WorldWideScience

Sample records for linear test bed

  1. Environmental protection stability of river bed and banks using convex, concave, and linear bed sills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshavarzi, Alireza; Noori, Lila Khaje

    2010-12-01

    River bed scourings are a major environmental problem for fish and aquatic habitat resources. In this study, to prevent river bed and banks from scouring, different types of bed sills including convex, concave and linear patterns were installed in a movable channel bed in a laboratory flume. The bed sills were tested with nine different arrangements and under different flow conditions. To find the most effective bed sill pattern, the scouring depth was measured downstream of the bed sill for a long experimental duration. The scour depth was measured at the middle and at the end of each experimental test for different ratios of the arch radius to the channel width [r/w]. The experimental results indicated that the convex pattern with r/w=0.35 produced minimum bed scouring depth at the center line whereas the concave pattern with r/w=0.23 produced the minimum scour depth at the wall banks. Therefore, the convex pattern was the most effective configuration for prevention of scouring at the center line of the river while the concave pattern was very effective to prevent scouring at the river banks. These findings can be suggested to be used in practical applications.

  2. On the hyperporous non-linear elasticity model for fusion-relevant pebble beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Maio, P.A.; Giammusso, R.; Vella, G.

    2010-01-01

    Packed pebble beds are particular granular systems composed of a large amount of small particles, arranged in irregular lattices and surrounded by a gas filling interstitial spaces. Due to their heterogeneous structure, pebble beds have non-linear and strongly coupled thermal and mechanical behaviours whose constitutive models seem limited, being not suitable for fusion-relevant design-oriented applications. Within the framework of the modelling activities promoted for the lithiated ceramics and beryllium pebble beds foreseen in the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed breeding blanket concept of DEMO, at the Department of Nuclear Engineering of the University of Palermo (DIN) a thermo-mechanical constitutive model has been set-up assuming that pebble beds can be considered as continuous, homogeneous and isotropic media. The present paper deals with the DIN non-linear elasticity constitutive model, based on the assumption that during the reversible straining of a pebble bed its effective logarithmic bulk modulus depends on the equivalent pressure according to a modified power law and its effective Poisson modulus remains constant. In these hypotheses the functional dependence of the effective tangential and secant bed deformation moduli on either the equivalent pressure or the volumetric strain have been derived in a closed analytical form. A procedure has been, then, defined to assess the model parameters for a given pebble bed from its oedometric test results and it has been applied to both polydisperse lithium orthosilicate and single size beryllium pebble beds.

  3. Torsion testing of bed joints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Klavs Feilberg; Pedersen, Carsten Mørk

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a simple test method for determining the torsion strength of a single bed joint between two bricks and presents results from testing using this test method. The setup for the torsion test is well defined, require minimal preparation of the test specimen and the test can...... be carried out directly in a normal testing machine. The torsion strength is believed to be the most important parameter in out-of-plane resistance of masonry walls subjected to bending about an axis perpendicular to the bed joints. The paper also contains a few test results from bending of small walls about...... an axis perpendicular to the bed joints, which indicate the close connection between these results and results from torsion tests. These characteristics make the torsion strength well suited to act as substitute parameter for the bending strength of masonry about an axis perpendicular to the bed joints....

  4. An adaptable, low cost test-bed for unmanned vehicle systems research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goppert, James M.

    2011-12-01

    An unmanned vehicle systems test-bed has been developed. The test-bed has been designed to accommodate hardware changes and various vehicle types and algorithms. The creation of this test-bed allows research teams to focus on algorithm development and employ a common well-tested experimental framework. The ArduPilotOne autopilot was developed to provide the necessary level of abstraction for multiple vehicle types. The autopilot was also designed to be highly integrated with the Mavlink protocol for Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) communication. Mavlink is the native protocol for QGroundControl, a MAV ground control program. Features were added to QGroundControl to accommodate outdoor usage. Next, the Mavsim toolbox was developed for Scicoslab to allow hardware-in-the-loop testing, control design and analysis, and estimation algorithm testing and verification. In order to obtain linear models of aircraft dynamics, the JSBSim flight dynamics engine was extended to use a probabilistic Nelder-Mead simplex method. The JSBSim aircraft dynamics were compared with wind-tunnel data collected. Finally, a structured methodology for successive loop closure control design is proposed. This methodology is demonstrated along with the rest of the test-bed tools on a quadrotor, a fixed wing RC plane, and a ground vehicle. Test results for the ground vehicle are presented.

  5. Particle fuel bed tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horn, F.L.; Powell, J.R.; Savino, J.M.

    1985-01-01

    Gas-cooled reactors, using packed beds of small diameter coated fuel particles have been proposed for compact, high-power systems. The particulate fuel used in the tests was 800 microns in diameter, consisting of a thoria kernel coated with 200 microns of pyrocarbon. Typically, the bed of fuel particles was contained in a ceramic cylinder with porous metallic frits at each end. A dc voltage was applied to the metallic frits and the resulting electric current heated the bed. Heat was removed by passing coolant (helium or hydrogen) through the bed. Candidate frit materials, rhenium, nickel, zirconium carbide, and zirconium oxide were unaffected, while tungsten and tungsten-rhenium lost weight and strength. Zirconium-carbide particles were tested at 2000 K in H 2 for 12 hours with no visible reaction or weight loss

  6. [Prediction model of health workforce and beds in county hospitals of Hunan by multiple linear regression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ling, Ru; Liu, Jiawang

    2011-12-01

    To construct prediction model for health workforce and hospital beds in county hospitals of Hunan by multiple linear regression. We surveyed 16 counties in Hunan with stratified random sampling according to uniform questionnaires,and multiple linear regression analysis with 20 quotas selected by literature view was done. Independent variables in the multiple linear regression model on medical personnels in county hospitals included the counties' urban residents' income, crude death rate, medical beds, business occupancy, professional equipment value, the number of devices valued above 10 000 yuan, fixed assets, long-term debt, medical income, medical expenses, outpatient and emergency visits, hospital visits, actual available bed days, and utilization rate of hospital beds. Independent variables in the multiple linear regression model on county hospital beds included the the population of aged 65 and above in the counties, disposable income of urban residents, medical personnel of medical institutions in county area, business occupancy, the total value of professional equipment, fixed assets, long-term debt, medical income, medical expenses, outpatient and emergency visits, hospital visits, actual available bed days, utilization rate of hospital beds, and length of hospitalization. The prediction model shows good explanatory and fitting, and may be used for short- and mid-term forecasting.

  7. A test accelerator for the next linear collider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruth, R.D.; Adolphsen, C.; Bane, K.; Boyce, R.F.; Burke, D.L.; Callin, R.; Caryotakis, G.; Cassel, R.; Clark, S.L.; Deruyter, H.; Fant, K.; Fuller, R.; Heifets, S.; Hoag, H.; Humphrey, R.; Kheifets, S.; Koontz, R.; Lavine, T.; Loew, G.A.; Menegat, A.; Miller, R.H.; Paterson, J.M.; Pearson, C.; Phillips, R.; Rifkin, J.; Spencer, J.; Tantawi, S.; Thompson, K.A.; Vlieks, A.; Vylet, V.; Wang, J.W.; Wilson, P.B.; Yeremian, A.; Youngman, B.; Kroll, N.M.; Nantista, C.

    1993-07-01

    At SLAC, the authors are pursuing the design of a Next Linear Collider (NLC) which would begin with a center-of-mass energy of 0.5 TeV, and be upgradable to at least 1.0 TeV. To achieve this high energy, they have been working on the development of a high-gradient 11.4-GHz (X-band) linear accelerator for the main linac of the collider. In this paper, they present the design of a open-quotes Next Linear Collider Test Acceleratorclose quotes (NLCTA). The goal of the NLCTA is to incorporate the new technologies of X-band accelerator structures, RF pulse compression systems and klystrons into a short linac which will then be a test bed for beam dynamics issues related to high-gradient acceleration

  8. NLC. A test accelerator for the next linear collider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruth, R.D.; Adolphsen, C.; Bane, K.; Boyce, R.F.; Burke, D.L.; Callin, R.; Caryotakis, G.; Cassel, R.; Clark, S.L.; Deruyter, H.; Fant, K.; Fuller, R.; Heifets, S.; Hoag, H.; Humphrey, R.; Kheifets, S.; Koontz, R.; Kroll, N.M.; Lavine, T.; Loew, G.A.; Menegat, A.; Miller, R.H.; Nantista, C.; Paterson, J.M.; Pearson, C.; Phillips, R.; Rifkin, J.; Spencer, J.; Tantawi, S.; Thompson, K.A.; Vlieks, A.; Vylet, V.; Wang, J.W.; Wilson, P.B.; Yeremian, A.; Youngman, B.

    1993-01-01

    At SLAC, we are pursuing the design of a Next Linear Collider (NLC) which would begin with a center-of-mass energy of 0.5 TeV, and be upgradable to at least 1.0 TeV. To achieve this high energy, we have been working on the development of a high-gradient 11.4-GHz (X-band) linear accelerator for the main linac of the collider. In this paper, we present the design of a 'Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator' (NLCTA). The goal of the NLCTA is to incorporate the new technologies of X-band accelerator structures, RF pulse compression systems and klystrons into a short linac which will then be a test bed for beam dynamics issues related to high-gradient acceleration. (orig.)

  9. 77 FR 18793 - Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-28

    .... 120322212-2212-01] Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program AGENCY: National Telecommunications... Innovation Test-Bed pilot program to assess whether devices employing Dynamic Spectrum Access techniques can... Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed (Test-Bed) pilot program to examine the feasibility of increased...

  10. Linear induction motor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barkman, W.E.; Adams, W.Q.; Berrier, B.R.

    1978-01-01

    A linear induction motor has been operated on a test bed with a feedback pulse resolution of 5 nm (0.2 μin). Slewing tests with this slide drive have shown positioning errors less than or equal to 33 nm (1.3 μin) at feedrates between 0 and 25.4 mm/min (0-1 ipm). A 0.86-m (34-in)-stroke linear motor is being investigated, using the SPACO machine as a test bed. Initial results were encouraging, and work is continuing to optimize the servosystem compensation

  11. Development of the rf linear accelerator test bed for heavy-ion fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, J.M.

    1981-01-01

    The amount of absorbed energy required by high gain deuterium-tritium targets for inertial confinement fusion reactors is now projected to be greater than 1 Megajoule. It has become apparent that a heavy ion fusion driver is the preferred choice in this scenario. To demonstrate this accelerator-based option, the national program has established two test beds: one at Argonne for the rf linac/storage ring approach, and one at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory developing an induction linac. The Argonne Beam Development Facility (BDF) would consist of a 40 mA rf linac for Xe + 8 , a storage ring, and a 10 GeV synchrotron. The design and status of the BDF is described as well as future program options to demonstrate as many solutions as possible of the issues involved in this approach

  12. The SSM/PMAD automated test bed project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lollar, Louis F.

    1991-01-01

    The Space Station Module/Power Management and Distribution (SSM/PMAD) autonomous subsystem project was initiated in 1984. The project's goal has been to design and develop an autonomous, user-supportive PMAD test bed simulating the SSF Hab/Lab module(s). An eighteen kilowatt SSM/PMAD test bed model with a high degree of automated operation has been developed. This advanced automation test bed contains three expert/knowledge based systems that interact with one another and with other more conventional software residing in up to eight distributed 386-based microcomputers to perform the necessary tasks of real-time and near real-time load scheduling, dynamic load prioritizing, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).

  13. Design requirements for the supercritical water oxidation test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svoboda, J.M.; Valentich, D.J.

    1994-05-01

    This report describes the design requirements for the supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) test bed that will be located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The test bed will process a maximum of 50 gph of waste plus the required volume of cooling water. The test bed will evaluate the performance of a number of SCWO reactor designs. The goal of the project is to select a reactor that can be scaled up for use in a full-size waste treatment facility to process US Department of Energy mixed wastes. EG ampersand G Idaho, Inc. will design and construct the SCWO test bed at the Water Reactor Research Test Facility (WRRTF), located in the northern region of the INEL. Private industry partners will develop and provide SCWO reactors to interface with the test bed. A number of reactor designs will be tested, including a transpiring wall, tube, and vessel-type reactor. The initial SCWO reactor evaluated will be a transpiring wall design. This design requirements report identifies parameters needed to proceed with preliminary and final design work for the SCWO test bed. A flow sheet and Process and Instrumentation Diagrams define the overall process and conditions of service and delineate equipment, piping, and instrumentation sizes and configuration Codes and standards that govern the safe engineering and design of systems and guidance that locates and interfaces test bed hardware are provided. Detailed technical requirements are addressed for design of piping, valves, instrumentation and control, vessels, tanks, pumps, electrical systems, and structural steel. The approach for conducting the preliminary and final designs and environmental and quality issues influencing the design are provided

  14. Designing a CR Test bed

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cattoni, Andrea Fabio; Buthler, Jakob Lindbjerg; Tonelli, Oscar

    2014-01-01

    with their own set up, since the potential costs and efforts could not pay back in term of expected research results. Software Defined Radio solutions offer an easy way to communication researchers for the development of customized research test beds. While several hardware products are commercially available......, an overview on common research-oriented software products for SDR development, namely GNU Radio, Iris, and ASGARD, will be provided, including how to practically start the software development of simple applications. Finally, best practices and examples of all the software platforms will be provided, giving...... they are up and running in generating results. With this chapter we would like to provide a tutorial guide, based on direct experience, on how to enter in the world of test bed-based research, providing both insight on the issues encountered in every day development, and practical solutions. Finally...

  15. Deep Bed Iodine Sorbent Testing FY 2011 Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soelberg, Nick; Watson, Tony

    2011-01-01

    Nuclear fission results in the production of fission products (FPs) and activation products that increasingly interfere with the fission process as their concentrations increase. Some of these fission and activation products tend to evolve in gaseous species during used nuclear fuel reprocessing. Analyses have shown that I129, due to its radioactivity, high potential mobility in the environment, and high longevity (half life of 15.7 million years), can require control efficiencies of up to 1,000x or higher to meet regulatory emission limits. Deep-bed iodine sorption testing has been done to evaluate the performance of solid sorbents for capturing iodine in off-gas streams from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The objectives of the FY 2011 deep bed iodine sorbent testing are: (1) Evaluate sorbents for iodine capture under various conditions of gas compositions and operating temperature (determine sorption efficiencies, capacities, and mass transfer zone depths); and (2) Generate data for dynamic iodine sorption modeling. Three tests performed this fiscal year on silver zeolite light phase (AgZ-LP) sorbent are reported here. Additional tests are still in progress and can be reported in a revision of this report or a future report. Testing was somewhat delayed and limited this year due to initial activities to address some questions of prior testing, and due to a period of maintenance for the on-line GC. Each test consisted of (a) flowing a synthetic blend of gases designed to be similar to an aqueous dissolver off-gas stream over the sorbent contained in three separate bed segments in series, (b) measuring each bed inlet and outlet gas concentrations of iodine and methyl iodide (the two surrogates of iodine gas species considered most representative of iodine species expected in dissolver off-gas), (c) operating for a long enough time to achieve breakthrough of the iodine species from at least one (preferably the first two) bed segments, and (d) post-test purging

  16. The Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution automation test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lollar, Louis F.

    1991-01-01

    The Space Station Module Power Management And Distribution (SSM/PMAD) automation test bed project was begun at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the mid-1980s to develop an autonomous, user-supportive power management and distribution test bed simulating the Space Station Freedom Hab/Lab modules. As the test bed has matured, many new technologies and projects have been added. The author focuses on three primary areas. The first area is the overall accomplishments of the test bed itself. These include a much-improved user interface, a more efficient expert system scheduler, improved communication among the three expert systems, and initial work on adding intermediate levels of autonomy. The second area is the addition of a more realistic power source to the SSM/PMAD test bed; this project is called the Large Autonomous Spacecraft Electrical Power System (LASEPS). The third area is the completion of a virtual link between the SSM/PMAD test bed at MSFC and the Autonomous Power Expert at Lewis Research Center.

