment plants can be captured thanks to the processes already available on the market or that should be available by 2020. It seems technically possible to adapt CCS post-combustion methods to the waste treatment sector. But on the whole, CCS is complex and costly for a waste treatment unit offering small economies of scale. However, regulations concerning impurities for CO 2 transport and storage are not clearly defined at the moment. Consequently, specific studies must be achieved in order to check the technical feasibility of CCS in waste treatment context and clearly define its cost. (authors)

Initial quantitative evaluation of computed radiography in an intensive care unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillis, D.J.; McDonald, I.G.; Kelly, W.J.

1996-01-01

The first computed radiography (CR) unit in Australia was installed at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, in February 1994. An initial qualitative evaluation of the attitude of the intensive care unit (ICU) physicians to the CR unit was conducted by use of a survey. The results of the survey of ICU physicians indicated that images were available faster than under the previous system and that the use of the CR system was preferred to evaluate chest tubes and line placements. While it is recognized that a further detailed radiological evaluation of the CR system is required to establish the diagnostic performance of CR compared with conventional film, some comments on the implementation of the system and ICU physician attitudes to the CR system are put forward for consideration by other hospitals examining the possible use of CR systems. 11 refs., 1 tab

Design of BLDCM emulator for transmission control units

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; He, Yongyi; Zhang, Bodong

2018-04-01

According to the testing requirements of the transmission control unit, a brushless DC motor emulating system is designed based on motor simulation and power hardware-in-the-loop. The discrete motor model is established and a real-time numerical method is designed to solve the motor states. The motor emulator directly interacts with power stage of the transmission control unit using a power-efficient circuit topology and is compatible with sensor-less control. Experiments on a laboratory prototype help to verify that the system can emulate the real motor currents and voltages whenever the motor is starting up or suddenly loaded.

Robot-Arm Dynamic Control by Computer

Science.gov (United States)

Bejczy, Antal K.; Tarn, Tzyh J.; Chen, Yilong J.

1987-01-01

Feedforward and feedback schemes linearize responses to control inputs. Method for control of robot arm based on computed nonlinear feedback and state tranformations to linearize system and decouple robot end-effector motions along each of cartesian axes augmented with optimal scheme for correction of errors in workspace. Major new feature of control method is: optimal error-correction loop directly operates on task level and not on joint-servocontrol level.

HuRECA: Human Reliability Evaluator for Computer-based Control Room Actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Whan; Lee, Seung Jun; Jang, Seung Cheol

2011-01-01

As computer-based design features such as computer-based procedures (CBP), soft controls (SCs), and integrated information systems are being adopted in main control rooms (MCR) of nuclear power plants, a human reliability analysis (HRA) method capable of dealing with the effects of these design features on human reliability is needed. From the observations of human factors engineering verification and validation experiments, we have drawn some major important characteristics on operator behaviors and design-related influencing factors (DIFs) from the perspective of human reliability. Firstly, there are new DIFs that should be considered in developing an HRA method for computer-based control rooms including especially CBP and SCs. In the case of the computer-based procedure rather than the paper-based procedure, the structural and managerial elements should be considered as important PSFs in addition to the procedural contents. In the case of the soft controllers, the so-called interface management tasks (or secondary tasks) should be reflected in the assessment of human error probability. Secondly, computer-based control rooms can provide more effective error recovery features than conventional control rooms. Major error recovery features for computer-based control rooms include the automatic logic checking function of the computer-based procedure and the information sharing feature of the general computer-based designs

The Effects of Aromatherapy on Intensive Care Unit Patients’ Stress and Sleep Quality: A Nonrandomised Controlled Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun Hee Cho

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Stress has both physiological and psychological effects and can negatively impact patients’ treatment and recovery. We examined whether the aromatherapy alleviated patients’ stress and improved their sleep quality and provided data that can be utilized in clinical settings. Methods. This was a nonrandomised controlled experimental study. Participants included lucid adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit and had spent more than two nights there. The experimental treatment required participants to engage in deep breathing with essential oils as part of the aromatherapy. The control group was instructed to go to sleep without receiving the lavender aroma oil. Results. The experimental group and control group showed a significant difference in perceived stress (F=60.11, p<.001, objective stress index (F=25.65, p<.001, systolic blood pressure (F=9.09, p<.001, diastolic blood pressure (F=2.47, p=.046, heart rate (F=5.71, p<.001, and sleep quality (F=109.46, p<.001. Conclusions. The results revealed that aromatherapy alleviated stress and improved sleep quality in intensive care unit patients after 2 days of the experimental treatment. These results demonstrate that aromatherapy affects stress and sleep quality, thus indicating its value in nursing interventions. This trial is registered with KCT0002344.

Complex system modelling and control through intelligent soft computations

CERN Document Server

Azar, Ahmad

2015-01-01

The book offers a snapshot of the theories and applications of soft computing in the area of complex systems modeling and control. It presents the most important findings discussed during the 5th International Conference on Modelling, Identification and Control, held in Cairo, from August 31-September 2, 2013. The book consists of twenty-nine selected contributions, which have been thoroughly reviewed and extended before their inclusion in the volume. The different chapters, written by active researchers in the field, report on both current theories and important applications of soft-computing. Besides providing the readers with soft-computing fundamentals, and soft-computing based inductive methodologies/algorithms, the book also discusses key industrial soft-computing applications, as well as multidisciplinary solutions developed for a variety of purposes, like windup control, waste management, security issues, biomedical applications and many others. It is a perfect reference guide for graduate students, r...

Computer applications in controlled fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Killeen, J.

1975-02-01

The role of Nuclear Engineering Education in the application of computers to controlled fusion research can be a very important one. In the near future the use of computers in the numerical modelling of fusion systems should increase substantially. A recent study group has identified five categories of computational models to study the physics of magnetically confined plasmas. A comparable number of types of models for engineering studies are called for. The development and application of computer codes to implement these models is a vital step in reaching the goal of fusion power. In order to meet the needs of the fusion program the National CTR Computer Center has been established at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. A large central computing facility is linked to smaller computing centers at each of the major CTR laboratories by a communications network. The crucial element that is needed for success is trained personnel. The number of people with knowledge of plasma science and engineering that are trained in numerical methods and computer science is quite small, and must be increased substantially in the next few years. Nuclear Engineering departments should encourage students to enter this field and provide the necessary courses and research programs in fusion computing. (U.S.)

Charge-Control Unit for Testing Lithium-Ion Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Concha M.; Mazo, Michelle A.; Button, Robert M.

2008-01-01

A charge-control unit was developed as part of a program to validate Li-ion cells packaged together in batteries for aerospace use. The lithium-ion cell charge-control unit will be useful to anyone who performs testing of battery cells for aerospace and non-aerospace uses and to anyone who manufacturers battery test equipment. This technology reduces the quantity of costly power supplies and independent channels that are needed for test programs in which multiple cells are tested. Battery test equipment manufacturers can integrate the technology into their battery test equipment as a method to manage charging of multiple cells in series. The unit manages a complex scheme that is required for charging Li-ion cells electrically connected in series. The unit makes it possible to evaluate cells together as a pack using a single primary test channel, while also making it possible to charge each cell individually. Hence, inherent cell-to-cell variations in a series string of cells can be addressed, and yet the cost of testing is reduced substantially below the cost of testing each cell as a separate entity. The unit consists of electronic circuits and thermal-management devices housed in a common package. It also includes isolated annunciators to signal when the cells are being actively bypassed. These annunciators can be used by external charge managers or can be connected in series to signal that all cells have reached maximum charge. The charge-control circuitry for each cell amounts to regulator circuitry and is powered by that cell, eliminating the need for an external power source or controller. A 110-VAC source of electricity is required to power the thermal-management portion of the unit. A small direct-current source can be used to supply power for an annunciator signal, if desired.

Integrated evolutionary computation neural network quality controller for automated systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patro, S.; Kolarik, W.J. [Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States). Dept. of Industrial Engineering

1999-06-01

With increasing competition in the global market, more and more stringent quality standards and specifications are being demands at lower costs. Manufacturing applications of computing power are becoming more common. The application of neural networks to identification and control of dynamic processes has been discussed. The limitations of using neural networks for control purposes has been pointed out and a different technique, evolutionary computation, has been discussed. The results of identifying and controlling an unstable, dynamic process using evolutionary computation methods has been presented. A framework for an integrated system, using both neural networks and evolutionary computation, has been proposed to identify the process and then control the product quality, in a dynamic, multivariable system, in real-time.

Digital control computer upgrade at the Cernavoda NPP simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ionescu, T.

2006-01-01

The Plant Process Computer equips some Nuclear Power Plants, like CANDU-600, with Centralized Control performed by an assembly of two computers known as Digital Control Computers (DCC) and working in parallel for safely driving of the plan at steady state and during normal maneuvers but also during abnormal transients when the plant is automatically steered to a safe state. The Centralized Control means both hardware and software with obligatory presence in the frame of the Full Scope Simulator and subject to changing its configuration with specific requirements during the plant and simulator life and covered by this subsection

The computer-based control system of the NAC accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burdzik, G.F.; Bouckaert, R.F.A.; Cloete, I.; Du Toit, J.S.; Kohler, I.H.; Truter, J.N.J.; Visser, K.

