Continuous auditing & continuous monitoring : Continuous value?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hillo, Rutger; Weigand, Hans; Espana, S; Ralyte, J; Souveyet, C

2016-01-01

Advancements in information technology, new laws and regulations and rapidly changing business conditions have led to a need for more timely and ongoing assurance with effectively working controls. Continuous Auditing (CA) and Continuous Monitoring (CM) technologies have made this possible by

[Open-path online monitoring of ambient atmospheric CO2 based on laser absorption spectrum].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ying; Zhang, Yu-Jun; Kan, Rui-Feng; Xia, Hui; Geng, Hui; Ruan, Jun; Wang, Min; Cui, Xiao-Juan; Liu, Wen-Qing

2009-01-01

With the conjunction of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy technology (TDLAS) and the open long optical path technology, the system designing scheme of CO2 on-line monitoring based on near infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy technology was discussed in detail, and the instrument for large-range measurement was set up. By choosing the infrared absorption line of CO2 at 1.57 microm whose line strength is strong and suitable for measurement, the ambient atmospheric CO2 was measured continuously with a 30 s temporal resolution at an suburb site in the autumn of 2007. The diurnal atmospheric variations of CO2 and continuous monitoring results were presented. The results show that the variation in CO2 concentration has an obvious diurnal periodicity in suburb where the air is free of interference and contamination. The general characteristic of diurnal variation is that the concentration is low in the daytime and high at night, so it matches the photosynthesis trend. The instrument can detect gas concentration online with high resolution, high sensitivity, high precision, short response time and many other advantages, the monitoring requires no gas sampling, the calibration is easy, and the detection limit is about 4.2 x 10(-7). It has been proved that the system and measurement project are feasible, so it is an effective method for gas flux continuous online monitoring of large range in ecosystem based on TDLAS technology.

Quality assurance for online adapted treatment plans: Benchmarking and delivery monitoring simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Taoran; Wu, Qiuwen; Yang, Yun; Rodrigues, Anna; Yin, Fang-Fang; Jackie Wu, Q.

2015-01-01

Purpose: An important challenge facing online adaptive radiation therapy is the development of feasible and efficient quality assurance (QA). This project aimed to validate the deliverability of online adapted plans and develop a proof-of-concept online delivery monitoring system for online adaptive radiation therapy QA. Methods: The first part of this project benchmarked automatically online adapted prostate treatment plans using traditional portal dosimetry IMRT QA. The portal dosimetry QA results of online adapted plans were compared to original (unadapted) plans as well as randomly selected prostate IMRT plans from our clinic. In the second part, an online delivery monitoring system was designed and validated via a simulated treatment with intentional multileaf collimator (MLC) errors. This system was based on inputs from the dynamic machine information (DMI), which continuously reports actual MLC positions and machine monitor units (MUs) at intervals of 50 ms or less during delivery. Based on the DMI, the system performed two levels of monitoring/verification during the delivery: (1) dynamic monitoring of cumulative fluence errors resulting from leaf position deviations and visualization using fluence error maps (FEMs); and (2) verification of MLC positions against the treatment plan for potential errors in MLC motion and data transfer at each control point. Validation of the online delivery monitoring system was performed by introducing intentional systematic MLC errors (ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm) to the DMI files for both leaf banks. These DMI files were analyzed by the proposed system to evaluate the system’s performance in quantifying errors and revealing the source of errors, as well as to understand patterns in the FEMs. In addition, FEMs from 210 actual prostate IMRT beams were analyzed using the proposed system to further validate its ability to catch and identify errors, as well as establish error magnitude baselines for prostate IMRT delivery

Quality assurance for online adapted treatment plans: Benchmarking and delivery monitoring simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Taoran, E-mail: taoran.li.duke@gmail.com; Wu, Qiuwen; Yang, Yun; Rodrigues, Anna; Yin, Fang-Fang; Jackie Wu, Q. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center Durham, North Carolina 27710 (United States)

2015-01-15

Purpose: An important challenge facing online adaptive radiation therapy is the development of feasible and efficient quality assurance (QA). This project aimed to validate the deliverability of online adapted plans and develop a proof-of-concept online delivery monitoring system for online adaptive radiation therapy QA. Methods: The first part of this project benchmarked automatically online adapted prostate treatment plans using traditional portal dosimetry IMRT QA. The portal dosimetry QA results of online adapted plans were compared to original (unadapted) plans as well as randomly selected prostate IMRT plans from our clinic. In the second part, an online delivery monitoring system was designed and validated via a simulated treatment with intentional multileaf collimator (MLC) errors. This system was based on inputs from the dynamic machine information (DMI), which continuously reports actual MLC positions and machine monitor units (MUs) at intervals of 50 ms or less during delivery. Based on the DMI, the system performed two levels of monitoring/verification during the delivery: (1) dynamic monitoring of cumulative fluence errors resulting from leaf position deviations and visualization using fluence error maps (FEMs); and (2) verification of MLC positions against the treatment plan for potential errors in MLC motion and data transfer at each control point. Validation of the online delivery monitoring system was performed by introducing intentional systematic MLC errors (ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm) to the DMI files for both leaf banks. These DMI files were analyzed by the proposed system to evaluate the system’s performance in quantifying errors and revealing the source of errors, as well as to understand patterns in the FEMs. In addition, FEMs from 210 actual prostate IMRT beams were analyzed using the proposed system to further validate its ability to catch and identify errors, as well as establish error magnitude baselines for prostate IMRT delivery

Quality assurance for online adapted treatment plans: benchmarking and delivery monitoring simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Taoran; Wu, Qiuwen; Yang, Yun; Rodrigues, Anna; Yin, Fang-Fang; Jackie Wu, Q

2015-01-01

An important challenge facing online adaptive radiation therapy is the development of feasible and efficient quality assurance (QA). This project aimed to validate the deliverability of online adapted plans and develop a proof-of-concept online delivery monitoring system for online adaptive radiation therapy QA. The first part of this project benchmarked automatically online adapted prostate treatment plans using traditional portal dosimetry IMRT QA. The portal dosimetry QA results of online adapted plans were compared to original (unadapted) plans as well as randomly selected prostate IMRT plans from our clinic. In the second part, an online delivery monitoring system was designed and validated via a simulated treatment with intentional multileaf collimator (MLC) errors. This system was based on inputs from the dynamic machine information (DMI), which continuously reports actual MLC positions and machine monitor units (MUs) at intervals of 50 ms or less during delivery. Based on the DMI, the system performed two levels of monitoring/verification during the delivery: (1) dynamic monitoring of cumulative fluence errors resulting from leaf position deviations and visualization using fluence error maps (FEMs); and (2) verification of MLC positions against the treatment plan for potential errors in MLC motion and data transfer at each control point. Validation of the online delivery monitoring system was performed by introducing intentional systematic MLC errors (ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm) to the DMI files for both leaf banks. These DMI files were analyzed by the proposed system to evaluate the system's performance in quantifying errors and revealing the source of errors, as well as to understand patterns in the FEMs. In addition, FEMs from 210 actual prostate IMRT beams were analyzed using the proposed system to further validate its ability to catch and identify errors, as well as establish error magnitude baselines for prostate IMRT delivery. Online adapted plans were

Integrated online condition monitoring system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, Hashem M.

2010-01-01

Online condition monitoring or online monitoring (OLM) uses data acquired while a nuclear power is operating to continuously assess the health of the plant's sensors, processes, and equipment; to measure the dynamic performance of the plant's process instrumentation; to verify in-situ the calibration of the process instrumentation; to detect blockages, voids, and leaks in the pressure sensing lines; to identify core flow anomalies; to extend the life of neutron detectors and other sensors; and to measure the vibration of reactor internals. Both the steady-state or DC output of plant sensors and their AC signal or noise output can be used to assess sensor health, depending on whether the application is monitoring a rapidly changing (e.g., core barrel motion) or a slowly changing (e.g., sensor calibration) process. The author has designed, developed, installed, and tested OLM systems (comprised of software/hardware-based data acquisition and data processing modules) that integrate low-frequency (1 mHz to 1 Hz) techniques such as RTD cross-calibration, pressure transmitter calibration monitoring, and equipment condition monitoring and high-frequency (1 Hz to 1 kHz) techniques such as the noise analysis technique. The author has demonstrated the noise analysis technique's effectiveness for measuring the dynamic response-time of pressure transmitters and their sensing lines; for performing predictive maintenance on reactor internals; for detecting core flow anomalies; and for extending neutron detector life. Integrated online condition monitoring systems can combine AC and DC data acquisition and signal processing techniques, can use data from existing process sensors during all modes of plant operation, including startup, normal operation, and shutdown; can be retrofitted into existing PWRs, BWRs, and other reactor types and will be integrated into next-generation plants. (orig.)

Integrated online condition monitoring system for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashemian, Hashem M. [Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation, Knoxville, TN (United States). AMS Technology Center

2010-09-15

Online condition monitoring or online monitoring (OLM) uses data acquired while a nuclear power is operating to continuously assess the health of the plant's sensors, processes, and equipment; to measure the dynamic performance of the plant's process instrumentation; to verify in-situ the calibration of the process instrumentation; to detect blockages, voids, and leaks in the pressure sensing lines; to identify core flow anomalies; to extend the life of neutron detectors and other sensors; and to measure the vibration of reactor internals. Both the steady-state or DC output of plant sensors and their AC signal or noise output can be used to assess sensor health, depending on whether the application is monitoring a rapidly changing (e.g., core barrel motion) or a slowly changing (e.g., sensor calibration) process. The author has designed, developed, installed, and tested OLM systems (comprised of software/hardware-based data acquisition and data processing modules) that integrate low-frequency (1 mHz to 1 Hz) techniques such as RTD cross-calibration, pressure transmitter calibration monitoring, and equipment condition monitoring and high-frequency (1 Hz to 1 kHz) techniques such as the noise analysis technique. The author has demonstrated the noise analysis technique's effectiveness for measuring the dynamic response-time of pressure transmitters and their sensing lines; for performing predictive maintenance on reactor internals; for detecting core flow anomalies; and for extending neutron detector life. Integrated online condition monitoring systems can combine AC and DC data acquisition and signal processing techniques, can use data from existing process sensors during all modes of plant operation, including startup, normal operation, and shutdown; can be retrofitted into existing PWRs, BWRs, and other reactor types and will be integrated into next-generation plants. (orig.)

Determinants of Customer Continuance Intention of Online Shopping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al-maghrabi, T.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to clarify theory and identify factors that could explain the level of continuance intention of e-shopping. A revised technology acceptance model integrates expectation confirmation theory and investigates effects of age differences. An online survey of internet shoppers in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modelling and invariance analysis confirm model fit. The findings confirm that perceived usefulness, enjoyment and social pressure are determinants of e-shopping continuance. The structural weights are mostly equivalent between young and old but the regression path from perceived usefulness to social pressure is stronger for younger respondents. This research moves beyond e-shopping intentions to factors affecting e-shopping continuance, explaining 55% of intention to continue shopping online. Online strategies cannot ignore direct and indirect effects on continuance intentions. The findings contribute to literature on internet shopping and continuance intentions in the context of Saudi Arabia.

Continuous fission-product monitor system at Oyster Creek. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L.L.; Chulick, E.T.

1980-10-01

A continuous on-line fission product monitor has been installed at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Forked River, New Jersey. The on-line monitor is a minicomputer-controlled high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer system. An intrinsic Ge detector scans a collimated sample line of coolant from one of the plant's recirculation loops. The minicomputer is a Nuclear Data 6620 system. Data were accumulated for the period from April 1979 through January 1980, the end of cycle 8 for the Oyster Creek plant. Accumulated spectra, an average of three a day, were stored on magnetic disk and subsequently analyzed for fisson products, Because of difficulties in measuring absolute detector efficiency, quantitative fission product concentrations in the coolant could not be determined. Data for iodine fission products are reported as a function of time. The data indicate the existence of fuel defects in the Oyster Creek core during cycle 8

Online calibration method for condition monitoring of nuclear reactor instrumentations based on electrical signature analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syaiful Bakhri

2013-01-01

Electrical signature analysis currently becomes an alternative in condition monitoring in nuclear power plants not only for stationary components such as sensors, measurement and instrumentation channels, and other components but also for dynamic components such as electric motors, pumps, generator or actuators. In order to guarantee the accuracy, the calibration of monitoring system is a necessary which practically is performed offline, under limited schedules and certain tight procedures. This research aims to introduce online calibration technique for electrical signature condition monitoring in order that the accuracy can be maintained continuously which in turn increases the reactor safety as a whole. The research was performed step by stepin detail from the conventional technique, online calibration using baseline information and online calibration using differential gain adjustment. Online calibration based on differential gain adjustment provides better results than other techniques even tough under extreme gain insertion as well as external disturbances such as supply voltages. (author)

An on-line adaptive core monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verspeek, J.A.; Bruggink, J.C.; Karuza, J.

1997-01-01

An on-line core monitoring system has been in operation for three years in the Dodewaard Nuclear Power Plant. The core monitor uses the on-line measured reactor data as an input for a power distribution calculation. The measurements are frequently performed. The system is used for monitoring as well as for predicting purposes. The limiting thermal hydraulic parameters are monitored as well as the pellet-clad interaction limits. The data are added to a history file used for cycle burn-up calculations and trending of parameters. The reactor states are presented through a convenient graphical user interface. (authors)

On-line monitoring for calibration reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffmann, M.

2005-09-01

On-Line Monitoring evaluates instrument channel performance by assessing its consistency with other plant indications. Elimination or reduction of unnecessary field calibrations can reduce associated labour costs, reduce personnel radiation exposure, and reduce the potential for calibration errors. On-line calibration monitoring is an important technique to implement a state-based maintenance approach and reduce unnecessary field calibrations. In this report we will look at how the concept is currently applied in the industry and what the arising needs are as it becomes more commonplace. We will also look at the PEANO System, a tool developed by the Halden Project to perform signal validation and on-line calibration monitoring. Some issues will be identified that are being addressed in the further development of these tools to better serve the future needs of the industry in this area. An outline for how to improve these points and which aspects should be taken into account is described in detail. (Author)

Robust on-line monitoring of biogas processes; Robusta maettekniker on-line foer optimerad biogasproduktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordberg, Aake; Hansson, Mikael; Kanerot, Mija; Krozer, Anatol; Loefving, Bjoern; Sahlin, Eskil

2010-03-15

Although demand for biomethane in Sweden is higher than ever, many Swedish codigestion plants are presently operated below their designed capacity. Efforts must be taken to increase the loading rate and guarantee stable operation and high availability of the plants. There are currently no commercial systems for on-line monitoring, and due to the characteristics of the material, including corrosion and tearing, robust applications have to be developed. The objective of this project was to identify and study different monitoring technologies with potential for on-line monitoring of both substrate mixtures and anaerobic digester content. Based on the prerequisites and demands at Boraas Energi och Miljoe AB's (BEMAB, the municipal energy and waste utility in the city of Boraas, Sweden) biogas plant, the extent of the problems, measurement variables and possible ways of managing these issues have been identified and prioritized. The substrate mixtures in question have a high viscosity and are inhomogeneous with variation in composition, which calls for further homogenization, dilution and filtration to achieve high precision in the necessary analyses. Studies of using different mixers and mills showed that the particle size (800 mum) needed for on-line COD measurement could not be achieved. The problem of homogenization can be avoided if indirect measurement methods are used. Laboratory tests with NIR (near-infra red spectroscopy) showed that VS can be predicted (R2=0,78) in the interval of 2-9% VS. Furthermore, impedance can give a measurement of soluble components. However, impedance is not sensitive enough to give a good measurement of total TS. Microwave technology was installed at the production plant and showed a faster response to changes in TS than the existing TS-sensor. However, due to technical problems, the evaluation only could be done during a limited period of ten days. BEMAB will continue the measurements and evaluation of the instrument. The

Development of an on-line radon monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Huiping; Shang Aiguo; Liu Junfeng; Zhou Chunlin; Di Yuming

2004-01-01

Of the actual demand by the strategic missile troops, the author has successfully developed a specially designed passive diffusion collecting chamber to collect the decay products of radon by high voltage static electricity, and using the single-chip microcomputer to reckon the radon concentration in air, which is actually a portable, continuous and automatic on-line monitoring instrument. It was made into a four-slot standard plug-in board of a NIM, and it functions as auto data memory, data process, display, over-threshold alarming and so on. (authors)

Plan for Demonstration of Online Monitoring for the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Online Monitoring Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magdy S. Tawfik; Vivek Agarwal; Nancy J. Lybeck

2011-09-01

Condition based online monitoring technologies and development of diagnostic and prognostic methodologies have drawn tremendous interest in the nuclear industry. It has become important to identify and resolve problems with structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to ensure plant safety, efficiency, and immunity to accidents in the aging fleet of reactors. The Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM) test bed at INL will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness to advancement in online monitoring, sensors, diagnostic and prognostic technologies on a pilot-scale plant that mimics the hydraulics of a nuclear plant. As part of this research project, INL will research available prognostics architectures and their suitability for deployment in a nuclear power plant. In addition, INL will provide recommendation to improve the existing diagnostic and prognostic architectures based on the experimental analysis performed on the MCM test bed.

Continuous atmosperic pollutant distribution monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, L.W.

1984-06-01

The feasibility of an on-line continuous pollutant distribution monitor has been established. The device employs a small microprocessor to simulate atmospheric dispersion using the segmented Gaussian plume model, an anemometer-bivane to measure the wind conditions, and a control 'box' with which certain model parameters can be specified and changed without interrupting the execution of the computer program. The output of the device is in the form of contours of equal ground-level concentrations on a colour monitor, or a printer dump of the associated graphic screen. The device is only suitable for short range predictions due to the memory limitations of the microprocessor. Predictions are updated approximately once every minute. Various case studies were performed to investigate the behaviour of the model when subjected to controlled input data. A series of short-range experimental runs were conducted in which predicted SO 2 concentrations were compared with measured values. The performance of the model in the case studies was acceptable, and comparisons with the measured SO 2 concentration values proved the model to overpredict by about 30%, which is considered satisfactory. This study can be applied to radioactive effluents transport in the atmosphere

Java online monitoring framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ronan, M.; Kirkby, D.; Johnson, A.S.; Groot, D. de

1997-10-01

An online monitoring framework has been written in the Java Language Environment to develop applications for monitoring special purpose detectors during commissioning of the PEP-II Interaction Region. PEP-II machine parameters and signals from several of the commissioning detectors are logged through VxWorks/EPICS and displayed by Java display applications. Remote clients are able to monitor the machine and detector performance using graphical displays and analysis histogram packages. In this paper, the design and implementation of the object-oriented Java framework is described. Illustrations of data acquisition, display and histograming applications are also given

Strategies for active learning in online continuing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Janet M

2005-01-01

Online continuing education and staff development is on the rise as the benefits of access, convenience, and quality learning are continuing to take shape. Strategies to enhance learning call for learner participation that is self-directed and independent, thus changing the educator's role from expert to coach and facilitator. Good planning of active learning strategies promotes optimal learning whether the learning content is presented in a course or a just-in-time short module. Active learning strategies can be used to enhance online learning during all phases of the teaching-learning process and can accommodate a variety of learning styles. Feedback from peers, educators, and technology greatly influences learner satisfaction and must be harnessed to provide effective learning experiences. Outcomes of active learning can be assessed online and implemented conveniently and successfully from the initiation of the course or module planning to the end of the evaluation process. Online learning has become accessible and convenient and allows the educator to track learner participation. The future of online education will continue to grow, and using active learning strategies will ensure that quality learning will occur, appealing to a wide variety of learning needs.

Design and implementation of an online risk monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majdara, A.; Nematollah, M. R.; Haddad, K.; Sepanloo, K.

2006-01-01

Probabilistic Safety Assessment is a powerful method for evaluating the safety of nuclear facilities. Probabilistic Safety Assessment models are the basis of online risk monitors, which can be utilized for monitoring the online risk. In this paper a newly developed risk monitor called Safety Assessment Tool is presented, and its main features and capabilities are introduced. Some of these features are: graphical event/fault tree developing interface, a 30-day risk profile, performing importance analysis, different administrative levels, and handling time dependent failure data. Safety Assessment Tool can be utilized in nuclear power plants, research reactors, etc. as an online assistant to manage safety issues and prevent high-risk configurations

Status and Needs Research for On-line Monitoring of VOCs Emissions from Stationary Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Gang; Wang, Qiang; Zhong, Qi; Zhao, Jinbao; Yang, Kai

2018-01-01

Based on atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution control requirements during the twelfth-five year plan and the current status of monitoring and management at home and abroad, instrumental architecture and technical characteristics of continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) for VOCs emission from stationary sources are investigated and researched. Technological development needs of VOCs emission on-line monitoring techniques for stationary sources in china are proposed from the system sampling pretreatment technology and analytical measurement techniques.

On-line system for monitoring of boiling in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuerkcan, E.; Kozma, R.; Verhoef, J.P.; Nabeshima, K.

1996-01-01

An important goal of nuclear reactor instrumentation is the continuous monitoring of the state of the reactor and the detection of deviations from the normal behaviour at an early stage. Early detection of anomalies enables one to make the necessary steps in order to prevent further damage of nuclear fuel. In the present paper, an on-line core monitoring system is described by means of which boiling anomaly in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies can be detected. (author). 9 refs, 7 figs

Online Continuing Medical Education in Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Alwadie, Adnan D.

2013-01-01

As the largest country in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and its health care system are well positioned to embark on an online learning intervention so that health care providers in all areas of the country have the resources for updating their professional knowledge and skills. After a brief introduction, online continuing medical education is…

Validation of a high-throughput fermentation system based on online monitoring of biomass and fluorescence in continuously shaken microtiter plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kensy Frank

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An advanced version of a recently reported high-throughput fermentation system with online measurement, called BioLector, and its validation is presented. The technology combines high-throughput screening and high-information content by applying online monitoring of scattered light and fluorescence intensities in continuously shaken microtiter plates. Various examples in calibration of the optical measurements, clone and media screening and promoter characterization are given. Results Bacterial and yeast biomass concentrations of up to 50 g/L cell dry weight could be linearly correlated to scattered light intensities. In media screening, the BioLector could clearly demonstrate its potential for detecting different biomass and product yields and deducing specific growth rates for quantitatively evaluating media and nutrients. Growth inhibition due to inappropriate buffer conditions could be detected by reduced growth rates and a temporary increase in NADH fluorescence. GFP served very well as reporter protein for investigating the promoter regulation under different carbon sources in yeast strains. A clone screening of 90 different GFP-expressing Hansenula polymorpha clones depicted the broad distribution of growth behavior and an even stronger distribution in GFP expression. The importance of mass transfer conditions could be demonstrated by varying filling volumes of an E. coli culture in 96 well MTP. The different filling volumes cause a deviation in the culture growth and acidification both monitored via scattered light intensities and the fluorescence of a pH indicator, respectively. Conclusion The BioLector technology is a very useful tool to perform quantitative microfermentations under engineered reaction conditions. With this technique, specific yields and rates can be directly deduced from online biomass and product concentrations, which is superior to existing technologies such as microplate readers or optode

Calibration through on-line monitoring of instruments channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, R.W.

1996-01-01

Plant technical specifications require periodic calibration of instrument channels, and this has traditionally meant calibration at fixed time intervals for nearly all instruments. Experience has shown that unnecessarily frequent calibrations reduce channel availability and reliability, impact outage durations, and increase maintenance costs. An alternative approach to satisfying existing requirements for periodic calibration consists of on-line monitoring and quantitative comparison of instrument channels during operation to identify instrument degradation and failure. A Utility Working Group has been formed by EPRI to support the technical activities necessary to achieve generic NRC acceptance of on-line monitoring of redundant instrument channels as a basis for determining when to perform calibrations. A topical report proposing NRC acceptance of this approach was submitted in August 1995, and the Working Group is currently resolving NRC technical questions. This paper describes the proposed approach and the current status of the topical report with regard to NRC review. While these activities will not preclude utilities from continuing to use existing calibration approaches, successful acceptance of this performance-based approach will allow utilities to substantially reduce the number of calibrations which are performed. Concurrent benefits will include reduced I ampersand C impact on outage durations and improved sensitivity to instrument channel performance

The use of PEANO for on-line monitoring of fossil power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantoni, Paolo F.; Zanetta, Gian Antonio; Gregori, Luca

2004-01-01

This paper describes the results of the use of a combined approach of artificial neural network and fuzzy logic, implemented in the computer code PEANO, to the on-line monitoring of the steam-water cycle of a 320 MW fossil plant in Italy. First, a short review of the underlying theory is reported. Then some results are illustrated of data pre-processing, aimed at selecting the appropriate data and to address the neural networks architecture. Finally the simulation of continuous monitoring is documented and data reconciliation capability of the code is discussed in some detail. These results demonstrate that the approach provided by PEANO is very effective to validate measured signals and to track a process on-line, giving the plant operator an immediate insight of the evolution of a possible fault in sensors or system components. (Author)

On-line Monitoring System for Power Transformers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru HOTEA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Power transformers are the most important and expensive equipment from the electricity transmission system, so it is very important to know the real state of health of such equipment in every moment. De-energizing the power transformer accidentally due to internal defects can generate high costs. Annual maintenance proved to be ineffective in many cases to determine the internal condition of the equipment degradation due to faults rapidly evolving. An On-line Monitoring System for Power Transformers help real-time condition assessment and to detect errors early enough to take action to eliminate or minimize them. After abnormality detected, it is still important to perform full diagnostic tests to determine the exact condition of the equipment. On-line monitoring systems can help increase the level of availability and reliability of power transformers and lower costs of accidental interruption. This paper presents cases studies on several power transformers equipped with on-line monitoring systems from Transelectrica substation.

First Results from the Online Radiation Dose Monitoring System in ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Mandić, I; The ATLAS collaboration; Deliyergiyev, M; Gorišek, A; Kramberger, G; Mikuž, M; Franz, S; Hartert, J; Dawson, I; Miyagawa, P S; Nicolas, L

2011-01-01

High radiation doses which will accumulate in components of ATLAS experiment during data taking will cause damage to detectors and readout electronics. It is therefore important to continuously monitor the doses to estimate the level of degradation caused by radiation. Online radiation monitoring system measures ionizing dose in SiO2 and fluences of 1-MeV(Si) equivalent neutrons and thermal neutrons at several locations in ATLAS detector. In this paper measurements collected during two years of ATLAS data taking are presented and compared to predictions from radiation background simulations.

Design of an on-line monitoring system for radioactive wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Guoxiu; Youning Xu; Lei Wang; Xuesong Zhang; Wenping Zhou; Weizhe Li

2017-01-01

An on-line monitoring system for radioactive wastewater was designed to discriminate the type and concentration of the radionuclides discharged from nuclear facilities. An HPGe semiconductor was used as the detector in the system for continuous monitoring by pumping wastewater. The minimum detectable activity for 137 Cs was 0.4 Bq L -1 after 10 min of measuring wastewater with the system. The system can detect excessive radioactivity in the wastewater and quickly and effectively alert personnel. Based on the experimental measurements and the Monte Carlo simulation, the detection efficiency of the system was calibrated, and an efficiency curve was determined for the energy range from 50 to 2754 keV. (author)

Online Knowledge Communities: Meeting places for continuing professional development.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, Sjoerd A.; van Weert, Tom J.; Munro, Robert K.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the concept of Online Knowledge Communities (okc) as meeting places for continuing professional development (cpd). An okc is defined as a social network of members, who are online and are organized by making use of an online knowledge center. The okc has a particular group

On-Line Monitoring for Process Control and Safeguarding of Radiochemical Streams at Spent Fuel Reprocessing Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, S.; Levitskaia, T.; Casella, A.

2015-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established international safe- guards standards for fissionable material at spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants to ensure that significant quantities of weapons-grade nuclear material are not diverted from these facilities. Currently, methods to verify material control and accountancy (MC&A) at these facilities require time-consuming and resource-intensive destructive assay (DA). Leveraging new on-line non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques in conjunction with the traditional and highly precise DA methods may provide a more timely, cost-effective and resource-efficient means for MC&A verification at such facilities. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing on-line NDA process monitoring technologies, including a spectroscopy-based monitoring system, to potentially reduce the time and re- source burden associated with current techniques. The spectroscopic monitor continuously measures chemical compositions of the process streams including actinide metal ions (U, Pu, Np), selected fission products, and major cold flowsheet chemicals using ultra-violet and visible, near infrared and Raman spectroscopy. This paper will provide an overview of the methods and report our on-going efforts to develop and demonstrate the technologies. Our ability to identify material intentionally diverted from a liquid-liquid solvent extraction contactor system was successfully tested using on-line process monitoring as a means to detect the amount of material diverted. A chemical diversion, and detection of that diversion, from a solvent extraction scheme was demonstrated using a centrifugal contactor system operating with the PUREX flowsheet. A portion of the feed from a counter-current extraction system was diverted while a continuous extraction experiment was underway. The amount observed to be diverted by on-line spectroscopic process monitoring was in excellent agreement with values based from the known mass of

CDF run II run control and online monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arisawa, T.; Ikado, K.; Badgett, W.; Chlebana, F.; Maeshima, K.; McCrory, E.; Meyer, A.; Patrick, J.; Wenzel, H.; Stadie, H.; Wagner, W.; Veramendi, G.

2001-01-01

The authors discuss the CDF Run II Run Control and online event monitoring system. Run Control is the top level application that controls the data acquisition activities across 150 front end VME crates and related service processes. Run Control is a real-time multi-threaded application implemented in Java with flexible state machines, using JDBC database connections to configure clients, and including a user friendly and powerful graphical user interface. The CDF online event monitoring system consists of several parts: the event monitoring programs, the display to browse their results, the server program which communicates with the display via socket connections, the error receiver which displays error messages and communicates with Run Control, and the state manager which monitors the state of the monitor programs

CMS OnlineWeb-Based Monitoring

CERN Document Server

Wan, Zongru; Chakaberia, Irakli; Lopez-Perez, Juan Antonio; Maeshima, Kaori; Maruyama, Sho; Soha, Aron; Sulmanas, Balys; Wan, Zongru

2012-01-01

For large international High Energy Physics experiments, modern web technologies make the online monitoring of detector status, data acquisition status, trigger rates, luminosity, etc., accessible for the collaborators anywhere and anytime. This helps the collaborating experts monitor the status of the experiment, identify the problems, and improve data-taking efficiency. We present the Web-Based Monitoring project of the CMS experiment at the LHC of CERN. The data sources are relational databases and various messaging systems. The project provides a vast amount of in-depth information including real time data, historical trend, and correlations, in a user friendly way.

A conductive grating sensor for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peiyuan; Cheng, Li; Yan, Xiaojun; Jiao, Shengbo; Li, Yakun

2018-05-01

Online quantitative monitoring of crack damage due to fatigue is a critical challenge for structural health monitoring systems assessing structural safety. To achieve online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack, a novel conductive grating sensor based on the principle of electrical potential difference is proposed. The sensor consists of equidistant grating channels to monitor the fatigue crack length and conductive bars to provide the circuit path. An online crack monitoring system is established to verify the sensor's capability. The experimental results prove that the sensor is suitable for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack. A finite element model for the sensor is also developed to optimize the sensitivity of crack monitoring, which is defined by the rate of sensor resistance change caused by the break of the first grating channel. Analysis of the model shows that the sensor sensitivity can be enhanced by reducing the number of grating channels and increasing their resistance and reducing the resistance of the conductive bar.

First Results from the Online Radiation Dose Monitoring System in ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Mandić, I; The ATLAS collaboration; Deliyergiyev, M; Gorišek, A; Kramberger, G; Mikuž, M; Franz, S; Hartert, J; Dawson, I; Miyagawa, P; Nicolas, L

2011-01-01

High radiation doses which will accumulate in components of ATLAS experiment during data taking will causes damage to detectors and readout electronics. It is therefore important to continuously monitor the doses to estimate the level of degradation caused by radiation. Online radiation monitoring system measures ionizing dose in SiO2 , displacement damage in silicon in terms of 1-MeV(Si) equivalent neutron fluence and fluence of thermal neutrons at several locations in ATLAS detector. In this paper design of the system, results of measurements and comparison of measured integrated doses and fluences with predictions from FLUKA simulation will be shown.

Design of a DCS Based Model for Continuous Leakage Monitoring System of Rotary Air Preheater of a Thermal Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madan BHOWMICK

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The leakage in rotary air preheater makes a considerable contribution to the reduced overall efficiency of fossil-fuel-fired thermal power plants and increase the effect on environment. Since it is normal phenomenon, continuous monitoring of leakage is generally omitted in most power plants. But for accurate analysis of the operation of the thermal power plant, this leakage monitoring plays a vital role. In the present paper, design of a DCS based model for continuous leakages monitoring of rotary air preheater has been described. In the proposed model, the existing DCS based instrumentation system has been modified and online leakage monitoring system has been developed. This model has been installed in a captive power plant with high capacity boilers and very much satisfactory operation of this system has been observed. The observed online data along with their analysis results are presented in this paper.

Continuous determination of volatile products in anaerobic fermenters by on-line capillary gas chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamantis, V.; Melidis, P.; Aivasidis, A.

2006-01-01

Bio-ethanol and biogas produced during the anaerobic conversion of organic compounds has been a subject of great interest since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In ethanol fermentation and anaerobic treatment of wastewaters, end-product (ethanol) and intermediate-products (short-chain fatty acids, SCFA) cause inhibition that results in reduced process efficiency. Control of these constituents is of utmost importance for bioreactor optimization and process stability. Ethanol and SCFA can be detected with precision by capillary gas chromatography usually conducted in off-line measurements. In this work, an on-line monitoring and controlling system was developed and connected to the fermenter via an auto-sampling equipment, which could perform the feeding, filtration and dilution of the sample and final injection into the gas chromatograph through an automation-based programmed procedure. The sample was continuously pumped from the recycle stream of the bioreactor and treated using a microfiltration unit. The concentrate was returned to the reactor while the permeate was quantitatively mixed with an internal standard solution. The system comprised of a gas chromatograph with the flow cell and one-shot sampler and a PC with the appropriate software. The on-line measurement of ethanol and SCFA, directly from the liquid phase of an ethanol fermenter and a high-rate continuous mode anaerobic digester, was accomplished by gas chromatography. Also, this monitoring and controlling system was proved to be effective in the continuous fermentation of alcohol-free beer

On-line plant-wide monitoring using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turkcan, E.; Ciftcioglu, O.; Eryurek, E.; Upadhyaya, B.R.

1992-06-01

The on-line signal analysis system designed for a multi-level mode operation using neural networks is described. The system is capable of monitoring the plant states by tracking different number of signals up to 32 simultaneously. The data used for this study were acquired from the Borssele Nuclear Power Plant (PWR type), and using the on-line monitoring system. An on-line plant-wide monitoring study using a multilayer neural network model is discussed in this paper. The back-propagation neural network algorithm is used for training the network. The technique assumes that each physical state of the power plant can be represented by a unique pattern of instrument readings which can be related to the condition of the plant. When disturbance occurs, the sensor readings undergo a transient, and form a different set of patterns which represent the new operational status. Diagnosing these patterns can be helpful in identifying this new state of the power plant. To this end, plant-wide monitoring with neutral networks is one of the new techniques in real-time applications. (author). 9 refs.; 5 figs

An on-line tritium-in-water monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.N.; Ratnakaran, M.; Vohra, K.G.

1985-01-01

The paper describes the development and operation of a continuous on-line tritium-in-water monitor for the detection of heavy water leaks into the secondary coolant light water of a heavy water power reactor. The heart of the instrument is its plastic scintillator sponge detector, made from 5 μm thick plastic scintillator films. The sponge weighs only about 1 g and is in the form of disc of 48 mm diameter and 8 mm thickness. The total surface area of the films is about 3000 cm 2 . In the coincidence mode of counting, the detector gives 1000 cps for the passage of 3.7 x 10 4 Bq/cm 3 (1 μCi/cm 3 ) of tritiated water. The background in 6 cm thick lead shielding in the laboratory is 0.2 cps, and inside the reactor building it is below 1 cps. The monitor presently scans 18 sample lines in sequence for 5 min each and gives a printout for the activity in each line. (orig.)

An on-line tritium-in-water monitor

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, A. N.; Ratnakaran, M.; Vohra, K. G.

1985-05-01

The paper describes the development and operation of a continuous on-line tritium-in-water monitor for the detection of heavy water leaks into the secondary coolant light water of a heavy water power reactor. The heart of the instrument is its plastic scintillator sponge detector, made from 5 μm thick plastic scintillator films. The sponge weighs only about 1 g and is in the form of disc of 48 mm diameter and 8 mm thickness. The total surface area of the films is about 3000 cm 2. In the coincidence mode of counting, the detector gives 1000 cps for the passage of 3.7 × 10 4 Bq/cm 3 (1 μCi/cm 3) of tritiated water. The background in 6 cm thick lead shielding in the laboratory is 0.2 cps, and inside the reactor building it is below 1 cps. The monitor presently scans 18 sample lines in sequence for 5 min each and gives a printout for the activity in each line.

Online analysis of protein inclusion bodies produced in E. coli by monitoring alterations in scattered and reflected light.

Science.gov (United States)

Ude, Christian; Ben-Dov, Nadav; Jochums, André; Li, Zhaopeng; Segal, Ester; Scheper, Thomas; Beutel, Sascha

2016-05-01

The online monitoring of recombinant protein aggregate inclusion bodies during microbial cultivation is an immense challenge. Measurement of scattered and reflected light offers a versatile and non-invasive measurement technique. Therefore, we investigated two methods to detect the formation of inclusion bodies and monitor their production: (1) online 180° scattered light measurement (λ = 625 nm) using a sensor platform during cultivation in shake flask and (2) online measurement of the light reflective interference using a porous Si-based optical biosensor (SiPA). It could be shown that 180° scattered light measurement allows monitoring of alterations in the optical properties of Escherichia coli BL21 cells, associated with the formation of inclusion bodies during cultivation. A reproducible linear correlation between the inclusion body concentration of the non-fluorescent protein human leukemia inhibitory factor (hLIF) carrying a thioredoxin tag and the shift ("Δamp") in scattered light signal intensity was observed. This was also observed for the glutathione-S-transferase-tagged green fluorescent protein (GFP-GST). Continuous online monitoring of reflective interference spectra reveals a significant increase in the bacterium refractive index during hLIF production in comparison to a non-induced reference that coincide with the formation of inclusion bodies. These online monitoring techniques could be applied for fast and cost-effective screening of different protein expression systems.

Case Study: Online Continuing Education for New Librarians

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrix, Beth R.; McKeal, Alyse E.

2017-01-01

Continuing education is vital for new librarians to gain skills and knowledge beyond library school. Professional development offered free in an online environment is often the best option for staying current on the issues and trends necessary for young librarians to grow and flourish. This paper presents a case study of an online professional…

On-line corrosion monitoring in district heating systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Richter, Sonja; Thorarinsdottir, R.I.; Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel

2004-01-01

), Electrochemical Noise (EN) and Zero Resistance Ammetry (ZRA). Electrochemical Resistance (ER) has also been used to measure corrosion. The method traditionally only measures corrosion off-line but with newly developed high-sensitive ER technique developed by MetriCorr in Denmark, on-line monitoring is possible...... complicates the chemistry of the environment. Hydrogen sulphide is present in geothermal systems and can be formed as a by-product of sulphate-reducing-bacteria (SRB). The application of electrochemical methods makes on-line monitoring possible. These methods include: Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR....... In order to assess both general corrosion and localized corrosion, it is necessary to apply more than one monitoring technique simultaneously, ZRA or EN for measuring localized corrosion and LPR or ER for measuring general corrosion rate. The advantage of monitoring localized corrosion is indisputable...

Initiating Events Modeling for On-Line Risk Monitoring Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simic, Z.; Mikulicic, V.

1998-01-01

In order to make on-line risk monitoring application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment more complete and realistic, a special attention need to be dedicated to initiating events modeling. Two different issues are of special importance: one is how to model initiating events frequency according to current plant configuration (equipment alignment and out of service status) and operating condition (weather and various activities), and the second is how to preserve dependencies between initiating events model and rest of PRA model. First, the paper will discuss how initiating events can be treated in on-line risk monitoring application. Second, practical example of initiating events modeling in EPRI's Equipment Out of Service on-line monitoring tool will be presented. Gains from application and possible improvements will be discussed in conclusion. (author)

Participation in online continuing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, Barbara; Ward, Natalie; Jennings, Brad; Jones, Caitlin; Jorgenson, Derek; Gubbels-Smith, Ashley; Dolovich, Lisa; Kennie, Natalie

2016-02-01

The ADAPT (ADapting pharmacists' skills and Approaches to maximize Patients' drug Therapy effectiveness) e-learning programme requires weekly participation in module activities and facilitated discussion to support skill uptake. In this study, we sought to describe the extent and pattern of, satisfaction with and factors affecting participation in the initial programme offering and reasons for withdrawal. Mixed methods - convergent parallel approach. Participation was examined in qualitative data from discussion boards, assignments and action plans. Learner estimations of time commitment and action plan submission rates were calculated. Surveys (Likert scale and open-ended questions) included mid-point and final, exit and participation surveys. Eleven of 86 learners withdrew, most due to time constraints (eight completed an exit survey; seven said they would take ADAPT again). Thirty-five of 75 remaining learners completed a participation survey. Although 50-60% of the remaining 75 learners actively continued participating, only 15/35 respondents felt satisfied with their own participation. Learners spent 3-5 h/week (average) on module activities. Factors challenging participation included difficulty with technology, managing time and group work. Factors facilitating participation included willingness to learn (content of high interest) and supportive work environment. Being informed of programme time scheduling in advance was identified as a way to enhance participation. This study determined extent of learner participation in an online pharmacist continuing education programme and identified factors influencing participation. Interactions between learners and the online interface, content and with other learners are important considerations for designing online education programmes. Recommendations for programme changes were incorporated following this evaluation to facilitate participation. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

New Electric Online Oil Condition Monitoring Sensor – an Innovation in Early Failure Detection of Industrial Gears

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manfred Mauntz

2013-02-01

Full Text Available A new online diagnostics system for the continuous condition monitoring of lubricating oils in industrial gearboxes is presented. Characteristic features of emerging component damage, such as wear, contamination or chemical aging, are identified in an early stage. The OilQSens® sensor effectively controls the proper operation conditions of bearings and cogwheels in gears. Also, the condition of insulating oils in transformers can be monitored. The online diagnostics system measures components of the specific complex impedance of oils. For instance, metal abrasion due to wear debris, broken oil molecules, forming acids or oil soaps result in an increase of the electrical conductivity, which directly correlates with the degree of contamination in the oil. The dielectrical properties of the oils are particularly determined by the water content that becomes accessible via an additional accurate measurement of the dielectric constant. For additivated oils, statements on the degradation of additives can also be derived from changes in the dielectric constant. For an efficient machine utilization and targeted damage prevention, the new OilQSens® online condition monitoring sensor system allows for timely preventative maintenance on demand rather than in rigid inspection intervals. The determination of impurities or reduction in the quality of the oil and the quasi continuous evaluation of wear and chemical aging follow the holistic approach of a real-time monitoring of a change in the condition of the oil-machine system. Once the oil condition monitoring sensors are installed on the plants, the measuring data can be displayed and evaluated elsewhere. The measuring signals are transmitted to a web-based condition monitoring system via LAN, WLAN or serial interfaces of the sensor system. Monitoring of the damage mechanisms during proper operation below the tolerance limits of the components enables specific preventive maintenance independent of rigid

Online data quality monitoring system at BES Ⅲ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Xiaodong; Hu Jifeng; Zhao Haisheng; Ji Xiaobin; Wang Yifang; Liu Beijiang; Zheng Yangheng

2012-01-01

The online Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) tool plays an important role in the data recording process of HEP experiments. The BES Ⅲ DQM collects data from the online data flow, reconstructs them with offline reconstruction software and automatically analyzes the reconstructed data with user-defined algorithms. The DQM software is a scalable distributed system. The monitored results are gathered and displayed in various formats, which provides the shifter with current run information that can be used to identify problems quickly. This paper gives an overview of the DQM system at BES Ⅲ. (authors)

Strength monitoring of bridge constructions and features of its application. Part 2. Continuous monitoring of bridge construction status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ovchinnikov Igor Georgievich

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article describes a system of continuous monitoring of bridge constructions — a system of observation over the operating conditions and behavior of the bridge structure, which is aimed at ensuring the preservation of its functional application properties within the specified limits, realized on the continuous, long-term basis with the use of instrumentation and ensures on-line presentation of information on the status of structure. To illustrate, one may consider the existing systems of continuous monitoring for a number of bridge constructions in the United States, Japan, Europe, South Korea, Greece and Russia. The article suggests to examine the systems of continuous monitoring of «Commodore John Barry» truss bridge, «Akashi-Kaikyo» suspension bridge, «Siggenthal» reinforced-concrete arch bridge, «Nimhe» suspension bridge, «Jindo»cable-stayed bridge, «Yandzhon» suspension bridge, «Banghwa» bridge, «Seohae» bridge and «Rio-Antirrio» bridge. In addition one may consider monitoring of the longitudinal launching of the bridge superstructures over the Volga River near the village Pristannoye in Saratov region. Finally, it was drawn the conclusion that monitoring of bridge constructions from the standpoint of their consumers is aimed at solving such important problems as preservation of bridge structures, increase in service life of bridge structures through timely detection of faults and their elimination, as well as preservation of bridge structure carrying capacity by controlling their behavior during the operation and improving the efficiency of expenditure of monetary resources for repair activities by correct determination of time and type of the necessary repair.

Communication Pathways in the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Online Monitoring Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lybeck, Nancy J.; Tawfik, Magdy S.; Pham, Binh T.; Agarwal, Vivek; Coble, Jamie

2011-01-01

Implementation of online monitoring and prognostics in existing U.S. nuclear power plants will involve coordinating the efforts of national laboratories, utilities, universities, and private companies. Large amounts of operational data, including failure data, are necessary for the development and calibration of diagnostic and prognostic algorithms. The ability to use data from all available resources will provide the most expeditious avenue to implementation of online monitoring in existing NPPs; however, operational plant data are often considered proprietary. Secure methods for transferring and storing data are discussed, along with a potential technology for implementation of online monitoring.