  17. FY-2015 Methyl Iodide Deep-Bed Adsorption Test Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soelberg, Nicholas Ray; Watson, Tony Leroy

    2015-01-01

    Nuclear fission produces fission and activation products, including iodine-129, which could evolve into used fuel reprocessing facility off-gas systems, and could require off-gas control to limit air emissions to levels within acceptable emission limits. Deep-bed methyl iodide adsorption testing has continued in Fiscal Year 2015 according to a multi-laboratory methyl iodide adsorption test plan. Updates to the deep-bed test system have also been performed to enable the inclusion of evaporated HNO 3 and increased NO 2 concentrations in future tests. This report summarizes the result of those activities. Test results showed that iodine adsorption from gaseous methyl iodide using reduced silver zeolite (AgZ) resulted in initial iodine decontamination factors (DFs, ratios of uncontrolled and controlled total iodine levels) under 1,000 for the conditions of the long-duration test performed this year (45 ppm CH3I, 1,000 ppm each NO and NO 2 , very low H 2 O levels [3 ppm] in balance air). The mass transfer zone depth exceeded the cumulative 5-inch depth of 4 bed segments, which is deeper than the 2-4 inch depth estimated for the mass transfer zone for adsorbing I 2 using AgZ in prior deep-bed tests. The maximum iodine adsorption capacity for the AgZ under the conditions of this test was 6.2% (6.2 g adsorbed I per 100 g sorbent). The maximum Ag utilization was 51%. Additional deep-bed testing and analyses are recommended to (a) expand the data base for methyl iodide adsorption and (b) provide more data for evaluating organic iodide reactions and reaction byproducts for different potential adsorption conditions.

  18. IPv6 Test Bed for Testing Aeronautical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkins, Ryan; Zernic, Michael; Dhas, Chris

    2004-01-01

    Aviation industries in United States and in Europe are undergoing a major paradigm shift in the introduction of new network technologies. In the US, NASA is also actively investigating the feasibility of IPv6 based networks for the aviation needs of the United States. In Europe, the Eurocontrol lead, Internet Protocol for Aviation Exchange (iPAX) Working Group is actively investigating the various ways of migrating the aviation authorities backbone infrastructure from X.25 based networks to an IPv6 based network. For the last 15 years, the global aviation community has pursued the development and implementation of an industry-specific set of communications standards known as the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN). These standards are now beginning to affect the emerging military Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) community as well as the commercial air transport community. Efforts are continuing to gain a full understanding of the differences and similarities between ATN and Internet architectures as related to Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure choices. This research paper describes the implementation of the IPv6 test bed at NASA GRC, and Computer Networks & Software, Inc. and these two test beds are interface to Eurocontrol over the IPv4 Internet. This research work looks into the possibility of providing QoS performance for Aviation application in an IPv6 network as is provided in an ATN based network. The test bed consists of three autonomous systems. The autonomous system represents CNS domain, NASA domain and a EUROCONTROL domain. The primary mode of connection between CNS IPv6 testbed and NASA and EUROCONTROL IPv6 testbed is initially a set of IPv6 over IPv4 tunnels. The aviation application under test (CPDLC) consists of two processes running on different IPv6 enabled machines.

  19. Test-element assembly and loading parameters for the in-pile test of HCPB ceramic pebble beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laan, J.G. van der E-mail: vanderlaan@nrg-nl.com; Boccaccini, L.V.; Conrad, R.; Fokkens, J.H.; Jong, M.; Magielsen, A.J.; Pijlgroms, B.J.; Reimann, J.; Stijkel, M.P.; Malang, S

    2002-11-01

    In the framework of developing the helium cooled pebble-bed (HCPB) blanket an irradiation test of pebble-bed assemblies is prepared at the HFR Petten. The test objective is to concentrate on the effect of neutron irradiation on the thermal-mechanical behaviour of the HCPB breeder pebble-bed at DEMO representative levels of temperature and defined thermal-mechanical loads. The paper reports on the project status, and presents the results of pre-tests, material characteristics, the manufacturing of the pebble-bed assemblies, and the nuclear and thermo-mechanical loading parameters.

  20. FY-2015 Methyl Iodide Deep-Bed Adsorption Test Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soelberg, Nicholas Ray [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Watson, Tony Leroy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-09-30

    Nuclear fission produces fission and activation products, including iodine-129, which could evolve into used fuel reprocessing facility off-gas systems, and could require off-gas control to limit air emissions to levels within acceptable emission limits. Deep-bed methyl iodide adsorption testing has continued in Fiscal Year 2015 according to a multi-laboratory methyl iodide adsorption test plan. Updates to the deep-bed test system have also been performed to enable the inclusion of evaporated HNO3 and increased NO2 concentrations in future tests. This report summarizes the result of those activities. Test results showed that iodine adsorption from gaseous methyl iodide using reduced silver zeolite (AgZ) resulted in initial iodine decontamination factors (DFs, ratios of uncontrolled and controlled total iodine levels) under 1,000 for the conditions of the long-duration test performed this year (45 ppm CH3I, 1,000 ppm each NO and NO2, very low H2O levels [3 ppm] in balance air). The mass transfer zone depth exceeded the cumulative 5-inch depth of 4 bed segments, which is deeper than the 2-4 inch depth estimated for the mass transfer zone for adsorbing I2 using AgZ in prior deep-bed tests. The maximum iodine adsorption capacity for the AgZ under the conditions of this test was 6.2% (6.2 g adsorbed I per 100 g sorbent). The maximum Ag utilization was 51%. Additional deep-bed testing and analyses are recommended to (a) expand the data base for methyl iodide adsorption and (b) provide more data for evaluating organic iodide reactions and reaction byproducts for different potential adsorption conditions.

  1. A wave model test bed study for wave energy resource characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Zhaoqing; Neary, Vincent S.; Wang, Taiping; Gunawan, Budi; Dallman, Annie R.; Wu, Wei-Cheng

    2017-12-01

    This paper presents a test bed study conducted to evaluate best practices in wave modeling to characterize energy resources. The model test bed off the central Oregon Coast was selected because of the high wave energy and available measured data at the site. Two third-generation spectral wave models, SWAN and WWIII, were evaluated. A four-level nested-grid approach—from global to test bed scale—was employed. Model skills were assessed using a set of model performance metrics based on comparing six simulated wave resource parameters to observations from a wave buoy inside the test bed. Both WWIII and SWAN performed well at the test bed site and exhibited similar modeling skills. The ST4 package with WWIII, which represents better physics for wave growth and dissipation, out-performed ST2 physics and improved wave power density and significant wave height predictions. However, ST4 physics tended to overpredict the wave energy period. The newly developed ST6 physics did not improve the overall model skill for predicting the six wave resource parameters. Sensitivity analysis using different wave frequencies and direction resolutions indicated the model results were not sensitive to spectral resolutions at the test bed site, likely due to the absence of complex bathymetric and geometric features.

  2. Overview and evolution of the LeRC PMAD DC test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soeder, James F.; Frye, Robert J.

    1992-01-01

    Since the beginning of the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP), the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been developed electrical power system test beds to support the overall design effort. Through this time, the SSFP has changed the design baseline numerous times, however, the test bed effort has endeavored to track these changes. Beginning in August 1989 with the baseline and an all DC system, a test bed was developed to support the design baseline. The LeRC power measurement and distribution (PMAD) DC test bed and the changes in the restructure are described. The changes included the size reduction of primary power channel and various power processing elements. A substantial reduction was also made in the amount of flight software with the subsequent migration of these functions to ground control centers. The impact of these changes on the design of the power hardware, the controller algorithms, the control software, and a description of their current status is presented. An overview of the testing using the test bed is described, which includes investigation of stability and source impedance, primary and secondary fault protection, and performance of a rotary utility transfer device. Finally, information is presented on the evolution of the test bed to support the verification and operational phases of the SSFP in light of these restructure scrubs.

  3. Tests for evaluation of pellets as foundation bed material KBP1003 - ASKAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnsson, Anna

    2011-12-01

    The reference design for the backfill of deposition tunnels, described in SKB (2010), include bentonite blocks, bentonite pellets and a foundation bed of bentonite pellets or granulate. The tunnel floor needs to be flat and have sufficient bearing capacity to make it possible to stack the backfill blocks according to the reference design. To achieve a flat foundation the tunnel floor will be covered with a bed of pellets or granulate made of bentonite clay. The bed can be either compacted or non compacted. Bed tests have been performed as a part of the project KBP1003 DP1 Design, which is a subproject of KBP1003 ASKAR. The main objectives for KBP1003 DP1 is to define all requirements for the backfill and its production and installation prior to start of the large scale tests, based on given perquisites. KBP1003 is based on the reference design for the backfill of deposition tunnels which was developed in 2010 (SKB 2010). The concept for installation and block design has been further developed during the project. A new dimension of the backfill blocks has been developed; the chosen dimension makes it possible to gain overlapping joints between the blocks by block stacking. The further developed concept is hereinafter referred to as the ASKAR-concept. The purpose of the performed bed tests was to define the bed requirements in the backfill installation to enable stable stacking of backfill blocks. The tests included stacking of blocks on different bed materials, on blasted and wire sawn floor, with and without concurrent water inflow. The bed tests was subdivided into four main parts: - block stacking on different bed compositions - block stacking on bed during water inflow - block stacking in a realistic test tunnel - block stacking on the upper part of the deposition hole and bevel

  4. Tests for evaluation of pellets as foundation bed material KBP1003 - ASKAR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnsson, Anna (ES-Konsult AB (Sweden))

    2011-12-15

    The reference design for the backfill of deposition tunnels, described in SKB (2010), include bentonite blocks, bentonite pellets and a foundation bed of bentonite pellets or granulate. The tunnel floor needs to be flat and have sufficient bearing capacity to make it possible to stack the backfill blocks according to the reference design. To achieve a flat foundation the tunnel floor will be covered with a bed of pellets or granulate made of bentonite clay. The bed can be either compacted or non compacted. Bed tests have been performed as a part of the project KBP1003 DP1 Design, which is a subproject of KBP1003 ASKAR. The main objectives for KBP1003 DP1 is to define all requirements for the backfill and its production and installation prior to start of the large scale tests, based on given perquisites. KBP1003 is based on the reference design for the backfill of deposition tunnels which was developed in 2010 (SKB 2010). The concept for installation and block design has been further developed during the project. A new dimension of the backfill blocks has been developed; the chosen dimension makes it possible to gain overlapping joints between the blocks by block stacking. The further developed concept is hereinafter referred to as the ASKAR-concept. The purpose of the performed bed tests was to define the bed requirements in the backfill installation to enable stable stacking of backfill blocks. The tests included stacking of blocks on different bed materials, on blasted and wire sawn floor, with and without concurrent water inflow. The bed tests was subdivided into four main parts: - block stacking on different bed compositions - block stacking on bed during water inflow - block stacking in a realistic test tunnel - block stacking on the upper part of the deposition hole and bevel

  5. Numerical study of propagation effects in a wireless mesh test bed

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Lysko, AA

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The present layout of the indoor wireless mesh network test-bed build at the Meraka Institute is introduced. This is followed by a description of a numerical electromagnetic model for the complete test-bed, including the coupling and diffraction...

  6. Test bed for applications of heterogeneous unmanned vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filiberto Muñoz Palacios

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses the development and implementation of a test bed for applications of heterogeneous unmanned vehicle systems. The test bed consists of unmanned aerial vehicles (Parrot AR.Drones versions 1 or 2, Parrot SA, Paris, France, and Bebop Drones 1.0 and 2.0, Parrot SA, Paris, France, ground vehicles (WowWee Rovio, WowWee Group Limited, Hong Kong, China, and the motion capture systems VICON and OptiTrack. Such test bed allows the user to choose between two different options of development environments, to perform aerial and ground vehicles applications. On the one hand, it is possible to select an environment based on the VICON system and LabVIEW (National Instruments or robotics operating system platforms, which make use the Parrot AR.Drone software development kit or the Bebop_autonomy Driver to communicate with the unmanned vehicles. On the other hand, it is possible to employ a platform that uses the OptiTrack system and that allows users to develop their own applications, replacing AR.Drone’s original firmware with original code. We have developed four experimental setups to illustrate the use of the Parrot software development kit, the Bebop Driver (AutonomyLab, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada, and the original firmware replacement for performing a strategy that involves both ground and aerial vehicle tracking. Finally, in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed test bed for the implementation of advanced controllers, we present experimental results of the implementation of three consensus algorithms: static, adaptive, and neural network, in order to accomplish that a team of multiagents systems move together to track a target.

  7. Growth plan for an inspirational test-bed of smart textile services

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wensveen, S.A.G.; Tomico, O.; Bhomer, ten M.; Kuusk, K.

    2015-01-01

    In this pictorial we visualize the growth plan for an inspirational test-bed of smart textile product service systems. The goal of the test-bed is to inspire and inform the Dutch creative industries of textile, interaction and service design to combine their strengths and share opportunities. The

  8. Control, data acquisition and analysis for the JET neutral injection test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, T.T.C.; Brenan, P.R.; Rodgers, M.E.; Stork, D.; Young, I.D.

    1984-01-01

    The Neutral Injection Test-Bed (NITB) is a major experimental assembly in support of the Neutral Beam Heating Programme for JET. In addition to its prime function of testing the Neutral Injection hardware, the Test Bed serves as the prototype to test the computer control and data acquisition system, which is described. (author)

  9. Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jared A. Frank

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability.

  10. Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Jared A; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

    2016-08-20

    Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability.

  11. Development of a smart-antenna test-bed, demonstrating software defined digital beamforming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kluwer, T.; Slump, Cornelis H.; Schiphorst, Roelof; Hoeksema, F.W.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes a smart-antenna test-bed consisting of ‘common of the shelf’ (COTS) hardware and software defined radio components. The use of software radio components enables a flexible platform to implement and test mobile communication systems as a real-world system. The test-bed is

  12. Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds

    OpenAIRE

    Jared A. Frank; Anthony Brill; Vikram Kapila

    2016-01-01

    Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their em...

  13. Data Quality Objectives For Selecting Waste Samples To Test The Fluid Bed Steam Reformer Test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banning, D.L.

    2010-01-01

    This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing. The type, quantity and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluid bed steam reformer (FBSR). A determination of the adequacy of the FBSR process to treat Hanford tank waste is required. The initial step in determining the adequacy of the FBSR process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used to test the FBSR process. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the testing criteria.

  14. Status of the in-pile test of HCPB pebble-bed assemblies in the HFR Petten

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laan, J.G. van der; Fokkens, J.H.; Hofmans, H.E.; Jong, M.; Magielsen, A.J.; Pijlgroms, B.J.; Stijkel, M.P. [NRG, Petten (Netherlands); Conrad, R. [JRC, Inst. for Energy, Petten (Netherlands); Malang, S.; Reimann, J. [FZK, Karlsruhe (Germany); Roux, N. [CEA Saclay (France)

    2002-06-01

    In the framework of developing the helium cooled pebble-bed (HCPB) blanket an irradiation test of pebble-bed assemblies is prepared at the HFR Petten. The test objective is to concentrate on the effect of neutron irradiation on the thermal-mechanical behaviour of the HCPB breeder pebble-bed at DEMO representative levels of temperature and defined thermal-mechanical loads. The basic test elements are EUROFER-97 cylinders with a horizontal bed of ceramic breeder pebbles sandwiched between two beryllium beds. The pebble beds are separated by EUROFER-97 steel plates. The heat flow is managed such as to have a radial temperature distribution in the ceramic breeder pebble-bed as flat as reasonably possible. The paper reports on the project status, and presents the results of pre-tests, material characteristics, the manufacturing of the pebble-bed assemblies, and the nuclear and thermo-mechanical loading parameters. (orig.)

  15. Real time test bed development for power system operation, control and cyber security

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddi, Ram Mohan

    The operation and control of the power system in an efficient way is important in order to keep the system secure, reliable and economical. With advancements in smart grid, several new algorithms have been developed for improved operation and control. These algorithms need to be extensively tested and validated in real time before applying to the real electric power grid. This work focuses on the development of a real time test bed for testing and validating power system control algorithms, hardware devices and cyber security vulnerability. The test bed developed utilizes several hardware components including relays, phasor measurement units, phasor data concentrator, programmable logic controllers and several software tools. Current work also integrates historian for power system monitoring and data archiving. Finally, two different power system test cases are simulated to demonstrate the applications of developed test bed. The developed test bed can also be used for power system education.

  16. Modular Electric Propulsion Test Bed Aircraft, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — An all electric aircraft test bed is proposed to provide a dedicated development environment for the rigorous study and advancement of electrically powered aircraft....