1982-01-01

The National Accelerator Centre (NAC) of the CSIR is building a two-stage accelerator which will provide charged-particle beams for the use in medical and research applications. The control system for this accelerator is based on three mini-computers and a CAMAC interfacing network. Closed-loop control is being relegated to the various subsystems of the accelerators, and the computers and CAMAC network will be used in the first instance for data transfer, monitoring and servicing of the control consoles. The processing power of the computers will be utilized for automating start-up and beam-change procedures, for providing flexible and convenient information at the control consoles, for fault diagnosis and for beam-optimizing procedures. Tasks of a localized or dedicated nature are being off-loaded onto microcomputers, which are being used either in front-end devices or as slaves to the mini-computers. On the control consoles only a few instruments for setting and monitoring variables are being provided, but these instruments are universally-linkable to any appropriate machine variable

Adaptive remediation using portable treatment units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahowick, S.; Folsom, E.; Pico, T.

1996-01-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is using adaptive remediation to optimize their environmental restoration strategy. Adaptive remediation uses hydrostratigraphic analysis to gain a better understanding of the subsurface characteristics, hydraulic tests to optimize contaminant transport models, and Portable Treatment Units (PTUs) as an alternative to fixed facilities. Hydrostratigraphic analysis is an optimization tool that improves the ability to identify and target contaminant migration pathways, identify the relationship between plumes and source areas, and better define hydraulic capture areas. Hydraulic tests, performed with PTUs, provide valuable data about subsurface characteristics. As clean up progresses, PTUs can be moved to the appropriate extraction wells to optimize contaminant mass removal. PTUs can also be placed to support innovative treatment technologies such as steam injection and microbial filters. Construction of PTUs will reduce by one-half the capital costs of building the rest of the fixed treatment system planned in the Record of Decision. Regulatory agencies are receptive to the use of the PTUs because the same treatment technology is being used and the PTUs will be able to clean up the plume cheaper and faster. Using adaptive remediation, LLNL is more effectively implementing remediation plans, improving cleanup time, and reducing project costs

Knee temperatures measured in vivo after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction followed by cryotherapy with gel-packs or computer controlled heat extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashkovska, Aleksandra; Trobec, Roman; Avbelj, Viktor; Veselko, Matjaž

2014-09-01

To obtain in vivo data about intra- and extra-articular knee temperatures to assess the effectiveness of two cryotherapeutic methods-conventional cooling with gel-packs and computer controlled cryotherapy following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. Twenty patients were arbitrarily assigned for cryotherapy after ACL reconstruction: 8 patients with frozen gel-packs and 12 patients with computer controlled cryotherapy with constant temperatures of the cooling liquid in the knee pads. The treatment was performed for 12 h. Temperatures were measured with two thermo sensors in catheters placed intraarticularly and subcutaneously, four sensors on the skin and one sensor under protective bandage, every second for 16 h after surgery. In the first 2 h of treatment, there were no significant differences (n.s.) between the groups in temperatures in the intracondylar notch. After 4 h of cryotherapy, the temperatures were significantly lower on the skin (24.6 ± 2.8 and 31.4 ± 1.3 °C, p cryotherapy group compared to the gel-pack group. The cooling effect of the arthroscopy irrigation fluid on the knee temperature is evident in the first 2 h of treatment. The energy extraction is significantly more effective and controllable by computer controlled cryotherapy than with frozen gel-packs. Prospective comparative study, Level II.

SIFT - Design and analysis of a fault-tolerant computer for aircraft control. [Software Implemented Fault Tolerant systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wensley, J. H.; Lamport, L.; Goldberg, J.; Green, M. W.; Levitt, K. N.; Melliar-Smith, P. M.; Shostak, R. E.; Weinstock, C. B.

1978-01-01

SIFT (Software Implemented Fault Tolerance) is an ultrareliable computer for critical aircraft control applications that achieves fault tolerance by the replication of tasks among processing units. The main processing units are off-the-shelf minicomputers, with standard microcomputers serving as the interface to the I/O system. Fault isolation is achieved by using a specially designed redundant bus system to interconnect the processing units. Error detection and analysis and system reconfiguration are performed by software. Iterative tasks are redundantly executed, and the results of each iteration are voted upon before being used. Thus, any single failure in a processing unit or bus can be tolerated with triplication of tasks, and subsequent failures can be tolerated after reconfiguration. Independent execution by separate processors means that the processors need only be loosely synchronized, and a novel fault-tolerant synchronization method is described.

Development of processing procedure preparing for digital computer controlled equipment on modular design base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starosel'tsev, O.P.; Khrundin, V.I.

1982-01-01

In order to reduce labour consumption of technological preparation of production for digital computer controlled machines during the treatment of steam turbines articles created is a system of modular design of technological processes and controlling programs. A set of typical modulas-transitions, being a number of surfaces of an articles treated with one cutting tool in optimum sequence, and a library of cutting tools are the base of the system. Introduction of such a system sharply enhaneces the efficiency of the equipment utilization [ru

Some computer graphical user interfaces in radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, James C L

2016-03-28

In this review, five graphical user interfaces (GUIs) used in radiation therapy practices and researches are introduced. They are: (1) the treatment time calculator, superficial X-ray treatment time calculator (SUPCALC) used in the superficial X-ray radiation therapy; (2) the monitor unit calculator, electron monitor unit calculator (EMUC) used in the electron radiation therapy; (3) the multileaf collimator machine file creator, sliding window intensity modulated radiotherapy (SWIMRT) used in generating fluence map for research and quality assurance in intensity modulated radiation therapy; (4) the treatment planning system, DOSCTP used in the calculation of 3D dose distribution using Monte Carlo simulation; and (5) the monitor unit calculator, photon beam monitor unit calculator (PMUC) used in photon beam radiation therapy. One common issue of these GUIs is that all user-friendly interfaces are linked to complex formulas and algorithms based on various theories, which do not have to be understood and noted by the user. In that case, user only needs to input the required information with help from graphical elements in order to produce desired results. SUPCALC is a superficial radiation treatment time calculator using the GUI technique to provide a convenient way for radiation therapist to calculate the treatment time, and keep a record for the skin cancer patient. EMUC is an electron monitor unit calculator for electron radiation therapy. Instead of doing hand calculation according to pre-determined dosimetric tables, clinical user needs only to input the required drawing of electron field in computer graphical file format, prescription dose, and beam parameters to EMUC to calculate the required monitor unit for the electron beam treatment. EMUC is based on a semi-experimental theory of sector-integration algorithm. SWIMRT is a multileaf collimator machine file creator to generate a fluence map produced by a medical linear accelerator. This machine file controls

ANS main control complex three-dimensional computer model development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleaves, J.E.; Fletcher, W.M.

1993-01-01

A three-dimensional (3-D) computer model of the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) main control complex is being developed. The main control complex includes the main control room, the technical support center, the materials irradiation control room, computer equipment rooms, communications equipment rooms, cable-spreading rooms, and some support offices and breakroom facilities. The model will be used to provide facility designers and operations personnel with capabilities for fit-up/interference analysis, visual ''walk-throughs'' for optimizing maintain-ability, and human factors and operability analyses. It will be used to determine performance design characteristics, to generate construction drawings, and to integrate control room layout, equipment mounting, grounding equipment, electrical cabling, and utility services into ANS building designs. This paper describes the development of the initial phase of the 3-D computer model for the ANS main control complex and plans for its development and use

Control unit of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desfontaines, Guy; Le Helloco, Michel.

1981-01-01

Control unit comprising multiple leak-tight vessels, in communication with the inside of the reactor vessel, extending this vessel above its cover, in the vertical direction and each one enclosing a mechanism for moving a cluster of material absorbing the neutrons in the reactor core, actuated by a motor. This control unit is of reduced height above the vessel cover and provides efficient protection of the leak tight containments and the mechanisms in the event of earthquakes, easy removal and refitting of the vessel cover, good ventilation of the power devices of the mechanisms without the use of a complex ventilation system, efficient thermal insulation of the leak-tight containments assembly, as well as easy access to the motors and mechanism located in the leak-tight containment for carrying out any maintenance and repairs that might be required [fr

Computer controlled testing of batteries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiper, A.C.J.; Einerhand, R.E.F.; Visscher, W.