On-line, real-time monitoring for petrochemical and pipeline process control applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kane, Russell D.; Eden, D.C.; Cayard, M.S.; Eden, D.A.; Mclean, D.T. [InterCorr International, Inc., 14503 Bammel N. Houston, Suite 300, Houston Texas 77014 (United States); Kintz, J. [BASF Corporation, 602 Copper Rd., Freeport, Texas 77541 (United States)

2004-07-01

Corrosion problems in petroleum and petrochemical plants and pipeline may be inherent to the processes, but costly and damaging equipment losses are not. With the continual drive to increase productivity, while protecting both product quality, safety and the environment, corrosion must become a variable that can be continuously monitored and assessed. This millennium has seen the introduction of new 'real-time', online measurement technologies and vast improvements in methods of electronic data handling. The 'replace when it fails' approach is receding into a distant memory; facilities management today is embracing new technology, and rapidly appreciating the value it has to offer. It has offered the capabilities to increase system run time between major inspections, reduce the time and expense associated with turnaround or in-line inspections, and reduce major upsets which cause unplanned shut downs. The end result is the ability to know on a practical basis of how 'hard' facilities can be pushed before excessive corrosion damage will result, so that process engineers can understand the impact of their process control actions and implement true asset management. This paper makes reference to use of a online, real-time electrochemical corrosion monitoring system - SmartCET 1- in a plant running a mostly organic process media. It also highlights other pertinent examples where similar systems have been used to provide useful real-time information to detect system upsets, which would not have been possible otherwise. This monitoring/process control approach has operators and engineers to see, for the first time, changes in corrosion behavior caused by specific variations in process parameters. Process adjustments have been identified that reduce corrosion rates while maintaining acceptable yields and quality. The monitoring system has provided a new window into the chemistry of the process, helping chemical engineers improve their process

Implantable Nanosensors: Towards Continuous Physiologic Monitoring

OpenAIRE

Ruckh, Timothy T.; Clark', Heather A.

2013-01-01

Continuous physiologic monitoring would add greatly to both home and clinical medical treatment for chronic conditions. Implantable nanosensors are a promising platform for designing continuous monitoring systems. This feature reviews design considerations and current approaches towards such devices.

On-line monitoring system for I-131 manufacturing labs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osovizky, A.; Malamud, Y.; Paran, Y.; Tal, N.; Turgeman, S.; Weinstein, M.

1997-01-01

An on-line monitoring and safety system has been installed in a lab for manufacturing 1-131 capsules for nuclear medicine use. Production of up to 100mCi batches is performed in shielded glove boxes. The safety system is based on a unique, 'Medi SMARTS' system (Medical Survey Mapping Automatic Radiation Tracing System), that collects continuously the radiation measurements for processing, display, and storage for future retrieval. Radiation is measured by GM tubes, data is transferred to a data processing unit, and then via a RS-485 communication line to a computer. In addition to the operational advantages and radiation levels storage, the system is being evaluated for the purpose of identifying risky stages in the process. (authors)

On-line monitoring of fluid bed granulation by photometric imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Soppela, Ira; Antikainen, Osmo; Sandler, Niklas; Yliruusi, Jouko

2014-11-01

This paper introduces and discusses a photometric surface imaging approach for on-line monitoring of fluid bed granulation. Five granule batches consisting of paracetamol and varying amounts of lactose and microcrystalline cellulose were manufactured with an instrumented fluid bed granulator. Photometric images and NIR spectra were continuously captured on-line and particle size information was extracted from them. Also key process parameters were recorded. The images provided direct real-time information on the growth, attrition and packing behaviour of the batches. Moreover, decreasing image brightness in the drying phase was found to indicate granule drying. The changes observed in the image data were also linked to the moisture and temperature profiles of the processes. Combined with complementary process analytical tools, photometric imaging opens up possibilities for improved real-time evaluation fluid bed granulation. Furthermore, images can give valuable insight into the behaviour of excipients or formulations during product development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On-line monitoring applications at nuclear power plants. A risk informed approach to calibration reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shankar, Ramesh; Hussey, Aaron; Davis, Eddie

2003-01-01

On-line monitoring of instrument channels provides increased information about the condition of monitored channels through accurate, more frequent evaluation of each cannel's performance over time. This type of performance monitoring is a methodology that offers an alternate approach to traditional time-directed calibration. EPRI's strategic role in on-line monitoring is to facilitate its implementation and cost-effective use in numerous applications at power plants. To this end, EPRI has sponsored an on-line monitoring implementation project at multiple nuclear plants specifically intended to install and use on-line monitoring technology. The selected on-line monitoring method is based on the Multivariate State Estimation Technique. The project has a planned three-year life; seven plants are participating in the project. The goal is to apply on-line monitoring to all types of power plant applications and document all aspects of the implementation process in a series of EPRI reports. These deliverables cover installation, modeling, optimization, and proven cost-benefit. This paper discusses the actual implementation of on-line monitoring to various nuclear plant instrument systems. Examples of detected instrument drift are provided. (author)

On-line data analysis and monitoring for H1 drift chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duellmann, D.

1992-01-01

The on-line monitoring, slow control and calibration of the H1 central jet chamber uses a VME multiprocessor system to perform the analysis and a connected Macintosh computer as graphical interface to the operator on shift. Tasks of this system are: Analysis of event data including on-line track search; on-line calibration from normal events and testpulse events; control of the high voltage and monitoring of settings and currents; monitoring of temperature, pressure and mixture of the chambergas. A program package is described which controls the dataflow between data aquisition, different VME CPUs and Macintosh. It allows to run off-line style programs for the different tasks. (orig.)

On-line data analysis and monitoring for H1 drift chambers

Science.gov (United States)

Düllmann, Dirk

1992-05-01

The on-line monitoring, slow control and calibration of the H1 central jet chamber uses a VME multiprocessor system to perform the analysis and a connected Macintosh computer as graphical interface to the operator on shift. Task of this system are: - analysis of event data including on-line track search, - on-line calibration from normal events and testpulse events, - control of the high voltage and monitoring of settings and currents, - monitoring of temperature, pressure and mixture of the chambergas. A program package is described which controls the dataflow between data aquisition, differnt VME CPUs and Macintosh. It allows to run off-line style programs for the different tasks.

An online substructure identification method for local structural health monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Jilin; Ou, Jinping; Jankowski, Łukasz

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a substructure isolation method, which uses time series of measured local response for online monitoring of substructures. The proposed monitoring process consists of two key steps: construction of the isolated substructure, and its identification. The isolated substructure is an independent virtual structure, which is numerically isolated from the global structure by placing virtual supports on the interface. First, the isolated substructure is constructed by a specific linear combination of time series of its measured local responses. Then, the isolated substructure is identified using its local natural frequencies extracted from the combined responses. The substructure is assumed to be linear; the outside part of the global structure can have any characteristics. The method has no requirements on the initial state of the structure, and so the process can be carried out repetitively for online monitoring. Online isolation and monitoring is illustrated in a numerical example with a frame model, and then verified in a cantilever beam experiment. (paper)

Research progress of on-line automatic monitoring of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of water

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Youfa; Fu, Xing; Gao, Xiaolu; Li, Lianyin

2018-02-01

With the increasingly stricter control of pollutant emission in China, the on-line automatic monitoring of water quality is particularly urgent. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a comprehensive index to measure the contamination caused by organic matters, and thus it is taken as one important index of energy-saving and emission reduction in China’s “Twelve-Five” program. So far, the COD on-line automatic monitoring instrument has played an important role in the field of sewage monitoring. This paper reviews the existing methods to achieve on-line automatic monitoring of COD, and on the basis, points out the future trend of the COD on-line automatic monitoring instruments.

An improved, computer-based, on-line gamma monitor for plutonium anion exchange process control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, N.G.; Marsh, S.F.

1987-06-01

An improved, low-cost, computer-based system has replaced a previously developed on-line gamma monitor. Both instruments continuously profile uranium, plutonium, and americium in the nitrate anion exchange process used to recover and purify plutonium at the Los Alamos Plutonium Facility. The latest system incorporates a personal computer that provides full-feature multichannel analyzer (MCA) capabilities by means of a single-slot, plug-in integrated circuit board. In addition to controlling all MCA functions, the computer program continuously corrects for gain shift and performs all other data processing functions. This Plutonium Recovery Operations Gamma Ray Energy Spectrometer System (PROGRESS) provides on-line process operational data essential for efficient operation. By identifying abnormal conditions in real time, it allows operators to take corrective actions promptly. The decision-making capability of the computer will be of increasing value as we implement automated process-control functions in the future. 4 refs., 6 figs

An online survey of chiropractors' opinions of continuing education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Dean L

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Continuing Education (CE for chiropractors is mandatory for licensure in most North American jurisdictions. Numerous chiropractic colleges have begun collaborating with universities to offer master's degree programs. Distance education master's degree programs may be desirable to allow full-time practicing doctors to further their post-graduate education. The present survey sought to answer three questions. First, what is the level of satisfaction of chiropractors with their continuing education? Second, what is the level of interest of chiropractors in online master's degree programs? Lastly, what is the response rate of chiropractors to an online survey? Methods An online survey consisting of 22 multiple choice questions was e-mailed to 1000 chiropractors randomly selected from the mailing list of an online chiropractic newsletter. Upon completion of the questionnaire, participants' answers were saved on a secure site. Data analysis included evaluation of the demographic characteristics of the respondents, their opinions of and patterns of taking CE including online education, preferred learning formats, and their interest in proposed online master's degree programs. A survey response rate was determined. Results Nearly 86% of respondents felt their previously completed CE courses were either somewhat or extremely satisfactory. Over ninety percent of respondents who had completed online or distance CE coursesfound them to be somewhat or extremelysatisfactory. Almost half the respondents indicated that they most preferred online distance learning, while 34.08% most preferred face-to-face interaction. Fifty-three percent of respondents indicated an interest in starting a master's degree program; however 70.46% of respondents were interested in an online master's degree program that would offer CE credit. A response rate of 35.8% was obtained. Conclusion Satisfaction among chiropractors with CE programs is high. The notion of

Online and unsupervised face recognition for continuous video stream

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Hongwen; Feng, Jufu

2009-10-01

We present a novel online face recognition approach for video stream in this paper. Our method includes two stages: pre-training and online training. In the pre-training phase, our method observes interactions, collects batches of input data, and attempts to estimate their distributions (Box-Cox transformation is adopted here to normalize rough estimates). In the online training phase, our method incrementally improves classifiers' knowledge of the face space and updates it continuously with incremental eigenspace analysis. The performance achieved by our method shows its great potential in video stream processing.

On-line control of the plasma spraying process by monitoring the temperature, velocity, and trajectory of in-flight particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, C.; Gougeon, P.; Lamontagne, M.; Lacasse, V.; Vaudreuil, G.; Cielo, P.

1994-01-01

This paper describes a new optical sensing device for on-line monitoring of the temperature, velocity and trajectory of in-flight particles during industrial coating production. Thermal radiation emitted by the in-flight particles is collected by a small and robust sensing head that can be attached to the plasma gun providing continuous monitoring of the spray process. The collected radiation is transmitted through optical fibers to a detection cabinet located away from the dusty environment around the operating plasma gun. On-line measurement of the particle velocity, temperature and trajectory can provide an efficient diagnostic tool to maintain optimum spraying conditions leading to a better reproducibility of the coating properties

Geiger Muller (GM) detector as online monitor: an experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayan, M.P.; Pawar, V.J.; Krishnakumar, P.; Sureshkumar, M.

2014-01-01

Monitoring the inadvertent release of radioactivity into otherwise inactive liquid streams is a common requirement in nuclear industry. In addition to conventional off-line sampling and measurement methods, nuclear facilities usually uses online methods to get real-time detection of activity contents in process cooling water lines and steam condensate lines. Due to its simplicity, ruggedness and cost effectiveness, Geiger Muller counter is obviously the first choice for online application. Though GM based monitors for such online application were in industrial use for a long time, practical data on the response of the detector with respect low level activities in the effluents is scarce in literature. This work was carried out to fill this information gap. The data generated in these experiments may be useful in giving a realistic interpretation of the response of the existing monitors and setting up their alarm limits

Online monitoring of fast neutron (DT/DD) at Purnima neutron generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishnoi, S.; Patel, T.; Shukla, M.; Adhikari, P.S.; Sinha, A.

2012-01-01

A neutron generator (NG) at Purnima Labs, BARC has been developed for DT accelerator driven zero power subcritical (ADSS) system. Subcritical core of ADSS will be coupled to the NG for benchmarking experiments. Kinetic parameters of ADSS such as K-source, flux, power etc depends on this external neutron source strength injected to the core. However the neutron emission rate of NG does not remain stable throughout its operation. In view of this a reliable, precise and online monitoring of NG's neutron emission rate is required. An online neutron monitoring system based on associated particle method has been designed, developed and installed at NG. The monitoring unit consists of an ion implanted planar silicon detector, placed inside the drift tube of NG at an angle with respect to D + beam direction. A series of experiments were carried out with increasing neutron yield to optimize the position of detector such that it has sufficient counting statistics and minimum pileup. A complementary calibration procedure for validating these results based on activation technique was also carried out with standard Cu foil. The reaction rate monitored with online monitor and foil activation technique were compared, their variations with the predicted (theoretical) results were within 16%. This paper deals with the development and performance of online neutron monitoring system for DT and DD neutrons

A Gaussian Process Based Online Change Detection Algorithm for Monitoring Periodic Time Series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandola, Varun [ORNL; Vatsavai, Raju [ORNL

2011-01-01

Online time series change detection is a critical component of many monitoring systems, such as space and air-borne remote sensing instruments, cardiac monitors, and network traffic profilers, which continuously analyze observations recorded by sensors. Data collected by such sensors typically has a periodic (seasonal) component. Most existing time series change detection methods are not directly applicable to handle such data, either because they are not designed to handle periodic time series or because they cannot operate in an online mode. We propose an online change detection algorithm which can handle periodic time series. The algorithm uses a Gaussian process based non-parametric time series prediction model and monitors the difference between the predictions and actual observations within a statistically principled control chart framework to identify changes. A key challenge in using Gaussian process in an online mode is the need to solve a large system of equations involving the associated covariance matrix which grows with every time step. The proposed algorithm exploits the special structure of the covariance matrix and can analyze a time series of length T in O(T^2) time while maintaining a O(T) memory footprint, compared to O(T^4) time and O(T^2) memory requirement of standard matrix manipulation methods. We experimentally demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm over several existing time series change detection algorithms on a set of synthetic and real time series. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for identifying land use land cover changes using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected for an agricultural region in Iowa state, USA. Our algorithm is able to detect different types of changes in a NDVI validation data set (with ~80% accuracy) which occur due to crop type changes as well as disruptive changes (e.g., natural disasters).

Don't forget the learner: an essential aspect for developing effective hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandars, John; Homer, Matthew; Walsh, Kieran; Rutherford, Alaster

2012-03-01

There is increasing use of hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education (CME) that presents the learner with a wide range of different learning resources, requiring the learner to use self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. This study is the first to apply an SRL perspective to understand how learners engage with hypermedia online learning in CME. We found that the main SRL skills used by learners were use of strategies and monitoring. The increasing use of strategies was associated with increasing interest in the topic and with increasing satisfaction with the learning experience. Further research is recommended to understand SRL processes and its impact on learning in other aspects of hypermedia online learning across the different phases of medical education. Research is also recommended to implement and evaluate the learning impact of a variety of approaches to develop the SRL skills of hypermedia online learners in CME.

The roles of constraint-based and dedication-based influences on user's continued online shopping behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Su-Chao; Chou, Chi-Min

2012-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine empirically the role of constraint-based and dedication-based influences as drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Constraint-based influences consist of two variables: trust and perceived switching costs. Dedication-based influences consist of three variables: satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and trust. The current results indicate that both constraint-based and dedication-based influences are important drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. The data also shows that trust has the strongest total effect on online shoppers' intention to continue using online shopping websites. In addition, the results indicate that the antecedents of constraint-based influences, technical bonds (e.g., perceived operational competence and perceived website interactivity) and social bonds (e.g., perceived relationship investment, community building, and intimacy) have indirect positive effects on the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Based on these findings, this research suggests that online shopping websites should build constraint-based and dedication-based influences to enhance user's continued online shopping behaviors simultaneously.

Reducing BWR O and M costs through on-line performance monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonas, T.; Gross, R.; Logback, F.; Josyula, R.

1995-01-01

Competition in the electric power industry has placed significant emphasis on reducing operating and maintenance (O and M) costs at nuclear facilities. Therefore, on-line performance monitoring to locate power losses for boiling water reactor (BWR) plants is creating tremendous interest. In addition, the ability to automate activities such as data collection, analysis, and reporting increases the efficiency of plant engineers and gives them more time to concentrate on solving plant efficiency problems. This capability is now available with a unique software product called GEBOPS. GE Nuclear Energy, in conjunction with Joint Venture partner Black and Veatch, has undertaken development of the General Electric/Black and Veatch On-line Performance System (GEBOPS), an on-line performance monitoring system for BWR plants. The experience and expertise of GE Nuclear Energy with BWR plants, coupled with the proven on-line monitoring software development experience and capability of Black and Veatch, provide the foundation for a unique product which addresses the needs of today's BWR plants

One Continuous Auditing Practice in China: Data-oriented Online Auditing(DOOA)

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei; Zhang, Jin-Cheng; Jiang, Yu-Quan

Application of information technologies (IT) in the field of audit is worth studying. Continuous auditing (CA) is an active research domain in computer-assisted audit field. In this paper, the concept of continuous auditing is analyzed firstly. Then, based on analysis on research literatures of continuous auditing, technique realization methods are classified into embedded mode and separate mode. According to the condition of implementing online auditing in China, data-oriented online auditing (DOOA) used in China is also one of separate mode of continuous auditing. And the principle of DOOA is analyzed. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of DOOA are also discussed. Finally, advices to implement DOOA in China are given, and the future research topics related to continuous auditing are also discussed.

Continuous on-line monitoring of left ventricular function with a new nonimaging detector:validation and clinical use in the evaluation of patients post angioplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Breisblatt, W M; Schulman, D S; Follansbee, W P

1991-06-01

A new miniaturized nonimaging radionuclide detector (Cardioscint, Oxford, England) was evaluated for the continuous on-line assessment of left ventricular function. This cesium iodide probe can be placed on the patient's chest and can be interfaced to an IBM compatible personal computer conveniently placed at the patient's bedside. This system can provide a beat-to-beat or gated determination of left ventricular ejection fraction and ST segment analysis. In 28 patients this miniaturized probe was correlated against a high resolution gamma camera study. Over a wide range of ejection fraction (31% to 76%) in patients with and without regional wall motion abnormalities, the correlation between the Cardioscint detector and the gamma camera was excellent (r = 0.94, SEE +/- 2.1). This detector system has high temporal (10 msec) resolution, and comparison of peak filling rate (PFR) and time to peak filling (TPFR) also showed close agreement with the gamma camera (PFR, r = 0.94, SEE +/- 0.17; TPFR, r = 0.92, SEE +/- 6.8). In 18 patients on bed rest the long-term stability of this system for measuring ejection fraction and ST segments was verified. During the monitoring period (108 +/- 28 minutes) only minor changes in ejection fraction occurred (coefficient of variation 0.035 +/- 0.016) and ST segment analysis showed no significant change from baseline. To determine whether continuous on-line measurement of ejection fraction would be useful after coronary angioplasty, 12 patients who had undergone a successful procedure were evaluated for 280 +/- 35 minutes with the Cardioscint system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

On-line monitoring of heavy-ion therapy using PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlovic, M.

2004-01-01

In this presentation authors present results of on-line monitoring of heavy-ion therapy using PET. It is concluded that in-beam positron emission tomography is a feasible and valuable method for in-situ and non-invasive monitoring of heavy-ion therapy

Online monitoring of steam/water chemistry of a fast breeder test reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, K.G.; Suriyanarayanan, A.; Thirunavukarasu, N.; Naganathan, V.R.; Panigrahi, B.S.; Jambunathan, D.

2005-01-01

Operating experience with the once-through steam generator of a fast breeder test reactor (FBTR) has shown that an efficient water chemistry control played a major role in minimizing corrosion related failures of steam generator tubes and ensuring steam generator tube integrity. In order to meet the stringent feedwater and steam quality specifications, use of fast and sensitive online monitors to detect impurity levels is highly desirable. Online monitoring techniques have helped in achieving feedwater of an exceptional degree of purity. Experience in operating the online monitors in the steam/water system of a FBTR is discussed in detail in this paper. In addition, the effect of excess hydrazine in the feedwater on the steam generator leak detection system and the need for a hydrazine online meter are also discussed. (orig.)

Online condition monitoring to enable extended operation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Ryan Michael; Bond, Leonard John; Ramuhalli, Pradeep

2012-01-01

Safe, secure, and economic operation of nuclear power plants will remain of strategic significance. New and improved monitoring will likely have increased significance in the post-Fukushima world. Prior to Fukushima, many activities were already underway globally to facilitate operation of nuclear power plants beyond their initial licensing periods. Decisions to shut down a nuclear power plant are mostly driven by economic considerations. Online condition monitoring is a means to improve both the safety and economics of extending the operating lifetimes of nuclear power plants, enabling adoption of proactive aging management. With regard to active components (e.g., pumps, valves, motors, etc.), significant experience in other industries has been leveraged to build the science base to support adoption of online condition-based maintenance and proactive aging management in the nuclear industry. Many of the research needs are associated with enabling proactive management of aging in passive components (e.g., pipes, vessels, cables, containment structures, etc.). This paper provides an overview of online condition monitoring for the nuclear power industry with an emphasis on passive components. Following the overview, several technology/knowledge gaps are identified, which require addressing to facilitate widespread online condition monitoring of passive components. (author)

Continued Use of a Chinese Online Portal: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Hung-Pin

2008-01-01

The evolution of the internet has made online portals a popular means of surfing the internet. In internet commerce, understanding the post-adoption behaviour of users of online portals can help enterprises to attract new users and retain existing customers. For predicting continued use intentions, this empirical study focused on applying and…

Online Data Monitoring Framework Based on Histogram Packaging in Network Distributed Data Acquisition Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konno, T; Ishitsuka, M; Kuze, M; Cabarera, A; Sakamoto, Y

2011-01-01

O nline monitor frameworkis a new general software framework for online data monitoring, which provides a way to collect information from online systems, including data acquisition, and displays them to shifters far from experimental sites. 'Monitor Server', a core system in this framework gathers the monitoring information from the online subsystems and the information is handled as collections of histograms named H istogram Package . Monitor Server broadcasts the histogram packages to 'Monitor Viewers', graphical user interfaces in the framework. We developed two types of the viewers with different technologies: Java and web browser. We adapted XML based file for the configuration of GUI components on the windows and graphical objects on the canvases. Monitor Viewer creates its GUIs automatically with the configuration files.This monitoring framework has been developed for the Double Chooz reactor neutrino oscillation experiment in France, but can be extended for general application to be used in other experiments. This document reports the structure of the online monitor framework with some examples from the adaption to the Double Chooz experiment.

On-Line Monitoring of Instrument Channel Performance in Nuclear Power Plant Using PEANO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantoni, Paolo F.; Hoffmann, Mario; Shankar, Ramesh; Davis, Eddie L.

2002-01-01

On-Line monitoring evaluates instrument channel performance by assessing its consistency with other plant indications. Industry and EPRI experience at several plants has shown this overall approach to be very effective in identifying instrument channels that are exhibiting degrading or inconsistent performance characteristics. On-Line monitoring of instrument channels provides information about the condition of the monitored channels through accurate, more frequent monitoring of each channel's performance over time. This type of performance monitoring is a methodology that offers an alternate approach to traditional time-directed calibration. On-line monitoring of these channels can provide an assessment of instrument performance and provide a basis for determining when adjustments are necessary. Elimination or reduction of unnecessary field calibrations can reduce associated labor costs, reduce personnel radiation exposure and reduce the potential for miss-calibration. PEANO is a system for on-line calibration monitoring developed in the years 1995-2000 at the Institutt for energiteknikk (IFE), Norway, which makes use of Artificial Intelligence techniques for its purpose. The system has been tested successfully in Europe in off-line tests with EDF (France), Tecnatom (Spain) and ENEA (Italy). PEANO is currently installed and used for on-line monitoring at the HBWR reactor in Halden. This paper describes the results of performance tests on PEANO with real data from a US PWR plant, in the framework of a co-operation among IFE, EPRI and Edan Engineering, to evaluate the potentials of PEANO for future installations in US nuclear plants. (authors)

On-line monitoring and inservice inspection in codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartonicek, J.; Zaiss, W.; Bath, H.R.

1999-01-01

The relevant regulatory codes determine the ISI tasks and the time intervals for recurrent components testing for evaluation of operation-induced damaging or ageing in order to ensure component integrity on the basis of the last available quality data. In-service quality monitoring is carried out through on-line monitoring and recurrent testing. The requirements defined by the engineering codes elaborated by various institutions are comparable, with the KTA nuclear engineering and safety codes being the most complete provisions for quality evaluation and assurance after different, defined service periods. German conventional codes for assuring component integrity provide exclusively for recurrent inspection regimes (mainly pressure tests and optical testing). The requirements defined in the KTA codes however always demanded more specific inspections relying on recurrent testing as well as on-line monitoring. Foreign codes for ensuring component integrity concentrate on NDE tasks at regular time intervals, with time intervals scope of testing activities being defined on the basis of the ASME code, section XI. (orig./CB) [de

Integrated monitoring of the ATLAS online computing farm

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00389536; The ATLAS collaboration; Brasolin, Franco; Fazio, Daniel; Gament, Costin-Eugen; Lee, Christopher; Scannicchio, Diana; Twomey, Matthew Shaun

2017-01-01

The online farm of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, consisting of nearly 4100 PCs with various characteristics, provides configuration and control of the detector and performs the collection, processing, selection and conveyance of event data from the front-end electronics to mass storage. The status and health of every host must be constantly monitored to ensure the correct and reliable operation of the whole online system. This is the first line of defense, which should not only promptly provide alerts in case of failure but, whenever possible, warn of impending issues. The monitoring system should be able to check up to 100000 health parameters and provide alerts on a selected subset. In this paper we present the implementation and validation of our new monitoring and alerting system based on Icinga 2 and Ganglia. We describe how the load distribution and high availability features of Icinga 2 allowed us to have a centralised but scalable system, with a configuration model that allows full flexibility whil...

Integrated monitoring of the ATLAS online computing farm

CERN Document Server

Ballestrero, Sergio; The ATLAS collaboration; Fazio, Daniel; Gament, Costin-Eugen; Lee, Christopher; Scannicchio, Diana; Twomey, Matthew Shaun

2016-01-01

The online farm of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, consisting of nearly 4000 PCs with various characteristics, provides configuration and control of the detector and performs the collection, processing, selection and conveyance of event data from the front-end electronics to mass storage. The status and health of every host must be constantly monitored to ensure the correct and reliable operation of the whole online system. This is the first line of defense, which should not only promptly provide alerts in case of failure but, whenever possible, warn of impending issues. The monitoring system should be able to check up to 100000 health parameters and provide alerts on a selected subset. In this paper we present the implementation and validation of our new monitoring and alerting system based on Icinga 2 and Ganglia. We describe how the load distribution and high availability features of Icinga 2 allowed us to have a centralised but scalable system, with a configuration model that allows full flexibility whil...

Online NPP monitoring with neuro-expert system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabeshima, K.

2002-01-01

This study present a hybrid monitoring system for nuclear power plant utilizing neural networks and a rule-based expert system. The whole monitoring system including a data acquisition system and the advisory displays has been tested by an on-line simulator of pressurized water reactor. From the testing results, it was shown that the neural network in the monitoring system successfully modeled the plant dynamics and detected the symptoms of anomalies earlier than the conventional alarm system. The expert system also worked satisfactorily in diagnosing and displaying the system status by using the outputs of neural networks and a priori knowledge base

Why people continue to play online games: in search of critical design factors to increase customer loyalty to online contents.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Dongseong; Kim, Jinwoo

2004-02-01

As people increasingly play online games, numerous new features have been proposed to increase players' log-on time at online gaming sites. However, few studies have investigated why people continue to play certain online games or which design features are most closely related to the amount of time spent by players at particular online gaming sites. This study proposes a theoretical model using the concepts of customer loyalty, flow, personal interaction, and social interaction to explain why people continue to play online network games. The study then conducts a large-scale survey to validate the model. Finally, it analyzes current online games to identify design features that are closely related to the theoretical concepts. The results indicate that people continue to play online games if they have optimal experiences while playing the games. This optimal experience can be attained if the player has effective personal interaction with the system or pleasant social interactions with other people connected to the Internet. Personal interaction can be facilitated by providing appropriate goals, operators and feedback; social interaction can be facilitated through appropriate communication places and tools. This paper ends with the implications of applying the study results to other domains such as e-commerce and cyber communities.

New developments in online plant monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laipple, Bernd; Langenstein, Magnus

2007-01-01

The large quantities of information produced within plant processes nearly make the plausibility of data impossible without the help of additional tools. For this reason, a variety of plant monitoring tools has been developed in the past which promise a sensible compression of data. The main problem with the offered tools lies with the omission of procedural plausibility. The newly developed plant monitoring system BTB ProcessPlus is based on the VDI 2048 methodology of process data reconciliation. Plausibility and quality control therefore serve as a basis for the system. With this procedural process image, significant diagnosis and monitoring tools have been developed and now offer a fast and economically optimal support in process optimization. This paper describes the methodology according to VDI 2048. The benefits of the online plant monitoring system are demonstrated by means of examples from day-to-day operations. (author)

DQM4HEP - A Generic Online Monitor for Particle Physics Experiments

CERN Document Server

Irles, Adrián; Coates, Tom; Salvatore, Fabrizio; Cussans, David; Éte, Remi; Mirabito, Laurent; Pingault, Antoine; Wing, Matthew

2017-01-01

There is currently a lot of activity in R&D for future collider experiments. Multiple detector prototypes are being tested, each one with slightly different requirements regarding the format of the data to be analysed. This has generated a variety of ad-hoc solutions for data acquisition and online data monitoring. We present a generic C++11 online monitoring framework called DQM4HEP, which is designed for use as a generic online monitor for particle physics experiments, ranging from small tabletop experiments to large multi-detector testbeams, such as those currently ongoing/planned at the DESY2 or CERN SPS beamlines. We present results obtained using DQM4HEP at several testbeams where the CALICE AHCAL, SDHCAL and SiWECAL detector prototypes have been tested. During these testbeams, online analysis using DQM4HEP's framework has been developed and used. We also present the currently ongoing work to integrate DQM4HEP within the EUDAQ tool. EUDAQ is a tool for common and generic data acquisition within the ...

Continuous monitoring methods for assessment of structural integrity in nuclear power plants; Jatkuvan monitoroinnin menetelmaet rakenteiden eheyden varmistamiseen ydinvoimaloissa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkimo, M

1998-01-01

This report is a review of the frequently used continuous monitoring methods that are applied or can possibly be applied in nuclear power plants. The methods covered include condition monitoring and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques that can be used to detect flaws in components and the malfunction of machinery. The specific techniques for water chemistry monitoring are not covered by this report. The systems based on acoustic emission are considered to be suitable for continuous monitoring applications and these are discussed in greater detail compared to other methods. The loose parts monitoring and leak detection systems based on acoustic emission have practical applications in several nuclear power plants. The real-time monitoring of crack-tip movement using the ultrasonic method is also discussed. Some results are also referred to from the research and development work to monitor crack initiation and growth on the surface of high-speed rotating components using the electromagnetic method. Vibration measurements and analysis are mentioned as a usual tool for monitoring the condition of rotating machinery but also some special aspects of nuclear power plants are included. Finally the on-line fatigue and integrity monitoring systems are briefly discussed and given some considerations regarding the material property measurements using continuous non-destructive methods. (orig.). 34 refs.

LHCb online infrastructure monitoring tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granado Cardoso, L.; Gaspar, C.; Haen, C.; Neufeld, N.; Varela, F.; Galli, D.

2012-01-01

The Online System of the LHCb experiment at CERN is composed of a very large number of PCs: around 1500 in a CPU farm for performing the High Level Trigger; around 170 for the control system, running the SCADA system - PVSS; and several others for performing data monitoring, reconstruction, storage, and infrastructure tasks, like databases, etc. Some PCs run Linux, some run Windows but all of them need to be remotely controlled and monitored to make sure they are correctly running and to be able, for example, to reboot them whenever necessary. A set of tools was developed in order to centrally monitor the status of all PCs and PVSS Projects needed to run the experiment: a Farm Monitoring and Control (FMC) tool, which provides the lower level access to the PCs, and a System Overview Tool (developed within the Joint Controls Project - JCOP), which provides a centralized interface to the FMC tool and adds PVSS project monitoring and control. The implementation of these tools has provided a reliable and efficient way to manage the system, both during normal operations as well as during shutdowns, upgrades or maintenance operations. This paper will present the particular implementation of this tool in the LHCb experiment and the benefits of its usage in a large scale heterogeneous system

Data-driven strategies for robust forecast of continuous glucose monitoring time-series.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorini, Samuele; Martini, Chiara; Malpassi, Davide; Cordera, Renzo; Maggi, Davide; Verri, Alessandro; Barla, Annalisa

2017-07-01

Over the past decade, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has proven to be a very resourceful tool for diabetes management. To date, CGM devices are employed for both retrospective and online applications. Their use allows to better describe the patients' pathology as well as to achieve a better control of patients' level of glycemia. The analysis of CGM sensor data makes possible to observe a wide range of metrics, such as the glycemic variability during the day or the amount of time spent below or above certain glycemic thresholds. However, due to the high variability of the glycemic signals among sensors and individuals, CGM data analysis is a non-trivial task. Standard signal filtering solutions fall short when an appropriate model personalization is not applied. State-of-the-art data-driven strategies for online CGM forecasting rely upon the use of recursive filters. Each time a new sample is collected, such models need to adjust their parameters in order to predict the next glycemic level. In this paper we aim at demonstrating that the problem of online CGM forecasting can be successfully tackled by personalized machine learning models, that do not need to recursively update their parameters.

A new on-line leakage current monitoring system of ZnO surge arresters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bok-Hee; Kang, Sung-Man

2005-01-01

This paper presents a new on-line leakage current monitoring system of zinc oxide (ZnO) surge arresters. To effectively diagnose the deterioration of ZnO surge arresters, a new algorithm and on-line leakage current detection device, which uses the time-delay addition method, for discriminating the resistive and capacitive currents was developed to use in the aging test and durability evaluation for ZnO arrester blocks. A computer-based measurement system of the resistive leakage current, the on-line monitoring device can detect accurately the leakage currents flowing through ZnO surge arresters for power frequency ac applied voltages. The proposed on-line leakage current monitoring device of ZnO surge arresters is more highly sensitive and gives more linear response than the existing devices using the detection method of the third harmonic leakage currents. Therefore, the proposed leakage current monitoring device can be useful for predicting the defects and performance deterioration of ZnO surge arresters in power system applications

Nocturnal continuous glucose monitoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, Christiane; Kristensen, Peter Lommer; Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik

2013-01-01

Abstract Background: A reliable method to detect biochemical nocturnal hypoglycemia is highly needed, especially in patients with recurrent severe hypoglycemia. We evaluated reliability of nocturnal continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in patients with type 1 diabetes at high risk of severe...

On-line sodium and cover as purity monitors gas operating tools at EBR-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.R.F.; Richardson, W.J.; Holmes, J.T.

1976-01-01

Plugging temperature indicators, electrochemical oxygen meters and hydrogen diffusion meters are the on-line sodium purity monitors now in use at EBR-II. On-line gas chromatographs are used to monitor helium, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen impurities in the argon cover gases. Monitors for tritium-in-sodium and for hydrocarbons-in-cover gas have been developed and are scheduled for installation in the near future. An important advantage of on-line monitors over the conventional grab-sampling techniques is the speed of response to changing reactor conditions. This helps us to identify the source of the impurity, whether the cause may be transient or constant, and take corrective action as necessary. The oxygen meter is calibrated monthly against oxygen in sodium determined by the vanadium wire equilibration method. The other instruments either do not require calibration or are self-calibrating. The ranges, sensitivity and response times of all of the on-line purity monitors has proven satisfactory under EBR-II operating conditions

Monitoring and control of enzymic sucrose hydrolysis using on-line biosensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandenius, C F; Buelow, L; Danielsson, B; Mosbach, K

1985-02-01

Previously reported flow microcalorimeter devices for enzymic reaction heat measurement, enzyme thermistors, have here been extended with systems for on-line sample treatment. Glucose analysis was performed by intermittent flow injection of 50 ..mu..l samples through such an enzyme thermistor device containing immobilized glucose oxidase and catalase. Sucrose analysis was performed by allowing diluted samples to continuously pass through an additional enzyme thermistor containing immobilized invertase. The reaction heats were recorded as temperature changes in the order of 10-50 m degrees C for concentration of 0.05-0.30 M glucose or sucrose present in the original non-diluted samples. The performance of this system was investigated by its ability to follow concentration changes obtained from a gradient mixer. The system was applied to monitoring and controlling the hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose in a plug-flow reactor with immobilized invertase. The reactor was continuously fed by a flow of sucrose of up to 0.3 M (100 g/l). Glucose and remaining sucrose were monitored in the effluent of the column. By using flow rate controlled feed pumps for sucrose and diluent the influent concentration of sucrose was varied while the overall flow rate remained constant. On-line control of the effluent concentration of glucose and sucrose was achieved by a proportional and integral regulator implemented on a microcomputer. Present concentration of glucose in the effluent could be maintained over an extended period of time despite changes in the overall capacity of the invertase reactor. Long delay times in the sensor system and the enzyme column made it necessary to carefully tune the control parameters. Changes of set-point value and temperature disturbances were used to verify accuracy of controlling performance. 32 references.

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hai-Feng

2018-01-01

As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM). First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM) to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants’ multi-parameters and the bearings’ wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes. PMID:29621175

Adaptive online monitoring for ICU patients by combining just-in-time learning and principal component analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuejian; Wang, Youqing

2016-12-01

Offline general-type models are widely used for patients' monitoring in intensive care units (ICUs), which are developed by using past collected datasets consisting of thousands of patients. However, these models may fail to adapt to the changing states of ICU patients. Thus, to be more robust and effective, the monitoring models should be adaptable to individual patients. A novel combination of just-in-time learning (JITL) and principal component analysis (PCA), referred to learning-type PCA (L-PCA), was proposed for adaptive online monitoring of patients in ICUs. JITL was used to gather the most relevant data samples for adaptive modeling of complex physiological processes. PCA was used to build an online individual-type model and calculate monitoring statistics, and then to judge whether the patient's status is normal or not. The adaptability of L-PCA lies in the usage of individual data and the continuous updating of the training dataset. Twelve subjects were selected from the Physiobank's Multi-parameter Intelligent Monitoring for Intensive Care II (MIMIC II) database, and five vital signs of each subject were chosen. The proposed method was compared with the traditional PCA and fast moving-window PCA (Fast MWPCA). The experimental results demonstrated that the fault detection rates respectively increased by 20 % and 47 % compared with PCA and Fast MWPCA. L-PCA is first introduced into ICU patients monitoring and achieves the best monitoring performance in terms of adaptability to changes in patient status and sensitivity for abnormality detection.

The D0 online monitoring and automatic DAQ recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, A.

2004-01-01

The DZERO experiment, located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, has recently started the Run 2 physics program. The detector upgrade included a new Data Acquisition/Level 3 Trigger system. Part of the design for the DAQ/Trigger system was a new monitoring infrastructure. The monitoring was designed to satisfy real-time requirements with 1-second resolution as well as nonreal-time data. It was also designed to handle a large number of displays without putting undue load on the sources of monitoring information. The resulting protocol is based on XML, is easily extensible, and has spawned a large number of displays, clients, and other applications. It is also one of the few sources of detector performance available outside the Online System's security wall. A tool, based on this system, which provides for auto-recovery of DAQ errors, has been designed. This talk will include a description of the DZERO DAQ/Online monitor server, based on the ACE framework, the protocol, the auto-recovery tool, and several of the unique displays which include an ORACLE-based archiver and numerous GUIs

Level monitoring system with pulsating sensor—Application to online level monitoring of dashpots in a fast breeder reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malathi, N.; Sahoo, P., E-mail: sahoop@igcar.gov.in; Ananthanarayanan, R.; Murali, N. [Real Time Systems Division, Electronics, Instrumentation and Radiological Safety Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2015-02-15

An innovative continuous type liquid level monitoring system constructed by using a new class of sensor, viz., pulsating sensor, is presented. This device is of industrial grade and it is exclusively used for level monitoring of any non conducting liquid. This instrument of unique design is suitable for high resolution online monitoring of oil level in dashpots of a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor. The sensing probe is of capacitance type robust probe consisting of a number of rectangular mirror polished stainless steel (SS-304) plates separated with uniform gaps. The performance of this novel instrument has been thoroughly investigated. The precision, sensitivity, response time, and the lowest detection limit in measurement using this device are <0.01 mm, ∼100 Hz/mm, ∼1 s, and ∼0.03 mm, respectively. The influence of temperature on liquid level is studied and the temperature compensation is provided in the instrument. The instrument qualified all recommended tests, such as environmental, electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility, and seismic tests prior to its deployment in nuclear reactor. With the evolution of this level measurement approach, it is possible to provide dashpot oil level sensors in fast breeder reactor for the first time for continuous measurement of oil level in dashpots of Control and Safety Rod Drive Mechanism during reactor operation.

On-line monitoring and composition control of the emulsion copolymerization of VeoVA 9 and butyl acrylate by Raman spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, H.J.T.; Pepers, M.L.H.; Herk, van A.M.; German, A.L.

2001-01-01

The batch and semi-continuous emulsion copolymn. of Bu acrylate and vinyl neononanoate (VeoVA 9) were monitored by remote online Raman spectroscopy. Monomer concns. were calcd. in real-time by a classical least squares (CLS) approach using the vinyl regions of the Raman spectra. During the batch

On-Line Monitoring of Fermentation Processes by Near Infrared and Fluorescence Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Carina

Monitoring and control of fermentation processes is important to ensure high product yield, product quality and product consistency. More knowledge on on-line analytical techniques such as near infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy is desired in the fermentation industry to increase the efficiency...... of on-line monitoring systems. The primary aim of this thesis is to elucidate and explore the dynamics in fermentation processes by spectroscopy. Though a number of successful on-line lab-scale monitoring systems have been reported, it seems that several challenges are still met, which limits the number...... of full-scale systems implemented in industrial fermentation processes. This thesis seeks to achieve a better understanding of the techniques near infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy and thereby to solve some of the challenges that are encountered. The thesis shows the advantages of applying real...

Real-time on-line space research laboratory environment monitoring with off-line trend and prediction analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jules, Kenol; Lin, Paul P.

2007-06-01

With the International Space Station currently operational, a significant amount of acceleration data is being down-linked, processed and analyzed daily on the ground on a continuous basis for the space station reduced gravity environment characterization, the vehicle design requirements verification and science data collection. To help understand the impact of the unique spacecraft environment on the science data, an artificial intelligence monitoring system was developed, which detects in near real time any change in the reduced gravity environment susceptible to affect the on-going experiments. Using a dynamic graphical display, the monitoring system allows science teams, at any time and any location, to see the active vibration disturbances, such as pumps, fans, compressor, crew exercise, re-boost and extra-vehicular activities that might impact the reduced gravity environment the experiments are exposed to. The monitoring system can detect both known and unknown vibratory disturbance activities. It can also perform trend analysis and prediction by analyzing past data over many increments (an increment usually lasts 6 months) collected onboard the station for selected disturbances. This feature can be used to monitor the health of onboard mechanical systems to detect and prevent potential systems failures. The monitoring system has two operating modes: online and offline. Both near real-time on-line vibratory disturbance detection and off-line detection and trend analysis are discussed in this paper.

Continuous glucose monitoring in acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Quintanilla, Karina Alejandra; Lavalle-González, Fernando Javier; Mancillas-Adame, Leonardo Guadalupe; Zapata-Garrido, Alfonso Javier; Villarreal-Pérez, Jesús Zacarías; Tamez-Pérez, Héctor Eloy

2013-01-01

Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. To compare the efficacy of devices for continuous glucose monitoring and capillary glucose monitoring in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome using the following parameters: time to achieve normoglycemia, period of time in normoglycemia, and episodes of hypoglycemia. We performed a pilot, non-randomized, unblinded clinical trial that included 16 patients with acute coronary artery syndrome, a capillary or venous blood glucose ≥ 140 mg/dl, and treatment with a continuous infusion of fast acting human insulin. These patients were randomized into 2 groups: a conventional group, in which capillary measurement and recording as well as insulin adjustment were made every 4h, and an intervention group, in which measurement and recording as well as insulin adjustment were made every hour with a subcutaneous continuous monitoring system. Student's t-test was applied for mean differences and the X(2) test for qualitative variables. We observed a statistically significant difference in the mean time for achieving normoglycemia, favoring the conventional group with a P = 0.02. Continuous monitoring systems are as useful as capillary monitoring for achieving normoglycemia. Copyright © 2012 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Study on Reactor Performance of Online Power Monitoring in PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zareen Khan Abdul Jalil Khan; Ridzuan Abdul Mutalib; Mohd Sabri Minhat

2014-01-01

The Reactor TRIGA PUSPATI (RTP) at Malaysia Nuclear Agency is a TRIGA Mark II type reactor and pool type cooled by natural circulation of light water. This paper describe on reactor performance of online power monitoring based on various parameter of reactor such as log power, linear power, period, Fuel and coolant temperature and reactivity parameter with using neutronic and other instrumentation system of reactor. Methodology of online power estimation and monitoring is to evaluate and analysis of reactor power which is important of reactor safety and control. Neutronic instrumentation system will use to estimate power measurement, differential of log and linear power and period during reactor operation .This study also focus on noise fluctuation from fission chamber during reactor operation .This work will present result of online power monitoring from RTP which indicated the safety parameter identification and initiate safety action on crossing the threshold set point trip. Conclude that optimization of online power monitoring will improved the reactor control and safety parameter of reactor during operation. (author)

Evaluation of plutonium analysis techniques for a continuous alpha monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, F.N.; Fernandez, S.J.; Motes, B.G.