  17. Test bed control center design concept for Tank Waste Retrieval Manipulator Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundstrom, E.; Draper, J.V.; Fausz, A.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the design concept for the control center for the Single Shell Tank Waste Retrieval Manipulator System test bed and the design process behind the concept. The design concept supports all phases of the test bed mission, including technology demonstration, comprehensive system testing, and comparative evaluation for further development and refinement of the TWRMS for field operations

  18. Modular Electric Propulsion Test Bed Aircraft, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A hybrid electric aircraft simulation system and test bed is proposed to provide a dedicated development environment for the rigorous study and advancement of hybrid...

  19. Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Jared A.; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

    2016-01-01

    Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability. PMID:27556464

  20. Tests of Bed Agglomeration Tendency Using a Rotating Furnace; Roterugn foer bedoemning av sintringsbenaegenhet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larfeldt, Jenny; Zintl, Frank [TPS Termiska Processer AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)

    2003-08-01

    Bed sintering is a well known problem in fluidised bed boilers. In order to avoid bed sintering the bed material turn over ratio is high which leads a high consumption of bed material. This work aims at developing and evaluating a method for testing the bed agglomeration tendency of a FB bed material by using a rotating furnace. A rotating furnace has been designed and tests have shown that three temperatures describing the increasing agglomeration tendency can be evaluated; TA when several particles stick to each other and to the crucible wall, TB when half of the material sticks to the wall and TC when almost all the material forms a ball in the crucible. Comparison with bed agglomeration tests has shown that TA is between 80 deg C to 130 deg C lower than the bed agglomeration temperature from fluid bed tests. It is shown that TB is closer to the bed agglomeration temperature and finally that the temperature TC is higher than the bed agglomeration temperature. It is concluded that in the rotating furnace sticking of particles is visualised early, and that this sticking will not cause defluidisation of the bed until more than half of the material in the crucible is sticky. Repeated tests has been performed at a heating rate of 5 deg/minute and a rotating speed of 12 rpm and a furnace inclination of 20 deg was found to give distinct results in the evaluation. The evaluation has shown to be reproducible at lower temperatures. At higher temperatures, around 1,000 deg C, the evaluation was complicated by a poor picture quality which probably can be improved by proper cooling of the camera. It has also been shown that sticking of material in the rotating furnace could be detected at relatively low temperatures of 750 deg C that disappeared at higher temperatures. This is likely to be explained by melting salts that evaporates as temperature increase. At even higher temperatures the sticking reappeared until a ball was formed in the crucible. The latter sticking is

  1. The microelectronics and photonics test bed (MPTB) space, ground test and modeling experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, A.

    1999-01-01

    This paper is an overview of the MPTB (microelectronics and photonics test bed) experiment, a combination of a space experiment, ground test and modeling programs looking at the response of advanced electronic and photonic technologies to the natural radiation environment of space. (author)

  2. Development of Chinese HTR-PM pebble bed equivalent conductivity test facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Cheng; Yang, Xingtuan; Jiang, Shengyao [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China). Inst. of Nuclear and New Energy Technology

    2016-01-15

    The first two 250-MWt high-temperature reactor pebble bed modules (HTR-PM) have been installing at the Shidaowan plant in Shandong Province, China. The values of the effective thermal conductivity of the pebble bed core are essential parameters for the design. For their determination, Tsinghua University in China has proposed a full-scale heat transfer experiment to conduct comprehensive thermal transfer tests in packed pebble bed and to determine the effective thermal conductivity.

  3. Cyclic loading tests on ceramic breeder pebble bed by discrete element modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Hao [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Guo, Haibing; Shi, Tao [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Ye, Minyou [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Huang, Hongwen, E-mail: hhw@caep.cn [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Li, Zhenghong, E-mail: inpcnyb@sina.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China)

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Methods of cyclic loading tests on the pebble beds were developed in DEM. • Size distribution and sphericity of the pebbles were considered for the specimen. • Mechanical responses of the pebble beds under cyclic loading tests were assessed. - Abstract: Complex mechanics and packing instability can be induced by loading operation on ceramic breeder pebble bed for its discrete nature. A numerical approach using discrete element method (DEM) is applied to study the mechanical performance of the ceramic breeder pebble bed under quasi-static and cyclic loads. A preloaded specimen can be made with servo-control mechanism, the quasi-static and dynamic stress-strain performances are studied during the tests. It is found that the normalized normal contact forces under quasi-static loads have the similar distributions, and increase with increasing loads. Furthermore, the relatively low volumetric strain can be absorbed by pebble bed after several loading and unloading cycles, but the peak normal contact force can be extremely high during the first cycle. Cyclic loading with target pressure is recommended for densely packing, irreversible volume reduction gradually increase with cycles, and the normal contact forces decrease with cycles.

  4. Cyclic loading tests on ceramic breeder pebble bed by discrete element modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Hao; Guo, Haibing; Shi, Tao; Ye, Minyou; Huang, Hongwen; Li, Zhenghong

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Methods of cyclic loading tests on the pebble beds were developed in DEM. • Size distribution and sphericity of the pebbles were considered for the specimen. • Mechanical responses of the pebble beds under cyclic loading tests were assessed. - Abstract: Complex mechanics and packing instability can be induced by loading operation on ceramic breeder pebble bed for its discrete nature. A numerical approach using discrete element method (DEM) is applied to study the mechanical performance of the ceramic breeder pebble bed under quasi-static and cyclic loads. A preloaded specimen can be made with servo-control mechanism, the quasi-static and dynamic stress-strain performances are studied during the tests. It is found that the normalized normal contact forces under quasi-static loads have the similar distributions, and increase with increasing loads. Furthermore, the relatively low volumetric strain can be absorbed by pebble bed after several loading and unloading cycles, but the peak normal contact force can be extremely high during the first cycle. Cyclic loading with target pressure is recommended for densely packing, irreversible volume reduction gradually increase with cycles, and the normal contact forces decrease with cycles.

  5. Test Bed for Safety Assessment of New e-Navigation Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Axel Hahn

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available New e-navigation strains require new technologies, new infrastructures and new organizational structures on bridge, on shore as well as in the cloud. Suitable engineering and safety/risk assessment methods facilitate these efforts. Understanding maritime transportation as a sociotechnical system allows the application of system-engineering methods. Formal, simulation based and in situ verification and validation of e-navigation technologies are important methods to obtain system safety and reliability. The modelling and simulation toolset HAGGIS provides methods for system specification and formal risk analysis. It provides a modelling framework for processes, fault trees and generic hazard specification and a physical world and maritime traffic simulation system. HAGGIS is accompanied by the physical test bed LABSKAUS which implements a physical test bed. The test bed provides reference ports and waterways in combination with an experimental Vessel Traffic Services (VTS system and a mobile integrated bridge: This enables in situ experiments for technological evaluation, testing, ground research and demonstration. This paper describes an integrated seamless approach for developing new e-navigation technologies starting with simulation based assessment and ending in physical real world demonstrations

  6. Hazard classification for the supercritical water oxidation test bed. Revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramos, A.G.

    1994-10-01

    A hazard classification of ''routinely accepted by the public'' has been determined for the operation of the supercritical water oxidation test bed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This determination is based on the fact that the design and proposed operation meet or exceed appropriate national standards so that the risks are equivalent to those present in similar activities conducted in private industry. Each of the 17 criteria for hazards ''routinely accepted by the public,'' identified in the EG and G Idaho, Inc., Safety Manual, were analyzed. The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) test bed will treat simulated mixed waste without the radioactive component. It will be designed to operate with eight test wastes. These test wastes have been chosen to represent a broad cross-section of candidate mixed wastes anticipated for storage or generation by DOE. In particular, the test bed will generate data to evaluate the ability of the technology to treat chlorinated waste and other wastes that have in the past caused severe corrosion and deposition in SCWO reactors

  7. Chaotic hydrodynamics of fluidized beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van der Stappen, M.L.M. [Unit Process and Systems Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Group, Unilever Research Laboratorium, Vlaardingen (Netherlands)

    1996-12-31

    The major goals of this thesis are: (1) to develop and evaluate an analysis method based on techniques from non-linear chaos theory to characterize the nonlinear hydrodynamics of gas-solids fluidized beds quantitatively; and (2) to determine the dependence of the chaotic invariants on the operating conditions and investigate how the chaos analysis method can be profitably applied to improve scale-up and design of gas-solids fluidized bed reactors. Chaos theory is introduced in chapter 2 with emphasis on analysis techniques for (experimental) time series, known from literature at the start of this work (1990-1991). In chapter 3, the testing of existing and newly developed techniques on both model and fluidized bed data is described. This leads to the development of the chaos analysis method to analyze measured pressure fluctuations time series of a fluidized bed. Following, in chapter 4, this method is tested and all choices for the parameters are evaluated. The influence of the experimental parameters and external disturbances on the measurements and analysis results is discussed and quantified. The result is a chaos measurement and analysis protocol, which is further used in this work. In chapter 5, the applications to fluidized beds are discussed. It is shown that the entropy is a good measure for the characterization of the dynamical behavior of gas-solids bubbling/slugging fluidized beds. Entropy is applied to characterize the influence of the operating conditions, to assess regime transitions and to analyze dimensionless similar beds of different scale. Quantitative design correlations that relate entropy to the operating parameters (including the bed diameter) are described. Finally, it is discussed how the results of this work might be used in scaling up the chaotic dynamics of fluidized beds. The overall conclusions and outlook from this work are presented in chapter 6. 182 refs.

  8. CERTS Microgrid Laboratory Test Bed - PIER Final Project Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eto, Joseph H.; Eto, Joseph H.; Lasseter, Robert; Schenkman, Ben; Klapp, Dave; Linton, Ed; Hurtado, Hector; Roy, Jean; Lewis, Nancy Jo; Stevens, John; Volkommer, Harry

    2008-07-25

    The objective of the CERTS Microgrid Laboratory Test Bed project was to enhance the ease of integrating small energy sources into a microgrid. The project accomplished this objective by developing and demonstrating three advanced techniques, collectively referred to as the CERTS Microgrid concept, that significantly reduce the level of custom field engineering needed to operate microgrids consisting of small generating sources. The techniques comprising the CERTS Microgrid concept are: 1) a method for effecting automatic and seamless transitions between grid-connected and islanded modes of operation; 2) an approach to electrical protection within the microgrid that does not depend on high fault currents; and 3) a method for microgrid control that achieves voltage and frequency stability under islanded conditions without requiring high-speed communications. The techniques were demonstrated at a full-scale test bed built near Columbus, Ohio and operated by American Electric Power. The testing fully confirmed earlier research that had been conducted initially through analytical simulations, then through laboratory emulations, and finally through factory acceptance testing of individual microgrid components. The islanding and resychronization method met all Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1547 and power quality requirements. The electrical protections system was able to distinguish between normal and faulted operation. The controls were found to be robust and under all conditions, including difficult motor starts. The results from these test are expected to lead to additional testing of enhancements to the basic techniques at the test bed to improve the business case for microgrid technologies, as well to field demonstrations involving microgrids that involve one or mroe of the CERTS Microgrid concepts.

  9. PTC test bed upgrades to provide ACSES testing support capabilities at transportation technology center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-06-01

    FRA Task Order 314 upgraded the Positive Train Control (PTC) Test Bed at the Transportation Technology Center to support : testing of PTC systems, components, and related equipment associated with the Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System : (ACSES)...

  10. Implementation of a RPS Cyber Security Test-bed with Two PLCs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Jinsoo; Heo, Gyunyoung; Son, Hanseong; An, Yongkyu; Rizwan, Uddin

    2015-01-01

    Our research team proposed the methodology to evaluate cyber security with Bayesian network (BN) as a cyber security evaluation model and help operator, licensee, licensor or regulator in granting evaluation priorities. The methodology allowed for overall evaluation of cyber security by considering architectural aspect of facility and management aspect of cyber security at the same time. In order to emphasize reality of this model by inserting true data, it is necessary to conduct a penetration test that pretends an actual cyber-attack. Through the collaboration with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which possesses the Tricon a safety programmable logic controller (PLC) used at nuclear power plants and develops a test-bed for nuclear power plant, a test-bed for reactor protection system (RPS) is being developed with the PLCs. Two PLCs are used to construct a simple test-bed for RPS, bi-stable processor (BP) and coincidence processor (CP). By using two PLCs, it is possible to examine cyber-attack against devices such as PLC, cyber-attack against communication between devices, and the effects of a PLC on the other PLC. Two PLCs were used to construct a test-bed for penetration test in this study. Advantages of using two or more PLCs instead of single PLC are as follows. 1) Results of cyber-attack reflecting characteristics among PLCs can be obtained. 2) Cyber-attack can be attempted using a method of attacking communication between PLCs. True data obtained can be applied to existing cyber security evaluation model to emphasize reality of the model

  11. Implementation of a RPS Cyber Security Test-bed with Two PLCs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Jinsoo; Heo, Gyunyoung [Kyung Hee Univ., Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Son, Hanseong [Joongbu Univ., Geumsan (Korea, Republic of); An, Yongkyu; Rizwan, Uddin [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (United States)

    2015-10-15

    Our research team proposed the methodology to evaluate cyber security with Bayesian network (BN) as a cyber security evaluation model and help operator, licensee, licensor or regulator in granting evaluation priorities. The methodology allowed for overall evaluation of cyber security by considering architectural aspect of facility and management aspect of cyber security at the same time. In order to emphasize reality of this model by inserting true data, it is necessary to conduct a penetration test that pretends an actual cyber-attack. Through the collaboration with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which possesses the Tricon a safety programmable logic controller (PLC) used at nuclear power plants and develops a test-bed for nuclear power plant, a test-bed for reactor protection system (RPS) is being developed with the PLCs. Two PLCs are used to construct a simple test-bed for RPS, bi-stable processor (BP) and coincidence processor (CP). By using two PLCs, it is possible to examine cyber-attack against devices such as PLC, cyber-attack against communication between devices, and the effects of a PLC on the other PLC. Two PLCs were used to construct a test-bed for penetration test in this study. Advantages of using two or more PLCs instead of single PLC are as follows. 1) Results of cyber-attack reflecting characteristics among PLCs can be obtained. 2) Cyber-attack can be attempted using a method of attacking communication between PLCs. True data obtained can be applied to existing cyber security evaluation model to emphasize reality of the model.

  12. New grid based test bed environment for carrying out ad-hoc networking experiments

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Johnson, D

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available and the third is to do analysis on a real test bed network which has implemented the ad-hoc networking protocol. This paper concerns the third option. Most researchers who have done work on test bed environments have used either indoor Wifi inter-office links...

  13. Next generation network based carrier ethernet test bed for IPTV traffic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fu, Rong; Berger, Michael Stübert; Zheng, Yu

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a Carrier Ethernet (CE) test bed based on the Next Generation Network (NGN) framework. After the concept of CE carried out by Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), the carrier-grade Ethernet are obtaining more and more interests and being investigated as the low cost and high performanc...... services of transport network to carry the IPTV traffic. This test bed is approaching to support the research on providing a high performance carrier-grade Ethernet transport network for IPTV traffic....

  14. Petrology and geochemistry of samples from bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5, U12g-Tunnel, Nevada Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Connolly, J.R.; Keil, K.; Mansker, W.L.; Allen, C.C.; Husler, J.; Lowy, R.; Fortney, D.R.; Lappin, A.R.

    1984-10-01

    This report summarizes the detailed geologic characterization of samples of bed-contact zones and surrounding nonwelded bedded tuffs, both within Tunnel Bed 5, that are exposed in the G-Tunnel complex beneath Rainier Mesa on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Original planning studies treated the bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5 as simple planar surfaces of relatively high permeability. Detailed characterization, however, indicates that these zones have a finite thickness, are depositional in origin, vary considerably over short vertical and horizontal distances, and are internally complex. Fluid flow in a sequence of nonwelded zeolitized ash-flow or bedded tuffs and thin intervening reworked zones appears to be a porous-medium phenomenon, regardless of the presence of layering. There are no consistent differences in either bulk composition or detailed mineralogy between bedded tuffs and bed-contact zones in Tunnel Bed 5. Although the original bulk composition of Tunnel Bed 5 was probably peralkaline, extensive zeolitization has resulted in a present peraluminous bulk composition of both bedded tuffs and bed-contact zones. The major zeolite present, clinoptilolite, is intermediate (Ca:K:Na = 26:35:39) and effectively uniform in composition. This composition is similar to that of clinoptilolite from the tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills above the static water level in hole USW G-1, but somewhat different from that reported for zeolites from below the static water level in USW G-2. Tunnel Bed 5 also contains abundant hydrous manganese oxides. The similarity in composition of the clinoptilolites from Tunnel Bed 5 and those above the static water level at Yucca Mountain indicates that many of the results of nuclide-migration experiments in Tunnel Bed 5 would be transferrable to zeolitized nonwelded tuffs above the static water level at Yucca Mountain

  15. Developing and evaluating a meeting assistant test bed

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Post, W.M.; Lincoln, M.