1989-01-01

A computerized testing device for batteries consists of a power supply, a multiplexer circuit connected to the batteries, a protection circuit, and an IBM Data Aquisition and Control Adapter card, connected to a personal computer. The software is written in Turbo-Pascal and can be easily adapted to

Full Monte Carlo-Based Biologic Treatment Plan Optimization System for Intensity Modulated Carbon Ion Therapy on Graphics Processing Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Nan; Shen, Chenyang; Tsai, Min-Yu; Pinto, Marco; Tian, Zhen; Dedes, Georgios; Pompos, Arnold; Jiang, Steve B; Parodi, Katia; Jia, Xun

2018-01-01

One of the major benefits of carbon ion therapy is enhanced biological effectiveness at the Bragg peak region. For intensity modulated carbon ion therapy (IMCT), it is desirable to use Monte Carlo (MC) methods to compute the properties of each pencil beam spot for treatment planning, because of their accuracy in modeling physics processes and estimating biological effects. We previously developed goCMC, a graphics processing unit (GPU)-oriented MC engine for carbon ion therapy. The purpose of the present study was to build a biological treatment plan optimization system using goCMC. The repair-misrepair-fixation model was implemented to compute the spatial distribution of linear-quadratic model parameters for each spot. A treatment plan optimization module was developed to minimize the difference between the prescribed and actual biological effect. We used a gradient-based algorithm to solve the optimization problem. The system was embedded in the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system under a client-server architecture to achieve a user-friendly planning environment. We tested the system with a 1-dimensional homogeneous water case and 3 3-dimensional patient cases. Our system generated treatment plans with biological spread-out Bragg peaks covering the targeted regions and sparing critical structures. Using 4 NVidia GTX 1080 GPUs, the total computation time, including spot simulation, optimization, and final dose calculation, was 0.6 hour for the prostate case (8282 spots), 0.2 hour for the pancreas case (3795 spots), and 0.3 hour for the brain case (6724 spots). The computation time was dominated by MC spot simulation. We built a biological treatment plan optimization system for IMCT that performs simulations using a fast MC engine, goCMC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that full MC-based IMCT inverse planning has been achieved in a clinically viable time frame. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Utilization and Military Career Impact in the United States Marine Corps.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan; LaCroix, Jessica M; Koss, Kari; Perera, Kanchana U; Rowan, Anderson; VanSickle, Marcus R; Novak, Laura A; Trieu, Theresa H

2018-04-23

Service members (SM) are at increased risk of psychiatric conditions, including suicide, yet research indicates SMs believe seeking mental health treatment may negatively impact their military careers, despite a paucity of research examining actual career impacts. This study examined the link between seeking outpatient mental health (MH) treatment and military career impacts within the United States Marine Corps. In Phase 1, a retrospective medical record review of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 38) was conducted. In Phase 2, a sample of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 40) was matched to a non-treatment-seeking sample of Marines ( N = 138) to compare career-progression. In Phase 1, there were no significant links between demographic, military, and clinical characteristics and referral source or receipt of career-affecting treatment recommendations. In Phase 2, MH treatment-seeking Marines in outpatient settings were more likely than matched controls to be separated from the military (95.0% versus 63.0%, p = 0.002), but no more likely to experience involuntary separation. MH treatment-seeking Marines were more likely to have documented legal action (45.0% versus 23.9%, p = 0.008) and had a shorter time of military service following the index MH encounter than matched controls ( p < 0.001). Clinical, anti-stigma, and suicide prevention policy implications are discussed.

Instruction Set Architectures for Quantum Processing Units

OpenAIRE

Britt, Keith A.; Humble, Travis S.

2017-01-01

Progress in quantum computing hardware raises questions about how these devices can be controlled, programmed, and integrated with existing computational workflows. We briefly describe several prominent quantum computational models, their associated quantum processing units (QPUs), and the adoption of these devices as accelerators within high-performance computing systems. Emphasizing the interface to the QPU, we analyze instruction set architectures based on reduced and complex instruction s...

Energy- and cost-efficient lattice-QCD computations using graphics processing units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bach, Matthias

2014-07-01

Quarks and gluons are the building blocks of all hadronic matter, like protons and neutrons. Their interaction is described by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), a theory under test by large scale experiments like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN and in the future at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at GSI. However, perturbative methods can only be applied to QCD for high energies. Studies from first principles are possible via a discretization onto an Euclidean space-time grid. This discretization of QCD is called Lattice QCD (LQCD) and is the only ab-initio option outside of the high-energy regime. LQCD is extremely compute and memory intensive. In particular, it is by definition always bandwidth limited. Thus - despite the complexity of LQCD applications - it led to the development of several specialized compute platforms and influenced the development of others. However, in recent years General-Purpose computation on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) came up as a new means for parallel computing. Contrary to machines traditionally used for LQCD, graphics processing units (GPUs) are a massmarket product. This promises advantages in both the pace at which higher-performing hardware becomes available and its price. CL2QCD is an OpenCL based implementation of LQCD using Wilson fermions that was developed within this thesis. It operates on GPUs by all major vendors as well as on central processing units (CPUs). On the AMD Radeon HD 7970 it provides the fastest double-precision D kernel for a single GPU, achieving 120GFLOPS. D - the most compute intensive kernel in LQCD simulations - is commonly used to compare LQCD platforms. This performance is enabled by an in-depth analysis of optimization techniques for bandwidth-limited codes on GPUs. Further, analysis of the communication between GPU and CPU, as well as between multiple GPUs, enables high-performance Krylov space solvers and linear scaling to multiple GPUs within a single system. LQCD

Energy- and cost-efficient lattice-QCD computations using graphics processing units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bach, Matthias

2014-01-01

Quarks and gluons are the building blocks of all hadronic matter, like protons and neutrons. Their interaction is described by Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), a theory under test by large scale experiments like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN and in the future at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at GSI. However, perturbative methods can only be applied to QCD for high energies. Studies from first principles are possible via a discretization onto an Euclidean space-time grid. This discretization of QCD is called Lattice QCD (LQCD) and is the only ab-initio option outside of the high-energy regime. LQCD is extremely compute and memory intensive. In particular, it is by definition always bandwidth limited. Thus - despite the complexity of LQCD applications - it led to the development of several specialized compute platforms and influenced the development of others. However, in recent years General-Purpose computation on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) came up as a new means for parallel computing. Contrary to machines traditionally used for LQCD, graphics processing units (GPUs) are a massmarket product. This promises advantages in both the pace at which higher-performing hardware becomes available and its price. CL2QCD is an OpenCL based implementation of LQCD using Wilson fermions that was developed within this thesis. It operates on GPUs by all major vendors as well as on central processing units (CPUs). On the AMD Radeon HD 7970 it provides the fastest double-precision D kernel for a single GPU, achieving 120GFLOPS. D - the most compute intensive kernel in LQCD simulations - is commonly used to compare LQCD platforms. This performance is enabled by an in-depth analysis of optimization techniques for bandwidth-limited codes on GPUs. Further, analysis of the communication between GPU and CPU, as well as between multiple GPUs, enables high-performance Krylov space solvers and linear scaling to multiple GPUs within a single system. LQCD

Computer aided design of fast neutron therapy units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gileadi, A.E.; Gomberg, H.J.; Lampe, I.

1980-01-01

Conceptual design of a radiation-therapy unit using fusion neutrons is presently being considered by KMS Fusion, Inc. As part of this effort, a powerful and versatile computer code, TBEAM, has been developed which enables the user to determine physical characteristics of the fast neutron beam generated in the facility under consideration, using certain given design parameters of the facility as inputs. TBEAM uses the method of statistical sampling (Monte Carlo) to solve the space, time and energy dependent neutron transport equation relating to the conceptual design described by the user-supplied input parameters. The code traces the individual source neutrons as they propagate throughout the shield-collimator structure of the unit, and it keeps track of each interaction by type, position and energy. In its present version, TBEAM is applicable to homogeneous and laminated shields of spherical geometry, to collimator apertures of conical shape, and to neutrons emitted by point sources or such plate sources as are used in neutron generators of various types. TBEAM-generated results comparing the performance of point or plate sources in otherwise identical shield-collimator configurations are presented in numerical form. (H.K.)

Data acquisition and control for gamma scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, B.K.; Murray, A.S.; Quintana, J.N.

1980-01-01

A new computer-based data acquisition and control unit has been installed in the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) system for scanning irradiated reactor fuel pins. The scanning mechanism is controlled by a commercial multichannel analyzer via a CAMAC link with an intelligent crate controller. The scanning and control unit consists of three linked LSI-11 computers. The multitasking capability of the commercial operation system allows control decisions to be based upon currently acquiring data

Virtual Reality versus Computer-Aided Exposure Treatments for Fear of Flying

Science.gov (United States)

Tortella-Feliu, Miquel; Botella, Cristina; Llabres, Jordi; Breton-Lopez, Juana Maria; del Amo, Antonio Riera; Banos, Rosa M.; Gelabert, Joan M.

2011-01-01

Evidence is growing that two modalities of computer-based exposure therapies--virtual reality and computer-aided psychotherapy--are effective in treating anxiety disorders, including fear of flying. However, they have not yet been directly compared. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of three computer-based exposure treatments for…

Aspects of computer control from the human engineering standpoint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, T.V.