1979-03-01

Present methods for alpha particle monitoring are described according to their capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages. The methods, evaluated according to sensitivity and simplicity of operation, suggest that a Phoswich detector is the most promisng method of alpha monitoring. The proposed monitor would be applicable to fuel reprocessing and waste solidification facilities. A plan for development and on-line demonstration of the Phoswich detector is described

Is Continuous Glucose Monitoring Underappreciated in the UK?

Science.gov (United States)

Parkin, Christopher G; Holloway, Melissa; Truesdell, Jeffrey; C Walker, Tomas

2017-08-01

Information about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use in the UK is limited. We conducted an online survey of a representative sample of current CGM users in England, Scotland and Wales to address this deficit. The 29-item online survey was conducted between 29 December 2016 and 25 January 2017. Persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and caregivers of T1D children/adolescents were recruited from mailing lists, using Nielsen and Harris Polling databases. 315 patients and caregivers responded to the survey - 170 adult patients and 145 caregivers. Among respondents, 144 received full funding for CGM use, 72 received partial funding and 83 received no funding. Most reported improvements in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (67.0%), fewer hypoglycaemia episodes (70.2%), improved hypoglycaemia awareness (77.5%) and better diabetes management (92.4%). Self-funders reported significantly higher CGM use (76.1%) than those who were fully funded (58.9%) and/or partially funded (65.9%), p=0.0008. Fewer than 50% of all respondents reported receiving guidance in interpreting CGM data from their diabetes care team; 30.1% of self-funders reported receiving no CGM support from their diabetes team compared with fully funded (2.8%) and partially funded (1.4%) respondents, p<0.0001. Patients with T1D and their caregivers are realising benefits from CGM use but are largely unsupported by the UK healthcare system.

Intimate Surveillance: Normalizing Parental Monitoring and Mediation of Infants Online

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tama Leaver

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Parents are increasingly sharing information about infants online in various forms and capacities. To more meaningfully understand the way parents decide what to share about young people and the way those decisions are being shaped, this article focuses on two overlapping areas: parental monitoring of babies and infants through the example of wearable technologies and parental mediation through the example of the public sharing practices of celebrity and influencer parents. The article begins by contextualizing these parental practices within the literature on surveillance, with particular attention to online surveillance and the increasing importance of affect. It then gives a brief overview of work on pregnancy mediation, monitoring on social media, and via pregnancy apps, which is the obvious precursor to examining parental sharing and monitoring practices regarding babies and infants. The examples of parental monitoring and parental mediation will then build on the idea of “intimate surveillance” which entails close and seemingly invasive monitoring by parents. Parental monitoring and mediation contribute to the normalization of intimate surveillance to the extent that surveillance is (resituated as a necessary culture of care. The choice to not survey infants is thus positioned, worryingly, as a failure of parenting.

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Si-Yuan Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM. First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants’ multi-parameters and the bearings’ wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes.

Optofluidic UV-Vis spectrophotometer for online monitoring of photocatalytic reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ning; Tan, Furui; Zhao, Yu; Tsoi, Chi Chung; Fan, Xudong; Yu, Weixing; Zhang, Xuming

2016-06-29

On-chip integration of optical detection units into the microfluidic systems for online monitoring is highly desirable for many applications and is also well in line with the spirit of optofluidics technology-fusion of optics and microfluidics for advanced functionalities. This paper reports the construction of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer on a microreactor, and demonstrates the online monitoring of the photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue and methyl orange under different flow rates and different pH values by detecting the intensity change and/or the peak shift. The integrated device consists of a TiO2-coated glass substrate, a PDMS micro-sized reaction chamber and two flow cells. By comparing with the results of commercial equipment, we have found that the measuring range and the sensitivity are acceptable, especially when the transmittance is in the range of 0.01-0.9. This integrated optofluidic device can significantly cut down the test time and the sample volume, and would provide a versatile platform for real-time characterization of photochemical performance. Moreover, its online monitoring capability may enable to access the usually hidden information in biochemical reactions like intermediate products, time-dependent processes and reaction kinetics.

Optofluidic UV-Vis spectrophotometer for online monitoring of photocatalytic reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ning; Tan, Furui; Zhao, Yu; Tsoi, Chi Chung; Fan, Xudong; Yu, Weixing; Zhang, Xuming

2016-06-01

On-chip integration of optical detection units into the microfluidic systems for online monitoring is highly desirable for many applications and is also well in line with the spirit of optofluidics technology-fusion of optics and microfluidics for advanced functionalities. This paper reports the construction of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer on a microreactor, and demonstrates the online monitoring of the photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue and methyl orange under different flow rates and different pH values by detecting the intensity change and/or the peak shift. The integrated device consists of a TiO2-coated glass substrate, a PDMS micro-sized reaction chamber and two flow cells. By comparing with the results of commercial equipment, we have found that the measuring range and the sensitivity are acceptable, especially when the transmittance is in the range of 0.01-0.9. This integrated optofluidic device can significantly cut down the test time and the sample volume, and would provide a versatile platform for real-time characterization of photochemical performance. Moreover, its online monitoring capability may enable to access the usually hidden information in biochemical reactions like intermediate products, time-dependent processes and reaction kinetics.

An online condition monitoring system implemented an internet connectivity and FTP for low speed slew bearing

Science.gov (United States)

Caesarendra, W.; Kosasih, B.; Tjahjowidodo, T.; Ariyanto, M.; Daryl, LWQ; Pamungkas, D.

2018-04-01

Rapid and reliable information in slew bearing maintenance is not trivial issue. This paper presents the online monitoring system to assist maintenance engineer in order to monitor the bearing condition of low speed slew bearing in sheet metal company. The system is able to pass the vibration information from the place where the bearing and accelerometer sensors are attached to the data center; and from the data center it can be access by opening the online monitoring website from any place and by any person. The online monitoring system is built using some programming languages such as C language, MATLAB, PHP, HTML and CSS. Generally, the flow process is start with the automatic vibration data acquisition; then features are calculated from the acquired vibration data. These features are then sent to the data center; and form the data center, the vibration features can be seen through the online monitoring website. This online monitoring system has been successfully applied in School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong.

Indigenous development and networking of online radon monitors in the underground uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaware, J.J.; Sahoo, B.K.; Sapra, B.K.; Mayya, Y.S.

2011-01-01

There has been a long standing demand for online monitoring of radon level in various locations of underground Uranium mine for taking care of radiological protection to workers. Nowadays, radon ( 222 Rn) monitors, based on electrostatic collection of charged progeny and subsequent detection by semiconductor detector are increasingly employed for radon monitoring in environment. However, such instruments have some limitations such as (i) requirement of additional dryer since sensitivity is dependent on the humidity (ii) cannot be connected to a network and (iii) not cost effective etc. Hence use of such instruments in underground uranium mine (humidity level >90), may not be reliable. Towards this end, we have indigenously developed radon monitor based on electrostatic collection and scintillation technology for the online monitoring in uranium mine. This instrument overcomes the above mentioned limitation of commercial radon monitors and based on custom made features. Different tests and measurements were carried out and compared with commercial instruments. It was found to be in an excellent agreement with the commercial instruments. A few such instruments have been installed in different locations of uranium mine at Turamdih and connected to a network system for online monitoring and display. (author)

Continuous realtime radioiodine monitor employing on-line methyl iodide conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, S.J.; Motes, B.G.

1980-01-01

An integrated 14 C, 129 I, and 85 Kr monitor was proposed by Fernandez, et al. that separates 129 I from 85 Kr by selective permeation across thin silicone rubber membranes. Subsequent studies of the permeation of CH 3 I and I 2 through silicone rubber membranes demonstrated that I 2 transport across the membranes is too slow to be useful in a realtime monitor. Transport of methyl iodide, however, is rapid and gives a separation factor of greater than 100 from 85 Kr

Continuous intra-arterial blood-gas monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Divers, George A.; Riccitelli, Samuel D.; Blais, Maurice; Hui, Henry K.

1993-05-01

Fiber optic technology and optical fluorescence have made the continuous monitoring of arterial blood gases a reality. Practical products that continuously monitor blood gases by use of an invasive sensor are now available. Anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians are beginning to explore the practical implications of this technology. With the advent of intra- arterial blood gas monitors it is possible to assess arterial blood gas values without the labor intensive steps of drawing blood and transporting a blood sample to the lab followed by the actual analysis. These intra-arterial blood gas monitors use new optical sensor technologies that can be reduced in size to the point that the sensor can be inserted into the arterial blood flow through a 20-gauge arterial cannula. In the best of these technologies the sensors accuracy and precision are similar to those in vitro analyzers. This presentation focuses on background technology and in vivo performance of a device developed, manufactured, and marketed by Puritan-Bennett Corporation.

Online monitoring of oil film using electrical capacitance tomography and level set method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Q.; Ma, M.; Sun, B. Y.; Cui, Z. Q.; Wang, H. X.

2015-01-01

In the application of oil-air lubrication system, electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) provides a promising way for monitoring oil film in the pipelines by reconstructing cross sectional oil distributions in real time. While in the case of small diameter pipe and thin oil film, the thickness of the oil film is hard to be observed visually since the interface of oil and air is not obvious in the reconstructed images. And the existence of artifacts in the reconstructions has seriously influenced the effectiveness of image segmentation techniques such as level set method. Besides, level set method is also unavailable for online monitoring due to its low computation speed. To address these problems, a modified level set method is developed: a distance regularized level set evolution formulation is extended to image two-phase flow online using an ECT system, a narrowband image filter is defined to eliminate the influence of artifacts, and considering the continuity of the oil distribution variation, the detected oil-air interface of a former image can be used as the initial contour for the detection of the subsequent frame; thus, the propagation from the initial contour to the boundary can be greatly accelerated, making it possible for real time tracking. To testify the feasibility of the proposed method, an oil-air lubrication facility with 4 mm inner diameter pipe is measured in normal operation using an 8-electrode ECT system. Both simulation and experiment results indicate that the modified level set method is capable of visualizing the oil-air interface accurately online

The protective effects of parental monitoring and internet restriction on adolescents' risk of online harassment.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurana, Atika; Bleakley, Amy; Jordan, Amy B; Romer, Daniel

2015-05-01

With many adolescents using the internet to communicate with their peers, online harassment is on the rise among youth. The purpose of this study was to understand how parental monitoring and strategies parents use to regulate children's internet use (i.e., internet restriction) can help reduce online harassment among adolescents. Online survey data were collected from a nationally representative sample of parents and their 12-17 year old adolescents (n = 629; 49 % female). Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect effects of parental monitoring and internet restriction on being a victim of online harassment. Potential mediators included adolescents' frequency of use of social networking websites, time spent on computers outside of school, and internet access in the adolescent's bedroom. Age and gender differences were also explored. Adolescents' reports of parental monitoring and efforts to regulate specific forms of internet use were associated with reduced rates of online harassment. Specifically, the effect of parental monitoring was largely direct and 26 times greater than parental internet restriction. The latter was associated with lower rates of harassment only indirectly by limiting internet access in the adolescent's bedroom. These effects operated similarly for younger and older adolescents and for males and females. Adolescents' perceptions of parental monitoring and awareness can be protective against online harassment. Specific restriction strategies such as regulating internet time and content can also help reduce the risk of online harassment.

Low Cost Wireless Sensor Network for Continuous Bridge monitoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Han, Bo; Kalis, A; Tragas, P

2012-01-01

Continuous monitoring wireless sensor networks (WSN) are considered as one of the most promising means to harvest information from large structures in order to assist in structural health monitoring and management. At the same time, continuous monitoring WSNs suffer from limited network lifetimes...

Improved specifications for continuous emission monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dene, C.E.; Eggleston, T.E.; Gray, W.C. Jr.; Bisha, R.M.

1988-01-01

Continuous emission monitoring (CEM) in the electric utility industry historically has been plagued by poor performance and inconsistent system reliability. These problems have, in part, been caused by the complexity and diversity of the various systems available, and the dissimilarity of continuous emission monitors CEMs relative to conventional power plant instrumentation. Recognizing the problems faced by the utility industry in implementing CEM programs, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) initiated a multi-phase project to define the current state of technology for CEMs and to provide a comprehensive guide for the purchase and installation of a CEM system. The second phase of this project was the application of these guidelines to the actual purchase, installation, and operation of a CEM system for an electric utility generating station. Through this application of the guidelines it has been possible to determine further research needs and areas of the manual which require clarification or enhancement. This paper describes the development of the guidelines and modifications to the guidelines, and discusses EPRI's plans for future activities in the area of continuous emission monitoring

Improved methods of online monitoring and prediction in condensate and feed water system of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hang; Peng, Min-jun; Wu, Peng; Cheng, Shou-yu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Different methods for online monitoring and diagnosis are summarized. • Numerical simulation modeling of condensate and feed water system in nuclear power plant are done by FORTRAN programming. • Integrated online monitoring and prediction methods have been developed and tested. • Online monitoring module, fault diagnosis module and trends prediction module can be verified with each other. - Abstract: Faults or accidents may occur in a nuclear power plant (NPP), but it is hard for operators to recognize the situation and take effective measures quickly. So, online monitoring, diagnosis and prediction (OMDP) is used to provide enough information to operators and improve the safety of NPPs. In this paper, distributed conservation equation (DCE) and artificial immunity system (AIS) are proposed for online monitoring and diagnosis. On this basis, quantitative simulation models and interactive database are combined to predict the trends and severity of faults. The effectiveness of OMDP in improving the monitoring and prediction of condensate and feed water system (CFWS) was verified through simulation tests.

On-line bioprocess monitoring - an academic discipline or an industrial tool?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, Lisbeth; Schulze, Ulrik; Nielsen, Jens Bredal

1998-01-01

Bioprocess monitoring capabilities are gaining increasing Importance bath in physiological studies and in bioprocess development, The present article focuses on on-line analytical systems since these represent the backbone of most bioprocess monitoring systems, both in academia and in industry. W...

On-line Monitoring and Calibration Techniques in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, H.M.

2011-01-01

Years of research, testing and experience in the field of sensor diagnostics have yielded many technologies which offer financial as well as operational benefits to the nuclear industry. Among these technologies are On-Line Monitoring (OLM) and On-Line Calibration of critical process monitoring sensors such as resistance temperature detectors (RTD), thermocouples, and pressure transmitters to name a few. The remote access and verification of these sensors have been shown to limit the exposure of maintenance personnel to harsh environments while at the same time effectively and efficiently diagnosing the health and performance of these sensors. In addition to sensors, technologies exist in determining not only the health of instrumentation and control (I and C) cabling that carries the signals from these sensors, but also these same cable testing techniques can be used in the remote evaluation of many end devices used in safety related operations as well. Given these advances in sensor system monitoring techniques it would seem to follow that nuclear utilities from around the world would be applying these tried and true techniques to optimize up time and to provide additional confidence in the output of processing sensors. However, although several of the world's regulatory bodies have approved of the concept of these techniques, few utilities have undertaken to fully embrace on-line monitoring and on-line calibration of nuclear process sensors. In the United States efforts are now underway, with representatives of the U.S. nuclear industry and nuclear power plant vendors to obtain generic NRC licensing for the use of OLM in nuclear power plants. If approved, generic licensing will help pave the way toward greater implementation of OLM and its related calibration techniques. (author)

40 CFR 60.256 - Continuous monitoring requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... facilities that use wet scrubber emission control equipment: (A) A monitoring device for the continuous measurement of the pressure loss through the venturi constriction of the control equipment. The monitoring... paragraph (c) of this section. (2) For mechanical vents with wet scrubbers, monitoring devices according to...

Continuation of superpave projects monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

This study involved the continuous monitoring of material properties and field performance of twelve Superpave project sections in Florida for the establishment of reasonable and effective mixture design guidelines and criteria, the identification an...

Establishment of a Hub for the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Online Monitoring Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lybeck, Nancy J.; Tawfik, Magdy S.; Pham, Binh T.

2011-01-01

Implementation of online monitoring and prognostics in existing U.S. nuclear power plants will involve coordinating the efforts of national laboratories, utilities, universities, and private companies. Internet-based collaborative work environments provide necessary communication tools to facilitate interaction between geographically diverse participants. Available technologies were considered, and a collaborative workspace was established at INL as a hub for the light water reactor sustainability online monitoring community.

Interim Report on Concrete Degradation Mechanisms and Online Monitoring Techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahadevan, Sankaran [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Agarwal, Vivek [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Neal, Kyle [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kosson, David [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Adams, Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-09-01

The existing nuclear power plants in the United States have initial operating licenses of 40 years, though most of these plants have applied for and received license extensions. As plant structures, systems, and components age, their useful life—considering both structural integrity and performance—is reduced as a result of deterioration of the materials. The research on online monitoring of concrete structures conducted under the Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Systems Technologies Pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program at Idaho National Laboratory will develop and demonstrate concrete structures health monitoring capabilities. Assessment and management of aging concrete structures in nuclear plants require a more systematic approach than simple reliance on existing code margins of safety. Therefore, structural health monitoring is required to produce actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decisions. Through this research project, several national laboratories and Vanderbilt University propose to develop a framework of research activities for the health monitoring of nuclear power plant concrete structures that includes the integration of four elements—damage modeling, monitoring, data analytics, and uncertainty quantification. This report briefly discusses available techniques and ongoing challenges in each of the four elements of the proposed framework with emphasis on degradation mechanisms and online monitoring techniques.

Recent progress in online ultrasonic process monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Szu-Sheng L.; Chen, Tzu-Fang; Ramos-Franca, Demartonne; Nguyen, Ky T.; Jen, Cheng-Kuei; Ihara, Ikuo; Derdouri, A.; Garcia-Rejon, Andres

1998-03-01

On-line ultrasonic monitoring of polymer co-extrusion and gas-assisted injection molding are presented. During the co- extrusion of high density polyethylene and Santoprene ultrasonic sensors consisting of piezoelectric transducers and clad ultrasonic buffer rods are used to detect the interface between these two polymers and the stability of the extrusion. The same ultrasonic sensor also measures the surface temperature of the extruded polymer. The results indicate that temperature measurements using ultrasound have a faster response time than those obtained by conventional thermocouple. In gas-assisted injection molding the polymer and gas flow front positions are monitored simultaneously. This information may be used to control the plunger movement.

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-02

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring Jérôme Lacaille 1 , Anastasios Bellas 2 1 Snecma, 77550 Moissy-Cramayel, France...understand the behavior of a turbofan engine, one first needs to deal with the variety of data acquisition contexts. Each time a set of measurements is...it auto-adapts itself with piecewise linear models. 1. INTRODUCTION Turbofan engine abnormality diagnosis uses three steps: reduction of

Monitoring of Students' Interaction in Online Learning Settings by Structural Network Analysis and Indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ammenwerth, Elske; Hackl, Werner O

2017-01-01

Learning as a constructive process works best in interaction with other learners. Support of social interaction processes is a particular challenge within online learning settings due to the spatial and temporal distribution of participants. It should thus be carefully monitored. We present structural network analysis and related indicators to analyse and visualize interaction patterns of participants in online learning settings. We validate this approach in two online courses and show how the visualization helps to monitor interaction and to identify activity profiles of learners. Structural network analysis is a feasible approach for an analysis of the intensity and direction of interaction in online learning settings.

Indigenous development and networking of online radon monitors in the underground uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaware, J.J.; Sahoo, B.K.; Sapra, B.K.; Mayya, Y.S.

2010-01-01

Full text: There has been a long standing demand for online monitoring of radon level in various locations of underground uranium mine for taking care of radiological protection to workers. Nowadays, radon ( 222 Rn) monitors, based on semiconductor detector are increasingly employed for radon monitoring in environment. However, such instruments have some limitations such as (i) requirement of additional dryer in the sampling path, (ii) cannot be connected to a online data logging and monitoring network, (iii) not cost effective for large number of installations. Due to need for dryer, unattended continuous operation of such instruments is not possible particularly in underground uranium mine with humidity in the range of 80 to 98 %. So it is required to develop radon monitors which overcome the above limitations so that large number of monitors can be deployed in the uranium mine. Often radon progeny is electrostatically collected on the detector surface to increase the sensitivity. However, the collection efficiency is highly dependent upon the humidity and trace gas concentration in the sample gas due to charge neutralization effect. This effect can be minimized by applying a high electric field throughout the detector's chamber volume. This cannot be achieved using planner silicon PIN diode (area ∼ 4 cm 2 ) due to its inherent size limitations. This is because the electric field, in case of small inner electrode, falls off rapidly towards the outer electrode. Hence, an instrument has been indigenously developed by designing an annular cylindrical chamber with larger inner cathode (area = 140 cm 2 ) by employing flexible ZnS:Ag sheet (scintillation detector). With this design, the high sensitivity of 2.8 cph/Bqm -3 has been accomplished with the nominal deviation within 15% for vast change in humidity of 5% to 95%. In this instrument, although the alpha spectroscopy is not possible, the high sensitivity of the instruments makes it possible to achieve the MDL as

An on-line monitoring system for navigation equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Yang, Ping; Liu, Jing; Yang, Zhengbo; Liang, Fei

2017-10-01

Civil air navigation equipment is the most important infrastructure of Civil Aviation, which is closely related to flight safety. In addition to regular flight inspection, navigation equipment's patrol measuring, maintenance measuring, running measuring under special weather conditions are the important means of ensuring aviation flight safety. According to the safety maintenance requirements of Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control navigation equipment, this paper developed one on-line monitoring system with independent intellectual property rights for navigation equipment, the system breakthroughs the key technologies of measuring navigation equipment on-line including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR), which also meets the requirements of navigation equipment ground measurement set by the ICAO DOC 8071, it provides technical means of the ground on-line measurement for navigation equipment, improves the safety of navigation equipment operation, and reduces the impact of measuring navigation equipment on airport operation.

Comparison of three nonlinear filters for fault detection in continuous glucose monitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoudi, Zeinab; Wendt, Sabrina Lyngbye; Boiroux, Dimitri; Hagdrup, Morten; Norgaard, Kirsten; Poulsen, Niels Kjolstad; Madsen, Henrik; Jorgensen, John Bagterp

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of three nonlinear filters in online drift detection of continuous glucose monitors. The nonlinear filters are the extended Kalman filter (EKF), the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and the particle filter (PF). They are all based on a nonlinear model of the glucose-insulin dynamics in people with type 1 diabetes. Drift is modelled by a Gaussian random walk and is detected based on the statistical tests of the 90-min prediction residuals of the filters. The unscented Kalman filter had the highest average F score of 85.9%, and the smallest average detection delay of 84.1%, with the average detection sensitivity of 82.6%, and average specificity of 91.0%.

NREL Patents Method for Continuous Monitoring of Materials During

Science.gov (United States)

Manufacturing | News | NREL NREL Patents Method for Continuous Monitoring of Materials During Manufacturing News Release: NREL Patents Method for Continuous Monitoring of Materials During Manufacturing NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF). More information, including the published patent, can

Online Monitoring System of Air Distribution in Pulverized Coal-Fired Boiler Based on Numerical Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Żymełka Piotr

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Balanced distribution of air in coal-fired boiler is one of the most important factors in the combustion process and is strongly connected to the overall system efficiency. Reliable and continuous information about combustion airflow and fuel rate is essential for achieving optimal stoichiometric ratio as well as efficient and safe operation of a boiler. Imbalances in air distribution result in reduced boiler efficiency, increased gas pollutant emission and operating problems, such as corrosion, slagging or fouling. Monitoring of air flow trends in boiler is an effective method for further analysis and can help to appoint important dependences and start optimization actions. Accurate real-time monitoring of the air distribution in boiler can bring economical, environmental and operational benefits. The paper presents a novel concept for online monitoring system of air distribution in coal-fired boiler based on real-time numerical calculations. The proposed mathematical model allows for identification of mass flow rates of secondary air to individual burners and to overfire air (OFA nozzles. Numerical models of air and flue gas system were developed using software for power plant simulation. The correctness of the developed model was verified and validated with the reference measurement values. The presented numerical model for real-time monitoring of air distribution is capable of giving continuous determination of the complete air flows based on available digital communication system (DCS data.

Online Monitoring System of Air Distribution in Pulverized Coal-Fired Boiler Based on Numerical Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Żymełka, Piotr; Nabagło, Daniel; Janda, Tomasz; Madejski, Paweł

2017-12-01

Balanced distribution of air in coal-fired boiler is one of the most important factors in the combustion process and is strongly connected to the overall system efficiency. Reliable and continuous information about combustion airflow and fuel rate is essential for achieving optimal stoichiometric ratio as well as efficient and safe operation of a boiler. Imbalances in air distribution result in reduced boiler efficiency, increased gas pollutant emission and operating problems, such as corrosion, slagging or fouling. Monitoring of air flow trends in boiler is an effective method for further analysis and can help to appoint important dependences and start optimization actions. Accurate real-time monitoring of the air distribution in boiler can bring economical, environmental and operational benefits. The paper presents a novel concept for online monitoring system of air distribution in coal-fired boiler based on real-time numerical calculations. The proposed mathematical model allows for identification of mass flow rates of secondary air to individual burners and to overfire air (OFA) nozzles. Numerical models of air and flue gas system were developed using software for power plant simulation. The correctness of the developed model was verified and validated with the reference measurement values. The presented numerical model for real-time monitoring of air distribution is capable of giving continuous determination of the complete air flows based on available digital communication system (DCS) data.

Radiation exposure control by estimation of multiplication factors for online remote radiation monitoring systems at Vitrification Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deokar, Umesh V.; Kukarni, V.V.; Khot, A.R.; Mathew, P.; Kamlesh; Purohit, R.G.; Sarkar, P.K.

2011-01-01

Vitrification Plant is commissioned for vitrification of high-level liquid waste generated in Nuclear Fuel Cycle operations by using Joule Heated Ceramic Melter first time in India. Exposure control is a major concern in operating plant. Therefore, in addition to installed monitors, we have developed online remote radiation monitoring system to minimize number of entries in amber areas and to reduce the exposure to the surveyor and operator. This also helped in volume reduction of secondary waste. The reliability and accuracy of the online monitoring system is confirmed with actual measurements and by theoretical shielding calculations. The multiplication factors were estimated for remote online monitoring of Melter off Gas (MOG) filter, Hood filter, three exhaust filter banks, and overpack monitoring. This paper summarizes how the online remote monitoring system had helped in saving of 128.52 Person-mSv collective dose (14.28% of budgeted dose) and also there was 2.6 m 3 reduction in generation of Cat-I waste. (author)

Continuous glucose monitoring systems for type 1 diabetes mellitus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langendam, Miranda; Luijf, Yoeri M.; Hooft, Lotty; DeVries, J. Hans; Mudde, Aart H.; Scholten, Rob J. P. M.

2012-01-01

Background Self-monitoring of blood glucose is essential to optimise glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems measure interstitial fluid glucose levels to provide semi-continuous information about glucose levels, which identifies fluctuations that

Development of on-line uranium enrichment monitor of gaseous UF6 for uranium enrichment plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xuesheng; Liu Guorong; Jin Huimin; Zhao Yonggang; Li Jinghuai; Hao Xueyuan; Ying Bin; Yu Zhaofei

2013-01-01

An on-line enrichment monitor was developed to measure the enrichment of UF 6 , flowing through the processing pipes in uranium enrichment plant. A Nal (Tl) detector was used to measure the count rates of the 185.7 keV γ-ray emitted from 235 U, and the total quantity of uranium was determined from thermodynamic characteristics of gaseous uranium hexafluoride. The results show that the maximum relative standard deviation is less than 1% when the measurement time is 120 s or more and the pressure is more than 2 kPa in the measurement chamber. Uranium enrichment of gaseous uranium hexafluoride in the output end of cascade can be monitored continuously by using the device. It should be effective for nuclear materials accountability verifications and materials balance verification at uranium enrichment plant. (authors)

On-line monitoring of fermentation processes using multi-wavelength fluorescence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odman, Peter; Petersen, Nanna; Johansen, Claus Lindvald

2007-01-01

. The model system considered in this work is the antibiotic production by Streptomyces coelicolor, a filamentous bacterium. In addition to predicting concentrations of biomass in the fermentation broth, the data allowed detection of different physiological states, i.e. growth phase and phosphate limitation......Fermentation processes often suffer from a lack of real-time methods for on-line determination of variables like the concentrations of nutrients and products. This work aims at investigating the possibilities of implementing an on-line fermentation monitoring system based on multi......-wavelength fluorescence (MWF). This type of sensor has previously showed promising accuracy and selectivity for in situ monitoring of cell mass and certain metabolites in bioreactors (Lantz et al., 2006). The sensor generates multivariate data outputs, which necessitate chemometric modeling for signal interpretation...

On-line Monitoring System Based on Principle of Electro-acoustic Monitoring for Transformer Partial Discharge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang Ya LIU

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Partial discharge inside a transformer is mainly responsible for the insulation aging and damage of the transformer. However, partial discharge is usually accompanied by external signals like sound, light and electrical signals and detectable physical phenomena such as characteristical gas and dielectric loss. Therefore, it is of great significance to monitor online the external signals and phenomena formed during partial discharge of the transformer when the transformer diagnoses faults. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the electro-acoustic joint monitoring principles and its monitoring systems and the judgment skills concerned, on the basis of which the monitoring system is designed.

Rotor blade online monitoring and fault diagnosis technology research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tesauro, Angelo; Pavese, Christian; Branner, Kim

Rotor blade online monitoring and fault diagnosis technology is an important way to find blade failure mechanisms and thereby improve the blade design. Condition monitoring of rotor blades is necessary in order to ensure the safe operation of the wind turbine, make the maintenance more economical...... of the rotor, icing and lightning. Research is done throughout the world in order to develop and improve such measurement systems. Commercial hardware and software available for the described purpose is presented in the report....

Instrument calibration reduction through on-line monitoring in the USA. Annex IV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, H.M.

2008-01-01

Nuclear power plants are required to calibrate important instruments once every fuel cycle. This requirement dates back more than 30 years, when commercial nuclear power plants began to operate. Based on calibration data accumulated over this period, it has been determined that the calibration of some instruments, such as pressure transmitters, do not drift enough to warrant calibration as often as once every fuel cycle. This fact, combined with human resources limitations and reduced maintenance budgets, has provided the motivation for the nuclear industry to develop new technologies for identifying drifting instruments during plant operation. Implementing these technologies allows calibration efforts to be focused on the instruments that have drifted out of tolerance, as opposed to current practice, which calls for calibration verification of almost all instruments every fuel cycle. To date, an array of technologies, referred to collectively as 'on-line calibration monitoring', has been developed to meet this objective. These technologies are based on identifying outlier sensors using techniques that compare a particular sensor's output to a calculated estimate of the actual process the sensor is measuring. If on-line monitoring data are collected during plant startup and/or shutdown periods as well as normal operation, the on-line monitoring approach can help verify the calibration of instruments over their entire operating range. Although on-line calibration monitoring is applicable to most sensors and can cover an entire instrument channel, the main application of this approach in nuclear power plants is currently for pressure transmitters (including level and flow transmitters). (author)

Online Monitoring of Induction Motors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McJunkin, Timothy R. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Agarwal, Vivek [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lybeck, Nancy Jean [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-01-01

The online monitoring of active components project, under the Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Technologies Pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, researched diagnostic and prognostic models for alternating current induction motors (IM). Idaho National Laboratory (INL) worked with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to augment and revise the fault signatures previously implemented in the Asset Fault Signature Database of EPRI’s Fleet Wide Prognostic and Health Management (FW PHM) Suite software. Induction Motor diagnostic models were researched using the experimental data collected by Idaho State University. Prognostic models were explored in the set of literature and through a limited experiment with 40HP to seek the Remaining Useful Life Database of the FW PHM Suite.

Patient Continued Use of Online Health Care Communities: Web Mining of Patient-Doctor Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bing

2018-04-16

In practice, online health communities have passed the adoption stage and reached the diffusion phase of development. In this phase, patients equipped with knowledge regarding the issues involved in health care are capable of switching between different communities to maximize their online health community activities. Online health communities employ doctors to answer patient questions, and high quality online health communities are more likely to be acknowledged by patients. Therefore, the factors that motivate patients to maintain ongoing relationships with online health communities must be addressed. However, this has received limited scholarly attention. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that drive patients to continue their use of online health communities where doctor-patient communication occurs. This was achieved by integrating the information system success model with online health community features. A Web spider was used to download and extract data from one of the most authoritative Chinese online health communities in which communication occurs between doctors and patients. The time span analyzed in this study was from January 2017 to March 2017. A sample of 469 valid anonymous patients with 9667 posts was obtained (the equivalent of 469 respondents in survey research). A combination of Web mining and structural equation modeling was then conducted to test the research hypotheses. The results show that the research framework for integrating the information system success model and online health community features contributes to our understanding of the factors that drive patients' relationships with online health communities. The primary findings are as follows: (1) perceived usefulness is found to be significantly determined by three exogenous variables (ie, social support, information quality, and service quality; R 2 =0.88). These variables explain 87.6% of the variance in perceived usefulness of online health communities; (2

Online monitoring of pipe wall thinning by electromagnetic acoustic resonance method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urayama, Ryoichi; Takagi, Toshiyuki; Uchimoto, Tetsuya; Kanemoto, Shigeru

2013-01-01

The electromagnetic acoustic resonance (EMAR) method provides accurate and stable evaluation in high temperature environment, and it is an effective tool for online monitoring. In this study, the EMAR method and the superposition of the n-th compression (SNC) for data processing are applied to online monitoring of pipe wall thinning, and the accuracy and reliability of the measurements are demonstrated through field tests using a large-scale corrosion test loop at high temperature. To measure the thickness of pipes with complicated wall thinning, the SNC extracts thickness information from the spectral responses of the EMAR. Results from monitoring test show that EMAR with SNC can evaluate pipe wall thinning with an accuracy of 10 μm at 165degC. In addition, time evaluation of evaluated thickness decreases monotonically all over the test duration, which indicates high stability of this measurement technique. (author)

A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højris, Bo; Christensen, Sarah Christine Boesgaard; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

2016-01-01

Today, microbial drinking water quality is monitored through either time-consuming laboratory methods or indirect on-line measurements. Results are thus either delayed or insufficient to support proactive action. A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor with a 10-minute time resolution has been...... and quantifying bacteria and particles in pure and mixed suspensions, and the quantification correlates with total bacterial counts. Several field applications have demonstrated that the technology can monitor changes in the concentration of bacteria, and is thus well suited for rapid detection of critical...... conditions such as pollution events in drinking water....

Optical sensor technology for a noninvasive continuous monitoring of blood components

Science.gov (United States)

Kraitl, Jens; Timm, Ulrich; Lewis, Elfed; Ewald, Hartmut

2010-02-01

NIR-spectroscopy and Photoplethysmography (PPG) is used for a measurement of blood components. The absorptioncoefficient of blood differs at different wavelengths. This fact is used to calculate the optical absorbability characteristics of blood which is yielding information about blood components like hemoglobin (Hb), carboxyhemoglobin (CoHb) and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2). The measured PPG time signals and the ratio between the peak to peak pulse amplitudes are used for a measurement of these parameters. Hemoglobin is the main component of red blood cells. The primary function of Hb is the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissue and carbon dioxide back to the lungs. The Hb concentration in human blood is an important parameter in evaluating the physiological status of an individual and an essential parameter in every blood count. Currently, invasive methods are used to measure the Hb concentration, whereby blood is taken from the patient and subsequently analyzed. Apart from the discomfort of drawing blood samples, an added disadvantage of this method is the delay between the blood collection and its analysis, which does not allow real time patient monitoring in critical situations. A noninvasive method allows pain free continuous on-line patient monitoring with minimum risk of infection and facilitates real time data monitoring allowing immediate clinical reaction to the measured data.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-06-07

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

Continuous monitoring system for environmental {gamma} radiation near nuclear facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hua, Jin; Qingyu, Yue; Wenhai, Wang [Academia Sinica, Beijing, BJ (China). Inst. of Atomic Energy

1996-06-01

The continuous monitoring system which is used for the environmental routine and accident emergency {gamma} radiation monitoring near nuclear facility is described. The continuous monitoring system consists of a high pressurized ionization chamber, integrated weak current amplifier, V/F converter and intelligent data recorder. The data gained by recorder can be transmitted to a PC through a standard RS-232-C interface for the data handling and graph plotting. This continuous monitoring system has the functions of alarm over threshold and recorded output signal of detector and temperature. The measuring range is from 10 nGy{center_dot}h{sup -1} to 10 mGy{center_dot}h{sup -1} because a high insulation switch atomically changed measuring ranges is used. The monitoring system has been operating continuously for a long time with high stability and reliability. (5 figs., 2 tabs.).

Continuous monitoring system for environmental γ radiation near nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Hua; Yue Qingyu; Wang Wenhai

1996-06-01

The continuous monitoring system which is used for the environmental routine and accident emergency γ radiation monitoring near nuclear facility is described. The continuous monitoring system consists of a high pressurized ionization chamber, integrated weak current amplifier, V/F converter and intelligent data recorder. The data gained by recorder can be transmitted to a PC through a standard RS-232-C interface for the data handling and graph plotting. This continuous monitoring system has the functions of alarm over threshold and recorded output signal of detector and temperature. The measuring range is from 10 nGy·h -1 to 10 mGy·h -1 because a high insulation switch atomically changed measuring ranges is used. The monitoring system has been operating continuously for a long time with high stability and reliability. (5 figs., 2 tabs.)

Continuos Online Auditing Dan Continuous Assurance : Evolusi Jasa Audit Masa Mendatang

OpenAIRE

Ariston; Handoko, Jesica

2006-01-01

The advent of computer has affected numerous aspects of accounting and auditing. Computerassisted auditing has became commonplace, leading to a significant increase in efficiency of auditing (Kogan dkk., 1999). This improvements enabled management and reporting (internal and external) of finer information sets at progressively narrower time frames. This article describes continuous online auditing and continuous assurance as emerging future audit services evolution. They have three impo...

Novelty detection methods for online health monitoring and post data analysis of turbopumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei Hu; Niaoqing, Hu; Xinpeng, Zhang; Fengshou, Gu; Ming, Gao

2013-01-01

As novelty detection works when only normal data are available, it is of considerable promise for health monitoring in cases lacking fault samples and prior knowledge. We present two novelty detection methods for health monitoring of turbopumps in large-scale liquid propellant rocket engines. The first method is the adaptive Gaussian threshold model. This method is designed to monitor the vibration of the turbopumps online because it has minimal computational complexity and is easy for implementation in real time. The second method is the one-class support vector machine (OCSVM) which is developed for post analysis of historical vibration signals. Via post analysis the method not only confirms the online monitoring results but also provides diagnostic results so that faults from sensors are separated from those actually from the turbopumps. Both of these two methods are validated to be efficient for health monitoring of the turbopumps.

Online continuing medical education (CME) for GPs: does it work? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Thepwongsa, Isaraporn; Kirby, Catherine N; Schattner, Peter; Piterman, Leon

2014-10-01

Numerous studies have assessed the effectiveness of online continuing medical education (CME) designed to improve healthcare professionals' care of patients. The effects of online educational interventions targeted at general practitioners (GP), however, have not been systematically reviewed. A computer search was conducted through seven databases for studies assessing changes in GPs' knowledge and practice, or patient outcomes following an online educational intervention. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies (8/11, 72.7%) found a significant improvement in at least one of the following outcomes: satisfaction, knowledge or practice change. There was little evidence for the impact of online CME on patient outcomes. Variability in study design, characteristics of online and outcome measures limited conclusions on the effects of online CME. Online CME could improve GP satisfaction, knowledge and practices but there are very few well-designed studies that focus on this delivery method of GP education.

Radiation exposure control by estimation of multiplication factors for online remote radiation monitoring systems at vitrification plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deokar, U.V.; Kulkarni, V.V.; Khot, A.R.; Mathew, P.; Kamlesh; Purohit, R.G.; Sarkar, P.K.

2012-01-01

Vitrification Plant is commissioned for vitrification of high level liquid waste (HLW) generated in nuclear fuel cycle operations by using Joule Heated Ceramic Melter first time in India. Exposure control is a major concern in operating plant. Therefore in addition to installed monitors, we have developed online remote radiation monitoring system to minimize number of entries in amber areas and to reduce the exposure to the surveyor and operator. This also helped in volume reduction of secondary waste. The reliability and accuracy of the online monitoring system is confirmed with actual measurements and by theoretical shielding calculations. The multiplication factors were estimated for remote on line monitoring of Melter Off Gas (MOG) filter, Hood filter, three exhaust filter banks, and over-pack monitoring. This paper summarizes - how the online remote monitoring system helped in saving of 128.52 person-mSv collective dose (14.28% of budgeted dose). The system also helped in the reduction of 2.6 m 3 of Cat-I waste. Our online remote monitoring system has helped the plant management to plan in advance for replacement of these filters, which resulted in considerable saving in collective dose and secondary waste

On-line monitoring system for utility boiler diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radovanovic, P.M.; Afgan, N.H.; Caralho, M.G.

1997-01-01

The paper deals with the new developed modular type Monitoring System for Utility Boiler Diagnostics. Each module is intended to assess the specific process and can be used as a stand alone application. Four modules are developed, namely: LTC - module for the on-line monitoring of parameters related to the life-time consumption of selected boiler components; TRD - module for the tube rupture detection by the position and working fluid Ieakage quantity; FAM - module for the boiler surfaces fouling (slagging) assessment and FLAP - module for visualization of the boiler furnace flame position. All four modules are tested on respective pilot plants built oil the 200 and 300 MWe utility boilers. Monitoring System is commercially available and can be realized in any combination of its modules depending on demands induced by the operational problems of specific boiler. Further development of Monitoring System is performed in accordance with the respective EU project on development of Boiler Expert System. (Author)

Continuous Monitoring of Glucose for Type 1 Diabetes: A Health Technology Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must manage their blood glucose levels by monitoring the amount of glucose in their blood and administering appropriate amounts of insulin via injection or an insulin pump. Continuous glucose monitoring may be beneficial compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose using a blood glucose meter. It provides insight into a person's blood glucose levels on a continuous basis, and can identify whether blood glucose levels are trending up or down. We conducted a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of clinical benefit, value for money, and patient preferences related to continuous glucose monitoring. We compared continuous glucose monitoring with self-monitoring of blood glucose using a finger-prick and a blood glucose meter. We performed a systematic literature search for studies published since January 1, 2010. We created a Markov model projecting the lifetime horizon of adults with type 1 diabetes, and performed a budget impact analysis from the perspective of the health care payer. We also conducted interviews and focus group discussions with people who self-manage their type 1 diabetes or support the management of a child with type 1 diabetes. Twenty studies were included in the clinical evidence review. Compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose, continuous glucose monitoring improved the percentage of time patients spent in the target glycemic range by 9.6% (95% confidence interval 8.0-11.2) to 10.0% (95% confidence interval 6.75-13.25) and decreased the number of severe hypoglycemic events.Continuous glucose monitoring was associated with higher costs and small increases in health benefits (quality-adjusted life-years). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) ranged from $592,206 to $1,108,812 per quality-adjusted life-year gained in analyses comparing four continuous glucose monitoring interventions to usual care

[Design and implementation of real-time continuous glucose monitoring instrument].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yonghong; Liu, Hongying; Tian, Senfu; Jia, Ziru; Wang, Zi; Pi, Xitian

2017-12-01

Real-time continuous glucose monitoring can help diabetics to control blood sugar levels within the normal range. However, in the process of practical monitoring, the output of real-time continuous glucose monitoring system is susceptible to glucose sensor and environment noise, which will influence the measurement accuracy of the system. Aiming at this problem, a dual-calibration algorithm for the moving-window double-layer filtering algorithm combined with real-time self-compensation calibration algorithm is proposed in this paper, which can realize the signal drift compensation for current data. And a real-time continuous glucose monitoring instrument based on this study was designed. This real-time continuous glucose monitoring instrument consisted of an adjustable excitation voltage module, a current-voltage converter module, a microprocessor and a wireless transceiver module. For portability, the size of the device was only 40 mm × 30 mm × 5 mm and its weight was only 30 g. In addition, a communication command code algorithm was designed to ensure the security and integrity of data transmission in this study. Results of experiments in vitro showed that current detection of the device worked effectively. A 5-hour monitoring of blood glucose level in vivo showed that the device could continuously monitor blood glucose in real time. The relative error of monitoring results of the designed device ranged from 2.22% to 7.17% when comparing to a portable blood meter.

High Temperature Transducers for Online Monitoring of Microstructure Evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lissenden, Cliff [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States); Tittmann, Bernhard [Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-03-30

A critical technology gap exists relative to online condition monitoring (CM) of advanced nuclear plant components for damage accumulation; there are not capable sensors and infrastructure available for the high temperature environment. The sensory system, monitoring methodology, data acquisition, and damage characterization algorithm that comprise a CM system are investigated here. Thus this work supports the DOE mission to develop a fundamental understanding of advanced sensors to improve physical measurement accuracy and reduce uncertainty. The research involves a concept viability assessment, a detailed technology gap analysis, and a technology development roadmap.