    2008-01-01

    A test bed has been developed in which participants are tasked to work in simulated, scenario based, projects in which face-to-face and remote meetings of about 45 minutes have to be held. Measures on performance, team factors and remote aspects are automatically collected with electronic

  16. A Physical Protection Systems Test Bed for International Counter-Trafficking System Development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stinson, Brad J.; Kuhn, Michael J.; Donaldson, Terrence L.; Richardson, Dave; Rowe, Nathan C.; Younkin, James R.; Pickett, Chris A.

    2011-01-01

    Physical protection systems have a widespread impact on the nuclear industry in areas such as nuclear safeguards, arms control, and trafficking of illicit goods (e.g., nuclear materials) across international borders around the world. Many challenges must be overcome in design and deployment of foreign border security systems such as lack of infrastructure, extreme environmental conditions, limited knowledge of terrain, insider threats, and occasional cultural resistance. Successful security systems, whether it be a system designed to secure a single facility or a whole border security system, rely on the entire integrated system composed of multiple subsystems. This test bed is composed of many unique sensors and subsystems, including wireless unattended ground sensors, a buried fiber-optic acoustic sensor, a lossy coaxial distributed sensor, wireless links, pan-tilt-zoom cameras, mobile power generation systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and fiber-optic-fence intrusion detection systems. A Common Operating Picture software architecture is utilized to integrate a number of these subsystems. We are currently performance testing each system for border security and perimeter security applications by examining metrics such as probability of sense and a qualitative understanding of the sensors vulnerability of defeat. The testing process includes different soil conditions for buried sensors (e.g., dry, wet, and frozen) and an array of different tests including walking, running, stealth detection, and vehicle detection. Also, long term sustainability of systems is tested including performance differences due to seasonal variations (e.g. summer versus winter, while raining, in foggy conditions). The capabilities of the test bed are discussed. Performance testing results, both at the individual component level and integrated into a larger system for a specific deployment (in situ), help illustrate the usefulness and need for integrated testing facilities to carry out this

  17. The Tore Supra Lower Hybrid Test Bed : improvements and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delpech, L.; Achard, J.; Beaumont, B.

    2006-01-01

    Within the CIMES project framework in Tore Supra, a klystron TH2103C (3.7 GHz) is under development at THALES ELECTRON DEVICES. It differs from the previous klystrons used in Tore Supra generator mainly in that it has no modulating anode, the RF output power will reach 700 kW CW, by raising the High Voltage value to 76 kV and a beam current up to 23 A. The Tore Supra test bed is a dedicated facility used for high power tests on RF components or on RF transmitters. It has been improved to integrate the TH2103C klystron and a specific 100 kV solide state switch which control the beam current. Since April 2005, the integration of the first tube (without modulating anode) and the 100 kV switch has been completed in the Test Bed and has allowed the modifications and tests of the interfaces and security system for the devices. Improvements were also made on the cooling loop flow to dissipate a power of 1750 kW CW. With these devices, the RF power routinely available in the Lower Hybrid Test Bed is 400 kW CW. With the development of the TH2103C, detailed studies and tests on RF components which will be used up to 750 kW CW on match load or 700 kW on VSWR = 1.4, are necessary to evaluate their performances and thermal behaviour. The test a crucial component, the recombiner, which adds the RF powers coming from the two RF outputs of the TH2103C and inject the resulted power into one WR284 waveguide to a test load or to the plasma, was completed. Two tests have been performed : a thermal study with 400 kW during 1000 s, and RF pulsed tests on short cuts to increase the value of the electric field inside the component. The experiments and calculations (ANSYS and HFSS codes) validate the use of this device with the TH2103C. A module made with two different Beryllium Oxide RF windows, has been under test. The losses on each window are measured by calorimetric measurements and evaluated by computation with HFSS and ANSYS code. The results are compared. In this paper, the

  18. Control, data acquisition and analysis for the JET neutral injection test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, T.T.C.; Brenan, P.R.; Rodgers, M.E.; Stork, D.; Young, I.D.

    1985-01-01

    The Neutral Injection Test-Bed (NITB) is a major experimental assembly in support of the Neutral Beam Heating Programme for JET. In addition to its prime function of testing the Neutral Injection hardware, the Test Bed serves as the prototype to test the computer control and data acquisition system, which is described in this paper. The software system has been written in a portable, data-driven manner with the aim to adapt it, with only minor modifications to the operation of the first. Neutral Injection Beamline on JET, which will involve operation both synchronous and asynchronous with that of the JET Tokamak

  19. The development of test beds to support the definition and evolution of the Space Station Freedom power system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soeder, James F.; Frye, Robert J.; Phillips, Rudy L.

    1991-01-01

    Since the beginning of the Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP), the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International have had extensive efforts underway to develop testbeds to support the definition of the detailed electrical power system design. Because of the extensive redirections that have taken place in the Space Station Freedom Program in the past several years, the test bed effort was forced to accommodate a large number of changes. A short history of these program changes and their impact on the LeRC test beds is presented to understand how the current test bed configuration has evolved. The current test objectives and the development approach for the current DC test bed are discussed. A description of the test bed configuration, along with its power and controller hardware and its software components, is presented. Next, the uses of the test bed during the mature design and verification phase of SSFP are examined. Finally, the uses of the test bed in the operation and evolution of the SSF are addressed.

  20. Material control system design: Test Bed Nitrate Storage Area (TBNSA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, G.A.; Da Roza, R.A.; Dunn, D.R.; Sacks, I.J.; Harrison, W.; Huebel, J.G.; Ross, W.N.; Salisbury, J.D.; Sanborn, R.H.; Weissenberger, S.

    1978-05-01

    This report provides an example of a hypothetical Special Nuclear Material (SNM) Safeguard Material Control and Accounting (MC and A) System which will be used as a subject for the demonstration of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory MC and A System Evaluation Methodology in January 1978. This methodology is to become a tool in the NRC evaluation of license applicant submittals for Nuclear Fuel Cycle facilities. The starting point for this test bed design was the Allied-General Nuclear Services--Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant Reprocessing plant as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), of August 1975. The test bed design effort was limited to providing an SNM safeguard system for the plutonium nitrate storage area of this facility

  1. A Method to Analyze Threats and Vulnerabilities by Using a Cyber Security Test-bed of an Operating NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yong Sik; Son, Choul Woong; Lee, Soo Ill

    2016-01-01

    In order to implement cyber security controls for an Operating NPP, a security assessment should conduct in advance, and it is essential to analyze threats and vulnerabilities for a cyber security risk assessment phase. It might be impossible to perform a penetration test or scanning for a vulnerability analysis because the test may cause adverse effects on the inherent functions of ones. This is the reason why we develop and construct a cyber security test-bed instead of using real I and C systems in the operating NPP. In this paper, we propose a method to analyze threats and vulnerabilities of a specific target system by using a cyber security test-bed. The test-bed is being developed considering essential functions of the selected safety and non-safety system. This paper shows the method to analyze threats and vulnerabilities of a specific target system by using a cyber security test-bed. In order to develop the cyber security test-bed with both safety and non-safety functions, test-bed functions analysis and preliminary threats and vulnerabilities identification have been conducted. We will determine the attack scenarios and conduct the test-bed based vulnerability analysis

  2. A Method to Analyze Threats and Vulnerabilities by Using a Cyber Security Test-bed of an Operating NPP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Yong Sik; Son, Choul Woong; Lee, Soo Ill [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    In order to implement cyber security controls for an Operating NPP, a security assessment should conduct in advance, and it is essential to analyze threats and vulnerabilities for a cyber security risk assessment phase. It might be impossible to perform a penetration test or scanning for a vulnerability analysis because the test may cause adverse effects on the inherent functions of ones. This is the reason why we develop and construct a cyber security test-bed instead of using real I and C systems in the operating NPP. In this paper, we propose a method to analyze threats and vulnerabilities of a specific target system by using a cyber security test-bed. The test-bed is being developed considering essential functions of the selected safety and non-safety system. This paper shows the method to analyze threats and vulnerabilities of a specific target system by using a cyber security test-bed. In order to develop the cyber security test-bed with both safety and non-safety functions, test-bed functions analysis and preliminary threats and vulnerabilities identification have been conducted. We will determine the attack scenarios and conduct the test-bed based vulnerability analysis.

  3. Climate Science for a Sustainable Energy Future Test Bed and Data Infrastructure Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Dean N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Foster, I. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Van Dam, Kerstin Kleese [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Shipman, G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2014-05-04

    The collaborative Climate Science for a Sustainable Energy Future (CSSEF) project started in July 2011 with the goal of accelerating the development of climate model components (i.e., atmosphere, ocean and sea ice, and land surface) and enhancing their predictive capabilities while incorporating uncertainty quantification (UQ). This effort required accessing and converting observational data sets into specialized model testing and verification data sets and building a model development test bed, where model components and sub-models can be rapidly evaluated. CSSEF’s prototype test bed demonstrated, how an integrated testbed could eliminate tedious activities associated with model development and evaluation, by providing the capability to constantly compare model output—where scientists store, acquire, reformat, regrid, and analyze data sets one-by-one—to observational measurements in a controlled test bed.

  4. Construction of test-bed system of voltage management system to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Construction of test-bed system of voltage management system to apply physical power system. ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... system of voltage management system (VMS) in order to apply physical power system.

  5. Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion testing of North Dakota lignite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goblirsch, G; Vander Molen, R H; Wilson, K; Hajicek, D

    1980-05-01

    The sulfur retention by the inherent alkali, and added limestone sorbent, perform about the same and are reasonably predictable within a range of about +-10% retention by application of alkali to sulfur ratio. Temperature has a substantial effect on the retention of sulfur by the inherent alkali or limestone. The temperature effect is not yet fully understood but it appears to be different for different coals and operational conditions. The emission of SO/sub 2/ from the fluid bed burning the Beulah lignite sample used for these tests can be controlled to meet or better the current emission standards. The injection of limestone to an alkali-to-sulfur molar ratio of 1.5 to 1, should lower the SO/sub 2/ emissions below the current requirement of 0.6 lb SO/sub 2//10/sup 6/ Btu to 0.4 lb SO/sub 2//10/sup 6/ Btu, a safe 33% below the standard. Agglomeration of bed material, and consequent loss of fluidization quality can be a problem when burning high sodium lignite in a silica bed. There appears, however, to be several ways of controlling the problem including the injection of calcium compounds, and careful control of operating conditions. The heat transfer coefficients measured in the CPC and GFETC tests are comparable to data obtained by other researchers, and agree reasonably well with empirical conditions. The NO/sub x/ emissions measured in all of the tests on Beulah lignite are below the current New Source Performance Standard of 0.5 lb NO/sub 2//10/sup 6/ Btu input. Combustion efficiencies for the Beulah lignite are generally quite high when ash recycle is being used. Efficiencies in the range of 98% to 99%+ have been measured in all tests using this fuel.

  6. Parallel-Processing Test Bed For Simulation Software

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blech, Richard; Cole, Gary; Townsend, Scott

    1996-01-01

    Second-generation Hypercluster computing system is multiprocessor test bed for research on parallel algorithms for simulation in fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, chemistry, and other fields with large computational requirements but relatively low input/output requirements. Built from standard, off-shelf hardware readily upgraded as improved technology becomes available. System used for experiments with such parallel-processing concepts as message-passing algorithms, debugging software tools, and computational steering. First-generation Hypercluster system described in "Hypercluster Parallel Processor" (LEW-15283).

  7. Smart Home Test Bed: Examining How Smart Homes Interact with the Power Grid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-11-01

    This fact sheet highlights the Smart Home Test Bed capability at the Energy Systems Integration Facility. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working on one of the new frontiers of smart home research: finding ways for smart home technologies and systems to enhance grid operations in the presence of distributed, clean energy technologies such as photovoltaics (PV). To help advance this research, NREL has developed a controllable, flexible, and fully integrated Smart Home Test Bed.

  8. Effects of bedding systems selected by manual muscle testing on sleep and sleep-related respiratory disturbances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ling-Ling; Liu, Hau-Min

    2008-03-01

    In this study, we investigated the feasibility of applying manual muscle testing (MMT) for bedding selection and examined the bedding effect on sleep. Four lay testers with limited training in MMT performed muscle tests for the selection of the bedding systems from five different mattresses and eight different pillows for 14 participants with mild sleep-related respiratory disturbances. For each participant individually, two bedding systems-one inducing stronger muscle forces and the other inducing weaker forces-were selected. The tester-participant pairs showed 85% and 100% agreement, respectively, for the selection of mattresses and pillows that induced the strongest muscle forces. The firmness of the mattress and the height of the pillow were significantly correlated with the body weight and body mass index of the participants for the selected strong bedding system but not for the weak bedding system. Finally, differences were observed between the strong and the weak bedding systems with regard to sleep-related respiratory disturbances and the percentage of slow-wave sleep. It was concluded that MMT can be performed by inexperienced testers for the selection of bedding systems.

  9. Rapid-cycle testing cuts bed turnaround by 85%.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-11-01

    You can use rapid-cycle testing to try out new approaches to overcrowding much more frequently than with more traditional process improvement strategies. Improving bed turnaround notification can yield dramatic improvements. Telling staff they have to try a new process only for three days makes it easier to gain buy-in. Look for old policies that are no longer needed, yet continue to keep your staff bogged down.

  10. The effect of bedding system selected by manual muscle testing on sleep-related cardiovascular functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Terry B J; Li, Jia-Yi; Lai, Chun-Ting; Huang, Yu-Chun; Hsu, Ya-Chuan; Yang, Cheryl C H

    2013-01-01

    Different types of mattresses affect sleep quality and waking muscle power. Whether manual muscle testing (MMT) predicts the cardiovascular effects of the bedding system was explored using ten healthy young men. For each participant, two bedding systems, one inducing the strongest limb muscle force (strong bedding system) and the other inducing the weakest limb force (weak bedding system), were identified using MMT. Each bedding system, in total five mattresses and eight pillows of different firmness, was used for two continuous weeks at the participant's home in a random and double-blind sequence. A sleep log, a questionnaire, and a polysomnography were used to differentiate the two bedding systems. Heart rate variability and arterial pressure variability analyses showed that the strong bedding system resulted in decreased cardiovascular sympathetic modulation, increased cardiac vagal activity, and increased baroreceptor reflex sensitivity during sleep as compared to the weak bedding system. Different bedding systems have distinct cardiovascular effects during sleep that can be predicted by MMT.

  11. Space station environmental control and life support systems test bed program - an overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrend, Albert F.

    As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) begins to intensify activities for development of the Space Station, decisions must be made concerning the technical state of the art that will be baselined for the initial Space Station system. These decisions are important because significant potential exists for enhancing system performance and for reducing life-cycle costs. However, intelligent decisions cannot be made without an adequate assessment of new and ready technologies, i.e., technologies which are sufficiently mature to allow predevelopment demonstrations to prove their application feasibility and to quantify the risk associated with their development. Therefore, the NASA has implemented a technology development program which includes the establishment of generic test bed capabilities in which these new technologies and approaches can be tested at the prototype level. One major Space Station subsystem discipline in which this program has been implemented is the environmental control and life support system (ECLSS). Previous manned space programs such as Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle have relied heavily on consumables to provide environmental control and life support services. However, with the advent of a long-duration Space Station, consumables must be reduced within technological limits to minimize Space Station resupply penalties and operational costs. The use of advanced environmental control and life support approaches involving regenerative processes offers the best solution for significant consumables reduction while also providing system evolutionary growth capability. Consequently, the demonstration of these "new technologies" as viable options for inclusion in the baseline that will be available to support a Space Station initial operational capability in the early 1990's becomes of paramount importance. The mechanism by which the maturity of these new regenerative life support technologies will be demonstrated is the Space

  12. Deep space test bed for radiation studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, James H.; Adcock, Leonard; Apple, Jeffery; Christl, Mark; Cleveand, William; Cox, Mark; Dietz, Kurt; Ferguson, Cynthia; Fountain, Walt; Ghita, Bogdan; Kuznetsov, Evgeny; Milton, Martha; Myers, Jeremy; O'Brien, Sue; Seaquist, Jim; Smith, Edward A.; Smith, Guy; Warden, Lance; Watts, John

    2007-01-01

    The Deep Space Test-Bed (DSTB) Facility is designed to investigate the effects of galactic cosmic rays on crews and systems during missions to the Moon or Mars. To gain access to the interplanetary ionizing radiation environment the DSTB uses high-altitude polar balloon flights. The DSTB provides a platform for measurements to validate the radiation transport codes that are used by NASA to calculate the radiation environment within crewed space systems. It is also designed to support other exploration related investigations such as measuring the shielding effectiveness of candidate spacecraft and habitat materials, testing new radiation monitoring instrumentation, flight avionics and investigating the biological effects of deep space radiation. We describe the work completed thus far in the development of the DSTB and its current status

  13. Life-finding detector development at NASA GSFC using a custom H4RG test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosby, Gregory; Rauscher, Bernard; Kutyrev, Alexander

    2018-01-01

    Chemical species associated with life, called biosignatures, should be visible in exoplanet atmospheres with larger space telescopes. These signals will be faint and require very low noise (~e-) detectors to robustly measure. At NASA Goddard we are developing a single detector H4RG test bed to characterize and identify potential technology developments needed for the next generation's large space telescopes. The vacuum and cryogenic test bed will include near infrared light sources from integrating spheres using a motorized shutter. The detector control and readout will be handled by a Leach controller. Detector cables have been manufactured and test planning has begun. Planned tests include testing minimum read noise capabilities, persistence mitigation strategies using long wavelength light, and measuring intrapixel variation which might affect science goals of future missions. In addition to providing a means to identify areas of improvement in detector technology, we hope to use this test bed to probe some fundamental physics of these infrared arrays.