1979-03-01

A Computer Control System includes data acquisition, information display and output control signals. In order to design such a system effectively we must first determine the required operational mode: automatic control (closed loop), computer assisted (open loop), or hybrid control. The choice of operating mode will depend on the nature of the plant, the complexity of the operation, the funds available, and the technical expertise of the operating staff, among many other factors. Once the mode has been selected, consideration must be given to the method (man/machine interface) by which the operator interacts with this system. The human engineering factors are of prime importance to achieving high operating efficiency and very careful attention must be given to this aspect of the work, if full operator acceptance is to be achieved. This paper will discuss these topics and will draw on experience gained in setting up the computer control system in Main Control Center for Stanford University's Accelerator Center (a high energy physics research facility)

Ultralow oxygen treatment for postharvest control of Nasonovia ribisnigri (Homoptera: Aphididae) on iceberg lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yong-Biao

2005-12-01

The aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley) is a common pest of lettuce in the United States. It hinders export of U.S. lettuce to the overseas market such as Japan where it is a quarantined pest. Ultralow oxygen treatments were studied for control of the insect on iceberg lettuce. Small-scale ultralow oxygen treatments in plastic jars were conducted at 1, 5, and 10 degrees C for different durations to determine effective treatment against nymphs and alates of N. ribisnigri. At oxygen levels of 0.015-0.025%, N. ribisnigri can be controlled in 3 d at 1 degrees C, 2 d at 5 degrees C, and 1 d at 10 degrees C. Large-scale ultralow oxygen treatments were conducted in bulk container treatment chambers with commercial iceberg lettuce heads for 2 d at 6 degrees C with oxygen levels of 0.015 and 0.025% and for 3 d at 3 degrees C with oxygen level of 0.015%. All treatments achieved complete control of N. ribisnigri. No negative impact on lettuce quality was detected after 2 wk of posttreatment storage. Therefore, the selected treatments have potential to be commercially developed for postharvest control of N. ribisnigri on iceberg lettuce.

Computer-integrated electric-arc melting process control system

OpenAIRE

Дёмин, Дмитрий Александрович

2014-01-01

Developing common principles of completing melting process automation systems with hardware and creating on their basis rational choices of computer- integrated electricarc melting control systems is an actual task since it allows a comprehensive approach to the issue of modernizing melting sites of workshops. This approach allows to form the computer-integrated electric-arc furnace control system as part of a queuing system “electric-arc furnace - foundry conveyor” and consider, when taking ...

Optimal replacement and inspection periods of safety and control boards in Wolsung nuclear power plant unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mok, Jin Il

1993-02-01

In nuclear power plants, the safety and control systems are important for operating and maintaining safety of nuclear power plants. Due to the failure of the instrument and control devices of nuclear power plants caused by aging, nuclear power plants occasionally trip. Since the start of first commercial operation of Kori nuclear power plant (NPP) unit 1, the trips caused by instrument and control systems account for 28% of total trips of NPPs in Korea. Even a single trip of a nuclear power plant causes an extravagant economical loss and deteriorates public acceptance of nuclear power plants. Therefore, the replacement of the instrument and control devices with proper consideration of the aging effect is necessary in order to prevent the inadvertent trip. In this work we investigated the optimal replacement periods of the digital control computer's (DCC) and the programmable digital comparator's (PDC) electronic circuit boards of Wolsung nuclear power plant Unit 1. We first derived mathematical models which calculate optimal replacement periods for electronic circuit boards of digital control computer (DCC) and for those of the programmable digital comparator (PDC) in Wolsung NPP unit 1. And we analytically obtained the optimal replacement periods of electronic circuit boards by using these models. We compared these periods with the replacement periods currently used at Wolsung NPP Unit. The periods used at Wolsung is not based on mathematical analysis, but on empirical knowledge. As a consequence, the optimal replacement periods analytically obtained for the electronic circuit boards of DCC and those used in the field shown small difference : the optimal replacement periods analytically obtained for the electronic circuit boards of PDC are shorter than those used in the field in general. The engineered safeguards of Wolsung nuclear power plant unit 1 contains redundant systems of 2-out-of-3 logic which are not operating under normal conditions but they are called

Role of optical computers in aeronautical control applications

Science.gov (United States)

Baumbick, R. J.

1981-01-01

The role that optical computers play in aircraft control is determined. The optical computer has the potential high speed capability required, especially for matrix/matrix operations. The optical computer also has the potential for handling nonlinear simulations in real time. They are also more compatible with fiber optic signal transmission. Optics also permit the use of passive sensors to measure process variables. No electrical energy need be supplied to the sensor. Complex interfacing between optical sensors and the optical computer is avoided if the optical sensor outputs can be directly processed by the optical computer.

Control system design specification of advanced spent fuel management process units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, S. H.; Kim, S. H.; Yoon, J. S

2003-06-01

In this study, the design specifications of instrumentation and control system for advanced spent fuel management process units are presented. The advanced spent fuel management process consists of several process units such as slitting device, dry pulverizing/mixing device, metallizer, etc. In this study, the control and operation characteristics of the advanced spent fuel management mockup process devices and the process devices developed in 2001 and 2002 are analysed. Also, a integral processing system of the unit process control signals is proposed, which the operation efficiency is improved. And a redundant PLC control system is constructed which the reliability is improved. A control scheme is proposed for the time delayed systems compensating the control performance degradation caused by time delay. The control system design specification is presented for the advanced spent fuel management process units. This design specifications can be effectively used for the detail design of the advanced spent fuel management process.

Accessibility of hypertensive users to health units and treatment adherence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha Marques Frota

2013-09-01

Full Text Available We aimed to analyze the accessibility of hypertensive users to the health system with focus on treatment adherence. A cross-sectional study with quantitative approach was conducted in four Family Health Basic Units of Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. The sample consisted of 400 users. Data collection happened through a form applied from May to August 2011. About 97.5% of users were older than 40 years, and 67.2% were female. The accessibility to the referral service occurred in 47.2% of users to secondary care, of which 101 (25.2% were referred to Emergency Units, and 88 (22.0% were admitted to Inpatient Units. Most hypertensive patients adhered to healthy habits, except the use of dietetic sweeteners (36.0% and physical exercise (35.0%. The hypertensive patients had good treatment adherence and difficulty in accessibility regarding counter-referral services to secondary and tertiary care services.

Computer-controlled system for rapid soil analysis of 226Ra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doane, R.W.; Berven, B.A.; Blair, M.S.

1984-01-01

A computer-controlled multichannel analysis system has been developed by the Radiological Survey Activities Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the DOE's remedial action programs. The purpose of this system is to provide a rapid estimate of the 226 Ra concentration in soil samples using a 6 x 9-in. NaI(Tl) crystal containing a 3.25-in. deep by 3.5-in. diameter well. This gamma detection system is controlled by a mini-computer with a dual floppy disk storage medium. A two-chip interface was also designed at ORNL which handles all control signals generated from the computer keyboard. These computer-generated control signals are processed in machine language for rapid data transfer and BASIC language is used for data processing

Adaptive control system having hedge unit and related apparatus and methods

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Eric Norman (Inventor); Calise, Anthony J. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

The invention includes an adaptive control system used to control a plant. The adaptive control system includes a hedge unit that receives at least one control signal and a plant state signal. The hedge unit generates a hedge signal based on the control signal, the plant state signal, and a hedge model including a first model having one or more characteristics to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt, and a second model not having the characteristic(s) to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt. The hedge signal is used in the adaptive control system to remove the effect of the characteristic from a signal supplied to an adaptation law unit of the adaptive control system so that the adaptive control system does not adapt to the characteristic in controlling the plant.

Centralized digital computer control of a research nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, K.C.

1987-01-01

A hardware and software design for the centralized control of a research nuclear reactor by a digital computer are presented, as well as an investigation of automatic-feedback control. Current reactor-control philosophies including redundancy, inherent safety in failure, and conservative-yet-operational scram initiation were used as the bases of the design. The control philosophies were applied to the power-monitoring system, the fuel-temperature monitoring system, the area-radiation monitoring system, and the overall system interaction. Unlike the single-function analog computers currently used to control research and commercial reactors, this system will be driven by a multifunction digital computer. Specifically, the system will perform control-rod movements to conform with operator requests, automatically log the required physical parameters during reactor operation, perform the required system tests, and monitor facility safety and security. Reactor power control is based on signals received from ion chambers located near the reactor core. Absorber-rod movements are made to control the rate of power increase or decrease during power changes and to control the power level during steady-state operation. Additionally, the system incorporates a rudimentary level of artificial intelligence

Experience in the treatment of IMRT in prostate cancer. Planning, dosimetry and quality control; Experiencia en el tratamiento de IMRT en cancer de prostata. Planificacion, dosimetria y control de calidad

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomez Barrado, A.; Garcia Vicente, F.; Fernandez Bedoya, V.; Bermudez Luna, R.; Perez Gonzalez, L.; Torres Escobar, J. J.