A method for online verification of adapted fields using an independent dose monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Jina; Norrlinger, Bernhard D.; Heaton, Robert K.; Jaffray, David A.; Cho, Young-Bin; Islam, Mohammad K.; Mahon, Robert

2013-01-01

Purpose: Clinical implementation of online adaptive radiotherapy requires generation of modified fields and a method of dosimetric verification in a short time. We present a method of treatment field modification to account for patient setup error, and an online method of verification using an independent monitoring system.Methods: The fields are modified by translating each multileaf collimator (MLC) defined aperture in the direction of the patient setup error, and magnifying to account for distance variation to the marked isocentre. A modified version of a previously reported online beam monitoring system, the integral quality monitoring (IQM) system, was investigated for validation of adapted fields. The system consists of a large area ion-chamber with a spatial gradient in electrode separation to provide a spatially sensitive signal for each beam segment, mounted below the MLC, and a calculation algorithm to predict the signal. IMRT plans of ten prostate patients have been modified in response to six randomly chosen setup errors in three orthogonal directions.Results: A total of approximately 49 beams for the modified fields were verified by the IQM system, of which 97% of measured IQM signal agree with the predicted value to within 2%.Conclusions: The modified IQM system was found to be suitable for online verification of adapted treatment fields

An Intelligent Sensor for the Ultra-High-Frequency Partial Discharge Online Monitoring of Power Transformers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Li

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ultra-high-frequency (UHF partial discharge (PD online monitoring is an effective way to inspect potential faults and insulation defects in power transformers. The construction of UHF PD online monitoring system is a challenge because of the high-frequency and wide-frequency band of the UHF PD signal. This paper presents a novel, intelligent sensor for UHF PD online monitoring based on a new method, namely a level scanning method. The intelligent sensor can directly acquire the statistical characteristic quantities and is characterized by low cost, few data to output and transmit, Ethernet functionality, and small size for easy installation. The prototype of an intelligent sensor was made. Actual UHF PD experiments with three typical artificial defect models of power transformers were carried out in a laboratory, and the waveform recording method and intelligent sensor proposed were simultaneously used for UHF PD measurement for comparison. The results show that the proposed intelligent sensor is qualified for the UHF PD online monitoring of power transformers. Additionally, three methods to improve the performance of intelligent sensors were proposed according to the principle of the level scanning method.

Continuous gravity monitoring of geothermal activity; Renzoku juryoku sokutei ni yoru chinetsu katsudo no monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sugihara, M [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan)

1997-05-27

To clarify the geothermal activity in the geothermal fields in New Zealand, gravity monitoring was conducted using SCINTREX automatic gravimeter. The measurements were conducted between the end of January and the beginning of March, 1996. Firstly, continuous monitoring was conducted at the standard point for about ten days, and the tidal components were estimated from the records. After that, continuous monitoring was conducted at Waimangu area for several days. Continuous monitoring was repeated at the standard point, again. At the Waimangu area, three times of changes in the pulse-shape amplitude of 0.01 mgal having a width of several hours were observed. For the SCINTREX gravimeter, the inclination of gravimeter is also recorded in addition to the change of gravity. During the monitoring, the gravimeter was also inclined with the changes of gravity. This inclination was useful not only for the correction of gravity measured, but also for evaluating the ground fluctuation due to the underground pressure source. It is likely that the continuous gravity monitoring is the relatively conventional technique which is effective for prospecting the change of geothermal reservoir. 2 figs.

Online neural monitoring of statistical learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Batterink, Laura J; Paller, Ken A

2017-05-01

The extraction of patterns in the environment plays a critical role in many types of human learning, from motor skills to language acquisition. This process is known as statistical learning. Here we propose that statistical learning has two dissociable components: (1) perceptual binding of individual stimulus units into integrated composites and (2) storing those integrated representations for later use. Statistical learning is typically assessed using post-learning tasks, such that the two components are conflated. Our goal was to characterize the online perceptual component of statistical learning. Participants were exposed to a structured stream of repeating trisyllabic nonsense words and a random syllable stream. Online learning was indexed by an EEG-based measure that quantified neural entrainment at the frequency of the repeating words relative to that of individual syllables. Statistical learning was subsequently assessed using conventional measures in an explicit rating task and a reaction-time task. In the structured stream, neural entrainment to trisyllabic words was higher than in the random stream, increased as a function of exposure to track the progression of learning, and predicted performance on the reaction time (RT) task. These results demonstrate that monitoring this critical component of learning via rhythmic EEG entrainment reveals a gradual acquisition of knowledge whereby novel stimulus sequences are transformed into familiar composites. This online perceptual transformation is a critical component of learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Online monitoring and control of the biogas process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boe, K.

2006-07-01

The demand for online monitoring and control of biogas process is increasing, since better monitoring and control system can improve process stability and enhance process performance for better economy of the biogas plants. A number of parameters in both the liquid and the gas phase have been suggested as process indicators. These include gas production, pH, alkalinity, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and hydrogen. Of these, VFA is the most widely recognised as a direct, relevant measure of stability. The individual, rather than collective VFA concentrations are recognised as providing significantly more information for diagnosis. However, classic on-line measurement is based on filtration, which suffers from fouling, especially in particulate or slurry wastes. In this project, a new online VFA monitoring system has been developed using gas-phase VFA extraction to avoid sample filtration. The liquid sample is pumped into a sampling chamber, acidified, added with salt and heated to extract VFA into the gas phase before analysis by GC-FID. This allows easy application to manure. Sample and analysis time of the system varies from 25-40 min. depending on the washing duration. The sampling frequency is fast enough for the dynamic of a manure digester, which is in the range of several hours. This system has been validated over more than 6 months and had shown good agreement with offline VFA measurement. Response from this sensor was compared with other process parameters such as biogas production, pH and dissolved hydrogen during overload situations in a laboratory-scale digester, to investigate the suitability of each measure as a process indicator. VFA was most reliable for indicating process imbalance, and propionate was most persistent. However, when coupling the online VFA monitoring with a simple control for automatic controlling propionate level in a digester, it was found that propionate decreased so slow that the biogas production fluctuated. Therefore, it is more

A nuclear on-line sensor for continuous control of vanadium content in oil pipelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizk, R.A.M.

1989-01-01

Trace amounts of vanadium in crude oil and in heavy distillate fuels are very harmful due to their corrosive action. Thus the necessity arises for continuous control of the vanadium content in oil pipelines. Moreover, the development of a nuclear on-line sensor that can continuously analyze the vanadium content in oil pipelines may lead to a better control of processing operations. In this paper a feasibility study for on-line analysis of vanadium in crude oil by means of neutron activation analysis is presented. (author)

U.S. Geological Survey continuous monitoring workshop—Workshop summary report

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Daniel J.; Joiner, John K.; Caslow, Kerry A.; Landers, Mark N.; Pellerin, Brian A.; Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Sheets, Rodney A.

2018-04-20

Executive SummaryThe collection of high-frequency (in other words, “continuous”) water data has been made easier over the years because of advances in technologies to measure, transmit, store, and query large, temporally dense datasets. Commercially available, in-situ sensors and data-collection platforms—together with new techniques for data analysis—provide an opportunity to monitor water quantity and quality at time scales during which meaningful changes occur. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Continuous Monitoring Workshop was held to build stronger collaboration within the Water Mission Area on the collection, interpretation, and application of continuous monitoring data; share technical approaches for the collection and management of continuous data that improves consistency and efficiency across the USGS; and explore techniques and tools for the interpretation of continuous monitoring data, which increases the value to cooperators and the public. The workshop was organized into three major themes: Collecting Continuous Data, Understanding and Using Continuous Data, and Observing and Delivering Continuous Data in the Future. Presentations each day covered a variety of related topics, with a special session at the end of each day designed to bring discussion and problem solving to the forefront.The workshop brought together more than 70 USGS scientists and managers from across the Water Mission Area and Water Science Centers. Tools to manage, assure, control quality, and explore large streams of continuous water data are being developed by the USGS and other organizations and will be critical to making full use of these high-frequency data for research and monitoring. Disseminating continuous monitoring data and findings relevant to critical cooperator and societal issues is central to advancing the USGS networks and mission. Several important outcomes emerged from the presentations and breakout sessions.

Application of neural network and pattern recognition software to the automated analysis of continuous nuclear monitoring of on-load reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howell, J.A.; Eccleston, G.W.; Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Larson, T.W. [California Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA (US)

1993-08-01

Automated analysis using pattern recognition and neural network software can help interpret data, call attention to potential anomalies, and improve safeguards effectiveness. Automated software analysis, based on pattern recognition and neural networks, was applied to data collected from a radiation core discharge monitor system located adjacent to an on-load reactor core. Unattended radiation sensors continuously collect data to monitor on-line refueling operations in the reactor. The huge volume of data collected from a number of radiation channels makes it difficult for a safeguards inspector to review it all, check for consistency among the measurement channels, and find anomalies. Pattern recognition and neural network software can analyze large volumes of data from continuous, unattended measurements, thereby improving and automating the detection of anomalies. The authors developed a prototype pattern recognition program that determines the reactor power level and identifies the times when fuel bundles are pushed through the core during on-line refueling. Neural network models were also developed to predict fuel bundle burnup to calculate the region on the on-load reactor face from which fuel bundles were discharged based on the radiation signals. In the preliminary data set, which was limited and consisted of four distinct burnup regions, the neural network model correctly predicted the burnup region with an accuracy of 92%.

Continuous Monitoring of Glucose for Type 1 Diabetes: A Health Technology Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Vandersluis, Stacey; Kabali, Conrad; Djalalov, Sandjar; Gajic-Veljanoski, Olga; Wells, David; Holubowich, Corinne

2018-01-01

Background Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must manage their blood glucose levels by monitoring the amount of glucose in their blood and administering appropriate amounts of insulin via injection or an insulin pump. Continuous glucose monitoring may be beneficial compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose using a blood glucose meter. It provides insight into a person's blood glucose levels on a continuous basis, and can identify whether blood glucose levels are trending up or down. Methods We conducted a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of clinical benefit, value for money, and patient preferences related to continuous glucose monitoring. We compared continuous glucose monitoring with self-monitoring of blood glucose using a finger-prick and a blood glucose meter. We performed a systematic literature search for studies published since January 1, 2010. We created a Markov model projecting the lifetime horizon of adults with type 1 diabetes, and performed a budget impact analysis from the perspective of the health care payer. We also conducted interviews and focus group discussions with people who self-manage their type 1 diabetes or support the management of a child with type 1 diabetes. Results Twenty studies were included in the clinical evidence review. Compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose, continuous glucose monitoring improved the percentage of time patients spent in the target glycemic range by 9.6% (95% confidence interval 8.0–11.2) to 10.0% (95% confidence interval 6.75–13.25) and decreased the number of severe hypoglycemic events. Continuous glucose monitoring was associated with higher costs and small increases in health benefits (quality-adjusted life-years). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) ranged from $592,206 to $1,108,812 per quality-adjusted life-year gained in analyses comparing four continuous glucose monitoring

Continuous emission monitoring systems for power plants. The state-of-the-art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bamberger, J.A.

1988-01-01

Continuous monitoring of power plant emissions is performed to improve combustion and control equipment efficiency, and in response to various government agency requirements. This paper focuses upon recent developments in Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM) and Systems (CEMS) for power plants. Topics presented include the perspective of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the states: Continuous Monitoring of Power Plant Emissions - An EPA Perspective; Pennsylvania's Proposed Continuous Emission Monitoring System Data Telemetry Requirements for Municipal, Hospital and Infectious Waste Incinerators; the importance of quality assurance; Continuous Emission Monitoring and Quality Assurance Requirements for New Power Plants; Highlights of Pennsylvania's Continuous Emission Monitoring System Quality Assurance Program; improved system specifications and data acquisition methods; Improved Specifications for Continuous Emission Monitoring; A Microcomputer-Based Data Acquisition System for CEMS; CEMS applications; Expanded Use of CEMS in Acid Rain Control Programs: Opinions of Users, Control Agencies and Vendors; and an innovative measurement technique to assess electrostatic precipitator performance; The Assessment of Pulverized Coal Fly Ash Collection in Electrostatic Precipitators Using an Instrumental Assessment Technique

Alpha-in-air monitor for continuous monitoring based on alpha to beta ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somayaji, K.S.; Venkataramani, R.; Swaminathan, N.; Pushparaja

1997-01-01

Measurement of long-lived alpha activity collected on a filter paper in continuous air monitoring of ambient working environment is difficult due to interference from much larger concentrations of short-lived alpha emitting daughter products of 222 Rn and 220 Rn. However, the ratio between the natural alpha and beta activity is approximately constant and this constancy of the ratio is used to discriminate against short-lived natural radioactivity in continuous air monitoring. Detection system was specially designed for the purpose of simultaneous counting of alpha and beta activity deposited on the filter paper during continuous monitoring. The activity ratios were calculated and plotted against the monitoring duration up to about six hours. Monitoring was carried out in three facilities with different ventilation conditions. Presence of any long-lived alpha contamination on the filter paper results in increase in the alpha to beta ratio. Long-lived 239 Pu contamination of about 16 DAC.h could be detected after about 45 minutes of commencement of the sampling. The experimental results using prototype units have shown that the approach of using alpha to beta activity ratio method to detect long-lived alpha activity in the presence of short-lived natural activity is satisfactory. (author)

Continuous Groundwater Monitoring Collocated at USGS Streamgages

Science.gov (United States)

Constantz, J. E.; Eddy-Miller, C.; Caldwell, R.; Wheeer, J.; Barlow, J.

2012-12-01

USGS Office of Groundwater funded a 2-year pilot study collocating groundwater wells for monitoring water level and temperature at several existing continuous streamgages in Montana and Wyoming, while U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funded enhancement to streamgages in Mississippi. To increase spatial relevance with in a given watershed, study sites were selected where near-stream groundwater was in connection with an appreciable aquifer, and where logistics and cost of well installations were considered representative. After each well installation and surveying, groundwater level and temperature were easily either radio-transmitted or hardwired to existing data acquisition system located in streamgaging shelter. Since USGS field personnel regularly visit streamgages during routine streamflow measurements and streamgage maintenance, the close proximity of observation wells resulted in minimum extra time to verify electronically transmitted measurements. After field protocol was tuned, stream and nearby groundwater information were concurrently acquired at streamgages and transmitted to satellite from seven pilot-study sites extending over nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of the central US from October 2009 until October 2011, for evaluating the scientific and engineering add-on value of the enhanced streamgage design. Examination of the four-parameter transmission from the seven pilot study groundwater gaging stations reveals an internally consistent, dynamic data suite of continuous groundwater elevation and temperature in tandem with ongoing stream stage and temperature data. Qualitatively, the graphical information provides appreciation of seasonal trends in stream exchanges with shallow groundwater, as well as thermal issues of concern for topics ranging from ice hazards to suitability of fish refusia, while quantitatively this information provides a means for estimating flux exchanges through the streambed via heat-based inverse-type groundwater modeling. In June

A Demonstration of GPS Landslide Monitoring Using Online Positioning User Service (OPUS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G.

2011-12-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies have been frequently applied to landslide study, both as a complement, and as an alternative to conventional surveying methods. However, most applications of GPS for landslide monitoring have been limited to the academic community for research purposes. High-accuracy GPS has not been widely equipped in geotechnical companies and used by technicians. The main issue that limits the applications of GPS in the practice of high-accuracy landslide monitoring is the complexity of GPS data processing. This study demonstrated an approach using the Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) (http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS) provided by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to process GPS data and conduct long-term landslide monitoring in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Region. Continuous GPS data collected at a creeping landslide site during two years were used to evaluate different scenarios for landslide surveying: continuous or campaign, long duration or short duration, morning or afternoon (different weather conditions). OPUS uses Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) managed by NGS (http://www.ngs.noaa.giv/CORS/) as references and user data as a rover to solve a position. There are 19 CORS permanent GPS stations in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands region. The dense GPS network provides a precise and reliable reference frame for subcentimeter-accuracy landslide monitoring in this region. Our criterion for the accuracy was the root-mean-square (RMS) of OPUS solutions over a 2-year period with respect to true landslide displacement time series overt the same period. The true landslide displacements were derived from a single-baseline (130 m) GPS processing by using 24-hour continuous data. If continuous GPS surveying is performed in the field, then OPUS static processing can provide 0.6 cm horizontal and 1.1 cm vertical precision with few outliers. If repeated

''PSAD'' on-line monitoring and aid to diagnosis workstation: a monitoring tool for EDF power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morel, J.; Mazalerat, J.M.; Monnier, B.; Cordier, R.

1993-01-01

Like other electricity utilities, Electricite de France seeks to enhance the safety and availability of its nuclear power plants. To this end, for over ten years EDF has been installing on each plant unit two monitoring systems of its own design, one to monitor the primary cooling system, and the other, the turbogenerator set. Since the beginning of this project, widespread progress has been made in techniques of signal acquisition and processing, and in diagnosis using artificial intelligence methods. EDF has decided to call on these advanced techniques in developing its new-generation monitoring equipment, and to integrate them in its development of a workstation for on-line monitoring and diagnosis-support (PSAD: Poste de Surveillance et d'Aide au Diagnostic). PSAD will be a tool for on-line monitoring of the main components in nuclear power plants (initially the main coolant pumps and turbogenerator sets, and soon thereafter, monitoring of internal structures, detection of loose parts in the primary cooling system, etc.). PSAD will provide plant personnel with indispensable support in their diagnosis of the condition of plant equipment. It will integrate user-friendly, high-performance systems that also free the operator from many day-to-day tasks. PSAD will have a flexible architecture, for optimum distribution of the computing power where it is most needed, thereby improving the quality of the data. This paper presents the project objectives and describes work currently under way to implement EDF's diagnosis-support strategy for the years to come. (authors). 5 figs., 6 refs

Online monitoring and diagnostic system on RA-6 nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Peyrano, O. A.; Marticorena, M.; Koch, R. G.; Martinez, J. S; Berruti, G. E.; Nunez, W. M.; Gonzales, L. A.; Tarquini, L. D.; Sotelo, J. P

2009-01-01

This paper presents the Online Automatic Monitoring and Diagnostic System for mechanical components, installed on RA-6 Nuclear Reactor (San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina). This system has been designed, installed and set-up by the Vibrations and Mechatronics Laboratory (Centro Atomico Bariloche, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica) and Sitrack.com Argentina SA. This system provides an online mechanical diagnostic of the main reactor components, allowing incipient failures to be early detected and identified, avoiding unscheduled shut-downs and reducing maintenance times. The diagnostic is accomplished by an online analysis of the vibratory signature of the mechanical components, obtained by vibrations sensors on the main pump and the decay tank. The mechanical diagnostic and the main operational parameters are displayed on the reactor control room and published on the internet. [es

Feasibility study of applying a multi-channel analysis model to on-line core monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In, W. K.; Yoo, Y. J.; Hwang, D. H.; Jun, T. H.

1998-01-01

A feasibility study was performed to evaluate the effect of implementing a multi-channel analysis model in on-line core monitoring system. A simplified thermal-hydraulic model has been used in the on-line core monitoring system of digital PWR. The design procedure, core thermal margin and computation time were investigated in case of replacing the simplified model with the multi-channel analysis model. For the given ranges of limiting conditions for operation in Yonggwang Unit 3 Cycle 1, the minimum DNBR of the simplified thermal-hydraulic code CETOP-D was compared to that of the multi-channel analysis code MATRA. A CETOP-D tuning is additionally required to ensure the accurate and conservative DNBR calculation but the MATRA tuning is not necessary. MATRA appeared to increase the DNBR overpower margin from 2.5% to 6% over the CETOP-D margin. MATRA took approximately 1 second to compute DNBR on the HP9000 workstation system, which is longer than the DNBR computation time of CETOP-D. It is, however, fast enough to perform the on-line monitoring of DNBR. It can be therefore concluded that the application of the multi-channel analysis model MATRA in the on-line core monitoring system is feasible

Continuous Hemodynamic Monitoring in Acute Stroke: An Exploratory Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayan Sen

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Non-invasive, continuous hemodynamic monitoring is entering the clinical arena. The primary objective of this study was to test the feasibility of such monitoring in a pilot sample of Emergency Department (ED stroke patients. Secondary objectives included analysis of hemodynamic variability and correlation of continuous blood pressure measurements with standard measurements. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of 7 stroke patients from a prospectively collected data set of patients that received 2 hours of hemodynamic monitoring in the ED. Stroke patients were included if hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke was confirmed by neuroimaging, and symptom onset was within 24 hours. They were excluded for the presence of a stroke mimic or transient ischemic attack. Monitoring was performed using the Nexfin device (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine CA. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 71 ± 17 years, 43% were male, and the mean National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS was 6.9 ± 5.5. Two patients had hemorrhagic stroke. We obtained 42,456 hemodynamic data points, including beat-to-beat blood pressure measurements with variability of 18 mmHg and cardiac indices ranging from 1.8 to 3.6 l/min/m2. The correlation coefficient between continuous blood pressure measurements with the Nexfin device and standard ED readings was 0.83. Conclusion: This exploratory investigation revealed that continuous, noninvasive monitoring in the ED is feasible in acute stroke. Further research is currently underway to determine how such monitoring may impact outcomes in stroke or replace the need for invasive monitoring. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(4:–0.

Online Remote Recording and Monitoring of Sensor Data Using DTMF Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niladri Sekhar TRIPATHY

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Different wireless application platforms are available for remote monitoring and control of systems. In the present paper a system has been described for online remote recording and monitoring of sensor data using DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency technology where acoustic communication has been implemented. One DTMF transceiver in the sensing system has been used to generate and decode the DTMF tone corresponding to the sensor output which in turn is received from the mobile phone in the user side. A separate DTMF decoder has been used in the user side to decode the received DTMF tone corresponding to the sensor output from the sensor side. Microcontroller has been used to store the decoded data from the sensor and to control the whole operation sequentially. Thus online remote recording and monitoring of the sensor data have been possible at any where in the coverage area of the mobile network. Experimental result shows good linearity between data output taken directly from the sensor side and that remotely from user side.

Field experience with advanced methods of on-line monitoring of water chemistry and corrosion degradation in nuclear power stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stellwag, B [Siemens AG Unternehmensbereich KWU, Erlangen (Germany); Aaltonen, P [Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Hickling, J [CML GmbH, Erlangen (Germany)

1997-02-01

Advanced methods for on-line, in-situ water chemistry and corrosion monitoring in nuclear power stations have been developed during the past decade. The terms ``on-line`` and ``in-situ`` characterize approaches involving continuous measurement of relevant parameters in high temperature water, preferably directly in the systems and components and not in removed samples at room temperature. This paper describes the field experience to-date with such methods in terms of three examples: (1) On-line chemistry monitoring of the primary coolant during shutdown of a Type WWER-440 PWR. (2) Redox and corrosion potential measurements in final feedwater preheaters and steam generators of two large KWU PWRs over several cycles of plant operation. (3) Real-time, in-situ corrosion surveillance inside the calundia vault of a CANDU reactor. The way in which water chemistry sensors and corrosion monitoring sensors complement each other is outlined: on-line, in-situ measurement of pH, conductivity and redox potential gives information about the possible corrosivity of the environment. Electrochemical noise techniques display signals of corrosion activity under the actual environmental conditions. A common experience gained from separate use of these different types of sensors has been that new and additional information about plants and their actual process conditions is obtained. Moreover, they reveal the intimate relationship between the operational situation and its consequences for the quality of the working fluid and the corrosion behaviour of the plant materials. On this basis, the efficiency of the existing chemistry sampling and control system can be checked and corrosion degradation can be minimized. Furthermore, activity buildup in the primary circuit can be studied. Further significant advantages can be expected from an integration of these various types of sensors into a common water chemistry and corrosion surveillance system. (Abstract Truncated)

Standard audit procedure for continuous emission monitors and ambient air monitoring instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-06-15

The instruments were published in an operational policy manual in 2009. This policy aims to introduce standard audit criteria that can be used to determine if continuous emission monitors and ambient air monitoring devices are operating within acceptable parameters. Before delivering upscale points of the instrument to be audited, each one of the audit equipment used in the field is required to be at normal operating conditions. Before the beginning of the audit, each one of the meteorological and flow measurement equipment is required to be conditioned to current conditions. If the audit fails, the instrument will have to be audited quarterly. The establishment of specific procedures based on instrument manufacturer or certifying body operational standards is required in the case of non-continuous monitoring instruments presenting operational principles outside of the audit procedures listed in the document.

A urinary incontinence continuing education online course for community health nurses in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

De Gagne, Jennie C; Park, Sunah; So, Aeyoung; Wu, Bei; Palmer, Mary H; McConnell, Eleanor S

2015-04-01

Although urinary incontinence is prevalent among older women living in rural Korea, a lack of awareness and education exists in this population and among health professionals. Geographic isolation and limited resources also contribute to having few educational offerings for rural nurses. The authors' aim was to develop an online continuing education course on continence care for community health nurses and to examine its effectiveness. A one-group, pretest-posttest design was used to detect changes in knowledge and attitudes after taking the online education course. Participant satisfaction was also measured at the end of the training. A significant improvement in knowledge and attitudes toward continence care was noted. More than 95% of participants responded that they would recommend the online program to other health care providers and indicated the program would be helpful regarding continence care in their practice. The continuing education online course is a feasible strategy to support rural community health nurses' learning to improve knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence management and care. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Online monitoring of cartilage tissue in a novel bioreactor

Science.gov (United States)

von der Burg, E.; von Buttlar, M.; Grill, W.

2011-04-01

Standard techniques for the analysis of biological tissues like immunohistochemical staining are typically invasive and lead to mortification of cells. Non-invasive monitoring is an important element of regenerative medicine because implants and components of implants should be 100% quality-checked with non-invasive and therefore also marker-free methods. We report on a new bioreactor for the production of collagen scaffolds seeded with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). It contains a computer controlled mechanical activation and ultrasonic online monitoring and has been constructed for the in situ determination of ultrasonic and rheological parameters. During the cultivation period of about two weeks the scaffold is periodically compressed by two movable pistons for improved differentiation of the MSCs. This periodic compression beneficially ensures the supply with nutrition even inside the sample. During the physiological stimuli, rheological properties are measured by means of highly sensitive load cells. In addition measurements of the speed of sound in the sample and in the culture medium, with frequencies up to 16 MHz, are performed continuously. Therefore piezoceramic transducers are attached to the pistons and emit and detect ultrasonic waves, travelling through the pistons, the sample and the culture medium. The time-of-flight (TOF) of the ultrasonic signals is determined in real time with the aid of chirped excitation and correlation procedures with a resolution of at least 10 ps. The implemented ultrasonic measurement scheme allows beside the speed of sound measurements the detection of the distance between the pistons with a resolution better than 100 nm. The developed monitoring delivers information on rigidity, fluid dynamics and velocity of sound in the sample and in the culture medium. The hermetically sealed bioreactor with its life support system provides a biocompatible environment for MSCs for long time cultivation.

Continuous containment monitoring with containment pressure fluctuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dick, J.E.

1996-01-01

The monitoring of the integrity of containments particularly but not exclusively for nuclear plants is dealt with in this invention. While this application is primarily concerned with containment monitoring in the context of the single unit design, it is expected that the concepts presented will be universally applicable to any containment design, including containments for non-nuclear applications such as biological laboratories. The nuclear industry has long been interested in a means of monitoring containment integrity on a continuous basis, that is, while the reactor is operating normally. 12 refs., 2 figs

Plant applications of online corrosion monitoring: CO2 capture amine plant case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kane, R.D.; Srinivasan, S.; Khakharia, P.M.; Goetheer, E.L.V.; Mertens, J.; Vroey, S. de

2015-01-01

Over the past several years, there has been a significant effort to bring corrosion monitoring into the realm of online, real-time management with plant process control technology. As part of this new direction in corrosion monitoring, corrosion data (e.g. information on corrosion rate, measured

Online monitoring of printed electronics by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

KAUST Repository

Alarousu, Erkki; Alsaggaf, Ahmed; Jabbour, Ghassan E.

2013-01-01

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is an optical method capable of 3D imaging of object's internal structure with micron-scale resolution. Modern SD-OCT tools offer the speed capable of online monitoring of printed devices

Integrated electrochemical sensor array for on-line monitoring of yeast fermentations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krommenhoek, E.E.; Gardeniers, Johannes G.E.; Bomer, Johan G.; Li, X.; Ottens, M.; van Dedem, G.W.K.; van Leeuwen, M.; van Gulik, W.M.; van der Wielen, L.A.M.; Heijnen, J.J.; van den Berg, Albert

2007-01-01

This paper describes the design, modeling, and experimental characterization of an electrochemical sensor array for on-line monitoring of fermentor conditions in both miniaturized cell assays and in industrial scale fertnentations. The viable biomass concentration is determined from impedance

PHEBUS on-line aerosol monitor development test program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprenger, M.H.; Pentecost, C.G.

1992-03-01

EG ampersand G Idaho, Inc. developed an on-line aerosol monitor (OLAM) for the French PHEBUS Fission Product Project. Part of the development was to manufacture and test an OLAM prototype. This report presents the results of the testing which determined the mechanical integrity of the monitor at operating temperature and pressure and performed a preliminary test of the optical system. A series of twenty different tests was conducted during the prototype testing sequence. Since no leaks were detected, the OLAM demonstrated that it could provide a pressure boundary at required test conditions. The optical and electrical system also proved its integrity by exceeding the design requirement of less than 105 optical signal drift during an actual two-hour test sequence

On-line Monitoring Device for High-voltage Switch Cabinet Partial Discharge Based on Pulse Current Method

Science.gov (United States)

Y Tao, S.; Zhang, X. Z.; Cai, H. W.; Li, P.; Feng, Y.; Zhang, T. C.; Li, J.; Wang, W. S.; Zhang, X. K.

2017-12-01

The pulse current method for partial discharge detection is generally applied in type testing and other off-line tests of electrical equipment at delivery. After intensive analysis of the present situation and existing problems of partial discharge detection in switch cabinets, this paper designed the circuit principle and signal extraction method for partial discharge on-line detection based on a high-voltage presence indicating systems (VPIS), established a high voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line detection circuit based on the pulse current method, developed background software integrated with real-time monitoring, judging and analyzing functions, carried out a real discharge simulation test on a real-type partial discharge defect simulation platform of a 10KV switch cabinet, and verified the sensitivity and validity of the high-voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line monitoring device based on the pulse current method. The study presented in this paper is of great significance for switch cabinet maintenance and theoretical study on pulse current method on-line detection, and has provided a good implementation method for partial discharge on-line monitoring devices for 10KV distribution network equipment.

Continuous pneumothorax monitoring by remittance measurement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beek, J. F.; Sterenborg, H. J.; van Gemert, M. J.

1993-01-01

The feasibility of a noninvasive method, based on a remittance measurement, to monitor continuously for the occurrence of pneumothorax in neonates under ventilation, was investigated through animal experiments. Light from a He-Ne laser (632.8 nm) or a semiconductor laser (790 nm) was incident on the

Effects of Online Note Taking Formats and Self-Monitoring Prompts on Learning from Online Text: Using Technology to Enhance Self-Regulated Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, Douglas F.; Zhao, Ruomeng; Yang, Ya-Shu

2011-01-01

This study explored conditions under which note taking methods and self-monitoring prompts are most effective for facilitating information collection and achievement in an online learning environment. In experiment 1 30 students collected notes from a website using an online conventional, outline, or matrix note taking tool. In experiment 2 119…

Online Vce measurement method for wear-out monitoring of high power IGBT modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beczkowski, Szymon; Ghimire, Pramod; de Vega, Angel Ruiz

2013-01-01

A simple Vce online monitoring circuit is presented in this paper. It allows an accurate wear out prediction of IGBT modules, in high-power applications, during normal converter operation. Bipolar measurement allows monitoring of both IGBT and antiparallel diode. The circuit uses two serial...... offset due to diodes' forward voltage temperature dependency. Using four diodes one can monitor voltages on all power devices in a converter leg....

Online remote monitoring facilities for the ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Kolos, S; The ATLAS collaboration; Feng, E; Hauser, R; Yakovlev, A; Zaytsev, A

2011-01-01

ATLAS is one of the 4 LHC experiments which started to be operated in the collisions mode in 2010. The ATLAS apparatus itself as well as the Trigger and the DAQ system are extremely complex facilities which have been built up by the collaboration including 144 institutes from 33 countries. The effective running of the experiment is supported by a large number of experts distributed all over the world. This paper describes the online remote monitoring system which has been developed in the ATLAS Trigger and DAQ(TDAQ) community in order to support efficient participation of the experts from remote institutes in the exploitation of the experiment. The facilities provided by the remote monitoring system are ranging from the WEB based access to the general status and data quality for the ongoing data taking session to the scalable service providing real-time mirroring of the detailed monitoring data from the experimental area to the dedicated computers in the CERN public network, where this data is made available ...

Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring in Daily Life

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Guillaume; Shuzo, Masaki; Ushida, Hiroyuki; Hidaka, Keita; Yanagimoto, Shintaro; Imai, Yasushi; Kosaka, Akio; Delaunay, Jean-Jacques; Yamada, Ichiro

Continuous monitoring of blood pressure in daily life could improve early detection of cardiovascular disorders, as well as promoting healthcare. Conventional ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) equipment can measure blood pressure at regular intervals for 24 hours, but is limited by long measuring time, low sampling rate, and constrained measuring posture. In this paper, we demonstrate a new method for continuous real-time measurement of blood pressure during daily activities. Our method is based on blood pressure estimation from pulse wave velocity (PWV) calculation, which formula we improved to take into account changes in the inner diameter of blood vessels. Blood pressure estimation results using our new method showed a greater precision of measured data during exercise, and a better accuracy than the conventional PWV method.

Online monitoring of Mezcal fermentation based on redox potential measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Escalante-Minakata, P; Ibarra-Junquera, V; Rosu, H C; De León-Rodríguez, A; González-García, R

2009-01-01

We describe an algorithm for the continuous monitoring of the biomass and ethanol concentrations as well as the growth rate in the Mezcal fermentation process. The algorithm performs its task having available only the online measurements of the redox potential. The procedure combines an artificial neural network (ANN) that relates the redox potential to the ethanol and biomass concentrations with a nonlinear observer-based algorithm that uses the ANN biomass estimations to infer the growth rate of this fermentation process. The results show that the redox potential is a valuable indicator of the metabolic activity of the microorganisms during Mezcal fermentation. In addition, the estimated growth rate can be considered as a direct evidence of the presence of mixed culture growth in the process. Usually, mixtures of microorganisms could be intuitively clear in this kind of processes; however, the total biomass data do not provide definite evidence by themselves. In this paper, the detailed design of the software sensor as well as its experimental application is presented at the laboratory level.

[Design and implementation of online statistical analysis function in information system of air pollution and health impact monitoring].

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Yiran; Hao, Shuxin; Zhang, Guoqing; Liu, Jie; Liu, Yue; Xu, Dongqun

2018-01-01

To implement the online statistical analysis function in information system of air pollution and health impact monitoring, and obtain the data analysis information real-time. Using the descriptive statistical method as well as time-series analysis and multivariate regression analysis, SQL language and visual tools to implement online statistical analysis based on database software. Generate basic statistical tables and summary tables of air pollution exposure and health impact data online; Generate tendency charts of each data part online and proceed interaction connecting to database; Generate butting sheets which can lead to R, SAS and SPSS directly online. The information system air pollution and health impact monitoring implements the statistical analysis function online, which can provide real-time analysis result to its users.

Gender Differences in the Continuance of Online Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Na; Cheung, Christy M. K.; Lee, Matthew K. O.; Chen, Huaping

Social network sites (SNS) have become increasingly popular in the past few years benefiting from the rapid growth of Web 2.0 applications. However, research on the adoption and usage of SNS is limited. In this study, we attempt to understand users' continuance intention to use SNS and investigate the role of gender. A research model was developed and tested with 213 respondents from an online survey. The results confirm that users' continuance intention to use SNS is strongly determined by satisfaction. The effect of disconfirmation of maintaining offline contacts on satisfaction is more important for women, while the effect of disconfirmation of entertainment is more salient for men. Implications of this study for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Wireless online position monitoring of manual valve types for plant configuration management in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, Vivek; Buttles, John W.; Beaty, Lawrence H.; Naser, Joseph; Hallbert, Bruce P.

2016-01-01

In the current competitive energy market, the nuclear industry is committed to lower the operations and maintenance cost; increase productivity and efficiency while maintaining safe and reliable operation. The present operating model of nuclear power plants is dependent on large technical staffs that put the nuclear industry at long-term economic disadvantage. Technology can play a key role in nuclear power plant configuration management in offsetting labor costs by automating manually performed plant activities. The technology being developed, tested, and demonstrated in this paper will enable the continued safe operation of today’s fleet of light water reactors by providing the technical means to monitor components in plants today that are only routinely monitored through manual activities. The wireless enabled valve position indicators that are the subject of this paper are able to provide a valid position indication available continuously, rather than only periodically. As a result, a real-time (online) availability of valve positions using an affordable technologies are vital to plant configuration when compared with long-term labor rates, and provide information that can be used for a variety of plant engineering, maintenance, and management applications.

A study of the long-range inspection method for on-line monitoring of pipes in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eom, Heung Seop; Lim, Sa Hoe; Kim, Jae Hee; Kim, Young H.; Song, Sung Jin

2005-01-01

Deployment of an advanced on-line monitoring of the component integrity offers the prospect of an improved performance, enhanced safety, and reduced overall cost for nuclear power plants (NPPs). Also ultrasonic guided ultrasonic wave has been known as one of the promising techniques that could be utilized for on-line monitoring, because it enables us to undertake a long-range inspection of structures such as plates and pipes. The present work is aimed at developing a new method using ultrasonic guided waves for the on-line monitoring of pipes. For this purpose we fabricated the necessary hardware and carried out transmitter tuning, group velocity measurement, receiver tuning, and mode identification. Finally we carried out an experiment on a long-range inspection with the developed hardware and the techniques. In the experiment, we could detect the flaws at a distance of about 20M from the transmitter, and we could verify the possibility of using the developed hardware and techniques for on-line monitoring of pipes in NPPs

Design of automatic control and measurement software for radioactive aerosol continuity monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Yong; Li Aiwu

1997-01-01

The radioactive aerosol continuity measurement is very important for the development of nuclear industry, and it is the major method to measure and find out the leakage of radioactive material. Radioactive aerosol continuity monitor is the advanced method for the radioactive aerosol continuity measurement. With the development of nuclear industry and nuclear power station, it is necessary to design and automatic continuity measurement device. Because of this reason, the authors developed the first unit of radioactive aerosol continuity monitor and adopted the ministry appraisal. The design idea and method of automatic control and measurement for radioactive aerosol continuity monitor are discussed

Commissioning of the ALICE-LHC online data quality monitoring framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roukoutakis, Filimon; Haller, Barthelemy von

2009-01-01

ALICE is one of the experiments installed at CERN Large Hadron Collider, dedicated to the study of heavy-ion collisions. The final ALICE data acquisition system has been installed and is being used for the testing and commissioning of detectors. Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) is an important aspect of the online procedures for a HEP experiment. In this presentation we overview the commissioning and the integration of ALICE's AMORE (Automatic MOnitoRing Environment), a custom-written distributed application aimed at providing DQM services in a large, experiment-wide scale.

Online Monitoring of Concrete Structures in Nuclear Power Plants: Interim Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahadevan, Sankaran [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cai, Guowei [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Agarwal, Vivek [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-03-01

The existing fleet of nuclear power plants in the United States have initial operating licenses of 40 years, and many of these plants have applied for and received license extensions. As plant structures, systems, and components age, their useful life—considering both structural integrity and performance—is reduced as a result of deterioration of the materials. Assessment and management of aging concrete structures in nuclear plants require a more systematic approach than simple reliance on existing code-based design margins of safety. Structural health monitoring is required to produce actionable information regarding structural integrity that supports operational and maintenance decisions. The online monitoring of concrete structures project conducted under the Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Technologies Pathway of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program at Idaho National Laboratory is seeking to develop and demonstrate capabilities for concrete structures health monitoring. Through this research project, several national laboratories and Vanderbilt University propose to develop a framework of research activities for the health monitoring of nuclear power plant concrete structures that includes the integration of four elements—damage modeling, monitoring, data analytics, and uncertainty quantification. This report briefly discusses activities in this project during October-December, 2014. The most significant activity during this period was the organizing of a two-day workshop on research needs in online monitoring of concrete structures, hosted by Vanderbilt University in November 2014. Thirty invitees from academia, industry and government participated in the workshop. The presentations and discussions at the workshop surveyed current activities related to concrete structures deterioration modeling and monitoring, and identified the challenges, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for advancing the state of the art; these

On-line Monitoring of VoIP Quality Using IPFIX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Matousek

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The main goal of VoIP services is to provide a reliable and high-quality voice transmission over packet networks. In order to prove the quality of VoIP transmission, several approaches were designed. In our approach, we are concerned about on-line monitoring of RTP and RTCP traffic. Based on these data, we are able to compute main VoIP quality metrics including jitter, delay, packet loss, and finally R-factor and MOS values. This technique of VoIP quality measuring can be directly incorporated into IPFIX monitoring framework where an IPFIX probe analyses RTP/RTCP packets, computes VoIP quality metrics, and adds these metrics into extended IPFIX flow records. Then, these extended data are stored in a central IPFIX monitoring system called collector where can be used for monitoring purposes. This paper presents a functional implementation of IPFIX plugin for VoIP quality measurement and compares the results with results obtained by other tools.

Online soft sensor for hybrid systems with mixed continuous and discrete measurements

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Suzdaleva, Evgenia; Nagy, Ivan

2012-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 10 (2012), s. 294-300 ISSN 0098-1354 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0572; GA TA ČR TA01030123 Grant - others:Skoda Auto, a.s.(CZ) ENS/2009/UTIA Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : online state prediction * hybrid filter * state-space model * mixed data Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 2.091, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/AS/suzdaleva-online soft sensor for hybrid systems with mixed continuous and discrete measurements.pdf

Continuous environmental radiation monitoring network at Kalpakkam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somayaji, K.M.; Mathiyarasu, R.; Prakash, G.S.; Meenakshisundaram, V.; Rajagopal, V.

1997-01-01

The report highlights our experience in the design and installation of monitoring stations as part of continuous environmental radiation monitoring network around the periphery of the nuclear complex at Kalpakkam. Five monitoring stations, one each in south-west sector (Main Gate I) and south-south west (Main Gate II) and the others in North sector (HASL and ESG) and in north-west section (WIP) have been set up. Two independent detector systems, based on high pressure ionisation chamber (HPIC) and energy compensated GM have been installed at each of these locations and the data has been logged continuously using a data logger. The data so gathered at each monitoring station is retrieved every week by means of a hand held terminal (HHT) with a built-in non-volatile memory and transferred to an IBM PC-AT for data analysis and archival. The report discusses in depth the design and developmental efforts undertaken to set up the network, starting from the basic detectors. The work involved the design of suitable electrometer circuits for measuring the low levels of current from HPICs, and the subsequent study of the performance of the highly sensitive preamplifier under diurnal variations of ambient conditions. The report includes, in detail the design aspects and fabrication details of low current measuring electrometer circuits

Continuous data acquisition with online analysis for the Wendelstein 7-X magnetic diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hennig, Ch.; Werner, A.; Marquardt, M.; Bluhm, T.; Kroiss, H.; Kuehner, G.; Heimann, P.; Maier, J.; Riemann, H.; Zilker, M.

2008-01-01

The coupling of continuous data acquisition and continuous online analysis keeping up with the acquisition is one of the features the W7-X data acquisition system is designed for. As proof of principle of this concept the magnetic diagnostics have been implemented. The magnetic diagnostics measure time derivatives of the magnetic fluxes and the signals have to be time integrated accordingly. Both measurement and analysis tasks are executed on a single PC based system. The configuration of both hard- and software of the system is presented. Special focuses are the task of software integration of a user supplied online analysis function into the data acquisition system and the incorporation of the complete system into the W7-X segment concept in use by the control system. The complete installation has been tested at the WEGA Stellarator experiment. Because WEGA is capable of continuous steady state plasma operation the practical suitability of the installation for W7-X could be demonstrated successfully

On-line core monitoring with CORE MASTER / PRESTO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindahl, S.O.; Borresen, S.; Ovrum, S.

1986-01-01

Advanced calculational tools are instrumental in improving reactor plant capacity factors and fuel utilization. The computer code package CORE MASTER is an integrated system designed to achieve this objective. The system covers all main activities in the area of in-core fuel management for boiling water reactors; design, operation support, and on-line core monitoring. CORE MASTER operates on a common data base, which defines the reactor and documents the operating history of the core and of all fuel bundles ever used

Establishment of X-ray Measurement System for On-line Monitoring of Water Content in Powder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, J. S. [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Y. S. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, B. J. [Idealsystem Co., Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

On-line process monitoring is of critical importance in many industries, and therefore a variety of the state-of-the-art physical and chemical measurement techniques have been proposed. But, these techniques have their own pros and cons under the field process environments. Because the field process environments are very different from the well-organized chemical laboratories, many factors should be considered in order to optimize the process monitoring system. However, there have been few studies on the on-line measurement of water content in powder materials. For that reason, the X-ray measurement system based on the X-ray scattering technique, which was first proposed in 2011 as a new method for the determination of water content in powder, has been improved. in the present study, our original X-ray measurement system has been modified for more rapid, simple, and adequate for maximizing the field applicability of the on-line monitoring system

Online Monitoring of Electrochemical Degradation of Paracetamol through a Biomimetic Sensor

OpenAIRE

Mariana Calora Quintino de Oliveira; Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza; José Luis Paz Jara; Maria Del Pilar Taboada Sotomayor

2011-01-01

This paper reports, for the first time, the online monitoring to the electrochemical degradation of the paracetamol using a biomimetic sensor coupled to a Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) system. The electrochemical degradation of the drug was carried out in aqueous medium using a flow-by reactor with a DSA anode. The process efficiency was monitored at real time by the biomimetic sensor constructed by modifying a glassy carbon electrode with a Nafion membrane doped with iron tetrapyridinoporphy...

Continuous monitoring system of environmental γ radiation near nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Hua; Yue Qingyu; Wang Wenhai

1996-01-01

The continuous monitoring system for the environmental γ radiation and accident emergency near nuclear facility is described. The continuous monitoring system consists of high pressurized ionization chamber, integrated weak current amplifier, V-F converter and intelligent data recorder. PC 486 microcomputer with standard RS-232C interface is used for data handling and graph plotting. This intelligent data recorder has the functions of alarm over threshold and records the output signal of detector and temperature. The measuring range is from 10 nGy h -1 to 10 mGy h -1 because a high insulation switch automatical changing the measuring ranges is used. The monitoring system has been operating continuously for a long time with high stability and reliability

On-line Monitoring of Instrumentation in Research Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-12-01

This publication is the result of a benchmarking effort undertaken under the IAEA coordinated research project on improved instrumentation and control (I&C) maintenance techniques for research reactors. It lays the foundation for implementation of on-line monitoring (OLM) techniques and establishment of the validity of those for improved maintenance practices in research reactors for a number of applications such as change to condition based calibration, performance monitoring of process instrumentation systems, detection of process anomalies and to distinguish between process problems/effects and instrumentation/sensor issues. The techniques and guidance embodied in this publication will serve the research reactor community in providing the technical foundation for implementation of OLM techniques. It is intended to be used by Member States to implement I&C maintenance and to improve performance of research reactors.