  14. Test facilities for future linear colliders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruth, R.D.

    1995-12-01

    During the past several years there has been a tremendous amount of progress on Linear Collider technology world wide. This research has led to the construction of the test facilities described in this report. Some of the facilities will be complete as early as the end of 1996, while others will be finishing up around the end 1997. Even now there are extensive tests ongoing for the enabling technologies for all of the test facilities. At the same time the Linear Collider designs are quite mature now and the SLC is providing the key experience base that can only come from a working collider. All this taken together indicates that the technology and accelerator physics will be ready for a future Linear Collider project to begin in the last half of the 1990s

  15. Statistical Tests for Mixed Linear Models

    CERN Document Server

    Khuri, André I; Sinha, Bimal K

    2011-01-01

    An advanced discussion of linear models with mixed or random effects. In recent years a breakthrough has occurred in our ability to draw inferences from exact and optimum tests of variance component models, generating much research activity that relies on linear models with mixed and random effects. This volume covers the most important research of the past decade as well as the latest developments in hypothesis testing. It compiles all currently available results in the area of exact and optimum tests for variance component models and offers the only comprehensive treatment for these models a

  16. Determination of the Removal Efficiency of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonate Acids (LAS in Fixed Bed Aeration Tank and Conventional Activated Sludge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asghar Ebrahimi

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonate Acids (LAS are one of the anionic surfactants that are produced and used in large quantities in different countries and find their way into the natural environment through sewer systems. These compounds may potentially cause environmental hazards in such surface waters as rivers. It is, therefore, necessary to remove as much of these compounds as possible by biological processes in wastewater treatment plants. For this purpose, four parallel biological reactors were constructed that used the conventional activated sludge and aeration tanks with fixed bed on the bench scale in order to evaluate the removal efficiency of LAS. The reactors were operated under conditions similar to domestic wastewater treatment plants. Parameters of interest were measured according to standard methods and ANOVA and T-test were used for the statistical analysis of the data. The results showed that aeration tanks with fixed beds yielded higher values of LAS and COD removal and air consumption compared to the conventional activated sludge system. It was shown that the two systems studied achieved LAS removal efficiencies of 96% and 94% for an influent LAS concentration of 5 mg/L. Further, it was found that the effluents from both systems satisfied water quality standards for discharge into surface waters (

  17. The regeneration test of the secondary loop condensate polishing mixed bed resin in Qinshan NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Meijing; Dong Liming

    1995-12-01

    There are four condensate polishing mixed beds in the water chemical treatment plant of Qinshan NPP. 2125 kg of D001-TR type cation exchange resin, 2000 kg of D201-TR type anion exchange resin, and 375 kg of S-TR type inert resin are filled into each mixed bed. The bed height of resin is 1.2 m and the volume is about 2.7 m 3 . In order to regenerate the exhausted resin out of the bed, the pre-designed condensate polishing mixed bed regeneration process was used to regenerate the first exhausted resin. After the resin was scrubbed and separated, cation resin and anion resin were respectively regenerated, rinsed to resume the exchange capability of the resin. The regenerated mixed bed is able to keep higher efficiency for condensate polishing. The outlet water quality and the resin service-life are able to meet the design requirements or more favorable than that. During the test, some main cations and anions in the blow-off water at each procedure were analyzed. The analyzed results were used to make pre-designed regeneration process better. The test results proved that pre-designed process is reasonable and effective. (6 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.)

  18. Space station common module thermal management: Design and construction of a test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barile, R. G.

    1986-01-01

    In this project, a thermal test bed was designed, simulated, and planned for construction. The thermal system features interior and exterior thermal loads and interfacing with the central-radiator thermal bus. Components of the test bed include body mounted radiator loop with interface heat exchangers (600 Btu/hr); an internal loop with cabin air-conditioning and cold plates (3400 Btu/hr); interface heat exchangers to the central bus (13,000 Btu/hr); and provisions for new technology including advanced radiators, thermal storage, and refrigeration. The apparatus will be mounted in a chamber, heated with lamps, and tested in a vacuum chamber with LN2-cooled walls. Simulation of the test bed was accomplished using a DEC PRO 350 computer and the software package TK! olver. Key input variables were absorbed solar radiation and cold plate loads. The results indicate temperatures on the two loops will be nominal when the radiation and cold plate loads are in the range of 25% to 75% of peak loads. If all loads fall to zero, except the cabin air system which was fixed, the radiator fluid will drop below -100 F and may cause excessive pressure drop. If all loads reach 100%, the cabin air temperature could rise to 96 F.

  19. 3D DEM simulation and analysis of void fraction distribution in a pebble bed high temperature reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Xingtuan; Gui, Nan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jiang, Shengyao

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We show a detailed analysis of void fraction (VF) in HTR-10 of China using DEM. • Radial distribution (RD) of VF is uniform in the core and oscillated near the wall. • Axial distribution (AD) is linearly varied along height due to effect of gravity. • Steady RD of VF in the conical base is Gaussian-like, larger than packing bed. • Joint linear and normal distribution of VF is analyzed and explained. - Abstract: The current work analyzes the radial and axial distributions of void fraction of a pebble bed high temperature reactor. A three-dimensional pebble bed corresponding to our test facility of pebble bed type gas-cooled high temperature reactor (HTR-10) in Tsinghua University is simulated via discrete element method, and the radial and axial void fraction profiles are calculated. It validates the oscillating characteristics of radial void fraction near the wall. Detailed calculations show the differences of void fraction profiles between the stationary packing bed and the dynamically discharging bed. Based on the vertically and circumferentially averaged radial distribution and horizontally averaged axial distribution of void fraction, a fully three-dimensional analytical distribution of void fraction throughout the bed is established. The results show the combined effects of gravity and void variation in the pebble bed caused by the pebble discharging. It indicates the linearly increased packing effect caused by gravity in the vertical (axial) direction and the normal distribution of void in the horizontal (radial) direction by pebble drainage. These two effects coexist in the conical base of the bed whereas only the former effect exists in the cylindrical volume of the bed

  20. Performance test of 100 W linear compressor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, J; Ko, D. Y.; Park, S. J.; Kim, H. B.; Hong, Y. J.; Yeom, H. K. [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon(Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    In this paper, we present test results of developed 100 W class linear compressor for Stirling-type pulse tube refrigerator. The fabricated linear compressor has dual-opposed configuration, free piston and moving magnet type linear motor. Power transfer, efficiency and required pressure waveform are predicted with designed and measured specifications. In experiments, room temperature test with flow impedance is conducted to evaluate performance of developed linear compressor. Flow impedance is loaded to compressor with metering valve for flow resistance, inertance tube for flow inertance and buffer volumes for flow compliance. Several operating parameters such as input voltage, current, piston displacement and pressure wave are measured for various operating frequency and fixed input current level. Behaviors of dynamics and performance of linear compressor as varying flow impedance are discussed with measured experimental results. The developed linear compressor shows 124 W of input power, 86 % of motor efficiency and 60 % of compressor efficiency at its resonant operating condition.

  1. In-bed accountability of tritium in production scale metal hydride storage beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, J.E.

    1995-01-01

    An ''in-bed accountability'' (IBA) flowing gas calorimetric measurement method has been developed and implemented to eliminate the need to remove tritium from production scale metal hydride storage beds for inventory measurement purposes. Six-point tritium IBA calibration curves have been completed for two, 390 gram tritium metal hydride storage beds. The calibration curves for the two tritium beds are similar to those obtained from the ''cold'' test program. Tritium inventory errors at the 95 percent confidence level ranged from ± 7.3 to 8.6 grams for the cold test results compared to ± 4.2 to 7.5 grams obtained for the two tritium calibrated beds

  2. Thermo-mechanical screening tests to qualify beryllium pebble beds with non-spherical pebbles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reimann, Joerg, E-mail: joerg.reimann@partner.kit.edu [IKET, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany); Fretz, Benjamin [KBHF GmbH, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Pupeschi, Simone [IAM, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. • Spherical pebbles are considered as the candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest. • Thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for non-spherical beryllium grades. • Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT) were used to measure the stress–strain relations and the thermal conductivity. • A small experimental set-up had to be used and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance. • Compared to spherical pebble beds, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer and mainly the thermal conductivity is lower. - Abstract: In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. Fairly spherical pebbles are considered as a candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest because production costs are much lower. Yet, thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for these beryllium grades, and the blanket relevant potential of these grades cannot be judged. Screening experiments were performed with three different grades of non-spherical beryllium pebbles, produced by different companies, accompanied by experiments with the reference beryllium pebble beds. Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT), were performed to measure both the stress–strain relation and the thermal conductivity, k, at different stress levels. Because of the limited amounts of the non-spherical materials, the experimental set-ups were small and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance in order to prove that the used design was appropriate. Compared to the pebble beds consisting of spherical pebbles, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer (smaller stress for a given strain), and, mainly as a consequence of this, for a given strain value, the thermal conductivity is lower. This

  3. Validity of purchasing power parity for selected Latin American countries: Linear and non-linear unit root tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Roberto Fóffano Vasconcelos

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine empirically the validity of PPP in the context of unit root tests based on linear and non-linear models of the real effective exchange rate of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. For this purpose, we apply the Harvey et al. (2008 linearity test and the non-linear unit root test (Kruse, 2011. The results show that the series with linear characteristics are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru and those with non-linear characteristics are Mexico and Venezuela. The linear unit root tests indicate that the real effective exchange rate is stationary for Chile and Peru, and the non-linear unit root tests evidence that Mexico is stationary. In the period analyzed, the results show support for the validity of PPP in only three of the seven countries.

  4. Full Scale Drinking Water System Decontamination at the Water Security Test Bed

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The EPA’s Water Security Test Bed (WSTB) facility is a full-scale representation of a drinking water distribution system. In collaboration with the Idaho National...

  5. Nuclear waste repository transparency technology test bed demonstrations at WIPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Betsill J, David; Elkins, Ned Z.; Wu, Chuan-Fu; Mewhinney, James D.; Aamodt, Paul

    2000-01-01

    Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson, has stated that one of the nuclear waste legacy issues is ''The challenge of managing the fuel cycle's back end and assuring the safe use of nuclear power.'' Waste management (i.e., the back end) is a domestic and international issue that must be addressed. A key tool in gaining acceptance of nuclear waste repository technologies is transparency. Transparency provides information to outside parties for independent assessment of safety, security, and legitimate use of materials. Transparency is a combination of technologies and processes that apply to all elements of the development, operation, and closure of a repository system. A test bed for nuclear repository transparency technologies has been proposed to develop a broad-based set of concepts and strategies for transparency monitoring of nuclear materials at the back end of the fuel/weapons cycle. WIPP is the world's first complete geologic repository system for nuclear materials at the back end of the cycle. While it is understood that WIPP does not currently require this type of transparency, this repository has been proposed as realistic demonstration site to generate and test ideas, methods, and technologies about what transparency may entail at the back end of the nuclear materials cycle, and which could be applicable to other international repository developments. An integrated set of transparency demonstrations was developed and deployed during the summer, and fall of 1999 as a proof-of-concept of the repository transparency technology concept. These demonstrations also provided valuable experience and insight into the implementation of future transparency technology development and application. These demonstrations included: Container Monitoring Rocky Flats to WIPP; Underground Container Monitoring; Real-Time Radiation and Environmental Monitoring; Integrated level of confidence in the system and information provided. As the world's only operating deep geologic

  6. Bed agglomeration characteristics of palm shell and corncob combustion in fluidized bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Sricharoon, Panchan; Tia, Suvit

    2011-01-01

    Bed particle agglomeration was studied experimentally in an atmospheric laboratory scale fluidized bed combustor using quartz sand as bed material. Palm shell and corncob were tested. The objectives of the study were (i) to describe the contributions of the biomass ash properties and the operating conditions on the bed agglomeration tendency in term of the bed defluidization time (t def ) and the extent of potassium accumulation in the bed (K/Bed) and (ii) to further elucidate the ash inorganic behaviors and the governing bed agglomeration mechanisms. Defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was experienced in all experiments during combustion of these biomasses, as a consequence of the presence of potassium in biomass. The experimental results indicated that biomass ash characteristics were the significant influence on the bed agglomeration. The increasing bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decreasing fluidizing air velocity enhanced the bed agglomeration tendency. The SEM/EDS analyses on the agglomerates confirmed that the agglomeration was attributed to the formation of potassium silicate liquid enriched on the surface of quartz sand particles in conjunction with the high surface temperature of the burning biomass char particles. Thermodynamic examination based on the phase diagram analysis confirmed that the molten phase formation was responsible for the agglomeration. In this study, the high molten ash fraction resulting from the high potassium content in biomass promoted the agglomeration and thus defluidization. - Highlights: → Palm shell and corncob of Thailand are tested their bed agglomeration behaviors during fluidized bed combustion. → The increase of bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decrease of air velocity enhance bed agglomeration. → The formation of ash derived potassium silicate melts enriched on sand surface is the key process. → The collision between char and sand

  7. Linear Synchronous Motor Repeatability Tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, C.R.

    2002-01-01

    A cart system using linear synchronous motors was being considered for the Plutonium Immobilization Plant (PIP). One of the applications in the PIP was the movement of a stack of furnace trays, filled with the waste form (pucks) from a stacking/unstacking station to several bottom loaded furnaces. A system was ordered to perform this function in the PIP Ceramic Prototype Test Facility (CPTF). This system was installed and started up in SRTC prior to being installed in the CPTF. The PIP was suspended and then canceled after the linear synchronous motor system was started up. This system was used to determine repeatability of a linear synchronous motor cart system for the Modern Pit Facility

  8. Linear Logistic Test Modeling with R

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baghaei, Purya; Kubinger, Klaus D.

    2015-01-01

    The present paper gives a general introduction to the linear logistic test model (Fischer, 1973), an extension of the Rasch model with linear constraints on item parameters, along with eRm (an R package to estimate different types of Rasch models; Mair, Hatzinger, & Mair, 2014) functions to estimate the model and interpret its parameters. The…

  9. Development of a Torque Sensor-Based Test Bed for Attitude Control System Verification and Validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-30

    AFRL-RV-PS- AFRL-RV-PS- TR-2018-0008 TR-2018-0008 DEVELOPMENT OF A TORQUE SENSOR- BASED TEST BED FOR ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM VERIFICATION AND...Sensor-Based Test Bed for Attitude Control System Verification & Validation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA9453-15-1-0315 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...NUMBER 62601F 6. AUTHOR(S) Norman Fitz-Coy 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 4846 5e. TASK NUMBER PPM00015968 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER EF125135 7. PERFORMING

  10. Improved PFB operations - 400-hour turbine test results. [Pressurized Fluidized Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollbuhler, R. J.; Benford, S. M.; Zellars, G. R.