2011-07-01

The aim of this study is to review the treatment of prostate cancer at our center. A description of the entire procedure, involving clinical dosimetry, and procedures for verification of treatment, including physical dosimetry and parallel computing system MSure (Standard Imaging, Inc., Middleton) as part of these procedures. This system is based on the model published by trifuente Yang et al. (Yang et al. 2002) for testing treatments regarding the number of monitor unit (MU) given. In addition, this software has a module for the testing of treatments for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which will be analyzed in this study.

Computational fluid dynamics research at the United Technologies Research Center requiring supercomputers

Science.gov (United States)

Landgrebe, Anton J.

1987-01-01

An overview of research activities at the United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) in the area of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is presented. The requirement and use of various levels of computers, including supercomputers, for the CFD activities is described. Examples of CFD directed toward applications to helicopters, turbomachinery, heat exchangers, and the National Aerospace Plane are included. Helicopter rotor codes for the prediction of rotor and fuselage flow fields and airloads were developed with emphasis on rotor wake modeling. Airflow and airload predictions and comparisons with experimental data are presented. Examples are presented of recent parabolized Navier-Stokes and full Navier-Stokes solutions for hypersonic shock-wave/boundary layer interaction, and hydrogen/air supersonic combustion. In addition, other examples of CFD efforts in turbomachinery Navier-Stokes methodology and separated flow modeling are presented. A brief discussion of the 3-tier scientific computing environment is also presented, in which the researcher has access to workstations, mid-size computers, and supercomputers.

Effects of computing time delay on real-time control systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Kang G.; Cui, Xianzhong

1988-01-01

The reliability of a real-time digital control system depends not only on the reliability of the hardware and software used, but also on the speed in executing control algorithms. The latter is due to the negative effects of computing time delay on control system performance. For a given sampling interval, the effects of computing time delay are classified into the delay problem and the loss problem. Analysis of these two problems is presented as a means of evaluating real-time control systems. As an example, both the self-tuning predicted (STP) control and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control are applied to the problem of tracking robot trajectories, and their respective effects of computing time delay on control performance are comparatively evaluated. For this example, the STP (PID) controller is shown to outperform the PID (STP) controller in coping with the delay (loss) problem.

Microgravity induced changes in the control of motor units

Science.gov (United States)

de Luca, C.; Roy, S.

The goal of this project is to understand the effects of microgravity on the control of muscles. It is motivated by the notion that in order to adequately address microgravity-induced deterioration in the force generating capacity of muscles, one needs to understand the changes in the control aspects in addition to histochemical and morphological changes. The investigations into muscle control need to include the regulation of the firing activity of motor units that make up a muscle and the coordination of different muscles responsible for the control of a joint. In order to understand the effects of microgravity on these two aspects of muscle control, we will test astronauts before and after spaceflight. The investigations of the control of motor units will involve intramuscular EMG techniques developed in our laboratory. We will use a quadrifilar electrode to detect simultaneously three differential channels of EMG activity. These data will be decomposed accurately using a sophisticated set of algorithms constructed with artificial intelligence knowledge- based techniques. Particular attention will be paid to the firing rate and recruitment behavior of motor units and we will study the degree of cross-correlation of the firing rates. This approach will enable us to study the firing behavior of several (approx. 10) concurrently active motor units. This analysis will enable us to detect modifications in the control of motor units. We will perform these investigations in a hand muscle, which continues being used in prehensile tasks in space, and a leg muscle whose antigravity role is not needed in space. The comparison of the effects of weightlessness on these muscles will determine if continued use of muscles in space deters the possible deleterious effects of microgravity on the control of motor units, in addition to slowing down atrophy. We are particularly interested in comparing the results of this study to similar data already obtained from elderly subjects

Computer Science Teacher Professional Development in the United States: A Review of Studies Published between 2004 and 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Menekse, Muhsin

2015-01-01

While there has been a remarkable interest to make computer science a core K-12 academic subject in the United States, there is a shortage of K-12 computer science teachers to successfully implement computer sciences courses in schools. In order to enhance computer science teacher capacity, training programs have been offered through teacher…

Automatic control of commercial computer programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezvov, B.A.; Artem'ev, A.N.; Maevskij, A.G.; Demkiv, A.A.; Kirillov, B.F.; Belyaev, A.D.; Artem'ev, N.A.

2010-01-01

The way of automatic control of commercial computer programs is presented. The developed connection of the EXAFS spectrometer automatic system (which is managed by PC for DOS) is taken with the commercial program for the CCD detector control (which is managed by PC for Windows). The described complex system is used for the automation of intermediate amplitude spectra processing in EXAFS spectrum measurements at Kurchatov SR source

Application of process computers and colour CRT displays in the plant control room of a BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, M.; Hayakawa, H.; Kawahara, H.; Neda, T.; Wakabayashi, Y.

1983-01-01

The recent application of a CRT display system in an 1100-MW(e) BWR plant control room and the design features of a new control room whose installation is planned for the next generation are discussed. As reactor unit capacity and the need for plant safety and reliability continue to increase, instrumentation and control equipment is growing in number and complexity. In consequence, control and supervision of plant operations require improvement. Thus, because of recent progress in the field of process computers and display equipment (colour CRTs), efficient improvements of the control room are under way in the Japanese BWR plant. In the recently constructed BWR plant (1100 MW(e)), five CRTs on the bench board and two process computers were additionally installed in the control room during the construction stage to improve plant control and supervisory functions by implementing the lessons learned from the Three Mile Island incident. The major functions of the new computers and display systems are to show integrated graphic displays of the plant status, to monitor the standby condition of the safety system, to show the condition of the integrated alarm system, etc. In practice, in the actual plant, this newly installed system performs well. On the basis of the experience gained in these activities, a new computerized control and monitoring system is now being designed for subsequent domestic BWR plants. This advanced system will incorporate not only the functions already mentioned, but also a surveillance guide system and plant automation. For future plants, a diagnostic system and an instructional system that can analyse a disturbance and give operational guidance to the plant operator are being developed in a government-sponsored programme. (author)

A rule-based computer control system for PBX-M neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, K.T.; Kozub, T.A.; Kugel, H.W.

1987-01-01

The Princeton Beta Experiment (PBX) neutral beams have been routinely operated under automatic computer control. A major upgrade of the computer configuration was undertaken to coincide with the PBX machine modification. The primary tasks included in the computer control system are data acquisition, waveform reduction, automatic control and data storage. The portion of the system which will remain intact is the rule-based approach to automatic control. Increased computational and storage capability will allow the expansion of the knowledge base previously used. The hardware configuration supported by the PBX Neutral Beam (XNB) software includes a dedicated Microvax with five CAMAC crates and four process controllers. The control algorithms are rule-based and goal-driven. The automatic control system raises ion source electrical parameters to selected energy goals and maintains these levels until new goals are requested or faults are detected

Comparison of monitor units calculated by radiotherapy treatment planning system and an independent monitor unit verification software.

Science.gov (United States)

Sellakumar, P; Arun, C; Sanjay, S S; Ramesh, S B

2011-01-01

In radiation therapy, the monitor units (MU) needed to deliver a treatment plan are calculated by treatment planning systems (TPS). The essential part of quality assurance is to verify the MU with independent monitor unit calculation to correct any potential errors prior to the start of treatment. In this study, we have compared the MU calculated by TPS and by independent MU verification software. The MU verification software was commissioned and tested for the data integrity to ensure that the correct beam data was considered for MU calculations. The accuracy of the calculations was tested by creating a series of test plans and comparing them with ion chamber measurements. The results show that there is good agreement between the two. The MU difference (MUdiff) between the monitor unit calculations of TPS and independent MU verification system was calculated for 623 fields from 245 patients and was analyzed by treatment site for head & neck, thorax, breast, abdomen and pelvis. The mean MUdiff of -0.838% with a standard deviation of 3.04% was observed for all 623 fields. The site specific standard deviation of MUdiff was as follows: abdomen and pelvis (<1.75%), head & neck (2.5%), thorax (2.32%) and breast (6.01%). The disparities were analyzed and different correction methods were used to reduce the disparity. © 2010 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrofitting of NPP Computer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersen, G.

1994-01-01

Retrofitting of nuclear power plant control rooms is a continuing process for most utilities. This involves introducing and/or extending computer-based solutions for surveillance and control as well as improving the human-computer interface. The paper describes typical requirements when retrofitting NPP process computer systems, and focuses on the activities of Institute for energieteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor project with respect to such retrofitting, using examples from actual delivery projects. In particular, a project carried out for Forsmarksverket in Sweden comprising upgrade of the operator system in the control rooms of units 1 and 2 is described. As many of the problems of retrofitting NPP process computer systems are similar to such work in other kinds of process industries, an example from a non-nuclear application area is also given

Isotopic analysis of plutonium by computer controlled mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-01-01

Isotopic analysis of plutonium chemically purified by ion exchange is achieved using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer. Data acquisition from and control of the instrument is done automatically with a dedicated system computer in real time with subsequent automatic data reduction and reporting. Separation of isotopes is achieved by varying the ion accelerating high voltage with accurate computer control

Structure of the main control system for the FTU device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panaccione, L.