On-Line Monitoring of Instrument Channel Performance: Volume 3: Applications to Nuclear Power Plant Technical Specification Instrumentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, E.; Rasmussen, B.

2004-01-01

This report is a guide for a technical specification change submittal and subsequent implementation of on-line monitoring for safety-related applications. This report is the third in a three-volume set. Volume 1, ''Guidelines for Model Development and Implementation'', presents the various tasks that must be completed to prepare models for and to implement an on-line monitoring system

Hydrological information system based on on-line monitoring--from strategy to implementation in the Brantas River Basin, East Java, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Marini, G W; Wellguni, H

2003-01-01

The worsening environmental situation of the Brantas River, East Java, is addressed by a comprehensive basin management strategy which relies on accurate water quantity and quality data retrieved from a newly installed online monitoring network. Integrated into a Hydrological Information System, the continuously measured indicative parameters allow early warning, control and polluter identification. Additionally, long-term analyses have been initiated for improving modelling applications like flood forecasting, water resource management and pollutant propagation. Preliminary results illustrate the efficiency of the installed system.

Online and Social Media Data As an Imperfect Continuous Panel Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Fernando; Gamon, Michael; Hofman, Jake M; Kıcıman, Emre; Rothschild, David

2016-01-01

There is a large body of research on utilizing online activity as a survey of political opinion to predict real world election outcomes. There is considerably less work, however, on using this data to understand topic-specific interest and opinion amongst the general population and specific demographic subgroups, as currently measured by relatively expensive surveys. Here we investigate this possibility by studying a full census of all Twitter activity during the 2012 election cycle along with the comprehensive search history of a large panel of Internet users during the same period, highlighting the challenges in interpreting online and social media activity as the results of a survey. As noted in existing work, the online population is a non-representative sample of the offline world (e.g., the U.S. voting population). We extend this work to show how demographic skew and user participation is non-stationary and difficult to predict over time. In addition, the nature of user contributions varies substantially around important events. Furthermore, we note subtle problems in mapping what people are sharing or consuming online to specific sentiment or opinion measures around a particular topic. We provide a framework, built around considering this data as an imperfect continuous panel survey, for addressing these issues so that meaningful insight about public interest and opinion can be reliably extracted from online and social media data.

Evaluating online continuing medical education seminars: evidence for improving clinical practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, Christine M; Sciamanna, Christopher N; Nash, David B

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential for online continuing medical education (CME) seminars to improve quality of care. Primary care physicians (113) participated in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an online CME series. Physicians were randomized to view either a seminar about type 2 diabetes or a seminar about systolic heart failure. Following the seminar, physicians were presented with 4 clinical vignettes and asked to describe what tests, treatments, counseling, or referrals they would recommend. Physicians who viewed the seminars were significantly more likely to recommend guideline-consistent care to patients in the vignettes. For example, physicians who viewed the diabetes seminar were significantly more likely to order an eye exam for diabetes patients (63%) compared with physicians in the control group (27%). For some guidelines there were no group differences. These results provide early evidence of the effectiveness of online CME programs to improve physician clinical practice.

Online monitoring of food processes using subsurface laser scattering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Jens Michael; Møller, Flemming

Online monitoring of physical parameters during food production is not a trivial task, but promising results can often be obtained with Subsurface Laser Scattering (SLS). The first SLS instruments are on the market today, and studies are needed to asses the potential of the technology. SLS can mo...... of the SLS technology is explained, and results from yoghurt fermentation and foaming of a dairy dessert product is presented....

Youth Online Media Use: Associations with Youth Demographics, Parental Monitoring, and Parent-Child Relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessie Rudi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available As online media has become an increasingly important part of youths’ daily lives, it is critical for the field to explore questions related to youth online media use in order to support youth workers, youth development practice and programming. Using a national sample of youth age 13-22 (N = 585, the current study explored demographic differences in youth online media use, and examined associations between youth demographics, parental monitoring, parent-child relationship quality, and likelihood of being a frequent user of online activities. Although youth reported being frequent users of online media, Internet use was not the same for all youth. Online media use differed significantly by youth age, gender, race, and family relationship quality. The findings remind the field to consider the young people we are working with and how they use online media in their daily lives.

New developments in continuous monitoring of airborne activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.

1987-01-01

Air monitors that operate continuously are used in nuclear facilities to detect unexpected malfunctions in controls that limit levels of airborne radioactivity in occupied area. Monitoring for concentrations of alpha-emitting transuranics is the most difficult task in air monitoring. Workplace monitoring for alpha emitters requires a detection level ∼2% that of nonalpha-emitting radionuclides with a half-life >2 h. Typically, air monitoring is accomplished by passing a volume of the monitored air through a filter to collect the particulates. The filter is located near a detector that monitors the radioactivity of the collected particles and sends an alarm when the activity exceeds established limits. Alpha activity from daughters of thoron and radon, present in all air in variable amounts, hampers monitoring for transuranics. This presentation describes developments that have improved the accuracy and sensitivity for the monitoring of airborne concentration of transuranics

Control and monitoring of On-line Trigger Algorithms using gaucho

CERN Document Server

Van Herwijnen, Eric

2005-01-01

In the LHCb experiment, the trigger decisions are computed by Gaudi (the LHCb software framework) algorithms running on an event filter farm of around 2000 PCs. The control and monitoring of these algorithms has to be integrated in the overall experiment control system (ECS). To enable and facilitate this integration Gaucho, the GAUdi Component Helping Online, was developed. Gaucho consists of three parts: a C++ package integrated with Gaudi, the communications package DIM, and a set of PVSS panels and libraries. PVSS is a commercial SCADA system chosen as toolkit and framework for the LHCb controls system. The C++ package implements monitor service interface (IMonitorSvc) following the Gaudi specifications, with methods to declare variables and histograms for monitoring. Algorithms writers use them to indicate which quantities should be monitored. Since the interface resides in the GaudiKernel the code does not need changing if the monitoring services are not present. The Gaudi main job implements a state ma...

Atomic emission spectroscopy for the on-line monitoring of incineration processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmermans, E.A.H.; de Groote, F.P.J.; Jonkers, J.; Gamero, A.; Sola, A.; Mullen, van der J.J.A.M.

2003-01-01

A diagnostic measurement system based on atomic emission spectroscopy has been developed for the purpose of on-line monitoring of hazardous elements in industrial combustion gases. The aim was to construct a setup with a high durability for rough and variable experimental conditions, e.g. a strongly

ON-Line Monitoring of Instrument Channel Performance: Volume 3: Applications to Nuclear Power Plant Technical Specification Instrumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

E Davis, B Rasmussen

2004-12-31

This report is a guide for a technical specification change submittal and subsequent implementation of on-line monitoring for safety-related applications. This report is the third in a three-volume set. Volume 1, ''Guidelines for Model Development and Implementation'', presents the various tasks that must be completed to prepare models for and to implement an on-line monitoring system.

Non-Dispersive Infrared Sensor for Online Condition Monitoring of Gearbox Oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus S. Rauscher

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The condition of lubricating oil used in automotive and industrial gearboxes must be controlled in order to guarantee optimum performance and prevent damage to machinery parts. In normal practice, this is done by regular oil change intervals and routine laboratory analysis, both of which involve considerable operating costs. In this paper, we present a compact and robust optical sensor that can be installed in the lubrication circuit to provide quasi-continuous information about the condition of the oil. The measuring principle is based on non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy. The implemented sensor setup consists of an optical measurement cell, two thin-film infrared emitters, and two four-channel pyroelectric detectors equipped with optical bandpass filters. We present a method based on multivariate partial least squares regression to select appropriate optical bandpass filters for monitoring the oxidation, water content, and acid number of the oil. We perform a ray tracing analysis to analyze and correct the influence of the light path in the optical setup on the optical parameters of the bandpass filters. The measurement values acquired with the sensor for three different gearbox oil types show high correlation with laboratory reference data for the oxidation, water content, and acid number. The presented sensor can thus be a useful supplementary tool for the online condition monitoring of lubricants when integrated into a gearbox oil circuit.

Towards 24/7 continuous heart rate monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarniceriu, Adrian; Parak, Jakub; Renevey, Philippe; Nurmi, Marko; Bertschi, Mattia; Delgado-Gonzalo, Ricard; Korhonen, Ilkka

2016-08-01

Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) carry rich information about physical activity, mental and physical load, physiological status, and health of an individual. When combined with activity monitoring and personalized physiological modelling, HR/HRV monitoring may be used for monitoring of complex behaviors and impact of behaviors and external factors on the current physiological status of an individual. Optical HR monitoring (OHR) from wrist provides a comfortable and unobtrusive method for HR/HRV monitoring and is better adhered by users than traditional ECG electrodes or chest straps. However, OHR power consumption is significantly higher than that for ECG based methods due to the measurement principle based on optical illumination of the tissue. We developed an algorithmic approach to reduce power consumption of the OHR in 24/7 HR trending. We use continuous activity monitoring and a fast converging frequency domain algorithm to derive a reliable HR estimate in 7.1s (during outdoor sports, in average) to 10.0s (during daily life). The method allows >80% reduction in power consumption in 24/7 OHR monitoring when average HR monitoring is targeted, without significant reduction in tracking accuracy.

Evaluation of an online continuing education program from the perspective of new graduate nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Karaman, Selcuk; Kucuk, Sevda; Aydemir, Melike

2014-05-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the online continuing education program from the perspectives of new graduate nurses. An evaluation framework includes five factors (program and course structure, course materials, technology, support services and assessment). In this study, descriptive research methods were used. Participants of the study included 2.365 registered nurses enrolled in the first online nursing bachelor completion degree program in the country. Data were collected by survey. The findings indicated that students were mostly satisfied with this program. The results of this study suggest that well designed asynchronous online education methods can be effective and appropriate for registered nurses. However, the provision of effective support and technological infrastructure is as vital as the quality of teaching for online learners. © 2013.

Continuous health monitoring of Graphite Epoxy Motorcases (GEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Finlayson, Richard D.; Schaafsma, David T.; Shen, H. Warren; Carlos, Mark F.; Miller, Ronnie K.; Shepherd, Brent

2001-07-01

Following the explosion of Delta 241 (IIR-1) on January 17th, 1997, the failure investigation board concluded that the Graphite Epoxy Motorcases (GEM's) should be inspected for damage just prior to launch. Subsequent investigations and feedback from industry led to an Aerospace Corporation proposal to instrument the entire fleet of GEM's with a continuous health monitoring system. The period of monitoring would extend from the initial acceptance testing through final erection on the launch pad. As this proposal demonstrates, (along with the increasing use of advanced composite materials in aircraft, automobiles, military hardware, and aerospace components such as rocket motorcases) a sizable need for composite health assessment measures exist. Particularly where continuous monitoring is required for the detection of damage from impacts and other sources of high mechanical and thermal stresses. Even low-momentum impacts can lead to barely visible impact damage (BVID), corresponding to a significant weakening of the composite. This damage, undetectable by visual inspection, can in turn lead to sudden and catastrophic failure when the material is subjected to a normal operating load. There is perhaps no system with as much potential for truly catastrophic failure as a rocket motor. We will present an update on our ongoing efforts with the United States Air Force Delta II Program Office, and The Aerospace Corporation. This will cover the development of a local, portable, surface-mounted, fiberoptic sensor based impact damage monitor designed to operate on a Delta II GEM during transport, storage, and handling. This system is designed to continuously monitor the GEMs, to communicate wirelessly with base stations and maintenance personnel, to operate autonomously for extended periods, and to fit unobtrusively on the GEM itself.

Inexpensive on-line alcohol sensor for fermentation monitoring and control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birch, S W; Turner, A P.F.; Ashby, R E

1987-01-01

An inorganic electrochemical fuel cell sensor was interfaced to a microcomputer and used to measure on-line the alcohol concentration in the off-gas of a fermentor. A calibration curve was obtained for methanol (linear range 0-9 g/l) and ethanol (linear range 0-6 g/l) to relate the alcohol concentration in the fermentor liquid with that in the off-gas. The consumption of methanol in a batch fermentation of the methylotroph Ps.BB1 was monitored (sampling frequency of 5 minutes) and compared with samples taken for off-line analysis by GLC. On-line control of the methanol concentration in a fed-batch fermentation was achieved by proportional and integral control. 24 references.

FPGA implementation of a hybrid on-line process monitoring in PC based real-time systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanović Bojan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents one way of FPGA implementation of hybrid (hardware-software based on-line process monitoring in Real-Time systems (RTS. The reasons for RTS monitoring are presented at the beginning. The summary of different RTS monitoring approaches along with its advantages and drawbacks are also exposed. Finally, monitoring module is described in details. Also, FPGA implementation results and some useful monitoring system applications are mentioned.

On-line vibration and loose parts monitoring of nuclear power stations as a preventive maintenance tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An equipment for on-line monitoring of vibrations and loose parts of nuclear power plants is described. The unit consists of piezoelectric transducers, preamplifiers, a data processor, and peripherals. It secures on-line measurement without interfering with the operation of the power plant. A diagram is given showing the monitor of vibrations and loose parts for pressurized water reactors and the Spectra-Scan equipment for the automatic recording and computer processing of noise signals is described. A survey is given of diagnostic methods for internal vibrations, noise and oscillations and procedures for the analysis of recordings are described. The experiences of Atomica International with the observation of vibrations in nuclear power plants are described and an economic assessment is presented of the efficiency of on-line monitoring of these vibrations. A cost-benefit analysis is made of such equipment which justifies their introduction. (B.S.)

DQM4HEP - A Generic Online Monitor for Particle Physics Experiments

CERN Document Server

Coates, Tom; Salvatore, Fabrizio; Cussans, David; Ete, Remi; Irles, Adrian; Mirabito, Lauren; Pingault, Antoine; Wing, Matthew

2018-01-01

Currently there is a lot of activity in R&D for future colliders. Multiple detector prototypes are being tested, each with different requirements for data acquisition and monitoring, which has generated different ad-hoc software solutions. We present DQM4HEP, a generic C++11 framework for online monitoring for particle physics experiments, and results obtained at several testbeams with detector prototypes using the framework as it was developed. We also present the currently ongoing work to integrate DQM4HEP and EUDAQ, which will allow these to work together as a complete and generic DAQ and monitoring system for any detector test, as part of AIDA-2020.

Noninvasive continuous monitoring of digital pulse waves during hemodialysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burkert, Antje; Scholze, Alexandra; Tepel, Martin

2009-01-01

Intermittent hemodynamic instability during hemodialysis treatment is a frequent complication in patients with end-stage renal failure. A noninvasive method for continuous hemodynamic monitoring is needed. We used noninvasive digital photoplethysmography and an algorithm for continuous, investiga...

Online remote monitoring facilities for the ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Kolos, S; The ATLAS collaboration; Feng, E; Hauser, R; Yakovlev, A; Zaytsev, A

2010-01-01

ATLAS is one of the 4 LHC experiments which started to be operated in the collisions mode in 2010. The ATLAS apparatus itself as well as the Trigger and the DAQ system are extremely complex facilities which have been built up by the collaboration including 144 institutes from 33 countries. The effective running of the experiment is supported by a large number of experts distributed all over the world. This paper describes the online remote monitoring system which has been developed in the ATLAS TDAQ community in order to support efficient participation of the experts from remote institutes in the exploitation of the experiment. The facilities provided by the remote monitoring system are ranging from the WEB based access to the general status and data quality for the ongoing data taking session to the scalable service providing real-time mirroring of the detailed monitoring data from the experimental area to the dedicated computers in the CERN public network, where this data is made available to remote users t...

On-line monitoring of low-level plutonium concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofstetter, K.J.; Huff, G.A.; Rebagay, T.V.

1979-10-01

An on-line monitor has been developed to assay plutonium in nitric acid solutions. The performance of the monitor has been assessed by a laboratory experimentation program using solutions with plutonium concentrations from 0.1 to 10 g/l. These conditions are typical of the plutonium solutions in an input stream to a plutonium-purification cycle in a reprocessing plant following uranium/plutonium partitioning. The monitoring system can be fully automated and shows great promise for detecting and quantifying plutonium in situ, thus minimizing the reliance on traditional sampling and laboratory-analysis techniques. The total concentration and isotopic abundance of plutonium are determined by measuring the absolute intensities of the low-energy gamma rays characteristics of 238 Pu, 239 Pu, and 240 Pu nuclides by direct gamma-ray spectroscopy and computer analysis of the spectral data. The addition of a monitoring system of this type to the input stream of a plutonium-purification cycle along with other suitable monitors on the waste streams and on the product stream provides the basis for a near real-time materials control and inventory system. Results of the laboratory-evaluation program employing plutonium in solutions with isotopic compositions typical of those involved in processing light water reactor fuels are presented. The detailed design of a monitoring cell and detection system is given. The precision and accuracy of the results relative to those measured by mass spectrometry and controlled potential coulometry are also summarized

Gems [Guardian Environmental Monitoring System] keeps a continuous eye on gamma-ray emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gould, J.L.

1986-01-01

To enable electricity utilities to demonstrate the very low release rates of radiation emitters from nuclear power stations into the environment, Gems (Guardian Environmental Monitoring System) has been developed. The units have been installed as emergency plume monitors round the perimeter of several British power stations and can be connected to windspeed and direction instrumentation to provide on-line activity release data. (UK)

E-learning on the road: online learning and social media for continuing professional competency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan M Batt

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background The impact of social media and online learning in health professions education has previously shown generally positive results in medical, nursing and pharmacy students. To date there has not been any extensive research into social media and online learning use by prehospital health care professionals such as paramedics. Aim & Methods We sought to identify the extent to which Irish pre-hospital practitioners make use of online learning and social media for continuous professional competency (CPC, and the means by which they do so. A cross-sectional online survey of practitioners was conducted to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The release of the survey was in a controlled manner to PHECC registrants via various channels. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Results A total of 248 respondents completed the survey in full by closing date of 31 March 2015, representing 5.4% of all registrants (n=4,555. 77% of respondents were male, and the majority were registered as Emergency Medical Technicians (49%, followed by Advanced Paramedics (26%. Over 78% of respondents used a mobile device in the course of their clinical duties; the majority used an iOS device. Social media and online learning were considered learning tools by over 75% of respondents, and over 74% agreed they should be further incorporated into prehospital education. The most popular platforms for CPC activities were YouTube and Facebook. The majority of respondents (88% viewed self-directed activities to constitute continuous professional development activity, but 64% felt that an activity that resulted in the awarding of a certificate was better value. Over 90% of respondents had previous experience with online learning, but only 42% indicated they had previously purchased or paid for online learning. Conclusion Prehospital practitioners in Ireland in the population studied consider online learning and social media acceptable for CPC purposes. The main

Development of the advanced on-line BWR core monitoring system TiARA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Yoko; Yamazaki, Hiroshi

1996-01-01

Development of an integrated computer environment to support plant operators and station nuclear engineers is a recent activity. In achieving this goal, an advanced on-line boiling water reactor (BWR) core monitoring system: TiARA has been developed by Toden Software. An integrated design approach was performed through the introduction of recent computer technologies, a sophisticated human/machine interface (HMI) and an advanced nodal method. The first prototype of TiARA was ready in early 1996. This prototype is now undergoing a field test at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa unit 6. After successful completion of this test, the authors will have achieved the following goals: (1) consistency between on-line core monitoring system and off-line core management system; (2) an enhanced HMI and database; (3) user-friendly operability and maintainability; (4) system development from the utilities' standpoint to fully satisfy operator needs

A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor for monitoring drinking water quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Højris, Bo; Christensen, Sarah Christine Boesgaard; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Smith, Christian; Dahlqvist, Mathis

2016-04-04

Today, microbial drinking water quality is monitored through either time-consuming laboratory methods or indirect on-line measurements. Results are thus either delayed or insufficient to support proactive action. A novel, optical, on-line bacteria sensor with a 10-minute time resolution has been developed. The sensor is based on 3D image recognition, and the obtained pictures are analyzed with algorithms considering 59 quantified image parameters. The sensor counts individual suspended particles and classifies them as either bacteria or abiotic particles. The technology is capable of distinguishing and quantifying bacteria and particles in pure and mixed suspensions, and the quantification correlates with total bacterial counts. Several field applications have demonstrated that the technology can monitor changes in the concentration of bacteria, and is thus well suited for rapid detection of critical conditions such as pollution events in drinking water.

Continuous Online Sequence Learning with an Unsupervised Neural Network Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yuwei; Ahmad, Subutar; Hawkins, Jeff

2016-09-14

The ability to recognize and predict temporal sequences of sensory inputs is vital for survival in natural environments. Based on many known properties of cortical neurons, hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) sequence memory recently has been proposed as a theoretical framework for sequence learning in the cortex. In this letter, we analyze properties of HTM sequence memory and apply it to sequence learning and prediction problems with streaming data. We show the model is able to continuously learn a large number of variableorder temporal sequences using an unsupervised Hebbian-like learning rule. The sparse temporal codes formed by the model can robustly handle branching temporal sequences by maintaining multiple predictions until there is sufficient disambiguating evidence. We compare the HTM sequence memory with other sequence learning algorithms, including statistical methods: autoregressive integrated moving average; feedforward neural networks-time delay neural network and online sequential extreme learning machine; and recurrent neural networks-long short-term memory and echo-state networks on sequence prediction problems with both artificial and real-world data. The HTM model achieves comparable accuracy to other state-of-the-art algorithms. The model also exhibits properties that are critical for sequence learning, including continuous online learning, the ability to handle multiple predictions and branching sequences with high-order statistics, robustness to sensor noise and fault tolerance, and good performance without task-specific hyperparameter tuning. Therefore, the HTM sequence memory not only advances our understanding of how the brain may solve the sequence learning problem but is also applicable to real-world sequence learning problems from continuous data streams.

Considerations and benefits of implementing an online database tool for business continuity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackinnon, Susanne; Pinette, Jennifer

2016-01-01

In today's challenging climate of ongoing fiscal restraints, limited resources and complex organisational structures there is an acute need to investigate opportunities to facilitate enhanced delivery of business continuity programmes while maintaining or increasing acceptable levels of service delivery. In 2013, Health Emergency Management British Columbia (HEMBC), responsible for emergency management and business continuity activities across British Columbia's health sector, transitioned its business continuity programme from a manual to automated process with the development of a customised online database, known as the Health Emergency Management Assessment Tool (HEMAT). Key benefits to date include a more efficient business continuity input process, immediate situational awareness for use in emergency response and/or advanced planning and streamlined analyses for generation of reports.

Continuous EEG Monitoring in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kondziella, Daniel; Friberg, Christian Kærsmose; Wellwood, Ian

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Continuous EEG (cEEG) may allow monitoring of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) for delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and seizures, including non-convulsive seizures (NCSz), and non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). We aimed to evaluate: (a) the diagnostic...

Instrumentation for continuous monitoring of low energy cosmic ray intensity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, S; Prasad, R; Yadav, R S [Aligarh Muslim Univ. (India). Dept. of Physics; Naqvi, T H [Z.H. Engineering Coll., Aligarh (India); Ahmed, Rais [National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi (India)

1975-12-01

A high counting rate neutron monitor developed at Aligarh for continuous monitoring of low energy nucleonic component of cosmic rays is described. Transistorized electronic circuits used are described.

Core on-line monitoring and computerized procedures systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gangloff, W.C.

1986-01-01

The availability of operating nuclear power plants has been affected significantly by the difficulty people have in coping with the complexity of the plants and the operating procedures. Two ways to use modern computer technology to ease the burden of coping are discussed in this paper, an on-line core monitoring system with predictive capability and a computerized procedures system using live plant data. These systems reduce human errors by presenting information rather than simply data, using the computer to manipulate the data, but leaving the decisions to the plant operator

Microfluidic setup for on-line SERS monitoring using laser induced nanoparticle spots as SERS active substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oana-M. Buja

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A microfluidic setup which enables on-line monitoring of residues of malachite green (MG using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS is reported. The SERS active substrate was prepared via laser induced synthesis of silver or gold nanoparticles spot on the bottom of a 200 μm inner dimension glass capillary, by focusing the laser beam during a continuous flow of a mixture of silver nitrate or gold chloride and sodium citrate. The described microfluidic setup enables within a few minutes the monitoring of several processes: the synthesis of the SERS active spot, MG adsorption to the metal surface, detection of the analyte when saturation of the SERS signal is reached, and finally, the desorption of MG from the spot. Moreover, after MG complete desorption, the regeneration of the SERS active spot was achieved. The detection of MG was possible down to 10−7 M concentration with a good reproducibility when using silver or gold spots as SERS substrate.

Instrumentation for continuous monitoring of low energy cosmic ray intensity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.; Prasad, R.; Yadav, R.S.; Ahmed, Rais

1975-01-01

A high counting rate neutron monitor developed at Aligarh for continuous monitoring of low energy nucleonic component of cosmic rays is described. Transistorized electronic circuits used are described. (author)

Field experience with advanced methods of on-line monitoring of water chemistry and corrosion degradation in nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stellwag, B.; Aaltonen, P.; Hickling, J.

1997-01-01

Advanced methods for on-line, in-situ water chemistry and corrosion monitoring in nuclear power stations have been developed during the past decade. The terms ''on-line'' and ''in-situ'' characterize approaches involving continuous measurement of relevant parameters in high temperature water, preferably directly in the systems and components and not in removed samples at room temperature. This paper describes the field experience to-date with such methods in terms of three examples: (1) On-line chemistry monitoring of the primary coolant during shutdown of a Type WWER-440 PWR. (2) Redox and corrosion potential measurements in final feedwater preheaters and steam generators of two large KWU PWRs over several cycles of plant operation. (3) Real-time, in-situ corrosion surveillance inside the calundia vault of a CANDU reactor. The way in which water chemistry sensors and corrosion monitoring sensors complement each other is outlined: on-line, in-situ measurement of pH, conductivity and redox potential gives information about the possible corrosivity of the environment. Electrochemical noise techniques display signals of corrosion activity under the actual environmental conditions. A common experience gained from separate use of these different types of sensors has been that new and additional information about plants and their actual process conditions is obtained. Moreover, they reveal the intimate relationship between the operational situation and its consequences for the quality of the working fluid and the corrosion behaviour of the plant materials. On this basis, the efficiency of the existing chemistry sampling and control system can be checked and corrosion degradation can be minimized. Furthermore, activity buildup in the primary circuit can be studied. Further significant advantages can be expected from an integration of these various types of sensors into a common water chemistry and corrosion surveillance system. For confirmation, a complete set of sensors

Continuous monitoring of myocardial acid-base status during intermittent warm blood cardioplegia.

Science.gov (United States)

Graffigna, A C L; Nollo, G; Pederzolli, C; Ferrari, P; Widesott, L; Antolini, R

2002-06-01

Intermittent warm blood cardioplegia (IWBC) is a well-established technique for myocardial protection during cardiac operations. According to standardized protocols, IWBC administration is currently performed every 15-20 min regardless of any individual variable and in the absence of any instrumental monitoring. We devised a new system for continuous measurement of the acid-base status of coronary sinus blood for on-line evaluation of myocardial oxygenation during IWBC. In 19 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery and receiving IWBC (34-37 degrees C) by antegrade induction (3 min) and retrograde or antegrade maintenance (2 min) every 15 min, continuous monitoring of myocardial oxygenation and acid/base status was performed by means of a multiparameter PO(2), PCO(2), pH, and temperature sensor (Paratrend7 (R), Philips Medical System) inserted into the coronary sinus. Mean cross-clamping time was 76+/-26 min; ischemic time was 13+/-0.2 min. pH decline was not linear, showing an initial fast decline, a point of flexus, and a progressive slow decline. After every ischemic period, the pH adaptation curve showed a complex pattern reaching step-by-step lower minimum levels (7.28+/-0.14 during the first ischemic period, to 7.16+/-0.19 during the third ischemic period - P=0.003). PO(2) decreased rapidly at 90% in 5.0+/-1.2 min after every reperfusion. During ischemia, PCO(2) increased steadily at 1.6+/-0.1 mmHg per minute, with progressively incomplete removal after successive reperfusion, and progressive increase of maximal level (42+/-12 mmHg during the first ischemic period, to 53+/-23 mmHg during the third ischemic period - P=0.05). Myocardial oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH show marked changes after repeated IWBC. Myocardial ischemia is not completely reversed by standardized reperfusions, as reflected by steady deterioration of PCO(2) and pH after each reperfusion. Progressive increase of reperfusion durations or

Wiris Quizzes: a continuous assessment system with automatic feedback for online mathematics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Remei Calm

2013-08-01

Full Text Available 0 0 1 148 815 USAL 6 1 962 14.0 Normal 0 21 false false false ES JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:ES; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} In online engineering studies, the monitoring of the learning process as well as the assessment system are key aspects of teaching strategy. This paper examines a continuous assessment system with automatic feedback. It is based on Wiris Quizzes taken over the semester in a Mathematical Analysis course at the Open University of Catalonia. These tests, with parameterized statements, are completed in the Moodle environment with the symbolic calculator program Wiris (www.wiris.com. The results of the teaching experience in a virtual classroom with 65 students and the comparison with earlier semesters are clearly positive: (a the number of students who follow continuous assessment remains stable; (b the average of the continuous assessment marks increases considerably; (c the number of students who fail has been reduced significantly, and (d the satisfaction level of students regarding the subject, its contents and resources has improved notably.

Development of an on-line tritium monitor with gamma-ray rejection and energy discrimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, S.A.; Yule, T.J.; Bennett, E.F.

1981-01-01

With the prospect of large fusion facilities coming on-line in the not-too-distant future, it is becoming increasingly important that an on-line tritium-monitoring system be developed which is capable of detecting small amounts of released tritium. Since tritium oxide is some 400 times as hazardous as elemental tritium, it is necessary to distinguish between the two in order to properly evaluate the hazard. Presently available on-line instrumentation has marginal sensitivity, is unable to distinguish between the two forms of tritium, and has poor discrimination against background gamma radiation and air activation products. The objective of our program is to develop a monitoring system with the capability of distinguishing between the two forms of tritium, detecting tritium with a sensitivity of a fraction of an MPC/sub a/ (1 MPC/sub a/ = 5. x 10 - 6 Ci/M 3 ) for the oxide, and discriminating against gamma activity and airborne activity other than tritium

A Sensor-less Method for Online Thermal Monitoring of Switched Reluctance Machine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Chao; Liu, Hui; Liu, Xiao

2015-01-01

Stator winding is one of the most vulnerable parts in Switched Reluctance Machine (SRM), especially under thermal stresses during frequently changing operation circumstances and susceptible heat dissipation conditions. Thus real-time online thermal monitoring of the stator winding is of great sig...

Online: a program to display histograms and control monitor processes on the WA62 VAX data acquisition system at CERN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hand, R.P.

1981-02-01

ONLINE is a program which can be launched from any terminal on the WA62 experiment's DEC VAX 11/780 computer when the Native mode data acquisition system is running. It is used to display histograms produced by the various experiment monitor processes running under the system and can establish links with such processes to allow the user to issue monitor commands and change internal monitor process parameters. This report describes the criteria used in the design of ONLINE and shows some of the features of the VAX/VMS Operating System which are used to access histograms produced by monitor processes, to establish communications links with monitor processes and to provide the user with an easy to learn system for the examination of online experimental data in a graphical form. Also given, is a brief account of the way monitor processes are structured and how this structure facilitates user-monitor dialogue. (author)

Wearable Contact Lens Biosensors for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Using Smartphones.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsherif, Mohamed; Hassan, Mohammed Umair; Yetisen, Ali K; Butt, Haider

2018-05-17

Low-cost, robust, and reusable continuous glucose monitoring systems that can provide quantitative measurements at point-of-care settings is an unmet medical need. Optical glucose sensors require complex and time-consuming fabrication processes, and their readouts are not practical for quantitative analyses. Here, a wearable contact lens optical sensor was created for the continuous quantification of glucose at physiological conditions, simplifying the fabrication process and facilitating smartphone readouts. A photonic microstructure having a periodicity of 1.6 μm was printed on a glucose-selective hydrogel film functionalized with phenylboronic acid. Upon binding with glucose, the microstructure volume swelled, which modulated the periodicity constant. The resulting change in the Bragg diffraction modulated the space between zero- and first-order spots. A correlation was established between the periodicity constant and glucose concentration within 0-50 mM. The sensitivity of the sensor was 12 nm mM -1 , and the saturation response time was less than 30 min. The sensor was integrated with commercial contact lenses and utilized for continuous glucose monitoring using smartphone camera readouts. The reflected power of the first-order diffraction was measured via a smartphone application and correlated to the glucose concentrations. A short response time of 3 s and a saturation time of 4 min was achieved in the continuous monitoring mode. Glucose-sensitive photonic microstructures may have applications in point-of-care continuous monitoring devices and diagnostics at home settings.

Coarse-Grained Online Monitoring of BTI Aging by Reusing Power-Gating Infrastructure

OpenAIRE

Tenentes, V.; Rossi, D.; Sheng Yang,; Khursheed, S.; Al-Hashimi, B.M.; Gunn, S.R.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a novel coarse-grained technique for monitoring online the Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) aging of circuits by exploiting their power gating infrastructure. The proposed technique relies on monitoring the discharge time of the virtual-power-network during stand-by operations, the value of which depends on the threshold voltage of the CMOS devices in the power-gated design (PGD). It does not require any distributed sensors, because the virtual-power network is alr...

A novel continuous subcutaneous lactate monitoring system.

Science.gov (United States)

Poscia, A; Messeri, D; Moscone, D; Ricci, F; Valgimigli, F

2005-05-15

A novel continuous lactate monitoring system has been developed modifying the GlucoDay portable medical device (A. Menarini Diagnostics), already present in the European market, and used to continuously measure glucose levels. Lactate oxidase based biosensors have been developed immobilising the enzyme on nylon net and placing it on a Pt electrode. The biosensor was connected to the portable device provided with a micro-pump and coupled to a microdialysis system. It is capable to record subcutaneous lactate every 3 min. In vitro analytical results confirmed that the sensors respond linearly in the interval of concentration between 0.1 and 10 mmol/L, covering the whole physiological range. During prolonged monitoring periods, the response of the biosensors remained stable, showing a limited drift of 8%, within 60 h. Stability tests are still on route. However, preliminary results have shown a shelf life of about 10 months. In vivo experiments performed on healthy rabbits have demonstrated the good accuracy and reproducibility of the system. A correlation coefficient equal to 0.9547 (N=80) was found, which represents a good correlation between the GlucoDay and the laboratory reference analyser. A 16 h in vivo monitoring on a healthy volunteer has been also performed.

Monitoring the metering performance of an electronic voltage transformer on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhu; Li, Hongbin; Tang, Dengping; Hu, Chen; Jiao, Yang

2017-10-01

Metering performance is the key parameter of an electronic voltage transformer (EVT), and it requires high accuracy. The conventional off-line calibration method using a standard voltage transformer is not suitable for the key equipment in a smart substation, which needs on-line monitoring. In this article, we propose a method for monitoring the metering performance of an EVT on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis. By the electrical and physical properties of a substation running in three-phase symmetry, the principal component analysis method is used to separate the metering deviation caused by the primary fluctuation and the EVT anomaly. The characteristic statistics of the measured data during operation are extracted, and the metering performance of the EVT is evaluated by analyzing the change in statistics. The experimental results show that the method successfully monitors the metering deviation of a Class 0.2 EVT accurately. The method demonstrates the accurate evaluation of on-line monitoring of the metering performance on an EVT without a standard voltage transformer.

Monitoring the metering performance of an electronic voltage transformer on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhu; Li, Hongbin; Hu, Chen; Jiao, Yang; Tang, Dengping

2017-01-01

Metering performance is the key parameter of an electronic voltage transformer (EVT), and it requires high accuracy. The conventional off-line calibration method using a standard voltage transformer is not suitable for the key equipment in a smart substation, which needs on-line monitoring. In this article, we propose a method for monitoring the metering performance of an EVT on-line based on cyber-physics correlation analysis. By the electrical and physical properties of a substation running in three-phase symmetry, the principal component analysis method is used to separate the metering deviation caused by the primary fluctuation and the EVT anomaly. The characteristic statistics of the measured data during operation are extracted, and the metering performance of the EVT is evaluated by analyzing the change in statistics. The experimental results show that the method successfully monitors the metering deviation of a Class 0.2 EVT accurately. The method demonstrates the accurate evaluation of on-line monitoring of the metering performance on an EVT without a standard voltage transformer. (paper)

First-year experience with the ATLAS online monitoring framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corso-Radu, A

2010-01-01

ATLAS is one of the four experiments in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, which has been put in operation this year. The challenging experimental environment and the extreme detector complexity required development of a highly scalable distributed monitoring framework, which is currently being used to monitor the quality of the data being taken as well as operational conditions of the hardware and software elements of the detector, trigger and data acquisition systems. At the moment the ATLAS Trigger/DAQ system is distributed over more than 1000 computers, which is about one third of the final ATLAS size. At every minute of an ATLAS data taking session the monitoring framework serves several thousands physics events to monitoring data analysis applications, handles more than 4 million histograms updates coming from more than 4 thousands applications, executes 10 thousands advanced data quality checks for a subset of those histograms, displays histograms and results of these checks on several dozens of monitors installed in main and satellite ATLAS control rooms. This note presents the overview of the online monitoring software framework, and describes the experience, which was gained during an extensive commissioning period as well as at the first phase of LHC beam in September 2008. Performance results, obtained on the current ATLAS DAQ system will also be presented, showing that the performance of the framework is adequate for the final ATLAS system.

Online nutrition and T2DM continuing medical education course launched on state-level medical association.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Kristen K; Murano, Peter S

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a 1-hour online continuing medical education (CME) course focused on nutrition for type 2 diabetes would result in a gain in nutrition knowledge by practicing physicians. A practicing physician and dietitian collaborated to develop an online CME course (both webinar and self-study versions) on type 2 diabetes. This 1-hour accredited course was launched through the state-level medical association's education library, available to all physicians. Physicians (n=43) registered for the course, and of those, 31 completed the course in its entirety. A gain in knowledge was found when comparing pre- versus post-test scores related to the online nutrition CME ( P Online CME courses launched via state-level medical associations offer convenient continuing education to assist practicing physicians in addressing patient nutrition and lifestyle concerns related to chronic disease. The present diabetes CME one-credit course allowed physicians to develop basic nutrition care concepts on this topic to assist patients in a better way.

Pilot-scale application of an online VFA sensor for monitoring and control of a manure digester

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boe, Kanokwan; Angelidaki, Irini

2012-01-01

A volatile fatty acids (VFA) sensor based on headspace chromatography was tested for online monitoring and control of a pilot-scale manure digester. The sensor showed satisfying results in terms of sensitivity and reliability for monitoring of the digester. The online VFA and biogas production data...... parameter for optimization, it could not distinguish between the decreases of biogas production from inhibition and from lower organic content in the substrate, which resulted in undesired decreasing of the control gas setpoint when the substrate was diluted. It was necessary to adjust the yield parameter...

On-line electrochemical monitoring of microbially influenced corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowling, N.J.E.; Stansbury, E.E.; White, D.C.; Borenstein, S.W.; Danko, J.C.

1989-01-01

Newly emerging electrochemical measurement techniques can provide on-line, non-destructive monitoring of the average corrosion rate and indications of localized pitting corrosion together with insight into fundamental electrochemical mechanisms responsible for the corrosion process. This information is relevant to evaluating, monitoring, understanding and controlling microbially influenced corrosion (MIC). MIC of coupons exposed in sidestream devices on site or in laboratory-based experiments, where the corrosion response is accelerated by exposure to active consortia of microbes recovered from specific sites, can be utilized to evaluate mitigation strategies. The average corrosion rates can be determined by small amplitude cyclic voltametry (SACV), and AC impedance spectroscopy (EIS). EIS can also give insight into the mechanisms of the MIC and indications of localized corrosion. Pitting corrosion can be detected non-destructively with open circuit potential monitoring (OCP). OCP also responds to bacterial biofilm activities such as oxygen depletion and other electrochemical activities. Utilizing these methods, accelerated tests can be designed to direct the selection of materials, surface treatments of materials, and welding filler materials, as well as the optimization of chemical and mechanical countermeasures with the microbial consortia recovered and characterized from the specific sites of interest

The importance of on-line monitoring systems within the environmental monitoring program of the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, L.A.; Winter, M.; Schmitt, A.

1980-10-01

The two on-line monitoring systems used in KfK environmental monitoring should be taken as measures of accident precaution and they are restricted to measurement of gamma local dose rates and of the (β + γ)-radiation levels. One of the systems serves to monitor the KfK operational area, the second serves to monitor the surrounding communities up to a radius of 8 km. By use of two different types of detectors the first system covers a range of measurement of 10 μrem/h to 1000 rem/h. By the second system only increases in the radiation level can be detected. It allows to record accidents in which countermeasures must be taken very urgently. The two monitoring systems are described which have been operated and partly been developed at the KfK. The possibilities and limits of using them for environmental monitoring are discussed. (orig./HP) [de

Enzyme and inhibition assay of urease by continuous monitoring of the ammonium formation based on capillary electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoxia; Yang, Jiqing; Sun, Shucheng; Guo, Liping; Yang, Li

2016-10-01

We present here an easy-to-operate and efficient method for enzyme and inhibition assays of urease, which is a widely distributed and important enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and CO 2 . The assay was achieved by integrating CE technique and rapid on-line derivatization method, allowing us to continuously drive the sample to the capillary, thus to measure the amount of the product ammonia from the beginning to the end of the reaction. The method exhibits excellent repeatability with RSD as low as 2.5% for the initial reaction rate (n = 5), with the LOD of ammonia of 20 μM (S/N = 5). The enzyme activity as well as the inhibition of urease by Cu 2+ were investigated using the present method. The results show that Cu 2+ is a noncompetitive inhibitor on urease, in accordance with the result published in the literature. The enzyme activity and inhibition kinetic constants were obtained and were found to be consistent with the results of traditional off-line enzyme assays. Our study indicates that the present approach is a reliable and convenient method for analysis of the urease activity and inhibition kinetics by continuous on-line monitoring of the ammonium formation based on CE. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Monitor System for the LHCb on-line farm

CERN Document Server

Bonifazi, F; Carbone, A; Galli, D; Gregori, D; Marconi, U; Peco, G; Vagnoni, V

2005-01-01

The aim of the LHCb on-line farm Monitor System is to keep under control all the working indicators which are relevant for the farm operation, and to set the appropriate alarms whenever an error or a critical condition comes up. Since the most stressing tasks of the farm are the data transfer and processing, relevant indicators includes the CPU and the memory load of the system, the network interface and the TCP/IP stack parameters, the rates of the interrupts raised by the network interface card and the detailed status of the running processes. The monitoring of computers’ physical conditions (temperatures, fan speeds and motherboard voltages) are the subject of a separate technical note, since they are accessed in a different way, by using the IPMI protocol.

On-line surveillance system for Borssele nuclear power plant monitoring and diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuerkcan, E.; Ciftcioglu, Oe.

1993-08-01

An operating on-line surveillance and diagnostic system is described where information processing for monitoring and fault diagnosis and plant maintenance are addressed. The surveillance system by means of its realtime multiprocessing, multitasking execution capabilities can perform plant-wide and wide-range monitoring for enhanced plant safety and operational reliability as well as enhanced maintenance. At the same time the system provides the possibilities for goal-oriented research and development such as estimation, filtering, verification and validation and neural networks. (orig./HP)

Online monitoring of cracking in concrete structures using embedded piezoelectric transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumoulin, C; Karaiskos, G; Deraemaeker, A; Sener, J-Y

2014-01-01

Online damage detection is of great interest in the field of concrete structures and, more generally, within the construction industry. Current economic requirements impose the reduction of the operating costs related to such inspection while the security and the reliability of structures must constantly be improved. In this paper, nondestructive testing is applied using piezoelectric transducers embedded in concrete structures. These transducers are especially adapted for online ultrasonic monitoring, due to their low cost, small size, and broad frequency band. These recent transducers are called smart aggregates. The technique of health monitoring developed in this study is based on a ultrasonic pulse velocity test with an embedded ultrasonic emitter-receiver pair (pitch-catch). The damage indicator focuses on the early wave arrival. The Belgian company MS3 takes an interest in evaluating the quality of the concrete around the anchorage system of highway security barriers after important shocks. The failure mechanism can be viewed as a combination of a bending and the failure of the anchorages. Accordingly, the monitoring technique has been applied both on a three-points bending test and several pull-out tests. The results indicate a very high sensitivity of the method, which is able to detect the crack initiation phase and follow the crack propagation over the entire duration of the test. (paper)

Semi-continuous on-line uranium ore analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, P.; Gurdy, E.M.; Hatchowski, L.