    1980-01-01

    The paper deals with a 400-hr small turbine test in the effluent of a pressurized fluidized bed (PFB) at an average temperature of 770 C, an average relative gas velocity of 300 m/sec, and average solid loadings of 200 ppm. Consideration is given to combustion parameters and operating procedure as well as to the turbine system and turbine test operating procedures. Emphasis is placed on erosion/corrosion results.

  11. Quad-copter UAV BLDC Motor Control: Linear v/s non-linear control maps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deep Parikh

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents some investigations and comparison of using linear versus non-linear static motor-control maps for the speed control of a BLDC (Brush Less Direct Current motors used in quad-copter UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The motor-control map considered here is the inverse of the static map relating motor-speed output to motor-voltage input for a typical out-runner type Brushless DC Motors (BLDCM.  Traditionally, quad-copter BLDC motor speed control uses simple linear motor-control map defined by the motor-constant specification. However, practical BLDC motors show non-linear characteristic, particularly when operated across wide operating speed-range as is commonly required in quad-copter UAV flight operations. In this paper, our investigations to compare performance of linear versus non-linear motor-control maps are presented. The investigations cover simulation-based and experimental study of BLDC motor speed control systems for  quad-copter vehicle available. First the non-linear map relating rotor RPM to motor voltage for quad-copter BLDC motor is obtained experimentally using an optical speed encoder. The performance of the linear versus non-linear motor-control-maps for the speed control are studied. The investigations also cover study of time-responses for various standard test input-signals e.g. step, ramp and pulse inputs, applied as the reference speed-commands. Also, simple 2-degree of freedom test-bed is developed in our laboratory to help test the open-loop and closed-loop experimental investigations. The non-linear motor-control map is found to perform better in BLDC motor speed tracking control performance and thereby helping achieve better quad-copter roll-angle attitude control.

  12. TEST BED FOR THE SIMULATION OF MAGNETIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS OF LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Gallina

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a test bed designed to simulate magnetic environment experienced by a spacecraft on low Earth orbit. It consists of a spherical air bearing located inside a Helmholtz cage. The spherical air bearing is used for simulating microgravity conditions of orbiting bodies while the Helmholtz cage generates a controllable magnetic field resembling the one surrounding a satellite during its motion. Dedicated computer software is used to initially calculate the magnetic field on an established orbit. The magnetic field data is then translated into current values and transmitted to programmable power supplies energizing the cage. The magnetic field within the cage is finally measured by a test article mounted on the air bearing. The paper provides a description of the test bed and the test article design. An experimental test proves the good performance of the entire system.

  13. Mechanical and Structural Behavior of Granular Material Packed Beds for Space Life Support System Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malla, Ramesh B.; Anandakumar, Ganesh

    2005-01-01

    Long-term human mission to space, such as living in International Space Station (ISS), Lunar, and Martian bases, and travel to Mars, must m ake use of Advanced Life Support Systems (ALSS) to generate and recycle critical life supporting elements like oxygen and water. Oxygen Gen eration Assembly (OGA) and Water Processor Assembly (WPA), critical c omponents of ALSS, make use of series of granular material packed beds for generation and recycling of oxygen and water. Several granular m aterials can be used for generation, recycling, processing and recovery of oxygen and water. For example, they may include soft bed media, e.g. ion exchange resins for oxygen generation assembly and hard bed media such as, activated alumina, magchem (Magnesium oxide) and activa ted carbon to remove organic species like ethanol, methanol, and urea from wastewater in Water recovery/processing assembly. These beds are generally packed using a plate-spring mechanism to provide sufficien t compaction to the bed media throughout the course of operation. This paper presents results from an experimental study of a full-scale, 3 8.1 cm (15 inches) long and 3.7 cm (1.44 inches) diameter. activated alumina bed enclosed in a cylinder determining its force-displacement behavior, friction mobilizing force, and axial normal stress distribu tion under various axially applied loads and at different levels of packing. It is observed that force-displacement behavior is non-linear for low compaction level and becomes linear with increase in compaction of the bed media. Axial normal stress distribution along the length of the bed media decreased non-linearly with increase in depth from the loading end of the granular media. This paper also presents experimental results on the amount of particulates generated corresponding to various compaction levels. Particulates generated from each of the tests were measured using standard US sieves. It was found that the p articulates and the overall displacement of

  14. Using bedding in a test environment critically affects 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in laboratory rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natusch, C; Schwarting, R K W

    2010-09-01

    Rats utter distinct classes of ultrasonic vocalizations depending on their developmental stage, current state, and situational factors. One class, comprising the so-called 50-kHz calls, is typical for situations where rats are anticipating or actually experiencing rewarding stimuli, like being tickled by an experimenter, or when treated with drugs of abuse, such as the psychostimulant amphetamine. Furthermore, rats emit 50-kHz calls when exposed to a clean housing cage. Here, we show that such vocalization effects can depend on subtle details of the testing situation, namely the presence of fresh rodent bedding. Actually, we found that adult males vocalize more in bedded cages than in bare ones. Also, two experiments showed that adult rats emitted more 50-kHz calls when tickled on fresh bedding. Furthermore, ip amphetamine led to more 50-kHz vocalization in activity boxes containing such bedding as compared to bare ones. The analysis of psychomotor activation did not yield such group differences in case of locomotion and centre time, except for rearing duration in rats tested on bedding. Also, the temporal profile of vocalization did not parallel that of behavioural activation, since the effects on vocalization peaked and started to decline again before those of psychomotor activation. Therefore, 50-kHz calls are not a simple correlate of psychomotor activation. A final experiment with a choice procedure showed that rats prefer bedded conditions. Overall, we assume that bedded environments induce a positive affective state, which increases the likelihood of 50-kHz calling. Based on these findings, we recommend that contextual factors, like bedding, should receive more research attention, since they can apparently decrease the aversiveness of a testing situation. Also, we recommend to more routinely measure rat ultrasonic vocalization, especially when studying emotion and motivation, since this analysis can provide information about the subject's status, which may

  15. Development of Open Test-bed for Autonomous Operation in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Seungmin; Heo, Gyunyoung

    2017-01-01

    Nuclear power plants also recognize the need for automation. However, it is dangerous technology to have a significant impact on human society. In addition, due to the uncertain legal responsibility for autonomous operation, the application and development speed of nuclear energy related automation technology will be significantly decrease compared to other industries. It is argued that the application of AI and automation technology to power plants should not be prematurely applied or not based on the principle of applying proven technology since nuclear power plants are the highest level security operated facilities. As described above, the overall algorithm of the Test Bed is an autonomous operation algorithm (rulebased algorithm, learning-based algorithm, semiautonomous operation algorithm) to judge the entry condition of the procedure through condition monitoring and to enter the appropriate operating procedure. In order to make a test bed, the investigation for the heuristic part of the existing procedures and the heuristic part from the circumstance which is not specified in the procedure is needed. In the learning based and semi-autonomous operation algorithms, using MARS to extract its operating data and operational logs and try out various diagnostic algorithms as described above. Through the completion of these future tasks, the test bed which can compared with actual operators will be constructed and that it will be able to check its effectiveness by improving competitively with other research teams through the characteristics of shared platform.

  16. Idealized debris flow in flume with bed driven by a conveyor belt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ling, Chi-Hai; Chen, Cheng-lung

    1989-01-01

    The generalized viscoplastic fluid (GVF) model is used to derive the theoretical expressions of two-dimensional velocities and surface profile for debris flow established in a flume with bed driven by a conveyor belt. The rheological parameters of the GVF model are evaluated through the comparison of theoretical results with measured data. A slip velocity of the established (steady) nonuniform flow on the moving bed (i.e., the conveyor belt) is observed, and a relation between the slip velocity and the velocity gradient at the bed is derived. Two belts, one rough and the other smooth, were tested. The flow profile in the flume is found to be linear and dependent on the roughness of the belt, but not much on its speed.

  17. Design study of a 1 MV, 4 A, D- test bed in european community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pamela, J.; Hemsworth, R.; Jacquot, C.; Holmes, A.J.T.

    1991-01-01

    The design study of a 1 MV, 4 A, D - , > 30 seconds, test bed is being conducted by the EURATOM-CEA association (Cadarache) with support from the EURATOM-UKAEA association (Culham) and from FOM-Amsterdam. A proposal for the construction of this test bed at Cadarache will be made by the middle of next year. The options chosen for the beamline are derived from the conceptual design originally proposed one year ago by A.Holmes et al. for the ITER neutral beam systems: pure volume negative ion production, electrostatic multi-stage accelerator, vertically subdivided beamline, electrostatic deflection of the ions at the neutralizer exit, HV vacuum insulation with voltage grading screens. This design has been reviewed in detail and in particular three basic topics have been carefully examined: beam acceleration, gas flow and beam transmission. This review resulted in various changes with respect to the original design, the major change being the decision to put the ion source at high voltage. In parallel to this test bed design study, the conceptual study of a 1 MV, 15 A power supply and of its protection system is conducted by european industrial companies under the supervision of Cadarache

  18. Tests of candidate materials for particle bed reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horn, F.L.; Powell, J.R.; Wales, D.

    1987-01-01

    Rhenium metal hot frits and zirconium carbide-coated fuel particles appear suitable for use in flowing hydrogen to at least 2000 K, based on previous tests. Recent tests on alternate candidate cooled particle and frit materials are described. Silicon carbide-coated particles began to react with rhenium frit material at 1600 K, forming a molten silicide at 2000 K. Silicon carbide was extensively attacked by hydrogen at 2066 K for 30 minutes, losing 3.25% of its weight. Vitrous carbon was also rapidly attacked by hydrogen at 2123 K, losing 10% of its weight in two minutes. Long term material tests on candidate materials for closed cycle helium cooled particle bed fuel elements are also described. Surface imperfections were found on the surface of pyrocarbon-coated fuel particles after ninety days exposure to flowing (∼500 ppM) impure helium at 1143 K. The imperfections were superficial and did not affect particle strength

  19. Test plan: Hydraulic fracturing and hydrologic tests in Marker Beds 139 and 140

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wawersik, W.R.; Beauheim, R.L.

    1991-03-01

    Combined hydraulic fracturing and hydrological measurements in this test plan are designed to evaluate the potential influence of fracture formation in anhydrite Marker Beds 139 and 140 on gas pressure in and gas flow from the disposal rooms in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant with time. The tests have the further purpose of providing comparisons of permeabilities of anhydrite interbeds in an undisturbed (virgin) state and after fracture development and/or opening and dilation of preexisting partially healed fractures. Three sets of combined hydraulic fracturing and hydrological measurements are planned. A set of trial measurements is expected to last four to six weeks. The duration of each subsequent experiment is anticipated to be six to eight weeks

  20. Development of Research Reactor Simulator and Its Application to Dynamic Test-bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, Kee Choon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Seung Wook; Bang, Dane; Bae, Sung Won

    2014-01-01

    We developed HANARO and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) real-time simulator for operating staff training. The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator as a dynamic test-bed to test the reactor regulating system in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator configuration is divided into hardware and software. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The simulator software is divided into three major parts: a mathematical modeling module, which executes the plant dynamic modeling program in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface (HMI) module. The developed research reactors are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by a hardware controller and the simulator and target controller were interfaced with a hard-wired and network-based interface

  1. Development of Research Reactor Simulator and Its Application to Dynamic Test-bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Kee Choon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Seung Wook; Bang, Dane; Bae, Sung Won [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-08-15

    We developed HANARO and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) real-time simulator for operating staff training. The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator as a dynamic test-bed to test the reactor regulating system in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator configuration is divided into hardware and software. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The simulator software is divided into three major parts: a mathematical modeling module, which executes the plant dynamic modeling program in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface (HMI) module. The developed research reactors are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by a hardware controller and the simulator and target controller were interfaced with a hard-wired and network-based interface.

  2. SAPE Database Building for a Security System Test Bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jo, Kwangho; Kim, Woojin

    2013-01-01

    Physical protection to prevent radiological sabotage and the unauthorized removal of nuclear material is one of the important activities. Physical protection system (PPS) of nuclear facilities needs the effectiveness analysis. This effectiveness analysis of PPS is evaluated by the probability of blocking the attack at the most vulnerable path. Systematic Analysis of Physical Protection Effectiveness (SAPE) is one of a computer code developed for the vulnerable path analysis. SAPE is able to analyze based on the data of the experimental results that can be obtained through the Test Bed. In order to utilize the SAPE code, we conducted some field tests on several sensors and acquired data. This paper aims at describing the way of DB (database) establishment

  3. Development of an In-Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network Test Bed for Structural Condition Monitoring - 12156

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeigler, Kristine E.; Ferguson, Blythe A. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29808 (United States)

    2012-07-01

    The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has established an In Situ Decommissioning (ISD) Sensor Network Test Bed, a unique, small scale, configurable environment, for the assessment of prospective sensors on actual ISD system material, at minimal cost. The Department of Energy (DOE) is presently implementing permanent entombment of contaminated, large nuclear structures via ISD. The ISD end state consists of a grout-filled concrete civil structure within the concrete frame of the original building. Validation of ISD system performance models and verification of actual system conditions can be achieved through the development a system of sensors to monitor the materials and condition of the structure. The ISD Sensor Network Test Bed has been designed and deployed to addresses the DOE-Environmental Management Technology Need to develop a remote monitoring system to determine and verify ISD system performance. Commercial off-the-shelf sensors have been installed on concrete blocks taken from walls of the P Reactor Building at the Savannah River Site. Deployment of this low-cost structural monitoring system provides hands-on experience with sensor networks. The initial sensor system consists of groutable thermistors for temperature and moisture monitoring, strain gauges for crack growth monitoring, tilt-meters for settlement monitoring, and a communication system for data collection. Baseline data and lessons learned from system design and installation and initial field testing will be utilized for future ISD sensor network development and deployment. The Sensor Network Test Bed at SRNL uses COTS sensors on concrete blocks from the outer wall of the P Reactor Building to measure conditions expected to occur in ISD structures. Knowledge and lessons learned gained from installation, testing, and monitoring of the equipment will be applied to sensor installation in a meso-scale test bed at FIU and in future ISD structures. The initial data collected from the sensors

  4. Effect of bed particles to combustion of gases in fluidized bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raiko, R.; Wallen, V.; Etelaeaho, R.; Correia, S. [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Energy and Process Engineering

    1997-10-01

    The objective of this project was to obtain experimental data on effects of sand particles to the combustion of gases. The effect of the surface area of the particles was tested using different sized particles. The fluidized bed reactor used in these experiments was a stainless-steel tube with an internal diameter of 42 mm surrounded by an electric heater. The test rig was built in the Laboratory of Energy and Process Engineering at Tampere University of Technology. In order to elucidate the possible changes of particle surface, microscopic and porosimetric studies were conducted with both fresh bed particles and used bed particles. These measurements indicate that carbon monoxide significantly reacts with oxygen in the particulate or emulsion phase of a fluidized bed, if the residence time is long enough. The reaction rate depends mainly on temperature, air coefficient, residence time and particle size of the solids. It seems that the combustion enhances if the average particle size increases. Whether this is caused by increased free path length or reduced specific surface area of the bed is yet unknown. The first might be more probable cause because the majority of reactions often took place in the freeboard right above the bed. It was clear that the bed hindered proper combustion in several cases. (orig.)

  5. An alternative test for verifying electronic balance linearity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, I.R.