1983-01-01

The computer based control system for FTU (Frascati Tokamak Upgrade) machine is a distributed intelligence control system consisting of various subsystems, called ''specific units''. A specific unit can work as a stand-alone small system or as a part of more complex systems, together with other units, in any possible combination. In the case of combined units working mode, a dedicated specific unit performs supervisory functions. Communication between specific units is done on a dedicated bus-like network, in the form of temporary master-slave relationship. There are three groups of specific units: Plant Control Units, Supervisory Control Unit and Synoptic Handling Unit. Performances and structures of these specific units are described. In addition, a very simple hard-wired safety system works in parallel with the computer based control system, in order to save personnel and apparatus. (author)

Design of master control unit for laboratory prototype of traction converter for locomotives

OpenAIRE

Žák, Jan; Peroutka, Zdeněk; Ovaska, Seppo J.

2008-01-01

This paper deals with the prototype of a main traction converter with medium-frequency transformer for AC trolley wire-fed locomotives. The attention is paid to the new master control and diagnostic unit. The designed master control unit has been implemented in the LabVIEW environment. Our master control unit ensures an effective human interface between a user and the control hardware. In this case, the master unit makes possible both extensive control and diagnostic operations of the laborat...

Computer-controlled environmental test systems - Criteria for selection, installation, and maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, C. P.

1972-01-01

Applications for presently marketed, new computer-controlled environmental test systems are suggested. It is shown that capital costs of these systems follow an exponential cost function curve that levels out as additional applications are implemented. Some test laboratory organization changes are recommended in terms of new personnel requirements, and facility modification are considered in support of a computer-controlled test system. Software for computer-controlled test systems are discussed, and control loop speed constraints are defined for real-time control functions. Suitable input and output devices and memory storage device tradeoffs are also considered.

EBR-II Cover Gas Cleanup System upgrade distributed control and front end computer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, R.B.

1992-01-01

The Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) Cover Gas Cleanup System (CGCS) control system was upgraded in 1991 to improve control and provide a graphical operator interface. The upgrade consisted of a main control computer, a distributed control computer, a front end input/output computer, a main graphics interface terminal, and a remote graphics interface terminal. This paper briefly describes the Cover Gas Cleanup System and the overall control system; gives reasons behind the computer system structure; and then gives a detailed description of the distributed control computer, the front end computer, and how these computers interact with the main control computer. The descriptions cover both hardware and software

Testing of an End-Point Control Unit Designed to Enable Precision Control of Manipulator-Coupled Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, Raymond C.; Ghosh, Dave; Tobbe, Patrick A.; Weathers, John M.; Manouchehri, Davoud; Lindsay, Thomas S.

1994-01-01

This paper presents an end-point control concept designed to enable precision telerobotic control of manipulator-coupled spacecraft. The concept employs a hardware unit (end-point control unit EPCU) that is positioned between the end-effector of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System and the payload. Features of the unit are active compliance (control of the displacement between the end-effector and the payload), to allow precision control of payload motions, and inertial load relief, to prevent the transmission of loads between the end-effector and the payload. This paper presents the concept and studies the active compliance feature using a simulation and hardware. Results of the simulation show the effectiveness of the EPCU in smoothing the motion of the payload. Results are presented from initial, limited tests of a laboratory hardware unit on a robotic arm testbed at the l Space Flight Center. Tracking performance of the arm in a constant speed automated retraction and extension maneuver of a heavy payload with and without the unit active is compared for the design speed and higher speeds. Simultaneous load reduction and tracking performance are demonstrated using the EPCU.

Data acquisition and treatment unit for use in nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annaix, C; Prieur, G; Vilayleck, S; Jallet, P [C.H.R., Angers (France)

1981-01-01

Here is below a one-channel data acquisition unit piloted through a minicomputer programmed by means of an advanced language of the Basic type. This unit allows, especially in nuclear medicine, pulse counts from a spectrometer according to a programmed sequence. Moreover, it provides treatment of measures as well as printing and filing of interpreted results. The acquisition unit is linked to the minicomputer through a RS 232 C serial mode, which ensures both easy operation and universal use of the system here described. Accuracy of measurement is also examined.

Google Home: smart speaker as environmental control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Kenichiro

2017-08-23

Environmental Control Units (ECU) are devices or a system that allows a person to control appliances in their home or work environment. Such system can be utilized by clients with physical and/or functional disability to enhance their ability to control their environment, to promote independence and improve their quality of life. Over the last several years, there have been an emergence of several inexpensive, commercially-available, voice activated smart speakers into the market such as Google Home and Amazon Echo. These smart speakers are equipped with far field microphone that supports voice recognition, and allows for complete hand-free operation for various purposes, including for playing music, for information retrieval, and most importantly, for environmental control. Clients with disability could utilize these features to turn the unit into a simple ECU that is completely voice activated and wirelessly connected to appliances. Smart speakers, with their ease of setup, low cost and versatility, may be a more affordable and accessible alternative to the traditional ECU. Implications for Rehabilitation Environmental Control Units (ECU) enable independence for physically and functionally disabled clients, and reduce burden and frequency of demands on carers. Traditional ECU can be costly and may require clients to learn specialized skills to use. Smart speakers have the potential to be used as a new-age ECU by overcoming these barriers, and can be used by a wider range of clients.

Computer Aided Automatic Control - CAAC artificial intelligence block

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balate, J.; Chramcov, B.; Princ, M. [Brno Univ. of Technology (Czech Republic). Faculty of Technology in Zlin

2000-07-01

The aim of the plan to build up the system CAAC - Computer Aided Automatic Control is to create modular setup of partial computing programs including theory of automatic control, algorithms of programs for processing signals and programs of control algorithms. To approach its informative contents to students and professional public the CAAC system utilizes Internet services http in the form of WWW pages. The CAAC system is being processed at the Institute of Automation and Control Technique of the Faculty of Technology in Zlin of the Brno University of Technology and is determined particularly for pedagogic purposes. Recently also the methods of artificial intelligence have been included to the open CAAC system and that is comprised in this article. (orig.)

Computer control of fuel handling activities at FFTF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romrell, D.M.

1985-03-01

The Fast Flux Test Facility near Richland, Washington, utilizes computer control for reactor refueling and other related core component handling and processing tasks. The computer controlled tasks described in this paper include core component transfers within the reactor vessel, core component transfers into and out of the reactor vessel, remote duct measurements of irradiated core components, remote duct cutting, and finally, transferring irradiated components out of the reactor containment building for off-site shipments or to long term storage. 3 refs., 16 figs

Development of Protection and Control Unit for Distribution Substation

Science.gov (United States)

Iguchi, Fumiaki; Hayashi, Hideyuki; Takeuchi, Motohiro; Kido, Mitsuyasu; Kobayashi, Takashi; Yanaoka, Atsushi

The Recently, electronics and IT technologies have been rapidly innovated and have been introduced to power system protection & control system to achieve high reliability, maintainability and more functionality. Concerning the distribution substation application, digital relays have been applied for more than 10 years. Because of a number of electronic devices used for it, product cost becomes higher. Also, products installed during the past high-growth period will be at the end of lifetime and will be replaced. Therefore, replacing market is expected to grow and the reduction of cost is demanded. Considering above mentioned background, second generation digital protection and control unit as a successor is designed to have following concepts. Functional integration based on advanced digital technologies, Ethernet LAN based indoor communication network, cost reduction and downsizing. Pondering above concepts, integration of protection and control function is adopted in contrary to the functional segregation applied to the previous system in order to achieve one-unit concept. Also the adoption of Ethernet LAN for inter-unit communication is objective. This report shows the development of second-generation digital relay for distribution substation, which is equipped with control function and Ethernet LAN by reducing the size of auxiliary transformer unit and the same size as previous product is realized.

Computer-Aided Instruction in Automated Instrumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephenson, David T.

1986-01-01

Discusses functions of automated instrumentation systems, i.e., systems which combine electrical measuring instruments and a controlling computer to measure responses of a unit under test. The computer-assisted tutorial then described is programmed for use on such a system--a modern microwave spectrum analyzer--to introduce engineering students to…

Integrated Computer Controlled Glow Discharge Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Erik; Post-Zwicker, Andrew

2002-11-01

An "Interactive Plasma Display" was created for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to demonstrate the characteristics of plasma to various science education outreach programs. From high school students and teachers, to undergraduate students and visitors to the lab, the plasma device will be a key component in advancing the public's basic knowledge of plasma physics. The device is fully computer controlled using LabVIEW, a touchscreen Graphical User Interface [GUI], and a GPIB interface. Utilizing a feedback loop, the display is fully autonomous in controlling pressure, as well as in monitoring the safety aspects of the apparatus. With a digital convectron gauge continuously monitoring pressure, the computer interface analyzes the input signals, while making changes to a digital flow controller. This function works independently of the GUI, allowing the user to simply input and receive a desired pressure; quickly, easily, and intuitively. The discharge tube is a 36" x 4"id glass cylinder with 3" side port. A 3000 volt, 10mA power supply, is used to breakdown the plasma. A 300 turn solenoid was created to demonstrate the magnetic pinching of a plasma. All primary functions of the device are controlled through the GUI digital controllers. This configuration allows for operators to safely control the pressure (100mTorr-1Torr), magnetic field (0-90Gauss, 7amps, 10volts), and finally, the voltage applied across the electrodes (0-3000v, 10mA).