1984-01-01

The efficient process control of a uranium mill and its associated mining operation requires a nearly continuous knowledge of the uranium concentration in the ore. Generally, the approach is to use laboratory assays of grab samples from the mill feed belt. In some cases, elaborate and expensive systems have been used to ensure random sampling, but even with these systems, mass-balance discrepancies still exist. There is a requirement for an on-line instrument that can give a prompt, accurate analysis of a large portion of the feed stock. The authors have recently evaluated a laboratory system that achieves these goals using neutron activation and delayed neutron counting. The development of the on-line uranium ore analyzer is a consequence of previous work done at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment (WNRE) (Campbell et al., 1978 and 1981), and is based on the emission of delayed neutrons after the neutron irradiation of fissionable materials. The mechanism of delayed neutron emission has been described (Keepin, 1965), but briefly is as follows. The fission fragments resulting from irradiation are in an excited state. Certain of these delayed fission products, precursors, decay to a more stable state by the emission of a delayed neutron. The delayed neutrons can be divided into six groups with effective half-lives ranging from 0.2-55 sec. It is important to note that more than 50% of the delayed neutrons are emitted within the first 6 sec after irradiation; this has an influence on the design of the analysis instrument

A simple method using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Nolan S; Beauchemin, Diane

2012-03-02

A simple method for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic (As) in rice was developed using a continuous on-line leaching method to release the bio-accessible fraction. The continuous on-line leaching method has several advantages over commonly used batch methods including quicker and easier sample preparation, reduced risk of contamination and access to real time leaching data. The bio-accessibility of As in the samples was monitored using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from a certified reference material as well as cooked and uncooked white rice showed that the majority of As was leached by saliva. Results obtained using the continuous on-line leaching method were comparable to those obtained using a batch method. Speciation analysis of the saliva leachate was performed using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic forms of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)) were clearly separated within 5 min in a single chromatographic run. Over 92% of bio-accessible As in the certified reference material and uncooked white rice sample was in the form of DMA and As(V), whereas it was present as DMA and As(III) in the cooked white rice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Self-Reporting Photocatalyst for Online Fluorescence Monitoring of High Throughput RAFT Polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeow, Jonathan; Joshi, Sanket; Chapman, Robert; Boyer, Cyrille Andre Jean Marie

2018-04-25

Translating controlled/living radical polymerization (CLRP) from batch to the high throughput production of polymer libraries presents several challenges in terms of both polymer synthesis and characterization. Although recently there have been significant advances in the field of low volume, high throughput CLRP, techniques able to simultaneously monitor multiple polymerizations in an "online" manner have not yet been developed. Here, we report our discovery that 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine zinc (ZnTPP) is a self-reporting photocatalyst that can mediate PET-RAFT polymerization as well as report on monomer conversion via changes in its fluorescence properties. This enables the use of a microplate reader to conduct high throughput "online" monitoring of PET-RAFT polymerizations performed directly in 384-well, low volume microtiter plates. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The new FTU continuous monitoring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertocchi, A [Euratom-ENEA Association, Frascati Research Center, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Rome) (Italy); Podda, S [Euratom-ENEA Association, Frascati Research Center, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Rome) (Italy); Vitale, V [Euratom-ENEA Association, Frascati Research Center, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Rome) (Italy)

2005-11-15

The Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) continuous (slow) data acquisition system has been redesigned to allow easy monitoring of the status of the plant. In the new system 'Opto22(TM)' modules, which use Ethernet as fieldbus, substitute the old 'programmable logic controller (PLC)' devices allowing easy access to and display of many continuous measurements. Data collected by 'Opto22' modules are stored in a 'MySQL' database via a driver written in C++ language. A 'CORBA' server, running on the same machine hosting the 'MySQL' server, allows the database access from any remote client regardless of the local platform. A remarkable aspect looks out for the use of totally free software packages. This new architecture overcomes the limitations of the previous monitoring system:*an interface based on internet browser allows to easily configure Opto22 modules and MySQL database; a graphical interface, developed in Java, allows data management and visualization; the above operations are completely platform independent. In addition the CORBA server introduces the advantages of:hardware independence, thus allowing maximum flexibility in the choice of platforms and system components; both network and programming languages being completely transparent. This paper will present the new system architecture, last results and future developments.

The new FTU continuous monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertocchi, A.; Podda, S.; Vitale, V.

2005-01-01

The Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) continuous (slow) data acquisition system has been redesigned to allow easy monitoring of the status of the plant. In the new system 'Opto22(TM)' modules, which use Ethernet as fieldbus, substitute the old 'programmable logic controller (PLC)' devices allowing easy access to and display of many continuous measurements. Data collected by 'Opto22' modules are stored in a 'MySQL' database via a driver written in C++ language. A 'CORBA' server, running on the same machine hosting the 'MySQL' server, allows the database access from any remote client regardless of the local platform. A remarkable aspect looks out for the use of totally free software packages. This new architecture overcomes the limitations of the previous monitoring system:*an interface based on internet browser allows to easily configure Opto22 modules and MySQL database; a graphical interface, developed in Java, allows data management and visualization; the above operations are completely platform independent. In addition the CORBA server introduces the advantages of:hardware independence, thus allowing maximum flexibility in the choice of platforms and system components; both network and programming languages being completely transparent. This paper will present the new system architecture, last results and future developments

Tandem on-line continuous separations for atomic spectroscopic indirect analysis: iodide determination by ICP-AES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, A.M.; Sanchez Uria, J.E.; Sanz-Medel, A.; Quintero Ortega, M.C.; Bautista, J.C.

1992-01-01

A sensitive and selective indirect determination of iodide by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) based on the principle of tandem on-line continuous separations as an alternative means of introducing samples into plasmas is proposed. Iodide is continuously extracted as an ion-pair into xylene by mixing the sample with Hg(II) and dipyridil solutions. The organic phase (containing the analyte in [Hg(Dipy) 2 ]I 2 form) is on-line continuously mixed with NaBH 4 (in DMF) and acetic acid solutions. Mercury vapour continuously generated from this organic phase is separated in a classical U-type gas-liquid separation device. The system has been optimized for the continuous extraction of KI, for the direct generation of cold mercury vapour from xylene and for the final ICP-AES determination of mercury. The optimised method has been applied to the determination of iodide (detection limit 20 ng/ml of iodide) in table salt and in synthetic samples. Very good agreement between found and certified results was observed. The usefulness and convenience of such alternative sample chemical pretreatment/presentation to the ICP is thus demonstrated for indirect determinations to be carried out by atomic spectroscopy methods. (authors)

Validation of Remote Sensing Retrieval Products using Data from a Wireless Sensor-Based Online Monitoring in Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiuhong; Cheng, Xiao; Yang, Rongjin; Liu, Qiang; Qiu, Yubao; Zhang, Jialin; Cai, Erli; Zhao, Long

2016-01-01

Of the modern technologies in polar-region monitoring, the remote sensing technology that can instantaneously form large-scale images has become much more important in helping acquire parameters such as the freezing and melting of ice as well as the surface temperature, which can be used in the research of global climate change, Antarctic ice sheet responses, and cap formation and evolution. However, the acquirement of those parameters is impacted remarkably by the climate and satellite transit time which makes it almost impossible to have timely and continuous observation data. In this research, a wireless sensor-based online monitoring platform (WSOOP) for the extreme polar environment is applied to obtain a long-term series of data which is site-specific and continuous in time. Those data are compared and validated with the data from a weather station at Zhongshan Station Antarctica and the result shows an obvious correlation. Then those data are used to validate the remote sensing products of the freezing and melting of ice and the surface temperature and the result also indicated a similar correlation. The experiment in Antarctica has proven that WSOOP is an effective system to validate remotely sensed data in the polar region. PMID:27869668

Continuous wireless pressure monitoring and mapping with ultra-small passive sensors for health monitoring and critical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lisa Y; Tee, Benjamin C-K; Chortos, Alex L; Schwartz, Gregor; Tse, Victor; Lipomi, Darren J; Wong, H-S Philip; McConnell, Michael V; Bao, Zhenan

2014-10-06

Continuous monitoring of internal physiological parameters is essential for critical care patients, but currently can only be practically achieved via tethered solutions. Here we report a wireless, real-time pressure monitoring system with passive, flexible, millimetre-scale sensors, scaled down to unprecedented dimensions of 1 × 1 × 0.1 cubic millimeters. This level of dimensional scaling is enabled by novel sensor design and detection schemes, which overcome the operating frequency limits of traditional strategies and exhibit insensitivity to lossy tissue environments. We demonstrate the use of this system to capture human pulse waveforms wirelessly in real time as well as to monitor in vivo intracranial pressure continuously in proof-of-concept mice studies using sensors down to 2.5 × 2.5 × 0.1 cubic millimeters. We further introduce printable wireless sensor arrays and show their use in real-time spatial pressure mapping. Looking forward, this technology has broader applications in continuous wireless monitoring of multiple physiological parameters for biomedical research and patient care.

Continuous Air Monitor Operating Experience Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadwallader, L.C.; Bruyere, S.A.

2008-01-01

Continuous air monitors (CAMs) are used to sense radioactive particulates in room air of nuclear facilities. CAMs alert personnel of potential inhalation exposures to radionuclides and can also actuate room ventilation isolation for public and environmental protection. This paper presents the results of a CAM operating experience review of the DOE Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) database from the past 18 years. Regulations regarding these monitors are briefly reviewed. CAM location selection and operation are briefly discussed. Operating experiences reported by the U.S. Department of Energy and in other literature sources were reviewed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these monitors. Power losses, human errors, and mechanical issues cause the majority of failures. The average 'all modes' failure rate is 2.65E-05/hr. Repair time estimates vary from an average repair time of 9 hours (with spare parts on hand) to 252 hours (without spare parts on hand). These data should support the use of CAMs in any nuclear facility, including the National Ignition Facility and the international ITER experiment

Development and Validation of an On-Line Water Toxicity Sensor with Immobilized Luminescent Bacteria for On-Line Surface Water Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Woutersen, Marjolijn; van der Gaag, Bram; Abrafi Boakye, Afua; Mink, Jan; Marks, Robert S; Wagenvoort, Arco J; Ketelaars, Henk A M; Brouwer, Bram; Heringa, Minne B

2017-11-22

Surface water used for drinking water production is frequently monitored in The Netherlands using whole organism biomonitors, with for example Daphnia magna or Dreissena mussels, which respond to changes in the water quality. However, not all human-relevant toxic compounds can be detected by these biomonitors. Therefore, a new on-line biosensor has been developed, containing immobilized genetically modified bacteria, which respond to genotoxicity in the water by emitting luminescence. The performance of this sensor was tested under laboratory conditions, as well as under field conditions at a monitoring station along the river Meuse in The Netherlands. The sensor was robust and easy to clean, with inert materials, temperature control and nutrient feed for the reporter organisms. The bacteria were immobilized in sol-gel on either an optical fiber or a glass slide and then continuously exposed to water. Since the glass slide was more sensitive and robust, only this setup was used in the field. The sensor responded to spikes of genotoxic compounds in the water with a minimal detectable concentration of 0.01 mg/L mitomycin C in the laboratory and 0.1 mg/L mitomycin C in the field. With further optimization, which should include a reduction in daily maintenance, the sensor has the potential to become a useful addition to the currently available biomonitors.

Development and Validation of an On-Line Water Toxicity Sensor with Immobilized Luminescent Bacteria for On-Line Surface Water Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjolijn Woutersen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Surface water used for drinking water production is frequently monitored in The Netherlands using whole organism biomonitors, with for example Daphnia magna or Dreissena mussels, which respond to changes in the water quality. However, not all human-relevant toxic compounds can be detected by these biomonitors. Therefore, a new on-line biosensor has been developed, containing immobilized genetically modified bacteria, which respond to genotoxicity in the water by emitting luminescence. The performance of this sensor was tested under laboratory conditions, as well as under field conditions at a monitoring station along the river Meuse in The Netherlands. The sensor was robust and easy to clean, with inert materials, temperature control and nutrient feed for the reporter organisms. The bacteria were immobilized in sol-gel on either an optical fiber or a glass slide and then continuously exposed to water. Since the glass slide was more sensitive and robust, only this setup was used in the field. The sensor responded to spikes of genotoxic compounds in the water with a minimal detectable concentration of 0.01 mg/L mitomycin C in the laboratory and 0.1 mg/L mitomycin C in the field. With further optimization, which should include a reduction in daily maintenance, the sensor has the potential to become a useful addition to the currently available biomonitors.

Development of on-line monitoring system for flow accelerated corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, N.Y.; Lee, S.G.; Hwang, I.S.; Kim, J.T.; Luk, V.K.

2005-01-01

Aged nuclear piping has been reported to undergo corrosion-induced accelerated failures, often without giving signatures to current inspection campaigns. Therefore, we need diverse sensors which can cover wide area in the on-line application. We suggested integrated approach to monitor the FAC-susceptible piping. Since FAC is a combined phenomenon, we need to monitor as many parameters as possible, and that cover wide area, since we don't know where the FAC occurs. For this purpose, we introduced wearing rate model, which concentrates on the electrochemical parameters. By the model, we can predict the wearing rate and then can compare the testing result. After we identified feasibility by analytical way, we developed electrochemical sensors for high temperature application, and introduced mechanical monitoring system, which is still under development. To support the validation of the monitored results, we adopted high temperature UT, which shows good resolution in the testing environment. By this way, all the monitored results can be compared in terms of thickness. Validation test shows the feasibility of sensors. To support direct thickness measurement for wide-area, Direct Current Potential Drop method will be researched to integrate to the developed framework. (authors)

Instantaneous angular speed monitoring of gearboxes under non-cyclic stationary load conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Stander, C. J.; Heyns, P. S.

2005-07-01

Recent developments in the condition monitoring and asset management market have led to the commercialisation of online vibration-monitoring systems. These systems are primarily utilised to monitor large mineral mining equipment such as draglines, continuous miners and hydraulic shovels. Online monitoring systems make diagnostic information continuously available for asset management, production outsourcing and maintenance alliances with equipment manufacturers. However, most online vibration-monitoring systems are based on conventional vibration-monitoring technologies, which are prone to giving false equipment deterioration warnings on gears that operate under fluctuating load conditions. A simplified mathematical model of a gear system was developed to illustrate the feasibility of monitoring the instantaneous angular speed (IAS) as a means of monitoring the condition of gears that are subjected to fluctuating load conditions. A distinction is made between cyclic stationary load modulation and non-cyclic stationary load modulation. It is shown that rotation domain averaging will suppress the modulation caused by non-cyclic stationary load conditions but will not suppress the modulation caused by cyclic stationary load conditions. An experimental investigation on a test rig indicated that the IAS of a gear shaft could be monitored with a conventional shaft encoder to indicate a deteriorating gear fault condition.

Experiences and perceptions of online continuing professional development among clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldacker, Caryl; Jacob, Sheena; Chung, Michael H; Nartker, Anya; Kim, H Nina

2017-12-29

Limitations in healthcare worker (HCW) capacity compound the burden of dual TB and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. To fill gaps in knowledge and skills, effective continuing profession development (CPD) initiatives are needed to support practicing HCWs reach high standards of care. e-learning opportunities can bring expert knowledge to HCWs in the field and provide a flexible learning option adaptable to local settings. Few studies provide insight into HCW experiences with online CPD in the developing country context. An online survey using both close-ended and free response was conducted to HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa who completed the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine online graduate course, "Clinical Management of HIV." Associations between respondent characteristics (age, gender, rural/urban, job title) and learning preferences, course barriers, and facilitators with an emphasis on online courses were examined using chi-square. Covariates significant at the p online course from work, noting that slow (55%) or limited (41%) internet as well as lack of time (53%) were barriers to course completion. Women (p online courses by noting the knowledge gains, the flexibility of format, a desire for recognition of course completion, and a request for additional online coursework. Online CPD opportunities were accepted across a diverse group of HCWs from sub-Saharan Africa and should be expanded to provide more flexible opportunities for self-initiated learning; however, these need to be responsive to the limited resources of those who seek these courses.

On-Line Fission Gas Release Monitoring System in the High Flux Reactor Petten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laurie, M.; Fuetterer, M. A.; Appelman, K.H.; Lapetite, J.-M.; Marmier, A.; Knol, S.; Best, J.

2013-06-01

For HTR fuel irradiation tests in the HFR Petten a specific installation was designed and installed dubbed the 'Sweep Loop Facility' (SLF). The SLF is tasked with three functions, namely temperature control by gas mixture technique, surveillance of safety parameters (temperature, pressure, radioactivity etc.) and analysis of fission gas release for three individual capsules in two separate experimental rigs. The SLF enables continuous and independent surveillance of all gas circuits. The release of volatile fission products (FP) from the in-pile experiments is monitored by continuous gas purging. The fractional release of these FP, defined as the ratio between release rate of a gaseous fission isotope (measured) to its instantaneous birth rate (calculated), is a licensing-relevant test for HTR fuel. The developed gamma spectrometry station allows for higher measurement frequencies, thus enabling follow-up of rapid and massive release transients. The designed stand-alone system was tested and fully used through the final irradiation period of the HFR-EU1 experiment which was terminated on 18 February 2010. Its robustness allowed the set up to be used as extra safety instrumentation. This paper describes the gas activity measurement technique based on HPGe gamma spectrometry and illustrates how qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile FP can be performed on-line. (authors)

Framework for Structural Online Health Monitoring of Aging and Degradation of Secondary Systems due to some Aspects of Erosion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gribok, Andrei [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Patnaik, Sobhan [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Williams, Christian [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Pattanaik, Marut [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kanakala, Raghunath [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-09-01

This report describes the current state of research related to critical aspects of erosion and selected aspects of degradation of secondary components in nuclear power plants. The report also proposes a framework for online health monitoring of aging and degradation of secondary components. The framework consists of an integrated multi-sensor modality system which can be used to monitor different piping configurations under different degradation conditions. The report analyses the currently known degradation mechanisms and available predictive models. Based on this analysis, the structural health monitoring framework is proposed. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program began to evaluate technologies that could be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial NPPs. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real-time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for the majority of nuclear power generation costs. There is unanimous agreement between industry experts and academic researchers that identifying and prioritizing inspection locations in secondary piping systems (for example, in raw water piping or diesel piping) would eliminate many excessive in-service inspections. The proposed structural health monitoring framework takes aim at answering this challenge by combining long-range guided wave technologies with other monitoring techniques, which can significantly increase the inspection length and pinpoint the locations that degraded the most. More widely, the report suggests research efforts aimed at developing, validating, and deploying online corrosion monitoring techniques for complex geometries, which are pervasive in NPPs.

Framework for Structural Online Health Monitoring of Aging and Degradation of Secondary Systems due to some Aspects of Erosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gribok, Andrei; Patnaik, Sobhan; Williams, Christian; Pattanaik, Marut; Kanakala, Raghunath

2016-01-01

This report describes the current state of research related to critical aspects of erosion and selected aspects of degradation of secondary components in nuclear power plants. The report also proposes a framework for online health monitoring of aging and degradation of secondary components. The framework consists of an integrated multi-sensor modality system which can be used to monitor different piping configurations under different degradation conditions. The report analyses the currently known degradation mechanisms and available predictive models. Based on this analysis, the structural health monitoring framework is proposed. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program began to evaluate technologies that could be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial NPPs. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real-time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for the majority of nuclear power generation costs. There is unanimous agreement between industry experts and academic researchers that identifying and prioritizing inspection locations in secondary piping systems (for example, in raw water piping or diesel piping) would eliminate many excessive in-service inspections. The proposed structural health monitoring framework takes aim at answering this challenge by combining long-range guided wave technologies with other monitoring techniques, which can significantly increase the inspection length and pinpoint the locations that degraded the most. More widely, the report suggests research efforts aimed at developing, validating, and deploying online corrosion monitoring techniques for complex geometries, which are pervasive in NPPs.

Corrosion Rate Monitoring in District Heating Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel; Nielsen, Lars Vendelbo; Andersen, A.

2005-01-01

be applicable, and if on-line monitoring could improve the quality control. Water quality monitoring was applied as well as corrosion rate monitoring with linear polarization resistance (LPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electrical resistance (ER) technique, mass loss and a crevice corrosion......Quality control in district heating systems to keep uniform corrosion rates low and localized corrosion minimal is based on water quality control. Side-stream units equipped with carbon steel probes for online monitoring were mounted in district heating plants to investigate which techniques would...... cell for localized corrosion risk estimation. Important variations in corrosion rate due to changes in make-up water quality were detected with the continuous monitoring provided by ER and crevice cell, while LPR gave unreliable corrosion rates. The acquisition time of two-three days for EIS...

On-line acquisition of plant related and environmental parameters (plant monitoring) in gerbera: determining plant responses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baas, R.; Slootweg, G.

2004-01-01

For on-line plant monitoring equipment to be functional in commercial glasshouse horticulture, relations between sensor readings and plant responses on both the short (days) and long term (weeks) are required. For this reason, systems were installed to monitor rockwool grown gerbera plants on a

On-line fatigue monitoring and margins probabilistic assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fournier, I.; Morilhat, P.

1993-01-01

An on-line computer aided system has been developed by Electricite de France, the French utility, for a fatigue monitoring of critical locations in the nuclear steam supply system. This tool, called fatiguemeter, includes as input data only existing plant parameters and is based on some conservative assumptions at several steps of the damage assessment (thermal boundary conditions, stress computation...). This paper presents recent developments performed toward a better assessing of margins involved in the complete analysis. The methodology is enlightened with an example showing the influence of plant parameters incertitude on the final stress computed at a PWR 900 MW unit pressurizer surge line nozzle. (author)

Nanofluidic device for continuous multiparameter quality assurance of biologics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Sung Hee; Chandra, Divya; Ouyang, Wei; Kwon, Taehong; Karande, Pankaj; Han, Jongyoon

2017-08-01

Process analytical technology (PAT) is critical for the manufacture of high-quality biologics as it enables continuous, real-time and on-line/at-line monitoring during biomanufacturing processes. The conventional analytical tools currently used have many restrictions to realizing the PAT of current and future biomanufacturing. Here we describe a nanofluidic device for the continuous monitoring of biologics' purity and bioactivity with high sensitivity, resolution and speed. Periodic and angled nanofilter arrays served as the molecular sieve structures to conduct a continuous size-based analysis of biologics. A multiparameter quality monitoring of three separate commercial biologic samples within 50 minutes has been demonstrated, with 20 µl of sample consumption, inclusive of dead volume in the reservoirs. Additionally, a proof-of-concept prototype system, which integrates an on-line sample-preparation system and the nanofluidic device, was demonstrated for at-line monitoring. Thus, the system is ideal for on-site monitoring, and the real-time quality assurance of biologics throughout the biomanufacturing processes.

40 CFR 65.161 - Continuous records and monitoring system data handling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... section. (D) Owners and operators shall retain the current description of the monitoring system as long as... Routing to a Fuel Gas System or a Process § 65.161 Continuous records and monitoring system data handling...) Monitoring system breakdowns, repairs, preventive maintenance, calibration checks, and zero (low-level) and...

On-line monitoring of the crystallization process: relationship between crystal size and electrical impedance spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yanlin; Yao, Jun; Wang, Mi

2016-01-01

On-line monitoring of crystal size in the crystallization process is crucial to many pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industrial applications. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for the on-line monitoring of the cooling crystallization process of L-glutamic acid (LGA) using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS method can be used to monitor the growth of crystal particles relying on the presence of an electrical double layer on the charged particle surface and the polarization of double layer under the excitation of alternating electrical field. The electrical impedance spectra and crystal size were measured on-line simultaneously by an impedance analyzer and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM), respectively. The impedance spectra were analyzed using the equivalent circuit model and the equivalent circuit elements in the model can be obtained by fitting the experimental data. Two equivalent circuit elements, including capacitance ( C 2 ) and resistance ( R 2 ) from the dielectric polarization of the LGA solution and crystal particle/solution interface, are in relation with the crystal size. The mathematical relationship between the crystal size and the equivalent circuit elements can be obtained by a non-linear fitting method. The function can be used to predict the change of crystal size during the crystallization process. (paper)

On-line, continuous monitoring in solar cell and fuel cell manufacturing using spectral reflectance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sopori, Bhushan; Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael

2016-01-12

A monitoring system 100 comprising a material transport system 104 providing for the transportation of a substantially planar material 102, 107 through the monitoring zone 103 of the monitoring system 100. The system 100 also includes a line camera 106 positioned to obtain multiple line images across a width of the material 102, 107 as it is transported through the monitoring zone 103. The system 100 further includes an illumination source 108 providing for the illumination of the material 102, 107 transported through the monitoring zone 103 such that light reflected in a direction normal to the substantially planar surface of the material 102, 107 is detected by the line camera 106. A data processing system 110 is also provided in digital communication with the line camera 106. The data processing system 110 is configured to receive data output from the line camera 106 and further configured to calculate and provide substantially contemporaneous information relating to a quality parameter of the material 102, 107. Also disclosed are methods of monitoring a quality parameter of a material.

Unattended reaction monitoring using an automated microfluidic sampler and on-line liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Darshan C; Lyu, Yaqi Fara; Gandarilla, Jorge; Doherty, Steve

2018-04-03

In-process sampling and analysis is an important aspect of monitoring kinetic profiles and impurity formation or rejection, both in development and during commercial manufacturing. In pharmaceutical process development, the technology of choice for a substantial portion of this analysis is high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Traditionally, the sample extraction and preparation for reaction characterization have been performed manually. This can be time consuming, laborious, and impractical for long processes. Depending on the complexity of the sample preparation, there can be variability introduced by different analysts, and in some cases, the integrity of the sample can be compromised during handling. While there are commercial instruments available for on-line monitoring with HPLC, they lack capabilities in many key areas. Some do not provide integration of the sampling and analysis, while others afford limited flexibility in sample preparation. The current offerings provide a limited number of unit operations available for sample processing and no option for workflow customizability. This work describes development of a microfluidic automated program (MAP) which fully automates the sample extraction, manipulation, and on-line LC analysis. The flexible system is controlled using an intuitive Microsoft Excel based user interface. The autonomous system is capable of unattended reaction monitoring that allows flexible unit operations and workflow customization to enable complex operations and on-line sample preparation. The automated system is shown to offer advantages over manual approaches in key areas while providing consistent and reproducible in-process data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Online monitoring of printed electronics by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

KAUST Repository

Alarousu, Erkki

2013-03-28

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is an optical method capable of 3D imaging of object\\'s internal structure with micron-scale resolution. Modern SD-OCT tools offer the speed capable of online monitoring of printed devices. This paper demonstrates the use of SD-OCT in a simulated roll-to-roll (R2R) process through monitoring some structural properties of moving screen printed interdigitated electrodes. It is shown that structural properties can be resolved for speeds up to ca. 1m/min, which is the first step towards application of this method in real manufacturing processes, including roll-to-roll (R2R) printing.

Online fault diagnostics and testing of area gamma radiation monitor using wireless network

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Padi Srinivas; Kumar, R. Amudhu Ramesh; Mathews, M. Geo; Amarendra, G.

2017-07-01

Periodical surveillance, checking, testing, and calibration of the installed Area Gamma Radiation Monitors (AGRM) in the nuclear plants are mandatory. The functionality of AGRM counting electronics and Geiger-Muller (GM) tube is to be monitored periodically. The present paper describes the development of online electronic calibration and testing of the GM tube from the control room. Two electronic circuits were developed, one for AGRM electronic test and another for AGRM detector test. A dedicated radiation data acquisition system was developed using an open platform communication server and data acquisition software. The Modbus RTU protocol on ZigBee based wireless communication was used for online monitoring and testing. The AGRM electronic test helps to carry out the three-point electronic calibration and verification of accuracy. The AGRM detector test is used to verify the GM threshold voltage and the plateau slope of the GM tube in-situ. The real-time trend graphs generated during these tests clearly identified the state of health of AGRM electronics and GM tube on go/no-go basis. This method reduces the radiation exposures received by the maintenance crew and facilitates quick testing with minimum downtime of the instrument.

Development and installation of a new on-line plant safety monitoring system for the Paks VVER-440 units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vegh, J.; Major, C.; Buerger, L.; Lipcsei, S.; Horvath, C.; Kapocs, G.; Eiler, J.; Hornaes, A.; Hulsund, J.E.

2000-01-01

The paper describes the architecture, modules, algorithms and human-machine interface of a new operator support system (OSS), which is integrated into the new, reconstructed Paks NPP plant computers. The main task of the new OSS is to perform continuous plant safety monitoring and assessment, it has the following basic functions: on-line evaluation and presentation of critical safety function (CSF) status trees, continuous evaluation and presentation of the actual safety status of the plant, displaying and browsing the new symptom-oriented EOPs, automatic displaying of those process signals which are quoted in the EOPs. The first version of the new operator support system was connected to the Paks NPP full scope simulator in October 1999. This configuration was later successfully applied for the simulator testing of the new symptom-oriented EOP set for the Paks NPP in November 1999. The installation process was continued in 2000: the new system started its operation on Unit 2 (June) and on Unit 1 (August), together with the reconstructed, new PCS. (author)

Application of rapid-sampling, online microdialysis to the monitoring of brain metabolism during aneurysm surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatia, Robin; Hashemi, Parastoo; Razzaq, Ashfaq; Parkin, Mark C; Hopwood, Sarah E; Boutelle, Martyn G; Strong, Anthony J

2006-04-01

To introduce rapid-sampling microdialysis for the early detection of adverse metabolic changes in tissue at risk during aneurysm surgery. A microdialysis catheter was inserted under direct vision into at-risk cortex at the start of surgery. This monitoring was sustained throughout the course of the operation, during which intraoperative events, for example, temporary arterial occlusion or lobe retraction, were precisely documented. A continuous online flow of dialysate was fed into a mobile bedside glucose and lactate analyser. This comprises flow-injection dual-assay enzyme-based biosensors capable of determining values of metabolites every 30 seconds. Eight patients underwent clipping or wrapping of intracranial aneurysms and were monitored. Time between events and detection: 9 minutes. Mean change in metabolite value +/- standard deviation: temporal lobe retraction lactate, +656 +/- 562 micromol/L (n = 7, P glucose, -123 +/- 138 micromol/L (n = 6, P = 0.08). Glucose intravenous bolus infusion glucose, +512 +/- 244 micromol/L (n = 5, P lactate, +731 +/- 346 micromol/L (n = 6, P glucose, -139 +/- 96 micromol/L (n = 5, P glucose and lactate in dialysate, particularly when rapid, transient changes in brain analyte levels need to be determined and the alternative offline methodology would be inadequate.

Evaluation on the model of performance predictions for on-line monitoring system for combined-cycle power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Si Moon

2002-01-01

This paper presents the simulation model developed to predict design and off-design performance of an actual combined cycle power plant(S-Station in Korea), which would be running combined with on-line performance monitoring system in an on-line real-time fashion. The first step in thermal performance analysis is to build an accurate performance model of the power plant, in order to achieve this goal, GateCycle program has been employed in developing the model. This developed models predict design and off-design performance with a precision of one percent over a wide range of operating conditions so that on-line real-time performance monitoring can accurately establish both current performance and expected performance and also help the operator identify problems before they would be noticed

Monitor and control systems for the SLD Cherenkov Ring Imaging Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antilogus, P.; Aston, D.; Bienz, T.; Boston Univ., MA; California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA; California Univ., Santa Cruz, CA; Cincinnati Univ., OH; Rutgers--the State Univ., Piscataway, NJ; Tohoku Univ., Sendai

1989-10-01

To help ensure the stable long-term operation of a Cherenkov Ring Detector at high efficiency, a comprehensive monitor and control system is being developed. This system will continuously monitor and maintain the correct operating temperatures, and will provide an on-line monitor and maintain the correct operating temperatures, and will provide an on-line monitor of the pressures, flows, mixing, and purity of the various fluids. In addition the velocities and trajectories of Cherenkov photoelectrons drifting within the imaging chambers will be measured using a pulsed uv lamp and a fiberoptic light injection system. 9 refs., 6 figs

A PAT approach for the on-line monitoring of pharmaceutical co-crystals formation with near infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarraguça, Mafalda C; Ribeiro, Paulo R S; Santos, Adenilson O; Silva, Marta C D; Lopes, João A

2014-08-25

Cocrystals represent a class of crystalline solids consisting of two or more molecular species usually held together by non-covalent bonds. Pharmaceutical cocrystals can alter the physicochemical properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredient to improve solubility, dissolution rate, particle properties and stability. This work presents a process analytical technology (PAT) approach to monitor on-line the cocrystallization of furosemide and adenine by solvent evaporation using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Furosemide and adenine were added to a small volume of methanol in a beaker and stirred on an orbital stirring table during 8h at room temperature. The on-line monitoring was performed with a FT-NIR spectrometer fitted with a reflectance fiber optic probe. Monitoring was performed with the probe tip placed 1cm above the cocrystallization medium to avoid interference with the cocrystallization process. Cocrystals were vacuum dried to remove residual solvent and characterized off-line by NIRS, MIRS, DSC and XRPD. Results demonstrate that it was possible to follow the main cocrystallization events on-line. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new oil debris sensor for online condition monitoring of wind turbine gearboxes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Chao; Liu, Hui; Liu, Xiao

2015-01-01

Online Condition Monitoring (CM) is a key technology for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of wind turbines. Lubricating oil is the blood of the wind turbine gearbox. Metal debris in lubricating oil contains abundant information regarding the ageing and wear/damage of mechanical transmission sy...

The continuous glucose monitoring sensor in neonatal intensive care

OpenAIRE

Beardsall, K; Ogilvy-Stuart, A; Ahluwalia, J; Thompson, M; Dunger, D

2005-01-01

Objective: To determine the feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring in the very low birthweight baby requiring intensive care, as these infants are known to be at high risk of abnormalities of glucose control.

Challenges and perspectives in continuous glucose monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

van Enter, Benjamin Jasha; von Hauff, Elizabeth

2018-04-24

Diabetes is a global epidemic that threatens the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of people. The first step in patient treatment is to monitor glucose levels. Currently this is most commonly done using enzymatic strips. This approach suffers from several limitations, namely it requires a blood sample and is therefore invasive, the quality and the stability of the enzymatic strips vary widely, and the patient is burdened by performing the measurement themselves. This results in dangerous fluctuations in glucose levels often going undetected. There is currently intense research towards new approaches in glucose detection that would enable non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). In this review, we explore the state-of-the-art in glucose detection technologies. In particular, we focus on the physical mechanisms behind different approaches, and how these influence and determine the accuracy and reliability of glucose detection. We begin by reviewing the basic physical and chemical properties of the glucose molecule. Although these play a central role in detection, especially the anomeric ratio, they are surprisingly often overlooked in the literature. We then review state-of-the art and emerging detection methods. Finally, we survey the current market for glucometers. Recent results show that past challenges in glucose detection are now being overcome, thereby enabling the development of smart wearable devices for non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring. These new directions in glucose detection have enormous potential to improve the quality of life of millions of diabetics, as well as offer insight into the development, treatment and even prevention of the disease.

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students' interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content

Detection system for continuous 222Rn monitoring in waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holy, K.; Patschova, E.; Bosa, I.; Polaskova, A.; Hola, O.

2001-01-01

This contribution presents one of the high-sensitive systems of continuous radon monitoring in waters. The device can be used for the continual control of 222 Rn activity concentration in water sources, for a study of the daily and seasonal variations of radon activity concentration in water systems, for the determination of the infiltration time of surface water into the ground water and for the next untraditional applications. (authors)

Thin layer activation : on-line monitoring of metal loss in process plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulton, L.H.; Wallace, G.

1993-01-01

Corrosion, erosion and wear of metals is a common cause of failure in some process plant and equipment. Monitoring of these destructive effects has been done for many years to help plant engineers minimise the damage, in order to avoid unexpected failures and unscheduled shutdowns. Traditional methods of monitoring, such as standard NDT techniques, inform the engineer of what has happened, providing data such as culmulative loss of wall thickness. The modern approach to monitoring however, is to employ a technique which gives both current loss rates as well as integrated losses. Thin Layer Activation (TLA) provides on-line monitoring of corrosion, erosion and wear of metals, to a high degree of accuracy. It also gives cumulative information which can be backed up with weight-loss results if required. Thus current rather than historical loss rates are measured before any significant loss of metal has occurred. (author). 14 refs., 2 figs

Wide area continuous offender monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoshen, J. [Lucent Technologies (United States); Drake, G. [New Mexico Dept. of Corrections, Santa Fe, NM (United States); Spencer, D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1996-11-01

The corrections system in the U.S. is supervising over five million offenders. This number is rising fast and so are the direct and indirect costs to society. To improve supervision and reduce the cost of parole and probation, first generation home arrest systems were introduced in 1987. While these systems proved to be helpful to the corrections system, their scope is rather limited because they only cover an offender at a single location and provide only a partial time coverage. To correct the limitations of first-generation systems, second-generation wide area continuous electronic offender monitoring systems, designed to monitor the offender at all times and locations, are now on the drawing board. These systems use radio frequency location technology to track the position of offenders. The challenge for this technology is the development of reliable personal locator devices that are small, lightweight, with long operational battery life, and indoors/outdoors accuracy of 100 meters or less. At the center of a second-generation system is a database that specifies the offender`s home, workplace, commute, and time the offender should be found in each. The database could also define areas from which the offender is excluded. To test compliance, the system would compare the observed coordinates of the offender with the stored location for a given time interval. Database logfiles will also enable law enforcement to determine if a monitored offender was present at a crime scene and thus include or exclude the offender as a potential suspect.

On-line calibration of process instrumentation channels in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashemian, H.M.; Farmer, J.P. [Analysis and Measurement Services Corp., Knoxville, TN (United States)

1995-04-01

An on-line instrumentation monitoring system was developed and validated for use in nuclear power plants. This system continuously monitors the calibration status of instrument channels and determines whether or not they require manual calibrations. This is accomplished by comparing the output of each instrument channel to an estimate of the process it is monitoring. If the deviation of the instrument channel from the process estimate is greater than an allowable limit, then the instrument is said to be {open_quotes}out of calibration{close_quotes} and manual adjustments are made to correct the calibration. The success of the on-line monitoring system depends on the accuracy of the process estimation. The system described in this paper incorporates both simple intercomparison techniques as well as analytical approaches in the form of data-driven empirical modeling to estimate the process. On-line testing of the calibration of process instrumentation channels will reduce the number of manual calibrations currently performed, thereby reducing both costs to utilities and radiation exposure to plant personnel.

'We do it to keep him alive': bereaved individuals' experiences of online suicide memorials and continuing bonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Jo; Bailey, Louis; Kennedy, David

2015-10-02

This paper presents draws on interviews with individuals who have experience of creating, maintaining and utilising Facebook sites in memory of a loved one who has died by suicide. We argue that Facebook enables the deceased to be an on-going active presence in the lives of the bereaved. We highlight the potential of the Internet (and Facebook in particular) as a new and emerging avenue for the continuation of online identities and continuing bonds. Our study offers unique insight into survivors' experiences of engaging with the virtual presence of their deceased loved one: how mourners come and go online, how this evolves over time and how the online identity of the deceased evolves even after death. We discuss how Facebook provides new ways for people to experience and negotiate death by suicide and to memorialise the deceased, highlighting the positive impact of this for survivors' mental health. Finally, we describe the creation of tension amongst those who manage their grief in different ways.

On-line internal corrosion monitoring and data management for remote pipelines: a technology update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wold, Kjell; Stoen, Roar; Jenssen, Hallgeir [Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Stavanger (Norway); Carvalho, Anna Maria [Roxar do Brasil Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

Internal corrosion monitoring of remote pipelines can be costly and demanding on resources. Online and non-intrusive monitoring directly on the pipe wall can improve the quality of measurements, make installation more convenient and allow more efficient communication of data. The purpose of this paper is to describe a non-intrusive technology, and show examples on field installations of the system. Furthermore, the non-intrusive technology data can be stored, interpreted and combined with conventional (intrusive) system information, in order to get a full picture of internal corrosion profile, corrosion rate and trends regarding the pipeline being monitored. (author)

Poor uptake of an online intervention in a cluster randomised controlled trial of online diabetes education for rural general practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Christine L; Piterman, Leon; Shaw, Jonathan E; Kirby, Catherine; Forshaw, Kristy L; Robinson, Jennifer; Thepwongsa, Isaraporn; Sanson-Fisher, Robert W

2017-03-23

In Australia, rural and remote communities have high rates of diabetes-related death and hospitalisation. General practitioners (GPs) play a major role in diabetes detection and management. Education of GPs could optimise diabetes management and improve patient outcomes at a population level. The study aimed to describe the uptake of a continuing medical education intervention for rural GPs and its impact on the viability of a cluster randomised controlled trial of the effects of continuing medical education on whole-town diabetes monitoring and control. Trial design: the cluster randomised controlled trial involved towns as the unit of allocation and analysis with outcomes assessed by de-identified pathology data (not reported here). The intervention programme consisted of an online active learning module, direct electronic access to specialist advice and performance feedback. Multiple rounds of invitation were used to engage GPs with the online intervention content. Evidence-based strategies (e.g. pre-notification, rewards, incentives) were incorporated into the invitations to enrol in the programme. Recruitment to the programme was electronically monitored through the hosting software package during the study intervention period. Eleven matched pairs of towns were included in the study. There were 146 GPs in the 11 intervention towns, of whom 34 (23.3%) enrolled in the programme, and 8 (5.5%) completed the online learning module. No town had more than 10% of the resident GPs complete the learning module. There were no contacts made by GPs regarding requests for specialist advice. Consequently, the trial was discontinued. There is an ongoing need to engage primary care physicians in improving diabetes monitoring and management in rural areas. Online training options, while notionally attractive and accessible, are not likely to have high levels of uptake, even when evidence-based recruitment strategies are implemented. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials

Upgraded Fast Beam Conditions Monitor for CMS online luminosity measurement

CERN Document Server

Leonard, Jessica Lynn; Hempel, Maria; Henschel, Hans; Karacheban, Olena; Lange, Wolfgang; Lohmann, Wolfgang; Novgorodova, Olga; Penno, Marek; Walsh, Roberval; Dabrowski, Anne; Guthoff, Moritz; Loos, R; Ryjov, Vladimir; Burtowy, Piotr; Lokhovitskiy, Arkady; Odell, Nathaniel; Przyborowski, Dominik; Stickland, David P; Zagozdzinska, Agnieszka

2014-01-01

The CMS beam condition monitoring subsystem BCM1F during LHC Run I consisted of 8 individual diamond sensors situated around the beam pipe within the tracker detector volume, for the purpose of fast monitoring of beam background and collision products. Effort is ongoing to develop the use of BCM1F as an online bunch-by-bunch luminosity monitor. BCM1F will be running whenever there is beam in LHC, and its data acquisition is independent from the data acquisition of the CMS detector, hence it delivers luminosity even when CMS is not taking data. To prepare for the expected increase in the LHC luminosity and the change from 50 ns to 25 ns bunch separation, several changes to the system are required, including a higher number of sensors and upgraded electronics. In particular, a new real-time digitizer with large memory was developed and is being integrated into a multi-subsystem framework for luminosity measurement. Current results from Run II preparation will be discussed, including results from the January 201...

Upgraded Fast Beam Conditions Monitor for CMS online luminosity measurement

CERN Document Server

Leonard, Jessica Lynn

2014-01-01

The CMS beam and radiation monitoring subsystem BCM1F during LHC Run I consisted of 8 individual diamond sensors situated around the beam pipe within the tracker detector volume, for the purpose of fast monitoring of beam background and collision products. Effort is ongoing to develop the use of BCM1F as an online bunch-by-bunch luminosity monitor. BCM1F will be running whenever there is beam in LHC, and its data acquisition is independent from the data acquisition of the CMS detector, hence it delivers luminosity even when CMS is not taking data. To prepare for the expected increase in the LHC luminosity and the change from 50 ns to 25 ns bunch separation, several changes to the system are required, including a higher number of sensors and upgraded electronics. In particular, a new real-time digitizer with large memory was developed and is being integrated into a multi-subsystem framework for luminosity measurement. Current results from Run II preparation will be shown, including results from the January 201...

Accuracy of flash glucose monitoring and continuous glucose monitoring technologies: Implications for clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajjan, Ramzi A; Cummings, Michael H; Jennings, Peter; Leelarathna, Lalantha; Rayman, Gerry; Wilmot, Emma G

2018-02-01

Continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring technologies measure glucose in the interstitial fluid and are increasingly used in diabetes care. Their accuracy, key to effective glycaemic management, is usually measured using the mean absolute relative difference of the interstitial fluid sensor compared to reference blood glucose readings. However, mean absolute relative difference is not standardised and has limitations. This review aims to provide a consensus opinion on assessing accuracy of interstitial fluid glucose sensing technologies. Mean absolute relative difference is influenced by glucose distribution and rate of change; hence, we express caution on the reliability of comparing mean absolute relative difference data from different study systems and conditions. We also review the pitfalls associated with mean absolute relative difference at different glucose levels and explore additional ways of assessing accuracy of interstitial fluid devices. Importantly, much data indicate that current practice of assessing accuracy of different systems based on individualised mean absolute relative difference results has limitations, which have potential clinical implications. Healthcare professionals must understand the factors that influence mean absolute relative difference as a metric for accuracy and look at additional assessments, such as consensus error grid analysis, when evaluating continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring systems in diabetes care. This in turn will ensure that management decisions based on interstitial fluid sensor data are both effective and safe.

Romantic Partner Monitoring After Breakups: Attachment, Dependence, Distress, and Post-Dissolution Online Surveillance via Social Networking Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Jesse; Tokunaga, Robert S

2015-09-01

Romantic relationship dissolution can be stressful, and social networking sites make it difficult to separate from a romantic partner online as well as offline. An online survey (N = 431) tested a model synthesizing attachment, investment model variables, and post-dissolution emotional distress as predictors of interpersonal surveillance (i.e., "Facebook stalking") of one's ex-partner on Facebook after a breakup. Results indicated that anxious attachment predicted relational investment but also seeking relationship alternatives; avoidant attachment was negatively related to investment but positively related to seeking alternatives. Investment predicted commitment, whereas seeking alternatives was negatively related to commitment. Commitment predicted emotional distress after the breakup. Distress predicted partner monitoring immediately following the breakup, particularly for those who did not initiate the breakup, as well as current partner monitoring. Given their affordances, social media are discussed as potentially unhealthy enablers for online surveillance after relationship termination.

A history of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in self-monitoring of diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Olczuk, David; Priefer, Ronny

Self-monitoring of glucose for individuals afflicted with diabetes mellitus has allowed patients to take control of their disease and thus directly affect the outcomes related to it. It has been almost a century since the first test to monitor one's sugar was developed; that being a urine test. The most well-known and prominent medical device for monitor blood glucose for individuals with diabetes are the finger-prick devices. This itself is an approximately 50year old technology. More recently has been the introduction of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) which entered the market place in the last year of the 20th century. As this technology has been further refined and improved, limitations associated with it have decreased. The scope of this review is to present a brief history of CGMs, both with the development of these medical devices and the challenges/limitations that they have shown. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On-line Corrosion Monitoring in District Heating Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Richter, Sonja; Thorarinsdottir, R.I.; Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel

2005-01-01

The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress, ......, precipitation of deposits or crevices. The authors describe methods used for on-line monitoring of corrosion, cover the complications and the main results of a Nordic project.......The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress...