    1998-02-01

    This paper presents an alternative method for verifying electronic balance linearity and accuracy. This method is being developed for safeguards weighings (weighings for the control and accountability of nuclear material) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). With regard to balance linearity and accuracy, DOE Order 5633.3B, Control and Accountability of Nuclear Materials, Paragraph 2, 4, e, (1), (a) Scales and Balances Program, states: ''All scales and balances used for accountability purposes shall be maintained in good working condition, recalibrated according to an established schedule, and checked for accuracy and linearity on each day that the scale or balance is used for accountability purposes.'' Various tests have been proposed for testing accuracy and linearity. In the 1991 Measurement Science Conference, Dr. Walter E. Kupper presented a paper entitled: ''Validation of High Accuracy Weighing Equipment.'' Dr. Kupper emphasized that tolerance checks for calibrated, state-of-the-art electronic equipment need not be complicated, and he presented four easy steps for verifying that a calibrated balance is operating correctly. These tests evaluate the standard deviation of successive weighings (of the same load), the off-center error, the calibration error, and the error due to nonlinearity. This method of balance validation is undoubtedly an authoritative means of ensuring balance operability, yet it could have two drawbacks: one, the test for linearity is not intuitively obvious, especially from a statistical viewpoint; and two, there is an absence of definitively defined testing limits. Hence, this paper describes an alternative means of verifying electronic balance linearity and accuracy that is being developed for safeguards measurements at the INEEL

  6. A low-cost test-bed for real-time landmark tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csaszar, Ambrus; Hanan, Jay C.; Moreels, Pierre; Assad, Christopher

    2007-04-01

    A low-cost vehicle test-bed system was developed to iteratively test, refine and demonstrate navigation algorithms before attempting to transfer the algorithms to more advanced rover prototypes. The platform used here was a modified radio controlled (RC) car. A microcontroller board and onboard laptop computer allow for either autonomous or remote operation via a computer workstation. The sensors onboard the vehicle represent the types currently used on NASA-JPL rover prototypes. For dead-reckoning navigation, optical wheel encoders, a single axis gyroscope, and 2-axis accelerometer were used. An ultrasound ranger is available to calculate distance as a substitute for the stereo vision systems presently used on rovers. The prototype also carries a small laptop computer with a USB camera and wireless transmitter to send real time video to an off-board computer. A real-time user interface was implemented that combines an automatic image feature selector, tracking parameter controls, streaming video viewer, and user generated or autonomous driving commands. Using the test-bed, real-time landmark tracking was demonstrated by autonomously driving the vehicle through the JPL Mars yard. The algorithms tracked rocks as waypoints. This generated coordinates calculating relative motion and visually servoing to science targets. A limitation for the current system is serial computing-each additional landmark is tracked in order-but since each landmark is tracked independently, if transferred to appropriate parallel hardware, adding targets would not significantly diminish system speed.

  7. Development of a Remotely Operated Vehicle Test-bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biao WANG

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the development of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV, designed to serve as a convenient, cost-effective platform for research and experimental validation of hardware, sensors and control algorithms. Both of the mechanical and control system design are introduced. The vehicle with a dimension 0.65 m long, 0.45 m wide has been designed to have a frame structure for modification of mounted devices and thruster allocation. For control system, STM32 based MCU boards specially designed for this project, are used as core processing boards. And an open source, modular, flexible software is developed. Experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the test-bed.

  8. 1-800-CALL-H.E.P. -- Experiences on a voice-over-IP test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, W.

    2000-01-01

    Highly interactive Internet applications such as Voice-over-IP are extremely sensitive to network performance. Even on high performance research networks, many cases will require the use of differentiated services to achieve high (toll) quality conversations. In this talk the authors will describe a test bed over the Energy Sciences network (ESnet) between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Sandia National Laboratory (Sandia). In particular the characteristics of Voice-over-IP calls between LBNL and SLAC will be reviewed and the effect of low, moderate and high congestion on the link will be quantified. The use of Per Hop Behavior (PHB) in IP headers with Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) in routers and the benefit they provide will be explained. A model of flows and performance will be presented and new techniques to predict the quality of calls are under development and will be reviewed. Comparisons with telephone reliability will be discussed and the feasibility of wide spread deployment of VoIP in HEP will be considered

  9. Design of Multilayer Insulation for the Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marlow, Weston A.

    2011-01-01

    Multilayer insulation (MLI) is a critical component for future, long term space missions. These missions will require the storage of cryogenic fuels for extended periods of time with little to no boil-off and MLI is vital due to its exceptional radiation shielding properties. Several MLI test articles were designed and fabricated which explored methods of assembling and connecting blankets, yielding results for evaluation. Insight gained, along with previous design experience, will be used in the design of the replacement blanket for the Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB), which is slated for upcoming tests. Future design considerations are discussed which include mechanical testing to determine robustness of such a system, as well as cryostat testing of samples to give insight to the loss of thermal performance of sewn panels in comparison to the highly efficient, albeit laborious application of the original MHTB blanket.

  10. Fluid-bed combustion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunt, G.; Schoebotham, N.

    1981-02-01

    In Energy Equipment Company's two-stage fluidized bed system, partial combustion in a fluidized bed is followed by burn-off of the generated gases above the bed. The system can be retrofitted to existing boilers, and can burn small, high ash coal efficiently. It has advantages when used as a hot gas generator for process drying. Tests on a boiler at a Cadbury Schweppes plant are reported.

  11. Steady State Simulation of Two-Gas Phase Fluidized Bed Reactors in Series for Producing Linear Low Density Polyethylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Farhangiyan Kashani

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available A linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE production process, including two- fuidized bed reactors in series (FBRS and other process equipment, was completely simulated by Aspen Polymer Plus software. Fluidized bed reactors were considered as continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR consisted of polymer and gas phases. POLY-SRK and NRTL-RK equations of state were used to describe polymer and non-polymer streams, respectively. In this simulation, a kinetic model, based on a double active site heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalyst was used for simulation of LLDPE process consisting of two FBRS. Simulator using this model has the capability to  predict a number of  principal characteristics of LLDPE such as melt fow index (MFI, density, polydispersity index, numerical and weight average molecular weights (Mn,Mw and copolymer molar fraction (SFRAC. The results of the simulation were compared with industrial plant data and a good agreement was observed between the predicted model and plant data. The simulation results show the relative error of about 0.59% for prediction of polymer mass fow and 2.67% and 0.04% for prediction of product MFI and density, respectively.

  12. In-pile test of Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed with neutron pulse operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchiya, K.; Nakamichi, M.; Kikukawa, A.; Nagao, Y.; Enoeda, M.; Osaki, T.; Ioki, K.; Kawamura, H.

    2002-12-01

    Lithium titanate (Li 2TiO 3) is one of the candidate materials as tritium breeder in the breeding blanket of fusion reactors, and it is necessary to show the tritium release behavior of Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds. Therefore, a blanket in-pile mockup was developed and in situ tritium release experiments with the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed were carried out in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor. In this study, the relationship between tritium release behavior from Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds and effects of various parameters were evaluated. The ( R/ G) ratio of tritium release ( R) and tritium generation ( G) was saturated when the temperature at the outside edge of the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed became 300 °C. The tritium release amount increased cycle by cycle and saturated after about 20 pulse operations.

  13. Porous structure analysis of large-scale randomly packed pebble bed in high temperature gas-cooled reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Cheng; Yang, Xingtuan; Liu, Zhiyong; Sun, Yanfei; Jiang, Shengyao [Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China). Key Laboratory of Advanced Reactor Engineering and Safety; Li, Congxin [Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People' s Republic of China, Beijing (China). Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center

    2015-02-15

    A three-dimensional pebble bed corresponding to the randomly packed bed in the heat transfer test facility built for the High Temperature Reactor Pebble bed Modules (HTR-PM) in Shandong Shidaowan is simulated via discrete element method. Based on the simulation, we make a detailed analysis on the packing structure of the pebble bed from several aspects, such as transverse section image, longitudinal section image, radial and axial porosity distributions, two-dimensional porosity distribution and coordination number distribution. The calculation results show that radial distribution of porosity is uniform in the center and oscillates near the wall; axial distribution of porosity oscillates near the bottom and linearly varies along height due to effect of gravity; the average coordination number is about seven and equals to the maximum coordination number frequency. The fully established three-dimensional packing structure analysis of the pebble bed in this work is of fundamental significance to understand the flow and heat transfer characteristics throughout the pebble-bed type structure.

  14. Use of communication architecture test bed to evaluate data network performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clapp, N.E. Jr.; Swail, B.K.; Naser, J.A.

    1994-01-01

    Local area networks (LANs) are becoming more prevalent in nuclear power plants. Traditionally, LANs were only used as information highways, providing office automation services. LANs are now being used as data highways for applications in plant data acquisition and control systems. A communication architecture test bed, which contains network simulators, is needed to allow network performance studies and to resolve design issues prior to equipment purchase. Two levels of granularity of simulation are needed to provide the dynamic information about network performance. A coarse-grain simulator is used to estimate the dynamic performance of the network due to major resources such as workstations, gateways, and data acquisition systems. A fine-grain simulator allows a greater level of detail about the underlying network protocol and resources to be simulated. The combination of coarse-grain and fine-grain simulation packages provides the network designer with the required tools to thoroughly understand the behavior of the modeled network. This paper describes the development of a communication architecture test bed using commercial network simulation packages. Network simulators allow the resolution of major design issues in software without the expense of purchasing costly hardware components

  15. Multi-Column Experimental Test Bed for Xe/Kr Separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenhalgh, Mitchell Randy; Garn, Troy Gerry; Welty, Amy Keil; Lyon, Kevin Lawrence; Watson, Tony Leroy

    2015-01-01

    Previous research studies have shown that INL-developed engineered form sorbents are capable of capturing both Kr and Xe from various composite gas streams. The previous experimental test bed provided single column testing for capacity evaluations over a broad temperature range. To advance research capabilities, the employment of an additional column to study selective capture of target species to provide a defined final gas composition for waste storage was warranted. The second column addition also allows for compositional analyses of the final gas product to provide for final storage determinations. The INL krypton capture system was modified by adding an additional adsorption column in order to create a multi-column test bed. The purpose of this modification was to investigate the separation of xenon from krypton supplied as a mixed gas feed. The extra column was placed in a Stirling Ultra-low Temperature Cooler, capable of controlling temperatures between 190 and 253K. Additional piping and valves were incorporated into the system to allow for a variety of flow path configurations. The new column was filled with the AgZ-PAN sorbent which was utilized as the capture medium for xenon while allowing the krypton to pass through. The xenon-free gas stream was then routed to the cryostat filled with the HZ-PAN sorbent to capture the krypton at 191K. Selectivities of xenon over krypton were determined using the new column to verify the system performance and to establish the operating conditions required for multi-column testing. Results of these evaluations verified that the system was operating as designed and also demonstrated that AgZ-PAN exhibits excellent selectivity for xenon over krypton in air at or near room temperature. Two separation tests were performed utilizing a feed gas consisting of 1000 ppmv xenon and 150 ppmv krypton with the balance being made up of air. The AgZ-PAN temperature was held at 295 or 253K while the HZ-PAN was held at 191K for both

  16. Model Test Bed for Evaluating Wave Models and Best Practices for Resource Assessment and Characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neary, Vincent Sinclair [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Yang, Zhaoqing [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Wang, Taiping [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Coastal Sciences Division; Gunawan, Budi [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies; Dallman, Ann Renee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Water Power Technologies

    2016-03-01

    A wave model test bed is established to benchmark, test and evaluate spectral wave models and modeling methodologies (i.e., best practices) for predicting the wave energy resource parameters recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC TS 62600-101Ed. 1.0 ©2015. Among other benefits, the model test bed can be used to investigate the suitability of different models, specifically what source terms should be included in spectral wave models under different wave climate conditions and for different classes of resource assessment. The overarching goal is to use these investigations to provide industry guidance for model selection and modeling best practices depending on the wave site conditions and desired class of resource assessment. Modeling best practices are reviewed, and limitations and knowledge gaps in predicting wave energy resource parameters are identified.

  17. A test for the parameters of multiple linear regression models ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A test for the parameters of multiple linear regression models is developed for conducting tests simultaneously on all the parameters of multiple linear regression models. The test is robust relative to the assumptions of homogeneity of variances and absence of serial correlation of the classical F-test. Under certain null and ...

  18. Multicell fluidized bed boiler design construction and test program. Quarterly progress status report, January--March 1979

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1979-07-01

    The objective of this program is to design, construct, and test a multicell fluidized-bed boiler as a pollution-free method of burning high-sulfur or highly corrosive coals without excessive maintenance problems. The fluidized-bed boiler will provide approximately 300,000 pounds of steam per hour. Steam pressure and temperature conditions were selected to meet requirements of the site at which the boiler was installed.

  19. Development of Large Scale Bed Forms in the Sea –2DH Numerical Modeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Margalit, Jonatan; Fuhrman, David R.

    Large repetitive patterns on the sea bed are commonly observed in sandy areas. The formation of the bed forms have been studied extensively in literature using linear stability analyses, commonly conducted analytically and with simplifications in the governing equations. This work presents...... a shallow water equation model that is used to numerically simulate the morphodynamics of the water-bed system. The model includes separate formulations for bed load and suspended load, featuring bed load correction due to a sloping bed and modelled helical flow effects. Horizontal gradients are computed...... with spectral accuracy, which proves highly efficient for the analysis. Numerical linear stability analysis is used to identify the likely emergence of dominant finite sized bed forms, as a function of governing parameters. These are then used for interpretation of the results of a long time morphological...

  20. A PC-based Flexible Solution for Virtual Instrumentation of a Multi-Purpose Test Bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benatzky Christian

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to give an overview of a test bed set up for lightweight flexible structures. The purpose of the test bed is to compare different concepts for suppressing structural vibrations. It is demonstrated that such a complex measurement and actuation task can be easily implemented on a single PC using standard software like Matlab/SIMULINK® with a minimum of custom hardware. With the help of this PC standard engineering tasks like measuring, identification of transfer functions, as well as controller design and implementation in soft real-time can be carried out easily (rapid prototyping. The resulting system is flexible and scalable, enabling an engineer to perform all the above mentioned tasks for a given test object within minimum time. Additionally, the utilization of Matlab/SIMULINK® facilitates the realization of a versatile virtual instrumentation system which is easy to use and may also be remote-controlled.

  1. Development of research reactor simulator and its application to dynamic test-bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, Kee-Choon; Baang, Dane; Park, Jae-Chang; Lee, Seung-Wook; Bae, Sung Won

    2014-01-01

    We developed a real-time simulator for 'High-flux Advanced Neutron Application ReactOr (HANARO), and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR). The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator into a dynamic test-bed (DTB) to test the functions and dynamic control performance of reactor regulating system (RRS) in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The software includes a mathematical model that implements plant dynamics in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface module. The developed research reactor simulators are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by actual RRS cabinet, and was interfaced using a hard-wired and network-based interface. RRS cabinet generates control signals for reactor power control based on the various feedback signals from DTB, and the DTB runs plant dynamics based on the RRS control signals. Thus the Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation between RRS and the emulated plant (DTB) has been implemented and tested in this configuration. The test result shows that the developed DTB and actual RRS cabinet works together simultaneously resulting in quite good dynamic control performances. (author)

  2. The characteristics of bed agglomeration during fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Tia, Suvit

    2015-01-01

    The bed agglomeration behaviors were investigated experimentally when eucalyptus bark was burning tested in a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. The focuses of this work were the influences of operating conditions and bed materials on the bed agglomeration tendency and the elucidation in the behaviors of fuel inorganic elements and the governing mode of the agglomeration. It was found that the defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was clearly detectable from the decrease in measured bed pressure. The growth of bed particle and accumulation of agglomerates during combustion provided the partial to complete defluidization. The defluidization was promoted by the increase of bed temperature and bed particle size, and the decrease of fluidizing air velocity. The SEM-EDS analyses revealed that the bed agglomeration was mainly attributed to the formation of potassium silicate compounds as liquid phase during the combustion. This was initiated by the chemical reaction between the bed particle and the released ash constituents. In this study, the inorganic migration from fuel particle to bed particle was likely dominated by the condensation/reaction. The thermodynamic examination by ternary phase diagram analysis corroborated that the liquid phase formation of the ash derived materials controlled the agglomeration. The alumina sand prevented the bed agglomeration since it was inactive in the formation of viscous molten substances during combustion at the observed temperatures. - Highlights: • The behaviors of bed agglomeration were studied during the fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark. • The increase in bed temperature and sand size, and the decrease of air velocity promoted bed defluidization. • The formation of molten potassium silicate compounds conduced to the bed agglomeration. • Condensation/reaction was the dominant inorganic migration mechanism from fuel particle to bed particle. • The alumina sand prevented effectively the bed

  3. Fluidized bed steam reformed mineral waste form performance testing to support Hanford Supplemental Low Activity Waste Immobilization Technology Selection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jantzen, C. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Pierce, E. M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bannochie, C. J. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Burket, P. R. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Cozzi, A. D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Crawford, C. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Daniel, W. E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Fox, K. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Herman, C. C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Miller, D. H. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Missimer, D. M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Nash, C. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Williams, M. F. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Brown, C. F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, N. P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Neeway, J. J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Valenta, M. M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gill, G. A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Swanberg, D. J. [Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), Richland, WA (United States); Robbins, R. A. [Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), Richland, WA (United States); Thompson, L. E. [Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-10-01

    This report describes the benchscale testing with simulant and radioactive Hanford Tank Blends, mineral product characterization and testing, and monolith testing and characterization. These projects were funded by DOE EM-31 Technology Development & Deployment (TDD) Program Technical Task Plan WP-5.2.1-2010-001 and are entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-Level Waste Form Qualification”, Inter-Entity Work Order (IEWO) M0SRV00054 with Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Savannah River Site (SRS) Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”, and IEWO M0SRV00080, “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form Qualification Testing Using SRS Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”. This was a multi-organizational program that included Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), THOR® Treatment Technologies (TTT), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Office of River Protection (ORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). The SRNL testing of the non-radioactive pilot-scale Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer (FBSR) products made by TTT, subsequent SRNL monolith formulation and testing and studies of these products, and SRNL Waste Treatment Plant Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) radioactive campaign were funded by DOE Advanced Remediation Technologies (ART) Phase 2 Project in connection with a Work-For-Others (WFO) between SRNL and TTT.