Multiple-User, Multitasking, Virtual-Memory Computer System

Science.gov (United States)

Generazio, Edward R.; Roth, Don J.; Stang, David B.

1993-01-01

Computer system designed and programmed to serve multiple users in research laboratory. Provides for computer control and monitoring of laboratory instruments, acquisition and anlaysis of data from those instruments, and interaction with users via remote terminals. System provides fast access to shared central processing units and associated large (from megabytes to gigabytes) memories. Underlying concept of system also applicable to monitoring and control of industrial processes.

Interim Status Closure Plan Open Burning Treatment Unit Technical Area 16-399 Burn Tray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vigil-Holterman, Luciana R. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-05-07

This closure plan describes the activities necessary to close one of the interim status hazardous waste open burning treatment units at Technical Area (TA) 16 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Facility), hereinafter referred to as the 'TA-16-399 Burn Tray' or 'the unit'. The information provided in this closure plan addresses the closure requirements specified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40, Part 265, Subparts G and P for the thermal treatment units operated at the Facility under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act. Closure of the open burning treatment unit will be completed in accordance with Section 4.1 of this closure plan.

Robotic Automation in Computer Controlled Polishing

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, D. D.; Yu, G.; Bibby, M.; Dunn, C.; Li, H.; Wu, Y.; Zheng, X.; Zhang, P.

2016-02-01

We first present a Case Study - the manufacture of 1.4 m prototype mirror-segments for the European Extremely Large Telescope, undertaken by the National Facility for Ultra Precision Surfaces, at the OpTIC facility operated by Glyndwr University. Scale-up to serial-manufacture demands delivery of a 1.4 m off-axis aspheric hexagonal segment with surface precision robots and computer numerically controlled ('CNC') polishing machines for optical fabrication. The objective was not to assess which is superior. Rather, it was to understand for the first time their complementary properties, leading us to operate them together as a unit, integrated in hardware and software. Three key areas are reported. First is the novel use of robots to automate currently-manual operations on CNC polishing machines, to improve work-throughput, mitigate risk of damage to parts, and reduce dependence on highly-skilled staff. Second is the use of robots to pre-process surfaces prior to CNC polishing, to reduce total process time. The third draws the threads together, describing our vision of the automated manufacturing cell, where the operator interacts at cell rather than machine level. This promises to deliver a step-change in end-to-end manufacturing times and costs, compared with either platform used on its own or, indeed, the state-of-the-art used elsewhere.

Intermittent control: a computational theory of human control.

Science.gov (United States)

Gawthrop, Peter; Loram, Ian; Lakie, Martin; Gollee, Henrik

2011-02-01

The paradigm of continuous control using internal models has advanced understanding of human motor control. However, this paradigm ignores some aspects of human control, including intermittent feedback, serial ballistic control, triggered responses and refractory periods. It is shown that event-driven intermittent control provides a framework to explain the behaviour of the human operator under a wider range of conditions than continuous control. Continuous control is included as a special case, but sampling, system matched hold, an intermittent predictor and an event trigger allow serial open-loop trajectories using intermittent feedback. The implementation here may be described as "continuous observation, intermittent action". Beyond explaining unimodal regulation distributions in common with continuous control, these features naturally explain refractoriness and bimodal stabilisation distributions observed in double stimulus tracking experiments and quiet standing, respectively. Moreover, given that human control systems contain significant time delays, a biological-cybernetic rationale favours intermittent over continuous control: intermittent predictive control is computationally less demanding than continuous predictive control. A standard continuous-time predictive control model of the human operator is used as the underlying design method for an event-driven intermittent controller. It is shown that when event thresholds are small and sampling is regular, the intermittent controller can masquerade as the underlying continuous-time controller and thus, under these conditions, the continuous-time and intermittent controller cannot be distinguished. This explains why the intermittent control hypothesis is consistent with the continuous control hypothesis for certain experimental conditions.

Conventional four-field pelvic radiotherapy technique without computed tomography-treatment planning in cancer of the cervix: potential geographic miss and its impact on pelvic control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Robert Y.; McGinnis, L. Scott; Spencer, Sharon A.; Meredith, Ruby F.; Jennelle, Richard L.S.; Salter, Merle M.

1995-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of inadequate margins on pelvic control using the conventional four-field pelvic portals without computed tomography (CT)-treatment planning. Methods and Materials: Between 1986 and 1991, 34 patients with invasive cancer of the cervix were eligible for outcome study of conventional four-field radiation therapy (10 Stage I, 16 Stage II, 8 Stage III). The eligibility for this study includes four-field pelvic technique, definitive radiation therapy, and diagnostic CT scan of the pelvis. For this study, an inadequate margin is arbitrarily defined as ≤ 1.0 cm of normal tissue around the CT-defined tumor volume. Results: All 34 patients had adequate margins for anterio-posterior/posterio-anterior portals. However, 19 patients had an inadequate margin at the posterior border (S2-S3 interspace) and/or custom-shaped rectal block for lateral pelvic portals. Two patients had inadequate margins at the anterior border (level of symphysis pubis) due to an enlarged uterus. With a median follow-up of 36 months, pelvic control for adequate margins and inadequate margins was 100% and 71% for Stage IB disease and 88% and 50% for Stage IIB disease, respectively. However, pelvic control for Stage IIIB disease was 50% for both groups. There was no difference in total dose to point A or point B between the two groups. Conclusion: Our preliminary data show higher local failure in patients with an inadequate margin. For four-field pelvic radiation therapy, we strongly recommend CT-treatment planning. Otherwise, anterio-posterior/posterio-anterior pelvic therapy is the most reliable treatment for cancer of the uterine cervix

Inovation of the computer system for the WWER-440 simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrumpf, L.

1988-01-01

The configuration of the WWER-440 simulator computer system consists of four SMEP computers. The basic data processing unit consists of two interlinked SM 52/11.M1 computers with 1 MB of main memory. This part of the computer system of the simulator controls the operation of the entire simulator, processes the programs of technology behavior simulation, of the unit information system and of other special systems, guarantees program support and the operation of the instructor's console. An SM 52/11 computer with 256 kB of main memory is connected to each unit. It is used as a communication unit for data transmission using the DASIO 600 interface. Semigraphic color displays are based on the microprocessor modules of the SM 50/40 and SM 53/10 kit supplemented with a modified TESLA COLOR 110 ST tv receiver. (J.B.). 1 fig

Some Aspects of Process Computers Configuration Control in Nuclear Power Plant Krsko - Process Computer Signal Configuration Database (PCSCDB)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandic, D.; Kocnar, R.; Sucic, B.

2002-01-01

During the operation of NEK and other nuclear power plants it has been recognized that certain issues related to the usage of digital equipment and associated software in NPP technological process protection, control and monitoring, is not adequately addressed in the existing programs and procedures. The term and the process of Process Computers Configuration Control joins three 10CFR50 Appendix B quality requirements of Process Computers application in NPP: Design Control, Document Control and Identification and Control of Materials, Parts and Components. This paper describes Process Computer Signal Configuration Database (PCSCDB), that was developed and implemented in order to resolve some aspects of Process Computer Configuration Control related to the signals or database points that exist in the life cycle of different Process Computer Systems (PCS) in Nuclear Power Plant Krsko. PCSCDB is controlled, master database, related to the definition and description of the configurable database points associated with all Process Computer Systems in NEK. PCSCDB holds attributes related to the configuration of addressable and configurable real time database points and attributes related to the signal life cycle references and history data such as: Input/Output signals, Manually Input database points, Program constants, Setpoints, Calculated (by application program or SCADA calculation tools) database points, Control Flags (example: enable / disable certain program feature) Signal acquisition design references to the DCM (Document Control Module Application software for document control within Management Information System - MIS) and MECL (Master Equipment and Component List MIS Application software for identification and configuration control of plant equipment and components) Usage of particular database point in particular application software packages, and in the man-machine interface features (display mimics, printout reports, ...) Signals history (EEAR Engineering

Flexible structure control experiments using a real-time workstation for computer-aided control engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Stieber, Michael E.