Application of a chronoamperometric measurement to the on-line monitoring of a lithium metal reduction for uranium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tack-Jin; Cho, Young-Hwan; Choi, In-Kyu; Kang, Jun-Gill; Song, Kyuseok; Jee, Kwang-Yong

2008-01-01

Both a potentiometric and a chronoamperometric electrochemical technique have been applied in an attempt to develop an efficient method for an on-line monitoring of a lithium metal reduction process of uranium oxides at a high-temperature in a molten salt medium. As a result of this study, it was concluded that the chronoamperometric method provided a simple and effective way for a direct on-line monitoring measurement of a lithium metal reduction process of uranium oxides at 650 o C by the measuring electrical currents dependency on a variation of the reduction time for the reaction. A potentiometric method, by adopting a homemade oxide ion selective electrode made of ZrO 2 stabilized by a Y 2 O 3 doping, however, was found to be inappropriate for an on-line monitoring of the reduction reaction of uranium oxide in the presence of lithium metal due to an abnormal behavior of the adopted electrodes. The observed experimental results were discussed in detail by comparing them with previously published experimental data

Patient satisfaction and barriers to initiating real-time continuous glucose monitoring in early pregnancy in women with diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Secher, A L; Madsen, A B; Nielsen, Lene Ringholm

2012-01-01

of initial monitoring). Ten women (15%) did not wish to use continuous glucose monitoring again in pregnancy. Main causes behind early removal of continuous glucose monitoring were self-reported skin irritation, technical problems and continuous glucose monitoring inaccuracy. No differences were found......Aim: To evaluate self-reported satisfaction and barriers to initiating real-time continuous glucose monitoring in early pregnancy among women with pregestational diabetes. Methods: Fifty-four women with Type 1 diabetes and 14 women with Type 2 diabetes were offered continuous glucose monitoring...

On-line monitoring of monoclonal antibody formation in high density perfusion culture using FIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenge, C; Fraune, E; Freitag, R; Scheper, T; Schügerl, K

1991-05-01

An automated flow injection system for on-line analysis of proteins in real fermentation fluids was developed by combining the principles of stopped-flow, merging zones flow injection analysis (FIA) with antigen-antibody reactions. IgG in the sample reacted with its corresponding antibody (a-IgG) in the reagent solution. Formation of insoluble immunocomplexes resulted in an increase of the turbidity which was determined photometrically. This system was used to monitor monoclonal antibody production in high cell density perfusion culture of hybridoma cells. Perfusion was performed with a newly developed static filtration unit equipped with hydrophilic microporous tubular membranes. Different sampling devices were tested to obtain a cell-free sample stream for on-line product analysis of high molecular weight (e.g., monoclonal antibodies) and low molecular weight (e.g., glucose, lactate) medium components. In fermentation fluids a good correlation (coefficient: 0.996) between the FIA method and an ELISA test was demonstrated. In a high density perfusion cultivation process mAb formation was successfully monitored on-line over a period of 400 h using a reliable sampling system. Glucose and lactate were measured over the same period of time using a commercially available automatic analyser based on immobilized enzyme technology.

Automatic continuous monitoring system for dangerous sites and cargoes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, S.N.

2009-01-01

The problems of creation of automatic comprehensive continuous monitoring system for nuclear and radiation sites and cargoes of Rosatom Corporation, which carries out data collecting, processing, storage and transmission, including informational support to decision-making, as well as support to modelling and forecasting functions, are considered. The system includes components of two levels: site and industry. Currently the system is used to monitor over 8000 integrated parameters, which characterise the status of nuclear and radiation safety on Rosatom sites, environmental and fire safety

Beta aerosols beacon, a truly portable continuous air monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prince, R.P.; Garber, F.W.

1987-01-01

The Beta Aerosols Beacon (BAB) is a portable (57 lbs) continuous air monitor designed to detect airborne radiation. Utilizing solid state detectors has eliminated the use of lead shielding usually necessary for achieving accurate readings in high background areas, making the monitor lightweight as well as portable. The size of a small suitcase, it can be carried into confined work areas, eliminating the requirement for workers to wear respirators for many maintenance tasks. This paper describes the operation and applications of the BAB

Online Monitoring of Electrochemical Degradation of Paracetamol through a Biomimetic Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Calora Quintino de Oliveira

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports, for the first time, the online monitoring to the electrochemical degradation of the paracetamol using a biomimetic sensor coupled to a Flow Injection Analysis (FIA system. The electrochemical degradation of the drug was carried out in aqueous medium using a flow-by reactor with a DSA anode. The process efficiency was monitored at real time by the biomimetic sensor constructed by modifying a glassy carbon electrode with a Nafion membrane doped with iron tetrapyridinoporphyrazine (FeTPyPz. Simultaneously, we carried out off-line analysis by liquid chromatography (HPLC during the experiments in order to validate the proposed system. In addition, to investigate the degradation products of the paracetamol electrolysis, we used the techniques of UPLC/MS and GC/MS.

Modeling and Analysis Methods for an On-line Enrichment Monitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Leon E.; Jarman, Kenneth D.; Wittman, Richard S.; Zalavadia, Mital A.; March-Leuba, Jose A.

2016-05-30

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has developed an On-Line Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) as one possible component in a new generation of safeguards measures for uranium enrichment plants. The OLEM measures 235U emissions from the UF6 gas flowing through a unit header pipe using NaI(Tl) spectrometers, and corrects for gas density changes using pressure and temperature sensors in order to determine the enrichment of the gas as a function of time. In parallel with the OLEM instrument development, a Virtual OLEM (VOLEM) software tool has been developed that is capable of producing synthetic gamma-ray, pressure, and temperature data representative of a wide range of enrichment plant operating conditions. VOLEM complements instrument development activities and allows the study of OLEM for scenarios that will be difficult or impossible to evaluate empirically. Uses of VOLEM include: investigation of hardware design options; inter-comparison of candidate gamma-ray spectral analysis and enrichment estimation algorithms; uncertainty budget analysis and performance prediction for typical and atypical operational scenarios; and testing of the OLEM data acquisition, analysis and reporting software. This paper describes the technical foundations of VOLEM and illustrates how it can be used. An overview of the nominal instrument design and deployment scenario for OLEM is provided, with emphasis on the key online-assay measurement challenge: accurately determining the portion of the total 235U signal that comes from a background that includes solid uranium deposits on the piping walls. Monte Carlo modeling tools, data analysis algorithms and uncertainty quantification methods are described. VOLEM is then used to quantitatively explore the uncertainty budgets and predicted instrument performance for a plausible range of typical plant operating parameters, and one set of candidate analysis algorithms. Additionally, a series of VOLEM case studies illustrates how an online

Assessment of erosion and sedimentation dynamic in a combined sewer network using online turbidity monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Bersinger, T; Le Hécho, I; Bareille, G; Pigot, T

2015-01-01

Eroded sewer sediments are a significant source of organic matter discharge by combined sewer overflows. Many authors have studied the erosion and sedimentation processes at the scale of a section of sewer pipe and over short time periods. The objective of this study was to assess these processes at the scale of an entire sewer network and over 1 month, to understand whether phenomena observed on a small scale of space and time are still valid on a larger scale. To achieve this objective the continuous monitoring of turbidity was used. First, the study of successive rain events allows observation of the reduction of the available sediment and highlights the widely different erosion resistance for the different sediment layers. Secondly, calculation of daily chemical oxygen demand (COD) fluxes during the entire month was performed showing that sediment storage in the sewer pipe after a rain period is important and stops after 5 days. Nevertheless, during rainfall events, the eroded fluxes are more important than the whole sewer sediment accumulated during a dry weather period. This means that the COD fluxes promoted by runoff are substantial. This work confirms, with online monitoring, most of the conclusions from other studies on a smaller scale.

Continuous monitoring of tritium in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Descours, S.; Guerin, P.

1980-02-01

TRYDYN is a detector studied for continuous monitoring of tritium in water. Its sensitivity of approximately 10 -3 μCi/milliliter (one third of the maximum permissible tritium concentration for the population at large) makes it ideal for radiological protection applications (effluents flowing in process drains, sewers, etc ...). The effluent is filtered and then passed through a transparent flowcell contaIning plastic scintillator beads held between two photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The cell's geometry and scintillator's geometry are designed to maximize measuring efficiency. Background is minimized by a 50 millimeter thick lead shielding and electronic circuitry of the same type as employed with liquid scintillators. This effluent purification unit can operate continuously for 8 days without manual intervention, the scintillator can operate for 6 months with a loss of sensitivity of less of 10%. The response time of the TRIDYN is less than 30 minutes for a concentration of 3.10 -3 μCi/milliliter [fr

Continuous monitoring of arthritis in animal models using optical imaging modalities

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Taeyoon; Yoon, Hyung-Ju; Lee, Saseong; Jang, Won Seuk; Jung, Byungjo; Kim, Wan-Uk

2014-10-01

Given the several difficulties associated with histology, including difficulty in continuous monitoring, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of optical imaging modalities-cross-polarization color (CPC) imaging, erythema index (EI) imaging, and laser speckle contrast (LSC) imaging-for continuous evaluation and monitoring of arthritis in animal models. C57BL/6 mice, used for the evaluation of arthritis, were divided into three groups: arthritic mice group (AMG), positive control mice group (PCMG), and negative control mice group (NCMG). Complete Freund's adjuvant, mineral oil, and saline were injected into the footpad for AMG, PCMG, and NCMG, respectively. LSC and CPC images were acquired from 0 through 144 h after injection for all groups. EI images were calculated from CPC images. Variations in feet area, EI, and speckle index for each mice group over time were calculated for quantitative evaluation of arthritis. Histological examinations were performed, and the results were found to be consistent with those from optical imaging analysis. Thus, optical imaging modalities may be successfully applied for continuous evaluation and monitoring of arthritis in animal models.

An Architecture for Continuous Data Quality Monitoring in Medical Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Endler, Gregor; Schwab, Peter K; Wahl, Andreas M; Tenschert, Johannes; Lenz, Richard

2015-01-01

In the medical domain, data quality is very important. Since requirements and data change frequently, continuous and sustainable monitoring and improvement of data quality is necessary. Working together with managers of medical centers, we developed an architecture for a data quality monitoring system. The architecture enables domain experts to adapt the system during runtime to match their specifications using a built-in rule system. It also allows arbitrarily complex analyses to be integrated into the monitoring cycle. We evaluate our architecture by matching its components to the well-known data quality methodology TDQM.

A survey investigation of UK physiotherapists' use of online search engines for continuing professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Harland, Nicholas; Drew, Benjamin T

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to discover the frequency and type of use of online resources for continuing professional development displayed by physiotherapists in the UK. Therapists' skills, needs and frustrations using these resources were explored. With the relatively recent release and saturated use of the internet the potential presence of a skills gap between therapists at different stages of their career was also investigated. National online survey study. The online survey was carried out using the international online service 'Survey Monkey'. 774 physiotherapists from students to band 8c completed the survey. The online survey was advertised through Frontline, the Interactive Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Journal of Physiotherapy Pain Association and cascade email through research and other networks. Most physiotherapists reported using the internet for professional purposes daily (40%) or 2 to 4 times a week (37%), with only 8% of respondents using it less than once a week. Overall the results suggest band 6 and 7 physiotherapists had the least skills and most frustrations when using online search engines. History and the nature of rapid technological advancement, specifically of the internet, appears to have created a generational skills gap within the largest group of the physiotherapy workforce band 6 and 7 therapists. Students, band 5 and band 8a therapists appear to most successfully use online resources and the reasons for this are explored. Copyright © 2012 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Wearable System for Real-Time Continuous Monitoring of Physical Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizio Taffoni

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last decades, wearable systems have gained interest for monitoring of physiological variables, promoting health, and improving exercise adherence in different populations ranging from elite athletes to patients. In this paper, we present a wearable system for the continuous real-time monitoring of respiratory frequency (fR, heart rate (HR, and movement cadence during physical activity. The system has been experimentally tested in the laboratory (by simulating the breathing pattern with a mechanical ventilator and by collecting data from one healthy volunteer. Results show the feasibility of the proposed device for real-time continuous monitoring of fR, HR, and movement cadence both in resting condition and during activity. Finally, different synchronization techniques have been investigated to enable simultaneous data collection from different wearable modules.

Development of an on-line ultrasonic system to monitor flow-accelerated corrosion of piping in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, N.Y.; Bahn, C.B.; Lee, S.G.; Kim, J.H.; Hwang, I.S.; Lee, J.H.; Kim, J.T.; Luk, V.

2004-01-01

Designs of contemporary nuclear power plants (NPPs) are concentrated on improving plant life as well as safety. As the nuclear industry prepares for continued operation beyond the design lifetime of existing NPP, aging management through advanced monitoring is called for. Therefore, we suggested two approaches to develop the on-line piping monitoring system. Piping located in some position is reported to go through flow accelerated corrosion (FAC). One is to monitor electrochemical parameters, ECP and pH, which can show occurrence of corrosion. The other is to monitor mechanical parameters, displacement and acceleration. These parameters are shown to change with thickness. Both measured parameters will be combined to quantify the amount of FAC of a target piping. In this paper, we report the progress of a multidisciplinary effort on monitoring of flow-induced vibration, which changes with reducing thickness. Vibration characteristics are measured using accelerometers, capacitive sensor and fiber optic sensors. To theoretically support the measurement, we analyzed the vibration mode change in a given thickness with the aid of finite element analysis assuming FAC phenomenon is represented only as thickness change. A high temperature flow loop has been developed to simulate the NPP secondary condition to show the applicability of new sensors. Ultrasonic transducer is introduced as validation purpose by directly measuring thickness. By this process, we identify performance and applicability of chosen sensors and also obtain base data for analyzing measured value in unknown conditions. (orig.)

Monitoring and modelling of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet process line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortier, Séverine T.F.C.; Nopens, Ingmar; De Beer, Thomas

2014-01-01

-time adjustment of critical input variables to ensure that the process stays within the Design Space. Mechanistic models are very useful for this purpose as, once validated, several tools can be applied to gain further process knowledge, for example uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. In addition, several......The intention to shift from batch to continuous production processes within the pharmaceutical industry enhances the need to monitor and control the process in-line and real-time to continuously guarantee the end-product quality. Mass and energy balances have been successfully applied to a drying...... process which is part of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet manufacturing line to calculate the residual moisture content of granules leaving the drying unit on the basis of continuously generated data from univariate sensors. Next to monitoring, the application of continuous processes demands also real...

Continuous AE monitoring of nuclear plants to detect flaws - status and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, P.H.

1986-01-01

This paper gives a brief commentary on the evolution of acoustic emission (AE) technology for continuous monitoring of nuclear reactors and the current status. The technical work described to support the status description has the objective of developing and validating the use of AE to detect, locate, and evaluate growing flaws in reactor pressure boundaries. The future of AE for continuous monitoring is discussed in terms of envisioned applications and further accomplishments required to achieve them. 12 refs.

Two-photon physics and online beam monitoring using the DELPHI detector at LEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjarne, J.

1994-01-01

This thesis is based on work done during 1989-1993 using the DELPHI detector at LEP, which is summarized in five articles. It consists of three main parts. The first part describes the Very Small Angle Tagger (VSAT), which is a sub-detector of the DELPHI detector at LEP. It consists of four silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter modules having a silicon strip planes for position determination. The modules are placed adjacent to the beam pipe, at ±7.7 m from the interaction point and after superconducting quadrupole magnets, allowing the detection of electrons in a polar angle range of 4 to 13 mrad. The second part is devoted to two-photon physics at DELPHI, with strong emphasis on a VSAT single-tagged event analysis. Here is shown, for the first time, evidence of hard scattering processes in single-tagged two-photon collisions. A QCD Resolved Photon Contribution (QCD-RPC) model is introduced. Data is then seen to be well described by a full VDM+(QCD-RPC) model. Different parton density functions are compared with data. The third part first describes the system for online monitoring of LEP beam background and luminosity at the DELPHI interaction point. Details are given of contributing sub-detector signals and program structure. Then follows a description of the VSAT online monitoring program (VSAT-MONITOR). A good agreement is found between the VSAT-MONITOR estimates of luminosity and beam spot and those of other detectors. Finally, results are presented of VSAT measurements of a LEP beam separation scan. 75 refs, figs

Processing Approaches for DAS-Enabled Continuous Seismic Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, S.; Wood, T.; Freifeld, B. M.; Robertson, M.; McDonald, S.; Pevzner, R.; Lindsey, N.; Gelvin, A.; Saari, S.; Morales, A.; Ekblaw, I.; Wagner, A. M.; Ulrich, C.; Daley, T. M.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.

2017-12-01

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is creating a "field as laboratory" capability for seismic monitoring of subsurface changes. By providing unprecedented spatial and temporal sampling at a relatively low cost, DAS enables field-scale seismic monitoring to have durations and temporal resolutions that are comparable to those of laboratory experiments. Here we report on seismic processing approaches developed during data analyses of three case studies all using DAS-enabled seismic monitoring with applications ranging from shallow permafrost to deep reservoirs: (1) 10-hour downhole monitoring of cement curing at Otway, Australia; (2) 2-month surface monitoring of controlled permafrost thaw at Fairbanks, Alaska; (3) multi-month downhole and surface monitoring of carbon sequestration at Decatur, Illinois. We emphasize the data management and processing components relevant to DAS-based seismic monitoring, which include scalable approaches to data management, pre-processing, denoising, filtering, and wavefield decomposition. DAS has dramatically increased the data volume to the extent that terabyte-per-day data loads are now typical, straining conventional approaches to data storage and processing. To achieve more efficient use of disk space and network bandwidth, we explore improved file structures and data compression schemes. Because noise floor of DAS measurements is higher than that of conventional sensors, optimal processing workflow involving advanced denoising, deconvolution (of the source signatures), and stacking approaches are being established to maximize signal content of DAS data. The resulting workflow of data management and processing could accelerate the broader adaption of DAS for continuous monitoring of critical processes.

The development of on-line thermal performance monitors in Nuclear Electric Company's stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conner, A.S.

1992-01-01

The paper examines the economic benefits of using on-line monitoring techniques in assisting Station Staff with the task of optimising the efficient use of reactor fuel. The role of thermal performance monitoring for detecting changes in plant condition is also examined and the way in which the data can be used by engineers to assist with the preparation of operating and maintenance programmes. To enable genuine gradual changes in plant performance to be detected when operating against a background of changing plant signal accuracy conditions, plant transducers have to be calibrated on a regular basis. This can be both costly and labour intensive. To reduce this requirement for regular calibrations, an automatic software signal verification program has been developed for use in on-line monitoring schemes. It forms part of the total unit performance calculation package and uses a whole plant model to verify plant signals. All plant signals used to calculate unit heat rate are verified typically every 15 minutes with signals going outside predetermined limits being automatically reported to the user. The program is interactive allowing the user to interrogate the condition of the signal, with respect to both its error magnitude and rate of drift outside signal limits. The program runs in real time mode on a Workstation connected directly to the plant

The principle and data analysis of online monitoring system of containment leak rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chunwei; Yang Yongdeng; Qiao Yu; Liang Bo

2014-01-01

The use of online monitoring system of containment leak rate (EPP) in Qinshan 2nd nuclear power plant is introduced. When the containment leak rate reaches the operational limit, the system will automatically alarm and inform the unit operator to take the necessary action. But it is found that the EPP will give a mendacious alarm of 'Containment leak rate abnormity' once in a while during use. The mendacious alarm has an effect on the normal operation of the unit. The reason of the mendacious alarm is analyzed. The data monitored by the EPP are relative hysteretic and the veracity of the flow of compressed air into the containment has a significant influence on the data monitored by the EPP. (authors)

A message-queuing framework for STAR's online monitoring and metadata collection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhipkin, D; Lauret, J; Betts, W

2011-01-01

We report our experience on migrating STARs Online Services (Run Control System, Data Acquisition System, Slow Control System and Subsystem Monitoring) from direct read/write database accesses to a modern non-blocking message-oriented infrastructure. Based on the Advanced Messaging Queuing Protocol (AMQP) and standards, this novel approach does not specify the message data structure, allowing great flexibility in its use. After careful consideration, we chose Google Protocol Buffers as our primary (de)serialization format for structured data exchange. This migration allows us to reduce the overall system complexity and greatly improve the reliability of the metadata collection and the performance of our online services in general. We will present this new framework through its software architecture overview, providing details about our staged and non-disruptive migration process as well as details of the implementation of pluggable components to provide future improvements without compromising stability and availability of services.

On-line monitoring system development for single-phase flow accelerated corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Na Young; Lee, Seung Gi; Ryu, Kyung Ha; Hwang, Il Soon

2007-01-01

Aged nuclear piping has been reported to undergo corrosion-induced accelerated failures, often without giving signatures to current inspection campaigns. Therefore, we need diverse sensors which can cover a wide area in an on-line application. We suggest an integrated approach to monitor the flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) susceptible piping. Since FAC is a combined phenomenon, we need to monitor as many parameters as possible and that cover wide area, since we do not know where the FAC occurs. For this purpose, we introduce the wearing rate model which focuses on the electrochemical parameters. Using this model, we can predict the wearing rate and then compare testing results. Through analysis we identified feasibility and then developed electrochemical sensors for high temperature application; we also introduced a mechanical monitoring system which is still under development. To support the validation of the monitored results, we adopted high temperature ultrasonic transducer (UT), which shows good resolution in the testing environment. As such, all the monitored results can be compared in terms of thickness. Our validation tests demonstrated the feasibility of sensors. To support direct thickness measurement for a wide-area, the direct current potential drop (DCPD) method will be researched to integrate into the developed framework

Experimental study of advanced continuous acoustic-emission monitoring of BWR components. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElroy, J.W.

1982-01-01

This report presents the results of a four year research program on the utilization of acoustic emission techniques on light water reactor component applications. Two techniques of the acoustic emission technology were applied to specific problems occurring within the light water reactor system. Crack detection AE monitoring was applied to thermal cycle fatigue cracking problems and stress corrosion cracking problems. Leak detection AE monitoring was applied to valve leakage in the main steam safety relief valves and incontainment packing gland valves. The report provides AE data showing how AE crack detection can be used as an on-line diagnostic monitoring tool. By having an active monitor on light water reactor components, the inservice inspection of the components is being performed during operation rather than refueling periods, thereby reducing critical path time during outages. The resultant benefit is increased plant availability and a reduction in accumulated radiation exposure

40 CFR 60.1240 - How do I make sure my continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? 60.1240 Section 60.1240 Protection of Environment... Continuous Emission Monitoring § 60.1240 How do I make sure my continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? (a) Conduct initial, daily, quarterly, and annual evaluations of your continuous...

Genetic fuzzy system for online structural health monitoring of composite helicopter rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Pawar, Prashant M.; Ganguli, Ranjan

2007-07-01

A structural health monitoring (SHM) methodology is developed for composite rotor blades. An aeroelastic analysis of composite rotor blades based on the finite element method in space and time and with implanted matrix cracking and debonding/delamination damage is used to obtain measurable system parameters such as blade response, loads and strains. A rotor blade with a two-cell airfoil section and [0/±45/90]s family of laminates is used for numerical simulations. The model based measurements are contaminated with noise to simulate real data. Genetic fuzzy systems (GFS) are developed for global online damage detection using displacement and force-based measurement deviations between damaged and undamaged conditions and for local online damage detection using strains. It is observed that the success rate of the GFS depends on number of measurements, type of measurements and training and testing noise level. The GFS work quite well with noisy data and is recommended for online SHM of composite helicopter rotor blades.

Effects of Online Synchronous Instruction with an Attention Monitoring and Alarm Mechanism on Sustained Attention and Learning Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chih-Ming; Wang, Jung-Ying

2018-01-01

Many studies have shown that learners' sustained attention strongly affects e-learning performance, particularly during online synchronous instruction. This work thus develops a novel attention monitoring and alarm mechanism (AMAM) based on brainwave signals to improve learning performance via monitoring the attention state of individual learners…

Evaluating the online platform of a blended-learning pharmacist continuing education degree program

OpenAIRE

Wilbur, Kerry

2016-01-01

Background: Distance-based continuing education opportunities are increasingly embraced by health professionals worldwide. Methods: To evaluate the online component of a blended-learning degree program for pharmacists, we conducted a structured self-assessment and peer review using an instrument systematically devised according to Moore’s principles of transactional distance. The web-based platform for 14 courses was reviewed by both local and external faculty, followed by shared reflecti...

No evidence that a range of artificial monitoring cues influence online donations to charity in an MTurk sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Timothy J; Taylor, Alex H; Atkinson, Quentin D

2016-10-01

Monitoring cues, such as an image of a face or pair of eyes, have been found to increase prosocial behaviour in several studies. However, other studies have found little or no support for this effect. Here, we examined whether monitoring cues affect online donations to charity while manipulating the emotion displayed, the number of watchers and the cue type. We also include as statistical controls a range of likely covariates of prosocial behaviour. Using the crowdsourcing Internet marketplace, Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), 1535 participants completed our survey and were given the opportunity to donate to charity while being shown an image prime. None of the monitoring primes we tested had a significant effect on charitable giving. By contrast, the control variables of culture, age, sex and previous charity giving frequency did predict donations. This work supports the importance of cultural differences and enduring individual differences in prosocial behaviour and shows that a range of artificial monitoring cues do not reliably boost online charity donation on MTurk.

[Development of a continuous blood pressure monitoring and recording system].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Li, Yong; Gao, Shumei; Song, Yilin

2012-09-01

A small experimental system is constructed with working principle of continuous blood pressure monitoring based on the volume compensation method. The preliminary experimental results show that the system can collect blood pressure signals at the radial artery effectively. The digital PID algorithm can track the variation of blood pressure. And the accuracy of continuous blood pressure detecting achieve the level of same kind of product.

Using particle counters for pretreatment optimization, iron transport monitoring, condenser leak detection, and carryover monitoring - a synopsis of experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryant, R.L.

2008-01-01

Steam generating systems all require clean water. The effects of particulate material in the steam/water cycle on metal corrosion, erosion, cracking, and deposition are frequently observed. However, the physical/chemical mechanisms are often difficult to correlate with a specific plant event, since the periodic ''grab'' samples from various areas of the water/steam process which are generally conducted do not allow real time continuous on-line particulate monitoring and data collection. This paper introduces the concept of using particulate measuring instruments to monitor the steam generation cycle, and presents case histories of real world plant situations where on-line particulate measurement using particle counters and particle monitors has defined the source of a problem, quantified the severity of a problem, and provided a solution to a problem. (orig.)

Virtual-Instrument-Based Online Monitoring System for Hands-on Laboratory Experiment of Partial Discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Karmakar, Subrata

2017-01-01

Online monitoring of high-voltage (HV) equipment is a vital tool for early detection of insulation failure. Most insulation failures are caused by partial discharges (PDs) inside the HV equipment. Because of the very high cost of establishing HV equipment facility and the limitations of electromagnetic interference-screened laboratories, only a…

Continuous Activity Monitoring During Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohri, Nitin; Kabarriti, Rafi; Bodner, William R.; Mehta, Keyur J.; Shankar, Viswanathan; Halmos, Balazs; Haigentz, Missak; Rapkin, Bruce; Guha, Chandan; Kalnicki, Shalom; Garg, Madhur

2017-01-01

Purpose: To perform a prospective trial testing the feasibility and utility of acquiring activity data as a measure of health status during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Ambulatory patients who were planned for treatment with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with curative intent for cancers of the head and neck, lung, or gastrointestinal tract were provided with activity monitors before treatment initiation. Patients were asked to wear the devices continuously throughout the radiation therapy course. Step count data were downloaded weekly during radiation therapy and 2 and 4 weeks after radiation therapy completion. The primary objective was to demonstrate feasibility, defined as collection of step counts for 80% of the days during study subjects' radiation therapy courses. Secondary objectives included establishing step count as a dynamic predictor of unplanned hospitalization risk. Results: Thirty-eight enrolled patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Primary diagnoses included head and neck cancer (n=11), lung cancer (n=13), and a variety of gastrointestinal cancers (n=14). Step data were collected for 1524 of 1613 days (94%) during patients' radiation therapy courses. Fourteen patients were hospitalized during radiation therapy or within 4 weeks of radiation therapy completion. Cox regression modeling demonstrated a significant association between recent step counts (3-day average) and hospitalization risk, with a 38% reduction in the risk of hospitalization for every 1000 steps taken each day (hazard ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.46-0.83, P=.002). Inferior quality of life scores and impaired performance status were not associated with increased hospitalization risk. Conclusion: Continuous activity monitoring during concurrent chemoradiotherapy is feasible and well-tolerated. Step counts may serve as powerful, objective, and dynamic indicators of hospitalization risk.

FRAMEWORK FOR STRUCTURAL ONLINE HEALTH MONITORING OF AGING AND DEGRADATION OF SECONDARY PIPING SYSTEMS DUE TO SOME ASPECTS OF EROSION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gribok, Andrei V.; Agarwal, Vivek

2017-06-01

This paper describes the current state of research related to critical aspects of erosion and selected aspects of degradation of secondary components in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The paper also proposes a framework for online health monitoring of aging and degradation of secondary components. The framework consists of an integrated multi-sensor modality system, which can be used to monitor different piping configurations under different degradation conditions. The report analyses the currently known degradation mechanisms and available predictive models. Based on this analysis, the structural health monitoring framework is proposed. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program began to evaluate technologies that could be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial NPPs. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk-informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for the majority of nuclear power generation costs. Furthermore, of the operations and maintenance costs in U.S. plants, approximately 80% are labor costs. To address the issue of rising operating costs and economic viability, in 2017, companies that operate the national nuclear energy fleet started the Delivering the Nuclear Promise Initiative, which is a 3 year program aimed at maintaining operational focus, increasing value, and improving efficiency. There is unanimous agreement between industry experts and academic researchers that identifying and prioritizing inspection locations in secondary piping systems (for example, in raw water piping or diesel piping) would eliminate many excessive in-service inspections. The proposed structural health monitoring framework takes aim at

Designing effective on-line continuing medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimitat, Craig

2001-03-01

The Internet, and new information and communication technologies available through the Internet, provides medical educators with an opportunity to develop unique on-line learning environments with real potential to improve physicians' knowledge and effect change in their clinical practice. There are approximately 100 websites offering on-line CME courses in the USA alone. However, few of these CME courses appear to be based on sound educational principles or CME research and may have little chance of achieving the broader goals of CME. The majority of these courses closely resemble their traditional counterparts (e.g. paper-based books are now electronic books) and appear to be mere substitutions for old-technology CME resources. Whilst some CME providers add unique features of the Internet to enrich their websites, they do not employ strategies to optimize the learning opportunities afforded by this new technology. The adoption of adult learning principles, reflective practice and problem-based approaches can be used as a foundation for sound CME course design. In addition, knowledge of Internet technology and the learning opportunities it affords, together with strategies to maintain participation and new assessment paradigms, are all needed for developing online CME. We argue for an evidence-based and strategic approach to the development of on-line CME courses designed to enhance physician learning and facilitate change in clinical behaviour.

Thermographic Sensing For On-Line Industrial Control

Science.gov (United States)

Holmsten, Dag

1986-10-01

It is today's emergence of thermoelectrically cooled, highly accurate infrared linescanners and imaging systems that has definitely made on-line Infraread Thermography (IRT) possible. Specifically designed for continuous use, these scanners are equipped with dedicated software capable of monitoring and controlling highly complex thermodynamic situations. This paper will outline some possible implications of using IRT on-line by describing some uses of this technology in the steel-making (hot rolling) and automotive industries (machine-vision). A warning is also expressed that IRT technology not originally designed for automated applications e.g. high resolution, imaging systems, should not be directly applied to an on-line measurement situation without having its measurement resolution, accuracy and especially its repeatability, reliably proven. Some suitable testing procedures are briefly outlined at the end of the paper.

Continuous monitoring of volcanoes with borehole strainmeters

Science.gov (United States)

Linde, Alan T.; Sacks, Selwyn

Monitoring of volcanoes using various physical techniques has the potential to provide important information about the shape, size and location of the underlying magma bodies. Volcanoes erupt when the pressure in a magma chamber some kilometers below the surface overcomes the strength of the intervening rock, resulting in detectable deformations of the surrounding crust. Seismic activity may accompany and precede eruptions and, from the patterns of earthquake locations, inferences may be made about the location of magma and its movement. Ground deformation near volcanoes provides more direct evidence on these, but continuous monitoring of such deformation is necessary for all the important aspects of an eruption to be recorded. Sacks-Evertson borehole strainmeters have recorded strain changes associated with eruptions of Hekla, Iceland and Izu-Oshima, Japan. Those data have made possible well-constrained models of the geometry of the magma reservoirs and of the changes in their geometry during the eruption. The Hekla eruption produced clear changes in strain at the nearest instrument (15 km from the volcano) starting about 30 minutes before the surface breakout. The borehole instrument on Oshima showed an unequivocal increase in the amplitude of the solid earth tides beginning some years before the eruption. Deformational changes, detected by a borehole strainmeter and a very long baseline tiltmeter, and corresponding to the remote triggered seismicity at Long Valley, California in the several days immediately following the Landers earthquake are indicative of pressure changes in the magma body under Long Valley, raising the question of whether such transients are of more general importance in the eruption process. We extrapolate the experience with borehole strainmeters to estimate what could be learned from an installation of a small network of such instruments on Mauna Loa. Since the process of conduit formation from the magma sources in Mauna Loa and other

General Purpose Data-Driven Online System Health Monitoring with Applications to Space Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, David L.; Spirkovska, Lilly; Schwabacher, Mark

2010-01-01

Modern space transportation and ground support system designs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Determining the health state of these systems using traditional parameter limit checking, or model-based or rule-based methods is becoming more difficult as the number of sensors and component interactions grows. Data-driven monitoring techniques have been developed to address these issues by analyzing system operations data to automatically characterize normal system behavior. System health can be monitored by comparing real-time operating data with these nominal characterizations, providing detection of anomalous data signatures indicative of system faults, failures, or precursors of significant failures. The Inductive Monitoring System (IMS) is a general purpose, data-driven system health monitoring software tool that has been successfully applied to several aerospace applications and is under evaluation for anomaly detection in vehicle and ground equipment for next generation launch systems. After an introduction to IMS application development, we discuss these NASA online monitoring applications, including the integration of IMS with complementary model-based and rule-based methods. Although the examples presented in this paper are from space operations applications, IMS is a general-purpose health-monitoring tool that is also applicable to power generation and transmission system monitoring.

Acoustic Emission for on-line reactor pressure boundary monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, P.H.; Kurtz, R.J.; Pappas, R.A.

1985-01-01

The program objective is to develop AE for continuous surveillance to assess flaw growth in reactor pressure boundaries. Technology in the laboratory is being evaluated on structures. Results have demonstrated basic feasibility of the program objective. AE monitoring a long term fatigue test of a pressure vessel demonstrated an instrument system, and the ability to detect unexpected as well as well as known fatigue cracks. Monitoring a nuclear reactor system shows that the coolant flow noise problem is manageable and AE can be detected under simulated operating conditions

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) or Blood Glucose Monitoring (BGM): Interactions and Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinemann, Lutz

2018-04-01

At the 2017 10th annual International Conference on Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) in Paris, France, four speakers presented their perspectives on the roles of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and of blood glucose monitoring (BGM) in patient management within one symposium. These presentations included discussions of the differences in the accuracy of CGM and BGM, a clinical perspective on the physiological reasons behind differences in CGM and BGM values, and an overview of the impact of variations in device accuracy on patients with diabetes. Subsequently a short summary of these presentations is given, highlighting the value of good accuracy of BGM or CGM systems and the ongoing need for standardization. The important role of both BGM and CGM in patient management was a theme across all presentations.

Vehicle tracking based technique for radiation monitoring during nuclear or radiological emergency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saindane, Shashank S.; Otari, Anil D.; Suri, M.M.K.; Patil, S.S.; Pradeepkumar, K.S.; Sharma, D.N.

2010-01-01

Radiation Safety Systems Division, BARC has developed an advanced online radiation measurement cum vehicle tracking system for use. For the preparedness for response to any nuclear/radiological emergency scenario which may occur anywhere, the system designed is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) based Radiation Monitoring System (GRaMS) along with a Global Positioning System (GPS). It uses an energy compensated GM detector for radiation monitoring and is attached with commercially available Global Positioning System (GPS) for online acquisition of positional coordinates with time, and GSM modem for online data transfer to a remote control centre. The equipment can be operated continuously while the vehicle is moving

Using an intervention mapping framework to develop an online mental health continuing education program for pharmacy staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Amanda; Fowler, Jane; Hattingh, Laetitia

2013-01-01

Current mental health policy in Australia recognizes that ongoing mental health workforce development is crucial to mental health care reform. Community pharmacy staff are well placed to assist people with mental illness living in the community; however, staff require the knowledge and skills to do this competently and effectively. This article presents the systematic planning and development process and content of an education and training program for community pharmacy staff, using a program planning approach called intervention mapping. The intervention mapping framework was used to guide development of an online continuing education program. Interviews with mental health consumers and carers (n = 285) and key stakeholders (n = 15), and a survey of pharmacy staff (n = 504) informed the needs assessment. Program objectives were identified specifying required attitudes, knowledge, skills, and confidence. These objectives were aligned with an education technique and delivery strategy. This was followed by development of an education program and comprehensive evaluation plan. The program was piloted face to face with 24 participants and then translated into an online program comprising eight 30-minute modules for pharmacists, 4 of which were also used for support staff. The evaluation plan provided for online participants (n ≅ 500) to be randomized into intervention (immediate access) or control groups (delayed training access). It included pre- and posttraining questionnaires and a reflective learning questionnaire for pharmacy staff and telephone interviews post pharmacy visit for consumers and carers. An online education program was developed to address mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and skills required by pharmacy staff to work effectively with mental health consumers and carers. Intervention mapping provides a systematic and rigorous approach that can be used to develop a quality continuing education program for the health workforce

Review of techniques for on-line monitoring and inspection of laser welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, J; Yan, Y

2005-01-01

Laser welding has been applied to various industries, in particular, automotive, aerospace and microelectronics. However, traditional off-line testing of the welds is costly and inefficient. Therefore, on-line inspection systems with low cost have being developed to increase productivity and maintain high welding quality. This paper presents the applications of acoustic, optical, visual, thermal and ultrasonic techniques and latest development of laser welding monitoring. The advantages and limitations of these techniques are also discussed

Online Monitoring of Water-Quality Anomaly in Water Distribution Systems Based on Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis by UV-Vis Absorption Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dibo Hou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a probabilistic principal component analysis- (PPCA- based method for online monitoring of water-quality contaminant events by UV-Vis (ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The purpose of this method is to achieve fast and sound protection against accidental and intentional contaminate injection into the water distribution system. The method is achieved first by properly imposing a sliding window onto simultaneously updated online monitoring data collected by the automated spectrometer. The PPCA algorithm is then executed to simplify the large amount of spectrum data while maintaining the necessary spectral information to the largest extent. Finally, a monitoring chart extensively employed in fault diagnosis field methods is used here to search for potential anomaly events and to determine whether the current water-quality is normal or abnormal. A small-scale water-pipe distribution network is tested to detect water contamination events. The tests demonstrate that the PPCA-based online monitoring model can achieve satisfactory results under the ROC curve, which denotes a low false alarm rate and high probability of detecting water contamination events.

Monitoring and control of the biogas process based on propionate concentration using online VFA measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boe, Kanokwan; Steyer, J.P.; Angelidaki, Irini

2008-01-01

Simple logic control algorithms were tested for automatic control of a lab-scale CSTR manure digester. Using an online VFA monitoring system, propionate concentration in the reactor was used as parameter for control of the biogas process. The propionate concentration was kept below a threshold...

The design, marketing, and implementation of online continuing education about computers and nursing informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, Nancy M; Saarmann, Lembi; Seidman, Robert; Flagg, Joan

2006-01-01

Asynchronous online tutorials using PowerPoint slides with accompanying audio to teach practicing nurses about computers and nursing informatics were designed for this project, which awarded free continuing education units to completers. Participants had control over the advancement of slides, with the ability to repeat when desired. Graphics were kept to a minimum; thus, the program ran smoothly on computers using dial-up modems. The tutorials were marketed in live meetings and through e-mail messages on nursing listservs. Findings include that the enrollment process must be automated and instantaneous, the program must work from every type of computer and Internet connection, marketing should be live and electronic, and workshops should be offered to familiarize nurses with the online learning system.

Feasibility analysis of marine ecological on-line integrated monitoring system

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, D. Z.; Cao, X.; Zhang, S. W.; Wu, N.; Ma, R.; Zhang, L.; Cao, L.

2017-08-01

The in-situ water quality sensors were susceptible to biological attachment. Moreover, sea water corrosion and wave impact damage, and many sensors scattered distribution would cause maintenance inconvenience. The paper proposed a highly integrated marine ecological on-line integrated monitoring system, which can be used inside monitoring station. All sensors were reasonably classified, the similar in series, the overall in parallel. The system composition and workflow were described. In addition, the paper proposed attention issues of the system design and corresponding solutions. Water quality multi-parameters and 5 nutrient salts as the verification index, in-situ and systematic data comparison experiment were carried out. The results showed that the data consistency of nutrient salt, PH and salinity was better. Temperature and dissolved oxygen data trend was consistent, but the data had deviation. Turbidity fluctuated greatly; the chlorophyll trend was similar with it. Aiming at the above phenomena, three points system optimization direction were proposed.

JACoW Monitoring the new ALICE Online-Offline computing system

CERN Document Server

Wegrzynek, Adam; Vino, Gioacchino

2018-01-01

ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a particle detector designed to study heavy-ion collisions and the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark–gluon plasma at the CERN LHC (Large Hadron Collider). ALICE has been successfully collecting physics data since 2010. Currently, it is in the preparations for a major upgrade of the computing system, called O$^{2}$ (Online-Offline) and scheduled to be deployed during Long Shutdown 2 in 2019–2020. The O$^{2}$ system will consist of 268 FLPs (First Level Processors) equipped with readout cards and 1500 EPNs (Event Processing Node) performing data aggregation, calibration, reconstruction and event building. The system will readout 27 Tb/s of raw data and record tens of PBs of reconstructed data per year. To allow an efficient operation of the upgraded experiment, a new Monitoring subsystem will provide a complete overview of the O$^{2}$ computing system status, detect performance degradation or component failures. The ALICE O$^{2}$ Monitoring subsy...

The design and implementation of on-line monitoring system for UHV compact shunt capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Weiliang; Ni, Xuefeng; Lin, Hao; Jiang, Shengbao

2017-08-01

Because of the large capacity and compact structure of the UHV compact shunt capacitor, it is difficult to take effective measures to detect and prevent the faults. If the fault capacitor fails to take timely maintenance, it will pose a threat to the safe operation of the system and the life safety of the maintenance personnel. The development of UHV compact shunt capacitor on-line monitoring system can detect and record the on-line operation information of UHV compact shunt capacitors, analyze and evaluate the early fault warning signs, find out the fault capacitor or the capacitor with fault symptom, to ensure safe and reliable operation of the system.

Chromatographic separation and continuously referenced, on-line monitoring of creatine kinase isoenzymes by use of an immobilized-enzyme microreactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denton, M.S.; Bostick, W.D.; Dinsmore, S.R.; Mrochek, J.E.

1978-01-01

We describe a new concept in continuously referenced monitoring of the isoenzyme activities of creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2) after liquid-chromatographic separation. After separation on a diethylaminoethyl-Sephacel column, the three isoenzymes of creatine kinase undergo a series of upled enzyme reactions, ultimately resulting in the formation of ultraviolet-detectable NADPH. A major advantage of this detection system is the immobilized-enzyme microreactor (2 x 17 mm), which may be removed and stored refrigerated when not in use. A split-stream configuration allows self-blanking of endogenous ultraviolet-absorbing constituents in authentic sera samples, which would otherwise make definitive diagnosis and quantitation difficult or impossible. This detection system is applicable to the automated analysis of creatine kinase isoenzymes in the clinical laboratory. 5 figures; 42 references

[CGM-Continuous Glucose Monitoring--Statement of the Austrian Diabetes Association].

Science.gov (United States)

Schütz-Fuhrmann, Ingrid; Rami-Merhar, Birgit; Hofer, Sabine; Stadler, Marietta; Bischof, Martin; Zlamal-Fortunat, Sandra; Laimer, Markus; Weitgasser, Raimund; Prager, Rudolf

2016-04-01

This position statement represents the recommendations of the Austrian Diabetes Association regarding the clinical diagnostic and therapeutic application, safety and benefits of continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring systems in patients with diabetes mellitus, based on current evidence.

[CGM-continuous glucose monitoring - statement of the Austrian Diabetes Association].

Science.gov (United States)

Schütz-Fuhrmann, Ingrid; Schober, Edith; Rami, Birgit; Stadler, Marietta; Bischof, Martin; Fortunat, Sandra; Laimer, Markus; Weitgasser, Raimund; Prager, Rudolf

2012-12-01

This position statement represents the recommendations of the Austrian Diabetes Association regarding the clinical diagnostic and therapeutic application, safety and benefits of continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring systems in patients with diabetes mellitus, based on current evidence.

Ultrasonic guided wave for monitoring corrosion of steel bar

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xi; Qin, Lei; Huang, Bosheng

2018-01-01

Steel corrosion of reinforced concrete structures has become a serious problem all over the word. In this paper, the work aims at monitoring steel corrosion using ultrasonic guided wave (UGW). Ultrasonic guided wave monitoring is a dynamic and non-destructive testing technology. The advantages of ultrasonic guided wave monitoring for reinforcement corrosion are real-time, online and continuous. In addition, it can judge the different stages of steel bar corrosion, which achieved non-destructive detection.