1989-01-01

A Real-Time Workstation for Computer-Aided Control Engineering has been developed jointly by the Communications Research Centre (CRC) and Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum (RUB), West Germany. The system is presently used for the development and experimental verification of control techniques for large space systems with significant structural flexibility. The Real-Time Workstation essentially is an implementation of RUB's extensive Computer-Aided Control Engineering package KEDDC on an INTEL micro-computer running under the RMS real-time operating system. The portable system supports system identification, analysis, control design and simulation, as well as the immediate implementation and test of control systems. The Real-Time Workstation is currently being used by CRC to study control/structure interaction on a ground-based structure called DAISY, whose design was inspired by a reflector antenna. DAISY emulates the dynamics of a large flexible spacecraft with the following characteristics: rigid body modes, many clustered vibration modes with low frequencies and extremely low damping. The Real-Time Workstation was found to be a very powerful tool for experimental studies, supporting control design and simulation, and conducting and evaluating tests withn one integrated environment.

Control system for a nuclear power producing unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durrant, O.W.

1978-01-01

The invention provides in a control system for a nuclear power producing unit comprising a pressurized water reactor, a once-through steam generator provided with feedwater supply means, a turbine-generator supplied with steam from the steam generator and means maintaining a flow of pressurized water through the reactor and steam generator. The combination comprising; means generating a feed forward control signal proportional to the desired power output of the power producing unit, a second means for adjusting the reactor heat release, a third means for adjusting the rate of flow of feedwater to the steam generator, the second and third means solely responsive to and operated in parallel from the feed forward control signal whereby the reactor heat release and the rate of flow of feedwater to the steam generator are each maintained in a discrete functional relationship to the feed forward control signal

Acupuncture point injection treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea: a randomised, double blind, controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, C; Wang, L; Zhao, W J; Cardini, F; Kronenberg, F; Gui, S Q; Ying, Z; Zhao, N Q; Chao, M T; Yu, J

2016-01-05

To determine if injection of vitamin K3 in an acupuncture point is optimal for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea, when compared with 2 other injection treatments. A Menstrual Disorder Centre at a public hospital in Shanghai, China. Chinese women aged 14-25 years with severe primary dysmenorrhoea for at least 6 months not relieved by any other treatment were recruited. Exclusion criteria were the use of oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices or anticoagulant drugs, pregnancy, history of abdominal surgery, participation in other therapies for pain and diagnosis of secondary dysmenorrhoea. Eighty patients with primary dysmenorrhoea, as defined on a 4-grade scale, completed the study. Two patients withdrew after randomisation. A double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial compared vitamin K3 acupuncture point injection to saline acupuncture point injection and vitamin K3 deep muscle injection. Patients in each group received 3 injections at a single treatment visit. The primary outcome was the difference in subjective perception of pain as measured by an 11 unit Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary measurements were Cox Pain Intensity and Duration scales and the consumption of analgesic tablets before and after treatment and during 6 following cycles. Patients in all 3 groups experienced pain relief from the injection treatments. Differences in NRS measured mean pain scores between the 2 active control groups were less than 1 unit (-0.71, CI -1.37 to -0.05) and not significant, but the differences in average scores between the treatment hypothesised to be optimal and both active control groups (1.11, CI 0.45 to 1.78) and (1.82, CI 1.45 to 2.49) were statistically significant in adjusted mixed-effects models. Menstrual distress and use of analgesics were diminished for 6 months post-treatment. Acupuncture point injection of vitamin K3 relieves menstrual pain rapidly and is a useful treatment in an urban outpatient clinic. NCT00104546; Results

Computer network for electric power control systems. Chubu denryoku (kabu) denryoku keito seigyoyo computer network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsuneizumi, T. (Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc., Nagoya (Japan)); Shimomura, S.; Miyamura, N. (Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1992-06-03

A computer network for electric power control system was developed that is applied with the open systems interconnection (OSI), an international standard for communications protocol. In structuring the OSI network, a direct session layer was accessed from the operation functions when high-speed small-capacity information is transmitted. File transfer, access and control having a function of collectively transferring large-capacity data were applied when low-speed large-capacity information is transmitted. A verification test for the realtime computer network (RCN) mounting regulation was conducted according to a verification model using a mini-computer, and a result that can satisfy practical performance was obtained. For application interface, kernel, health check and two-route transmission functions were provided as a connection control function, so were transmission verification function and late arrival abolishing function. In system mounting pattern, dualized communication server (CS) structure was adopted. A hardware structure may include a system to have the CS function contained in a host computer and a separate installation system. 5 figs., 6 tabs.

Computer aided control engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Szymkat, Maciej; Ravn, Ole

1997-01-01

Current developments in the field of Computer Aided Control Engineering (CACE) have a visible impact on the design methodologies and the structure of the software tools supporting them. Today control engineers has at their disposal libraries, packages or programming environments that may...... in CACE enhancing efficient flow of information between the tools supporting the following phases of the design process. In principle, this flow has to be two-way, and more or less automated, in order to enable the engineer to observe the propagation of the particular design decisions taken at various...... levels.The major conclusions of the paper are related with identifying the factors affecting the software tool integration in a way needed to facilitate design "inter-phase" communication. These are: standard application interfaces, dynamic data exchange mechanisms, code generation techniques and general...

Whole Language, Computers and CD-ROM Technology: A Kindergarten Unit on "Benjamin Bunny."

Science.gov (United States)

Balajthy, Ernest

A kindergarten teacher, two preservice teachers, and a college consultant on educational computer technology designed and developed a 10-day whole-language integrated unit on the theme of Beatrix Potter's "Benjamin Bunny." The project was designed as a demonstration of the potential of integrating the CD-ROM-based version of…

Computation of reactor control rod drop time under accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dou Yikang; Yao Weida; Yang Renan; Jiang Nanyan

1998-01-01

The computational method of reactor control rod drop time under accident conditions lies mainly in establishing forced vibration equations for the components under action of outside forces on control rod driven line and motion equation for the control rod moving in vertical direction. The above two kinds of equations are connected by considering the impact effects between control rod and its outside components. Finite difference method is adopted to make discretization of the vibration equations and Wilson-θ method is applied to deal with the time history problem. The non-linearity caused by impact is iteratively treated with modified Newton method. Some experimental results are used to validate the validity and reliability of the computational method. Theoretical and experimental testing problems show that the computer program based on the computational method is applicable and reliable. The program can act as an effective tool of design by analysis and safety analysis for the relevant components

Lithium-Ion Cell Charge-Control Unit Developed

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Concha M.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Buton, Robert M.; Gemeiner, Russel

2005-01-01

A lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell charge-control unit was developed as part of a Li-ion cell verification program. This unit manages the complex charging scheme that is required when Li-ion cells are charged in series. It enables researchers to test cells together as a pack, while allowing each cell to charge individually. This allows the inherent cell-to-cell variations to be addressed on a series string of cells and reduces test costs substantially in comparison to individual cell testing.

Development of a computer control system for the RCNP ring cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogata, H.; Yamazaki, T.; Ando, A.; Hosono, K.; Itahashi, T.; Katayama, I.; Kibayashi, M.; Kinjo, S.; Kondo, M.; Miura, I.; Nagayama, K.; Noro, T.; Saito, T.; Shimizu, A.; Uraki, M.; Maruyama, M.; Aoki, K.; Yamada, S.; Kodaira, K.

1990-01-01

A hierarchically distributed computer control system for the RCNP ring cyclotron is being developed. The control system consists of a central computer and four subcomputers which are linked together by an Ethernet, universal device controllers which control component devices, man-machine interfaces including an operator console and interlock systems. The universal device controller is a standard single-board computer with an 8344 microcontroller and parallel interfaces, and is usually integrated into a component device and connected to a subcomputer by means of an optical-fiber cable to achieve high-speed data transfer. Control sequences for subsystems are easily produced and improved by using an interpreter language named OPELA (OPEration Language for Accelerators). The control system will be installed in March 1990. (orig.)

Mathematical models of power plant units with once-through steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmeister, W.; Kantner, A.

1977-01-01

An optimization of effective control functions with the current complex control loop structures and control algorithms is practically not possible. Therefore computer models are required which may be optimized with the process and plant data known before start-up of thermal power plants. The application of process computers allows additional predictions on the control-dynamic behavior of a thermal power plant unit. (TK) [de

Computer-controlled neutron time-of-flight spectrometer. Part II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merriman, S.H.

1979-12-01

A time-of-flight spectrometer for neutron inelastic scattering research has been interfaced to a PDP-15/30 computer. The computer is used for experimental data acquisition and analysis and for apparatus control. This report was prepared to summarize the functions of the computer and to act as a users' guide to the software system

Trinary arithmetic and logic unit (TALU) using savart plate and spatial light modulator (SLM) suitable for optical computation in multivalued logic

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Amal K.; Bhattacharya, Animesh; Raul, Moumita; Basuray, Amitabha

2012-07-01

Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is the most important unit in any computing system. Optical computing is becoming popular day-by-day because of its ultrahigh processing speed and huge data handling capability. Obviously for the fast processing we need the optical TALU compatible with the multivalued logic. In this regard we are communicating the trinary arithmetic and logic unit (TALU) in modified trinary number (MTN) system, which is suitable for the optical computation and other applications in multivalued logic system. Here the savart plate and spatial light modulator (SLM) based optoelectronic circuits have been used to exploit the optical tree architecture (OTA) in optical interconnection network.