Research on Linear Wireless Sensor Networks Used for Online Monitoring of Rolling Bearing in Freight Train

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Nan; Meng Qingfeng; Zheng Bin; Li Tong; Ma Qinghai

2011-01-01

This paper presents a Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) technique for the purpose of on-line monitoring of rolling bearing in freight train. A new technical scheme including the arrangements of sensors, the design of sensor nodes and base station, routing protocols, signal acquirement, processing and transmission is described, and an on-line monitoring system is established. Considering the approximately linear arrangements of cars and the running state of freight train, a linear topology structure of WSNs is adopted and five linear routing protocols are discussed in detail as to obtain the desired minimum energy consumption of WSNs. By analysing the simulation results, an optimal multi-hop routing protocol named sub-section routing protocol according to equal distance is adopted, in which all sensor nodes are divided into different groups according to the equal transmission distance, the optimal transmission distance and number of hops of routing protocol are also studied. We know that the communication consumes significant power in WSNs, so, in order to save the limit power supply of WSNs, the data compression and coding scheme based on lifting integer wavelet and embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) algorithms is studied to reduce the amounts of data transmitted. The experimental results of rolling bearing have been given at last to verify the effectiveness of data compression algorithm. The on-line monitoring system of rolling bearing in freight train will be applied to actual application in the near future.

Research on Linear Wireless Sensor Networks Used for Online Monitoring of Rolling Bearing in Freight Train

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Nan; Meng Qingfeng; Zheng Bin [Theory of Lubrication and Bearing Institute, Xi' an Jiaotong University Xi' an, 710049 (China); Li Tong; Ma Qinghai, E-mail: heroyoyu.2009@stu.xjtu.edu.cn [Xi' an Rail Bureau, Xi' an, 710054 (China)

2011-07-19

This paper presents a Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) technique for the purpose of on-line monitoring of rolling bearing in freight train. A new technical scheme including the arrangements of sensors, the design of sensor nodes and base station, routing protocols, signal acquirement, processing and transmission is described, and an on-line monitoring system is established. Considering the approximately linear arrangements of cars and the running state of freight train, a linear topology structure of WSNs is adopted and five linear routing protocols are discussed in detail as to obtain the desired minimum energy consumption of WSNs. By analysing the simulation results, an optimal multi-hop routing protocol named sub-section routing protocol according to equal distance is adopted, in which all sensor nodes are divided into different groups according to the equal transmission distance, the optimal transmission distance and number of hops of routing protocol are also studied. We know that the communication consumes significant power in WSNs, so, in order to save the limit power supply of WSNs, the data compression and coding scheme based on lifting integer wavelet and embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) algorithms is studied to reduce the amounts of data transmitted. The experimental results of rolling bearing have been given at last to verify the effectiveness of data compression algorithm. The on-line monitoring system of rolling bearing in freight train will be applied to actual application in the near future.

Continuous Activity Monitoring During Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohri, Nitin, E-mail: ohri.nitin@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Kabarriti, Rafi; Bodner, William R.; Mehta, Keyur J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Shankar, Viswanathan [Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Halmos, Balazs; Haigentz, Missak [Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Rapkin, Bruce [Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Guha, Chandan; Kalnicki, Shalom; Garg, Madhur [Department of Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States)

2017-04-01

Purpose: To perform a prospective trial testing the feasibility and utility of acquiring activity data as a measure of health status during concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Ambulatory patients who were planned for treatment with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with curative intent for cancers of the head and neck, lung, or gastrointestinal tract were provided with activity monitors before treatment initiation. Patients were asked to wear the devices continuously throughout the radiation therapy course. Step count data were downloaded weekly during radiation therapy and 2 and 4 weeks after radiation therapy completion. The primary objective was to demonstrate feasibility, defined as collection of step counts for 80% of the days during study subjects' radiation therapy courses. Secondary objectives included establishing step count as a dynamic predictor of unplanned hospitalization risk. Results: Thirty-eight enrolled patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Primary diagnoses included head and neck cancer (n=11), lung cancer (n=13), and a variety of gastrointestinal cancers (n=14). Step data were collected for 1524 of 1613 days (94%) during patients' radiation therapy courses. Fourteen patients were hospitalized during radiation therapy or within 4 weeks of radiation therapy completion. Cox regression modeling demonstrated a significant association between recent step counts (3-day average) and hospitalization risk, with a 38% reduction in the risk of hospitalization for every 1000 steps taken each day (hazard ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.46-0.83, P=.002). Inferior quality of life scores and impaired performance status were not associated with increased hospitalization risk. Conclusion: Continuous activity monitoring during concurrent chemoradiotherapy is feasible and well-tolerated. Step counts may serve as powerful, objective, and dynamic indicators of hospitalization risk.

An integrated framework for online diagnostic and prognostic health monitoring using a multistate deterioration process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moghaddass, Ramin; Zuo, Ming J.

2014-01-01

Efficient asset management is of paramount importance, particularly for systems with costly downtime and failure. As in energy and capital-intensive industries, the economic loss of downtime and failure is huge, the need for a low-cost and integrated health monitoring system has increased significantly over the years. Timely detection of faults and failures through an efficient prognostics and health management (PHM) framework can lead to appropriate maintenance actions to be scheduled proactively to avoid catastrophic failures and minimize the overall maintenance cost of the systems. This paper aims at practical challenges of online diagnostics and prognostics of mechanical systems under unobservable degradation. First, the elements of a multistate degradation structure are reviewed and then a model selection framework is introduced. Important dynamic performance measures are introduced, which can be used for online diagnostics and prognostics. The effectiveness of the result of this paper is demonstrated with a case study on the health monitoring of turbofan engines

On-line monitoring of Glucose and penicillin by sequential injection analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Min, R.W.; Nielsen, Jens Bredal; Villadsen, John

1996-01-01

and a detector. The glucose analyzer is based on an enzymatic reaction using glucose oxidase, which converts glucose to glucono-lactone with formation of hydrogen peroxide and subsequent detection of H2O2 by a chemiluminescence reaction involving luminol. The penicillin analysis is based on formation......A sequential injection analysis (SIA) system has been developed for on-line monitoring of glucose and penicillin during cultivations of the filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. The SIA system consists of a peristaltic pump, an injection valve, two piston pumps, two multi-position valves...

In-vivo continuous monitoring of mixed venous oxygen saturation by photoacoustic transesophageal echocardiography (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Subramaniam, Balachundhar; Aguirre, Aaron D.; Andrawes, Michael N.; Tearney, Guillermo J.

2016-02-01

Mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), measured from pulmonary arteries, is a gold-standard measure of the dynamic balance between the oxygen supply and demand in the body. In critical care, continuous monitoring of SvO2 plays a vital role in early detection of circulatory shock and guiding goal-oriented resuscitation. In current clinical practice, SvO2 is measured by invasive pulmonary artery catheters (PAC), which are associated with a 10% risk of severe complications. To address the unmet clinical need for a non-invasive SvO2 monitor, we are developing a new technology termed photoacoustic transesophageal echocardiography (PA-TEE). PA-TEE integrates transesophageal echocardiography with photoacoustic oximetry, and enables continuous assessment of SvO2 through an esophageal probe that can be inserted into the body in a minimally invasive manner. We have constructed a clinically translatable PA-TEE prototype, which features a mobile OPO laser, a modified ultrasonography console and a dual-modality esophageal probe. Comprised of a rotatable acoustic array detector, a flexible optical fiber bundle and a light-integrating acoustic lens, the oximetric probe has an outer diameter smaller than 15 mm and will be tolerable for most patients. Through custom-made C++/Qt software, our device acquires and displays ultrasonic and photoacoustic images in real time to guide the deployment of the probe. SvO2 is calculated on-line and updated every second. PA-TEE has now been used to evaluate SvO2 in living swine. Our findings show that changing the fraction of oxygen in the inspired gas modulates SvO2 measured by PA-TEE. Statistic comparison between SvO2 measurements from PA-TEE in vivo the gold-standard laboratorial analysis on blood samples drawn from PACs will be presented.

Modernization of the online core monitoring in the nuclear power plant Gundremmingen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzer, Robert; Grosshans, Ingo

2008-01-01

In NPP Gundremmingen unit B and C the online core monitoring system KSIM is used since 1994. IN 2006 the modernization of the system was started with focus on the actualization of the simulator models according to the state of the art and improved user interface. The new system is operating in parallel operation with the old system and will overtake completely by 2008. The contribution covers a description of the system, the hardware and the system soft ware.

Continuous non-invasive blood glucose monitoring by spectral image differencing method

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hao; Liao, Ningfang; Cheng, Haobo; Liang, Jing

2018-01-01

Currently, the use of implantable enzyme electrode sensor is the main method for continuous blood glucose monitoring. But the effect of electrochemical reactions and the significant drift caused by bioelectricity in body will reduce the accuracy of the glucose measurements. So the enzyme-based glucose sensors need to be calibrated several times each day by the finger-prick blood corrections. This increases the patient's pain. In this paper, we proposed a method for continuous Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring by spectral image differencing method in the near infrared band. The method uses a high-precision CCD detector to switch the filter in a very short period of time, obtains the spectral images. And then by using the morphological method to obtain the spectral image differences, the dynamic change of blood sugar is reflected in the image difference data. Through the experiment proved that this method can be used to monitor blood glucose dynamically to a certain extent.

Wireless Power Supply via Coupled Magnetic Resonance for on-line Monitoring Wireless Sensor of High-voltage Electrical Equipment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xingkui, Mao; Qisheng, Huang; Yudi, Xiao

2016-01-01

On-line monitoring of high-voltage electrical equipment (HV-EE) aiming to detect faults effectively has become crucial to avoid serious accidents. Moreover, highly reliable power supplies are the key component for the wireless sensors equipped in such on-line monitoring systems. Therefore......, in this paper, the wireless power supply via coupled magnetic resonance (MR-WPS) is proposed for powering the wireless sensor and the associated wireless sensor solution is also proposed. The key specifications of the MR-WPS working in switchgear cabinet with a harsh operation environment are analyzed...... power is able to be delivered to the wireless sensor through the designed MR-WPS, and therefore the theoretical analysis and design is verified....

Acoustic emission for on-line reactor monitoring: results from field tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, P.H.; Kurtz, R.J.

1984-09-01

The objective of the acoustic emission (AE)/flaw characterization program is to develop use of the AE method on a continuous basis (during operation and during hydrotest) to detect and analyze flaw growth in reactor pressure vessels and primary piping. AE has the unique capability for continuous monitoring, high sensitivity, and remote flaw location

On-line fatigue monitoring and probabilistic assessment of margins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fournier, I. [Electricite de France, 93 - Saint-Denis (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches; Morilhat, P. [Electricite de France, 93 - Saint-Denis (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches

1995-01-01

An on-line computer-aided system has been developed by Electricite de France, the French utility, for fatigue monitoring of critical locations in the nuclear steam supply system. This tool, called a fatigue meter, includes as input data plant parameters and is based on some conservative assumptions at several steps of the damage assessment (thermal boundary conditions, stress computation,..). In this paper we present recent developments performed towards a better assessment of margins involved in the complete analysis. The methodology is illustrated with an example showing the influence of uncertainty in plant parameters on the final stress computed at a pressurized water reactor 900MW unit pressurizer surge line nozzle. A second example is shown to illustrate the possibility of defining some transient archetypes. ((orig.)).

Online, real-time corrosion monitoring in district heating systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel; Thorarinsdottir, R.I.

2005-01-01

The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress, ......, precipitation of deposits or crevices. The authors describe methods used for on-line monitoring of corrosion, cover the complications and the main results of a Nordic project.......The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress...

Clinical use of continuous glucose monitoring in adults with type 1 diabetes

OpenAIRE

Slattery, David; Choudhary, Pratik

2017-01-01

With the emphasis on intensive management of type 1 diabetes, data from studies support frequent monitoring of glucose levels to improve glycemic control and reduce glucose variability, which can be related to an increase in macro and microvascular complications. However, few perform capillary blood glucose that frequently. There are currently two available alternatives that this review will discuss, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and flash glucose monitoring. CGM has become an important...

Defining quality criteria for online continuing medical education modules using modified nominal group technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Shortt, S E D; Guillemette, Jean-Marc; Duncan, Anne Marie; Kirby, Frances

2010-01-01

The rapid increase in the use of the Internet for continuing education by physicians suggests the need to define quality criteria for accredited online modules. Continuing medical education (CME) directors from Canadian medical schools and academic researchers participated in a consensus process, Modified Nominal Group Technique, to develop agreement on the most important quality criteria to guide module development. Rankings were compared to responses to a survey of a subset of Canadian Medical Association (CMA) members. A list of 17 items was developed, of which 10 were deemed by experts to be important and 7 were considered secondary. A quality module would: be needs-based; presented in a clinical format; utilize evidence-based information; permit interaction with content and experts; facilitate and attempt to document practice change; be accessible for later review; and include a robust course evaluation. There was less agreement among CMA members on criteria ranking, with consensus on ranking reached on only 12 of 17 items. In contrast to experts, members agreed that the need to assess performance change as a result of an educational experience was not important. This project identified 10 quality criteria for accredited online CME modules that representatives of Canadian organizations involved in continuing education believe should be taken into account when developing learning products. The lack of practitioner support for documentation of change in clinical behavior may suggest that they favor traditional attendance- or completion-based CME; this finding requires further research.

On-line acquisition of plant related and environmental parameters (plant monitoring) in gerbera: determining plant responses

OpenAIRE

Baas, R.; Slootweg, G.

2004-01-01

For on-line plant monitoring equipment to be functional in commercial glasshouse horticulture, relations between sensor readings and plant responses on both the short (days) and long term (weeks) are required. For this reason, systems were installed to monitor rockwool grown gerbera plants on a minute-to-minute basis from July 2002 until April 2003. Data collected included, amongst others, crop transpiration from lysimeter data (2 m2), canopy temperature using infrared sensors, rockwool water...

Influence of local calibration on the quality of online wet weather discharge monitoring: feedback from five international case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Caradot, Nicolas; Sonnenberg, Hauke; Rouault, Pascale; Gruber, Günter; Hofer, Thomas; Torres, Andres; Pesci, Maria; Bertrand-Krajewski, Jean-Luc

2015-01-01

This paper reports about experiences gathered from five online monitoring campaigns in the sewer systems of Berlin (Germany), Graz (Austria), Lyon (France) and Bogota (Colombia) using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrometers and turbidimeters. Online probes are useful for the measurement of highly dynamic processes, e.g. combined sewer overflows (CSO), storm events, and river impacts. The influence of local calibration on the quality of online chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements of wet weather discharges has been assessed. Results underline the need to establish local calibration functions for both UV-VIS spectrometers and turbidimeters. It is suggested that practitioners calibrate locally their probes using at least 15-20 samples. However, these samples should be collected over several events and cover most of the natural variability of the measured concentration. For this reason, the use of automatic peristaltic samplers in parallel to online monitoring is recommended with short representative sampling campaigns during wet weather discharges. Using reliable calibration functions, COD loads of CSO and storm events can be estimated with a relative uncertainty of approximately 20%. If no local calibration is established, concentrations and loads are estimated with a high error rate, questioning the reliability and meaning of the online measurement. Similar results have been obtained for total suspended solids measurements.

Utilization of online-analysis of ashes in the power plant Neurath; Verwendung der Online-Ascheanalyse im Kraftwerk Neurath

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, Horst [RWE Power, Neurath (Germany); Gocht, Dietmar [Evonik Energy Services GmbH, Essen (Germany)

2008-07-01

The authors of the contribution under consideration report on the use of on-line ash analysis in the power station Neurath (Federal Republic of Germany). On the basis of concrete data from the plant operation it is shown, how the complex closed-loop-monitoring of soot blowing adjusts the effects of changing coal qualities on the contamination reliably. The system preventively reacts to alterations of the coal qualities, since the analyses are accessible online. It has been shown during the continuous operation of the power station that the soot blowing can be accomplished further automatically by these measures also under altered circumstances due to the changing coal qualities. Thus, the personnel of the power station is relieved clearly.

Slow ultrafiltration for continuous in vivo sampling : application for glucose and lactate in man

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiessen, RG; Kaptein, WA; Venema, K; Korf, J

1999-01-01

Background: An ultrafiltration (UF) technique was developed for continuous subcutaneous (s.c.) sampling and on-line analysis of absolute glucose and lactate concentrations in tissue. The relation between subcutaneous and blood concentrations was studied in men, because a subcutaneous monitoring

Design and development of portable continuous beta air monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankaj Kumar; Pandey, J.P.N.; Jaroli, Manish; Dubey, K.

2014-01-01

Most of Continuous air monitors used for the measurement of air borne activity at nuclear plants are bulky in size, makes lot of noise (> 70 DB) due to belt derive vacuum pump. In addition to that users also face difficulties in displacement of the instrument from one location to another location. To overcome these problems, a compact and portable continuous Beta air monitor was indigenously designed and developed which has extremely low noise level and has shown excellent performance for the measurement of air borne activity. The details of the design and development of portable continuous beta air monitor are presented in this paper. Compact design makes the instrument light in weight and easy to displace it from one location to another location. Shielding design of the detector and filter holder assembly is very effective to reduce the interference of external gamma. Replacement of filter papers in this design of filter holder is much easier and convenient than old model filter holders. The integrity of leak tightness of the system ensures collection efficiency more than 99 % for sub micron particles. Observed efficiency of the detector with 5 mm minimum air gap between filter paper and detector is 13% which is 1.5 times higher than earlier model. Use of motor mounted vacuum pump and silencer was found quite effective to reduce the noise level upto 70 DB. Introduction of electronic air flow sensor provides additional features to get flow rate at the time of individual alarm conditions. Self diagnostic features like detector fail, HV fail and pump fail indications on display system helps to identify the specific type of faults. Internal memory of display unit can store all such data with date and time in programmable intervals (0-250 minutes)

Evaluating clinical accuracy of continuous glucose monitoring devices: other methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wentholt, Iris M. E.; Hart, August A.; Hoekstra, Joost B. L.; DeVries, J. Hans

2008-01-01

With more and more continuous glucose monitoring devices entering the market, the importance of adequate accuracy assessment grows. This review discusses pros and cons of Regression Analysis and Correlation Coefficient, Relative Difference measures, Bland Altman plot, ISO criteria, combined curve

A feasibility study on the application of microwaves for online biofilm monitoring in the pipelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saber, Nasser; Ju, Yang; Hsu, Hung-Yao; Lee, Sang-Heon

2013-01-01

This study investigates the potential of microwave technique for online monitoring and evaluation of biofilms in the pipelines. A microwave vector network analyser and an in-house built transmitting and receiving coaxial-line transducer were employed to transmit microwave signals in the pipe. The brass pipe specimen was tested by adhering different volumes of polymeric tape layers onto its internal surface simulating the biofilm build-up. By taking the pipe as a circular waveguide of microwave, the frequency domain measurements were conducted in the 45–47 GHz range with TM 01 dominant wave mode. The permittivity of the biofilm-contained area has been expressed as a function of the resonance frequency after establishing the resonance condition in the waveguide. It was realized that the resonance frequencies experience systematic shifts with the growth of biofilm layer length and thickness. The effects of dielectric material properties and the volume of the added biofilm layer on the resonance frequency records were then explained using the cavity perturbation theory which confirmed the experimental findings. Measurement results indicated a high degree of sensitivity to the small amounts of introduced biofilm which proves the potential of the microwave technique for online biofilm monitoring in both closed-end and open-end terminal conditions. -- Highlights: • An online biofilm monitoring method in pipelines using microwaves is reported. • Time and frequency domain measurements conducted in the pipe as a waveguide. • Resonance frequencies show systematic shifts with the growth of biofilm layer. • Relationship of the biofilm volume and the resonance frequency changes is expressed. • Perturbation theory is used to explain the results

LHCb: Beam and Background Monitoring and the Development of an Online Condition Analysis Tool for the LHCb Experiment at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Alessio, F

2010-01-01

The LHCb experiment has been taking data since more than half a year at the LHC, recording events from collisions at the highest energy ever achieved. For its physics purposes in the sector of CP violation, the experiment will record data with the best precision achievable. An online and offline beam and background monitoring became therefore essential to understand the performance of the LHC accelerator at CERN, to monitor and study the behavior of the background around the LHCb experiment and to optimize the experimental conditions. During my second year as a Doctoral Student at CERN, I have been working on the timing and readout control as well as on the online Beam, Background, and Luminosity Monitoring of the LHCb experiment in the frame of the LHCb Online group. The group is responsible for the complete data acquisition of the LHCb experiment, from the Front-End Electronics (FEE) to the storage of the data for offline analysis, including the Timing and Fast Control (TFC) system. The latter controls and...

A web-based system to facilitate local, systematic quality improvement by multidisciplinary care teams: development and first experiences of CARDSS Online

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Engen-Verheul, Mariëtte M.; van der Veer, Sabine N.; de Keizer, Nicolette F.; Tjon Sjoe Sjoe, Winston; van der Zwan, Eric P. A.; Peek, Niels

2013-01-01

Continuous monitoring and systematic improvement of quality have become increasingly common in healthcare. To support multidisciplinary care teams in improving their clinical performance using feedback on quality indicators, we developed the CARDSS Online system. This system supports (i) monitoring

40 CFR 60.1730 - How do I make sure my continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? 60.1730 Section 60.1730 Protection of Environment... continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? (a) Conduct initial, daily, quarterly, and annual evaluations of your continuous emission monitoring systems that measure oxygen (or carbon dioxide...

An Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) to Increase Safety and Security Levels in Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubair, M; Ur Rahman, Khalil; Ul Hassan, Mehmood

2013-01-01

The main idea of this research is to develop an Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) based on Living Probabilistic Safety Assessment (LPSA). The article highlights the essential features and functions of ORMS. The basic models and modules such as, Reliability Data Update Model (RDUM), running time update, redundant system unavailability update, Engineered Safety Features (ESF) unavailability update and general system update have been described in this study. ORMS not only provides quantitative analysis but also highlights qualitative aspects of risk measures. ORMS is capable of automatically updating the online risk models and reliability parameters of equipment. ORMS can support in the decision making process of operators and managers in Nuclear Power Plants

An Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) to Increase Safety and Security Levels in Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Zubair, M.; Rahman, Khalil Ur; Hassan, Mehmood Ul

2013-12-01

The main idea of this research is to develop an Online Risk Monitor System (ORMS) based on Living Probabilistic Safety Assessment (LPSA). The article highlights the essential features and functions of ORMS. The basic models and modules such as, Reliability Data Update Model (RDUM), running time update, redundant system unavailability update, Engineered Safety Features (ESF) unavailability update and general system update have been described in this study. ORMS not only provides quantitative analysis but also highlights qualitative aspects of risk measures. ORMS is capable of automatically updating the online risk models and reliability parameters of equipment. ORMS can support in the decision making process of operators and managers in Nuclear Power Plants.

Factors Associated with Younger Adolescents’ Exposure to Online Alcohol Advertising

Science.gov (United States)

D’Amico, Elizabeth J.; Martino, Steven C.; Collins, Rebecca L.; Shadel, William G.; Tolpadi, Anagha; Kovalchik, Stephanie; Becker, Kirsten M.

2016-01-01

Little is known about the extent and nature of youth exposure to online alcohol advertising, or factors that may be associated with exposure. The current study recruited middle school students who completed a paper survey and then logged each alcohol advertisement that they encountered over a two-week period using cell phones as part of an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design. We examined the percentage of youth who reported exposure to online alcohol advertising in the past two weeks, average weekly rate of exposure, types of online alcohol advertisements youth reported seeing, and factors that increased youths’ risk of exposure to online alcohol advertising. Analyses are based on 485 participants (47% female; 25% Hispanic, 25% white, 27% black; 6% Asian, 16% other). Youth logged exposures to a total of 3,966 (16,018 weighted for under-reporting) alcohol advertisements across the monitoring period; 154 (568 weighted) or 3.6% were online ads. Seventeen percent of youth reported seeing any online alcohol ad; the majority of online ads seen were video commercials (44.8%) and banner/side ads (26.6%). Factors associated with greater ad exposure were being older, rebellious, and Black race; greater parental monitoring and more hours spent on social media were associated with less exposure. Findings provide important information about adolescents’ exposure to online alcohol advertising and what might contribute to a greater likelihood of exposure. Given that online ad exposure is linked to drinking behavior, prevention programming for younger adolescents should continue to address this issue to help youth make healthy choices regarding alcohol use. PMID:27819430

Automated multivariate analysis of multi-sensor data submitted online: Real-time environmental monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Eide, Ingvar; Westad, Frank

2018-01-01

A pilot study demonstrating real-time environmental monitoring with automated multivariate analysis of multi-sensor data submitted online has been performed at the cabled LoVe Ocean Observatory located at 258 m depth 20 km off the coast of Lofoten-Vesterålen, Norway. The major purpose was efficient monitoring of many variables simultaneously and early detection of changes and time-trends in the overall response pattern before changes were evident in individual variables. The pilot study was performed with 12 sensors from May 16 to August 31, 2015. The sensors provided data for chlorophyll, turbidity, conductivity, temperature (three sensors), salinity (calculated from temperature and conductivity), biomass at three different depth intervals (5-50, 50-120, 120-250 m), and current speed measured in two directions (east and north) using two sensors covering different depths with overlap. A total of 88 variables were monitored, 78 from the two current speed sensors. The time-resolution varied, thus the data had to be aligned to a common time resolution. After alignment, the data were interpreted using principal component analysis (PCA). Initially, a calibration model was established using data from May 16 to July 31. The data on current speed from two sensors were subject to two separate PCA models and the score vectors from these two models were combined with the other 10 variables in a multi-block PCA model. The observations from August were projected on the calibration model consecutively one at a time and the result was visualized in a score plot. Automated PCA of multi-sensor data submitted online is illustrated with an attached time-lapse video covering the relative short time period used in the pilot study. Methods for statistical validation, and warning and alarm limits are described. Redundant sensors enable sensor diagnostics and quality assurance. In a future perspective, the concept may be used in integrated environmental monitoring.

40 CFR 62.15185 - How do I make sure my continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? 62.15185 Section 62.15185 Protection of Environment... make sure my continuous emission monitoring systems are operating correctly? (a) Conduct initial, daily, quarterly, and annual evaluations of your continuous emission monitoring systems that measure oxygen (or...

Online monitoring of corrosion behavior in molten metal using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Qiang; Pan, Congyuan; Li, Chaoyang; Fei, Teng; Ding, Xiaokang; Du, Xuewei; Wang, Qiuping

2018-04-01

The corrosion behavior of structure materials in direct contact with molten metals is widespread in metallurgical industry. The corrosion of casting equipment by molten metals is detrimental to the production process, and the corroded materials can also contaminate the metals being produced. Conventional methods for studying the corrosion behavior by molten metal are offline. This work explored the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for online monitoring of the corrosion behavior of molten metal. The compositional changes of molten aluminum in crucibles made of 304 stainless steel were obtained online at 1000 °C. Several offline techniques were combined to determine the corrosion mechanism, which was highly consistent with previous studies. Results proved that LIBS was an efficient method to study the corrosion mechanism of solid materials in molten metal.

On-line monitoring of lithium carbonate dissolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Yuzhu; Song, Xingfu; Wang, Jin; Luo, Yan; Yu, Jianguo [National Engineering Research Center for Integrated Utilization Salt Lake Resources, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China)

2009-11-15

Dissolution of lithium carbonate (Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}) in aqueous solution was investigated using three on-line apparatuses: the concentration of Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} was measured by electrical conductivity equipment; CLD (Chord Length Distribution) was monitored by FBRM (Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement); crystal image was observed by PVM (Particle Video Microscope). Results show dissolution rate goes up with a decrease of particle size, and with an increase in temperature; stirring speed causes little impact on dissolution; ultrasound facilitates dissolution obviously. The CLD evolution and crystal images of Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}powders in stirred fluid were observed detailedly by FBRM and PVM during dissolution. Experimental data were fitted to Avrami model, through which the activation energy was found to be 34.35 kJ/mol. PBE (Population Balance Equation) and moment transform were introduced to calculate dissolution kinetics, obtaining correlation equations of particle size decreasing rate as a function of temperature and undersaturation. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

LHCb RICH Online-Monitor and Data-Quality

CERN Multimedia

Kerzel, U

2009-01-01

The LHCb experiment at the LHC (CERN) has been optimised for high precision measurements of the beauty quark sector. Its main objective is to precisely determine and over-constrain the parameters of the CKM mixing matrix, and to search for further sources of CP violation and new physics beyond the Standard Model in rare B-decays. Efficient particle identification at high purities over a wide momentum range from around 1 to ~100GeV/c is vital to many LHCb analyses. Central to the LHCb particle identification strategy are two Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detectors which use Silica Aerogel and C4F10 and CF4 gas radiators. A rigorous quality control scheme is being developed to insure that the data recorded by the RICH detector meets the stringent requirements of the physics analyses. The talk summarises the LHCb RICH online monitoring and data-quality strategy. Multiple dedicated algorithms are deployed to detect any potential issue already during data-taking ranging from integrity checks, mis-alignments to cha...

Development and pilot testing of an online monitoring tool of depression symptoms and side effects for young people being treated for depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hetrick, Sarah E; Dellosa, Maria Kristina; Simmons, Magenta B; Phillips, Lisa

2015-02-01

To develop and examine the feasibility of an online monitoring tool of depressive symptoms, suicidality and side effects. The online tool was developed based on guideline recommendations, and employed already validated and widely used measures. Quantitative data about its use, and qualitative information on its functionality and usefulness were collected from surveys, a focus group and individual interviews. Fifteen young people completed the tool between 1 and 12 times, and reported it was easy to use. Clinicians suggested it was too long and could be completed in the waiting room to lessen impact on session time. Overall, clients and clinicians who used the tool found it useful. Results show that an online monitoring tool is potentially useful as a systematic means for monitoring symptoms, but further research is needed including how to embed the tool within clinical practice. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Possibility of continuous monitoring of environment around the nuclear plant using satellite remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Takanori; Tanabu, Yoshimine; Fujita, Shigetaka; Zhao Wenhui

2008-01-01

Interest in nuclear power generation is increasing by rising of power demand and environmental concern. It is important more and more to confirm and show the safety operation of nuclear plants, which is useful to remove anxiety of residents. Satellite remote sensing is one of the way of it. Large observation width and long and continuous observation period are advantage of satellite remote sensing. In addition, it is very important to be able to monitor without visitation on the site. We have continued local area environmental analysis using various satellites. MODIS on Terra and Aqua which are NASA satellites received by Hachinohe Institute of Technology is mainly used. According to these results, we have shown that combined analysis of various information parameters such as land surface temperature, geographical changes, vegetation, etc. is very effective to monitor environmental changes. In these analyses, error detection is very important. Therefore, enough storage data with continuously monitoring in usual state is necessary. Moreover, it is thought that the confirmation of stable operation of plants by means of continuous monitoring can contribute to reduce residents' anxiety of nuclear power plant. Additionally, in the case that the change of influence on surroundings is detected, it is possible to grasp the situation and take measure in early stage by error detection. In this paper, as an possible example of continuous monitoring using satellite remote sensing, we introduce the result of analysis and investigation of which changes of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration on the sea around power plant. (author)

Online Monitoring of Temperature Using Wireless Module in a Rotating Drum-Applicable to Leather Industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Narayani

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In order to ensure safe and efficient operation of unit processes, foremost requirement is accurate measurement of process variables, with which quality can be monitored and controlled. Understanding the necessity of online monitoring of process temperature in tanning/dyeing process, the article is focused on wireless measurement of physical parameters involved in wet processing of hides/ skins and monitoring through digital computer for further analysis. It’s a challenging task to measure and communicate the process information from a closed rotating drum. Wireless communication is proposed because of its enhanced security, superfast operating speed, and increased mobility. The physical parameters which are predominant in tanning process are temperature, pH, conductivity etc. of the process fluid. It is necessary to carryout dyeing at 65 0C for producing raw to wet blue process. As a first attempt, wireless module for temperature measurement has been developed. The module includes signal transmitter and receiver section. In the transmitter section, the temperature which is measured by an integrated sensor is converted into frequency signal and imposed on a radio frequency signal (career signal and get transmitted in air. On the other side, receiver section receives the radio frequency signal and converts that into electrical signals to interface with the digital computer for online monitoring. The module is able to receive and control temperature of tanning drum within a distance of 100 meters. Real time experiments on the fabricated model show interesting results for commercialization.

Continuous Improvement in Online Education: Documenting Teaching Effectiveness in the Online Environment through Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Purcell, Jennifer W.; Scott, Heather I.; Mixson-Brookshire, Deborah

2017-01-01

Teaching observations are commonly used among educators to document and improve teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, the necessary protocols and supporting infrastructure are not consistently available for faculty who teach online. This paper presents a brief literature review and reflective narratives of educators representing online education…

Dry Cask Storage Inspection and Monitoring. Interim Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakhtiari, Susan [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Elmer, Thomas W. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Koehl, Eugene R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wang, Ke [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Raptis, Apostolos C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Kunerth, Dennis C. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Birk, Sandra M. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-03-04

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued the guidance on the aging management of dry storage facilities that indicates the necessity to monitor the conditions of dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) over extended periods of time.1 Part of the justification of the aging management plans is the requirement for inspection and monitoring to verify whether continued monitoring, inspection or mitigation are necessary. To meet this challenge Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is conducting scoping studies on current and emerging nondestructive evaluation/examination (NDE) and online monitoring (OLM) technologies for DCSS integrity assessments. The scope of work plan includes identification and verification of technologies for long-term online monitoring of DCSSs’ crucial physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, leakage and structural integrity in general. Modifications have been made to the current technologies to accommodate field inspections and monitoring. A summary of the scoping studies and experimental efforts conducted to date as well as plans for future activities is provided below.

Online Continuing Education for Expanding Clinicians' Roles in Breastfeeding Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Roger A; Colchamiro, Rachel; Tolan, Ellen; Browne, Susan; Foley, Mary; Jenkins, Lucia; Mainello, Kristen; Vallu, Rohith; Hanley, Lauren E; Boisvert, Mary Ellen; Forgit, Julie; Ghiringhelli, Kara; Nordstrom, Christina

2015-11-01

Lack of health professional support is an important variable affecting mothers' achievement of breastfeeding goals. Online continuing education is a recognized pathway for disseminating content for improving clinicians' knowledge and supporting efforts to change practices. At the time we developed our project, free, accredited continuing education for physicians related to breastfeeding management that could be easily accessed using portable devices (via tablets/smartphones) was not available. Such resources were in demand, especially for facilities pursuing designation through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. We assembled a government, academic, health care provider, and professional society partnership to create such a tutorial that would address the diverse content needed for supporting breastfeeding mothers postdischarge in the United States. Our 1.5-hour-long continuing medical and nursing education was completed by 1606 clinicians (1172 nurses [73%] and 434 physicians [27%]) within 1 year. More than 90% of nurses and over 98% of physicians said the tutorial achieved its 7 learning objectives related to breastfeeding physiology, broader factors in infant feeding decisions and practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement, and breastfeeding management/troubleshooting. Feedback received from the tutorial led to the creation of a second tutorial consisting of another 1.5 hours of continuing medical and nursing education related to breast examination and assessment prior to delivery, provision of anticipatory guidance to pregnant women interested in breastfeeding, maternity care practices that influence breastfeeding outcomes, breastfeeding preterm infants, breastfeeding's role in helping address disparities, and dispelling common myths. The tutorials contribute to achievement of 8 Healthy People 2020 Maternal, Infant and Child Health objectives. © The Author(s) 2015.

Online monitoring of the two-dimensional temperature field in a boiler furnace based on acoustic computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shiping; Shen, Guoqing; An, Liansuo; Niu, Yuguang

2015-01-01

Online monitoring of the temperature field is crucial to optimally adjust combustion within a boiler. In this paper, acoustic computed tomography (CT) technology was used to obtain the temperature profile of a furnace cross-section. The physical principles behind acoustic CT, acoustic signals and time delay estimation were studied. Then, the technique was applied to a domestic 600-MW coal-fired boiler. Acoustic CT technology was used to monitor the temperature field of the cross-section in the boiler furnace, and the temperature profile was reconstructed through ART iteration. The linear sweeping frequency signal was adopted as the sound source signal, whose sweeping frequency ranged from 500 to 3000 Hz with a sweeping cycle of 0.1 s. The generalized cross-correlation techniques with PHAT and ML were used as the time delay estimation method when the boiler was in different states. Its actual operation indicated that the monitored images accurately represented the combustion state of the boiler, and the acoustic CT system was determined to be accurate and reliable. - Highlights: • An online monitoring approach to monitor temperature field in a boiler furnace. • The paper provides acoustic CT technology to obtain the temperature profile of a furnace cross-section. • The temperature profile was reconstructed through ART iteration. • The technique is applied to a domestic 600-MW coal-fired boiler. • The monitored images accurately represent the combustion state of the boiler

An agent-based intelligent environmental monitoring system

OpenAIRE

Athanasiadis, Ioannis N; Mitkas, Pericles A

2004-01-01

Fairly rapid environmental changes call for continuous surveillance and on-line decision making. There are two main areas where IT technologies can be valuable. In this paper we present a multi-agent system for monitoring and assessing air-quality attributes, which uses data coming from a meteorological station. A community of software agents is assigned to monitor and validate measurements coming from several sensors, to assess air-quality, and, finally, to fire alarms to appropriate recipie...

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Cardiac ICU: Current Use and Future Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Scrimgeour, Laura A; Potz, Brittany A; Sellke, Frank W; Abid, M Ruhul

2017-11-01

Perioperative glucose control is highly important, particularly for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Variable glucose levels before, during and after cardiac surgery lead to increased post-operative complications and patient mortality. [1] Current methods for intensive monitoring and treating hyperglycemia in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) usually involve hourly glucose monitoring and continuous intravenous insulin infusions. With the advent of more accurate subcutaneous glucose monitoring systems, the role of improved glucose control with newer systems deserves consideration for widespread adoption.

Development of on-line monitoring system using smart material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jin Kyung; Lee, Sang Pill; Park, Yi Hyun [Dongeui Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Young Chul [Donga Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2003-07-01

A hot press method was used to create the optimal fabrication condition for a Shape Memory Alloy(SMA) composite. The bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcement within the SMA composite by the hot press method was more increased by cold rolling. In this study, the objective was to develop an on-line monitoring system in order to prevent the crack initiation and propagation by shape memory effect in SMA composite. Shape memory effect was used to prevent the SMA composite from crack propagation. For this system an optimal AE parameter should be determined according to the degree of damage and crack initiation. When the SMA composite was heated by the plate heater attached at the composite, the propagating cracks could be controlled by the compressive force of SMA.

Development of on-line monitoring system using smart material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jin Kyung; Lee, Sang Pill; Park, Yi Hyun; Park, Young Chul

2003-01-01

A hot press method was used to create the optimal fabrication condition for a Shape Memory Alloy(SMA) composite. The bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcement within the SMA composite by the hot press method was more increased by cold rolling. In this study, the objective was to develop an on-line monitoring system in order to prevent the crack initiation and propagation by shape memory effect in SMA composite. Shape memory effect was used to prevent the SMA composite from crack propagation. For this system an optimal AE parameter should be determined according to the degree of damage and crack initiation. When the SMA composite was heated by the plate heater attached at the composite, the propagating cracks could be controlled by the compressive force of SMA

Remote support services using condition monitoring and online sensor data for offshore oilfield

OpenAIRE

Du, Baoli

2013-01-01

Master's thesis in Offshore technology Based on advanced technology in condition monitoring and online sensor data, a new style of operation and maintenance management called remote operation and maintenance support services has been created to improve oil and gas E&P performance. This master thesis will look into how the remote support service is conducted including the concept, design, technology and management philosophies; the current implementation of remote support services in China,...

Development and calibration of an on-line aerosol monitor for PHEBUS test FPT1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, J.E.; Carmack, W.J.; Sprenger, M.H.; Thurston, G.C.; Hunt, J.L.

1994-10-01

An on-line aerosol monitor (OLAM2) has been developed and tested for PHEBUS test FPT1. OLAM2 utilizes new detachable fiber optic cables and sapphire light pipes for light transmission between the OLAM and the electronics. This light transmission system was tested and found to provide better signal-to-noise performance than was achieved with the continuous fibers used for test FPT0. An additional advantage of the detachable fiber/light pipe system is ease of installation. Aerosol testing (OLAM calibration) was performed in order to verify adequate signal-to-noise performance of the new fiber optic system over the specified operating conditions and to check the quantitative light attenuation measurements against theoretical predictions. Results of the testing indicated that light extinction measurements obtained during Phebus tests could be used to estimate aerosol volume concentrations, if diamond window fouling can be avoided. OLAM2 was also subjected to a proof pressure test and a long-term thermal stability test. These tests verified the mechanical and thermal integrity of the OLAM within design specifications. Long-term output signal stability was also verified with the system maintained at design temperature and half-design pressure

Online conductivity monitoring of dialysis adequacy versus Kt/V derived from urea reduction ratio: A prospective study from a Saudi center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid Al Saran

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Khalid Al Saran1, Alaa Sabry2, Mamdouh Abdulghafour1, Ahmed Yehia11Prince Salman Center for Kidney Disease, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, EgyptIntroduction: Ad equate delivered dose of solute removal (as assessed by urea reduction and calculation of Kt/V is an important determinant of clinical outcome in chronic hemodialysis (HD patients. This requires both prescription of an adequate dose of HD and regular assessment that the delivered treatments are also adequate. Online conductivity monitoring using sodium flux as a surrogate for urea allows the repeated noninvasive measurement of Kt/V on each HD treatment.Methods: We prospectively studied 17 (9 males, 8 females established chronic HD patients over an eight-week period (408 treatments. A pre- and post-dialyzer measurement of the conductivity is performed by two mutually independent temperature-compensated conductivity cells equipped with Fresenius 4008 S® dialysis machines. Urea reduction was measured (once a week by a single pool calculation using immediate post-treatment sampling. No changes were made to any of the dialysis prescriptions over the study period. Values of calculated Kt/V and simultaneously obtained online Kt/V were compared.Results: There was a statistically significant difference between calculated Kt/V and online Kt/V over the study period. The mean calculated Kt/V was 1.37 ± 0.09, and mean online Kt/V 1.02 ± 0.15 (P = 0.000, calculated Kt/V ≥ 1.2 was achieved in all our patients while online Kt/V ≥ 1.2 was achieved in only 17.64 %. Yet there was moderate correlation between calculated Kt/V and online Kt/V (r2 = 0.48.Conclusions: Online conductivity monitoring results underestimates dialysis efficiency compared to calculated Kt/V readings. This difference has to be considered when applying Kt/V to clinical practice.Keywords: Kt/V, hemodialysis, online conductivity monitoring

Progress for on-line acoustic emission monitoring of cracks in reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, P.H.; Friesel, M.A.; Kurtz, R.J.

1985-10-01

This paper reviews FY1985 accomplishments and FY1986 plans for the NRC sponsored research program concerned with ''Acoustic Emission/Flaw Relationships for Inservice Monitoring of Nuclear Reactor Pressure Boundaries''. The objective of the acoustic emission (AE) monitoring program is to develop and validate the use of AE methods for continuous surveillance of reactor pressure boundaries to detect flaw growth. Topics discussed include testing AE monitoring on reactors, refinement of an AE signal identification relationship, study of slow crack growth rate effects on AE generation, and activity to produce an ASTM standard for AE monitoring and to gain ASME code acceptance of AE monitoring

Continuous glucose monitoring-enabled insulin-pump therapy in diabetic pregnancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Secher, Anna L; Schmidt, Signe; Nørgaard, Kirsten

2010-01-01

We describe the feasibility of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-enabled insulin-pump therapy during pregnancy in a woman with type 1 diabetes, who was treated with CGM-enabled insulin-pump therapy in her third pregnancy. During her first pregnancy, the woman was treated with multiple daily inj...

Optical biosensor optimized for continuous in-line glucose monitoring in animal cell culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Tric, Mircea; Lederle, Mario; Neuner, Lisa; Dolgowjasow, Igor; Wiedemann, Philipp; Wölfl, Stefan; Werner, Tobias

2017-09-01

Biosensors for continuous glucose monitoring in bioreactors could provide a valuable tool for optimizing culture conditions in biotechnological applications. We have developed an optical biosensor for long-term continuous glucose monitoring and demonstrated a tight glucose level control during cell culture in disposable bioreactors. The in-line sensor is based on a commercially available oxygen sensor that is coated with cross-linked glucose oxidase (GOD). The dynamic range of the sensor was tuned by a hydrophilic perforated diffusion membrane with an optimized permeability for glucose and oxygen. The biosensor was thoroughly characterized by experimental data and numerical simulations, which enabled insights into the internal concentration profile of the deactivating by-product hydrogen peroxide. The simulations were carried out with a one-dimensional biosensor model and revealed that, in addition to the internal hydrogen peroxide concentration, the turnover rate of the enzyme GOD plays a crucial role for biosensor stability. In the light of this finding, the glucose sensor was optimized to reach a long functional stability (>52 days) under continuous glucose monitoring conditions with a dynamic range of 0-20 mM and a response time of t 90  ≤ 10 min. In addition, we demonstrated that the sensor was sterilizable with beta and UV irradiation and only subjected to minor cross sensitivity to oxygen, when an oxygen reference sensor was applied. Graphical abstract Measuring setup of a glucose biosensor in a shake flask for continuous glucose monitoring in mammalian cell culture.

Continuous, environmental radon monitoring program at the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, N.; Sorensen, C.D.; Tung, C.H.; Orchard, C.R.

1995-01-01

A continuous, environmental radon monitoring program has been established in support of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP). The monitoring program is to characterize the natural radon emissions at the YMP site, to understand the existing radon concentrations in the environmental background, and to assess and control the potential work exposure. Based upon a study of the monitoring results, this paper presents a preliminary understanding of the magnitudes, characteristics, and exposure levels of radon at the YMP site

Nuclear plant's virtual simulation for on-line radioactive environment monitoring and dose assessment for personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mol, Antonio Carlos A.; Jorge, Carlos Alexandre F.; Lapa, Celso Marcelo F.

2009-01-01