  4. Simulation Facilities and Test Beds for Galileo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlarmann, Bernhard Kl.; Leonard, Arian

    2002-01-01

    Galileo is the European satellite navigation system, financed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC). The Galileo System, currently under definition phase, will offer seamless global coverage, providing state-of-the-art positioning and timing services. Galileo services will include a standard service targeted at mass market users, an augmented integrity service, providing integrity warnings when fault occur and Public Regulated Services (ensuring a continuity of service for the public users). Other services are under consideration (SAR and integrated communications). Galileo will be interoperable with GPS, and will be complemented by local elements that will enhance the services for specific local users. In the frame of the Galileo definition phase, several system design and simulation facilities and test beds have been defined and developed for the coming phases of the project, respectively they are currently under development. These are mainly the following tools: Galileo Mission Analysis Simulator to design the Space Segment, especially to support constellation design, deployment and replacement. Galileo Service Volume Simulator to analyse the global performance requirements based on a coverage analysis for different service levels and degrades modes. Galileo System Simulation Facility is a sophisticated end-to-end simulation tool to assess the navigation performances for a complete variety of users under different operating conditions and different modes. Galileo Signal Validation Facility to evaluate signal and message structures for Galileo. Galileo System Test Bed (Version 1) to assess and refine the Orbit Determination &Time Synchronisation and Integrity algorithms, through experiments relying on GPS space infrastructure. This paper presents an overview on the so called "G-Facilities" and describes the use of the different system design tools during the project life cycle in order to design the system with respect to

  5. Implementation of an Electric Vehicle Test Bed Controlled by a Virtual Power Plant for Contributing to Regulating Power Reserves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marra, Francesco; Sacchetti, Dario; Pedersen, Anders Bro

    2012-01-01

    and communication interfaces, is able to respond in real-time to smart grid control signals. The EV test bed is equipped with a Lithium-ion battery pack, a Battery Management System (BMS), a charger and a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) unit for feeding power back to the grid. The designed solution serves......With the increased focus on Electric Vehicles (EV) research and the potential benefits they bring for smart grid applications, there is a growing need for an evaluation platform connected to the electricity grid. This paper addresses the design of an EV test bed, which using real EV components...... requests from the Danish TSO are used as a proof-of-concept, to demonstrate the EV test bed power response. Test results have proven the capability to respond to frequent power control requests and they reveal the potential EV ability for contributing to regulating power reserves....

  6. Real-time remote diagnostic monitoring test-bed in JET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro, R.; Kneupner, K.; Vega, J.; De Arcas, G.; Lopez, J.M.; Purahoo, K.; Murari, A.; Fonseca, A.; Pereira, A.; Portas, A.

    2010-01-01

    Based on the remote experimentation concept oriented to long pulse shots, a test-bed system has been implemented in JET. Its main functionality is the real-time monitoring, on remote, of a reflectometer diagnostic, to visualize different data outputs and status information. The architecture of the system is formed by: the data generator components, the data distribution system, an access control service, and the client applications. In the test-bed there is one data generator, which is the acquisition equipment associated with the reflectometer diagnostic that generates data and status information. The data distribution system has been implemented using a publishing-subscribing technology that receives data from data generators and redistributes them to client applications. And finally, for monitoring, a client application based on JAVA Web Start technology has been used. There are three interesting results from this project. The first one is the analysis of different aspects (data formats, data frame rate, data resolution, etc) related with remote real-time diagnostic monitoring oriented to long pulse experiments. The second one is the definition and implementation of an architecture, flexible enough to be applied to different types of data generated from other diagnostics, and that fits with remote access requirements. Finally, the third result is a secure system, taking into account internal networks and firewalls aspects of JET, and securing the access from remote users. For this last issue, PAPI technology has been used, enabling access control based on user attributes, enabling mobile users to monitor diagnostics in real-time, and enabling the integration of this service into the EFDA Federation (Castro et al., 2008 ).

  7. Real-time remote diagnostic monitoring test-bed in JET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castro, R., E-mail: rodrigo.castro@ciemat.e [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain); Kneupner, K. [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Vega, J. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain); De Arcas, G.; Lopez, J.M. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Grupo I2A2, Madrid (Spain); Purahoo, K. [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Murari, A. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA per la Fusione, Consorzio RFX, 4-35127 Padova (Italy); Fonseca, A. [Associacao EURATOM/IST, Lisbon (Portugal); Pereira, A.; Portas, A. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain)

    2010-07-15

    Based on the remote experimentation concept oriented to long pulse shots, a test-bed system has been implemented in JET. Its main functionality is the real-time monitoring, on remote, of a reflectometer diagnostic, to visualize different data outputs and status information. The architecture of the system is formed by: the data generator components, the data distribution system, an access control service, and the client applications. In the test-bed there is one data generator, which is the acquisition equipment associated with the reflectometer diagnostic that generates data and status information. The data distribution system has been implemented using a publishing-subscribing technology that receives data from data generators and redistributes them to client applications. And finally, for monitoring, a client application based on JAVA Web Start technology has been used. There are three interesting results from this project. The first one is the analysis of different aspects (data formats, data frame rate, data resolution, etc) related with remote real-time diagnostic monitoring oriented to long pulse experiments. The second one is the definition and implementation of an architecture, flexible enough to be applied to different types of data generated from other diagnostics, and that fits with remote access requirements. Finally, the third result is a secure system, taking into account internal networks and firewalls aspects of JET, and securing the access from remote users. For this last issue, PAPI technology has been used, enabling access control based on user attributes, enabling mobile users to monitor diagnostics in real-time, and enabling the integration of this service into the EFDA Federation (Castro et al., 2008 ).

  8. Pregnancy does not affect HIV incidence test results obtained using the BED capture enzyme immunoassay or an antibody avidity assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Laeyendecker

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Accurate incidence estimates are needed for surveillance of the HIV epidemic. HIV surveillance occurs at maternal-child health clinics, but it is not known if pregnancy affects HIV incidence testing.We used the BED capture immunoassay (BED and an antibody avidity assay to test longitudinal samples from 51 HIV-infected Ugandan women infected with subtype A, C, D and intersubtype recombinant HIV who were enrolled in the HIVNET 012 trial (37 baseline samples collected near the time of delivery and 135 follow-up samples collected 3, 4 or 5 years later. Nineteen of 51 women were also pregnant at the time of one or more of the follow-up visits. The BED assay was performed according to the manufacturer's instructions. The avidity assay was performed using a Genetic Systems HIV-1/HIV-2 + O EIA using 0.1M diethylamine as the chaotropic agent.During the HIVNET 012 follow-up study, there was no difference in normalized optical density values (OD-n obtained with the BED assay or in the avidity test results (% when women were pregnant (n = 20 results compared to those obtained when women were not pregnant (n = 115; for BED: p = 0.9, generalized estimating equations model; for avidity: p = 0.7, Wilcoxon rank sum. In addition, BED and avidity results were almost exactly the same in longitudinal samples from the 18 women who were pregnant at only one study visit during the follow-up study (p = 0.6, paired t-test.These results from 51 Ugandan women suggest that any changes in the antibody response to HIV infection that occur during pregnancy are not sufficient to alter results obtained with the BED and avidity assays. Confirmation with larger studies and with other HIV subtypes is needed.

  9. Evacuation of Bed-bound Patients-STEPS Simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Anne; Dederichs, Anne Simone

    2016-01-01

    Fires in hospitals occur, and evacuation of bed-bound patients might be necessary in case of emergency. The current study concerns the evacuation of bed-bound patients from a fire section in a hospital using hospital porters. The simulations are performed using the STEPS program. The aim...... of the study is to investigate the evacuation time of bed-bound hospital patients using different walking speeds from the literature, and the influence of the number of hospital porters on the total evacuation times of bed-bound patients. Different scenarios were carried out with varying staff......-to-patient ratios that simulate the horizontal evacuation of 40 bed-bound patients into a different fire section. It was found that the staff-to-patient-ratio affects the total evacuation times. However, the total evacuation times do not decrease linearly and a saturation effect is seen at a staff-to-patient ratio...

  10. Structural Dynamic Analyses And Test Predictions For Spacecraft Structures With Non-Linearities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergniaud, Jean-Baptiste; Soula, Laurent; Newerla, Alfred

    2012-07-01

    The overall objective of the mechanical development and verification process is to ensure that the spacecraft structure is able to sustain the mechanical environments encountered during launch. In general the spacecraft structures are a-priori assumed to behave linear, i.e. the responses to a static load or dynamic excitation, respectively, will increase or decrease proportionally to the amplitude of the load or excitation induced. However, past experiences have shown that various non-linearities might exist in spacecraft structures and the consequences of their dynamic effects can significantly affect the development and verification process. Current processes are mainly adapted to linear spacecraft structure behaviour. No clear rules exist for dealing with major structure non-linearities. They are handled outside the process by individual analysis and margin policy, and analyses after tests to justify the CLA coverage. Non-linearities can primarily affect the current spacecraft development and verification process on two aspects. Prediction of flights loads by launcher/satellite coupled loads analyses (CLA): only linear satellite models are delivered for performing CLA and no well-established rules exist how to properly linearize a model when non- linearities are present. The potential impact of the linearization on the results of the CLA has not yet been properly analyzed. There are thus difficulties to assess that CLA results will cover actual flight levels. Management of satellite verification tests: the CLA results generated with a linear satellite FEM are assumed flight representative. If the internal non- linearities are present in the tested satellite then there might be difficulties to determine which input level must be passed to cover satellite internal loads. The non-linear behaviour can also disturb the shaker control, putting the satellite at risk by potentially imposing too high levels. This paper presents the results of a test campaign performed in

  11. Smart Grid: Network simulator for smart grid test-bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lai, L C; Ong, H S; Che, Y X; Do, N Q; Ong, X J

    2013-01-01

    Smart Grid become more popular, a smaller scale of smart grid test-bed is set up at UNITEN to investigate the performance and to find out future enhancement of smart grid in Malaysia. The fundamental requirement in this project is design a network with low delay, no packet drop and with high data rate. Different type of traffic has its own characteristic and is suitable for different type of network and requirement. However no one understands the natural of traffic in smart grid. This paper presents the comparison between different types of traffic to find out the most suitable traffic for the optimal network performance.

  12. Simulation of volumetrically heated pebble beds in solid breeding blankets for fusion reactors. Modelling, experimental validation and sensitivity studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez Gonzalez, Francisco Alberto

    2016-01-01

    The Breeder Units contains pebble beds of lithium orthosilicate (Li_4SiO_4) as tritium breeder material and beryllium as neutron multiplier. In this dissertation a closed validation strategy for the thermo-mechanical validation of the Breeder Units has been developed. This strategy is based on the development of dedicated testing and modeling tools, which are needed for the qualification of the thermo-mechanical functionality of these components in an out-of-pile experimental campaign. The neutron flux in the Breeder Units induces a nonhomogeneous volumetric heating in the pebble beds that must be mimicked in an out-of-pile experiment with an external heating system minimizing the intrusion in the pebble beds. Therefore, a heater system that simulates this volumetric heating has been developed. This heater system is based on ohmic heating and linear heater elements, which approximates the point heat sources of the granular material by linear sources. These linear sources represent ''linear pebbles'' in discrete locations close enough to relatively reproduce the thermal gradients occurring in the functional materials. The heater concept has been developed for the Li_4SiO_4 and it is based on a hexagonal matrix arrangement of linear and parallel heater elements of diameter 1 mm separated by 7 mm. A set of uniformly distributed thermocouples in the transversal and longitudinal direction in the pebble bed midplane allows a 2D temperature reconstruction of that measurement plane by means of biharmonic spline interpolation. This heating system has been implemented in a relevant Breeder Unit region and its proof-of-concept has been tested in a PRE-test Mock-Up eXperiment (PREMUX) that has been designed and constructed in the frame of this dissertation. The packing factor of the pebble bed with and without the heating system does not show significant differences, giving an indirect evidence of the low intrusion of the system. Such low intrusion has been confirmed by in

  13. Simulation of volumetrically heated pebble beds in solid breeding blankets for fusion reactors. Modelling, experimental validation and sensitivity studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez Gonzalez, Francisco Alberto

    2016-10-14

    The Breeder Units contains pebble beds of lithium orthosilicate (Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}) as tritium breeder material and beryllium as neutron multiplier. In this dissertation a closed validation strategy for the thermo-mechanical validation of the Breeder Units has been developed. This strategy is based on the development of dedicated testing and modeling tools, which are needed for the qualification of the thermo-mechanical functionality of these components in an out-of-pile experimental campaign. The neutron flux in the Breeder Units induces a nonhomogeneous volumetric heating in the pebble beds that must be mimicked in an out-of-pile experiment with an external heating system minimizing the intrusion in the pebble beds. Therefore, a heater system that simulates this volumetric heating has been developed. This heater system is based on ohmic heating and linear heater elements, which approximates the point heat sources of the granular material by linear sources. These linear sources represent ''linear pebbles'' in discrete locations close enough to relatively reproduce the thermal gradients occurring in the functional materials. The heater concept has been developed for the Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} and it is based on a hexagonal matrix arrangement of linear and parallel heater elements of diameter 1 mm separated by 7 mm. A set of uniformly distributed thermocouples in the transversal and longitudinal direction in the pebble bed midplane allows a 2D temperature reconstruction of that measurement plane by means of biharmonic spline interpolation. This heating system has been implemented in a relevant Breeder Unit region and its proof-of-concept has been tested in a PRE-test Mock-Up eXperiment (PREMUX) that has been designed and constructed in the frame of this dissertation. The packing factor of the pebble bed with and without the heating system does not show significant differences, giving an indirect evidence of the low intrusion of the system. Such

  14. Size reduction of high- and low-moisture corn stalks by linear knife grid system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Igathinathane, C. [Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, 130 Creelman Street, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 (United States); Womac, A.R. [Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, 2506 E. J. Chapman Drive, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States); Sokhansanj, S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge, P. O. Box 2008, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Narayan, S. [First American Scientific Company, 100 Park Royal South West Vancouver, British Columbia, V7T 1A2 (Canada)

    2009-04-15

    High- and low-moisture corn stalks were tested using a linear knife grid size reduction device developed for first-stage size reduction. The device was used in conjunction with a universal test machine that quantified shearing stress and energy characteristics for forcing a bed of corn stalks through a grid of sharp knives. No published engineering performance data for corn stover with similar devices are available to optimize performance; however, commercial knife grid systems exist for forage size reduction. From the force-displacement data, mean and maximum ultimate shear stresses, cumulative and peak mass-based cutting energies for corn stalks, and mean new surface area-based cutting energies were determined from 4-5 refill runs at two moisture contents (78.8% and 11.3% wet basis), three knife grid spacings (25.4, 50.8, and 101.6 mm), and three bed depths (50.8, 101.6, and 152.4 mm). In general, the results indicated that peak failure load, ultimate shear stress, and cutting energy values varied directly with bed depth and inversely with knife grid spacing. Mean separation analysis established that high- and low-moisture conditions and bed depths {>=} 101.6 mm did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) for ultimate stress and cutting energy values, but knife grid spacing were significantly different. Linear knife grid cutting energy requirements for both moisture conditions of corn stalks were much smaller than reported cutting energy requirements. Ultimate shear stress and cutting energy results of this research should aid the engineering design of commercial scale linear knife gird size reduction equipment for various biomass feedstocks. (author)

  15. DARPA Antibody Technology Program. Standardized Test Bed for Antibody Characterization: Characterization of an MS2 ScFv Antibody Produced by Illumina

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-01

    ECBC-TR-1395 DARPA ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM STANDARDIZED TEST BED FOR... ANTIBODY CHARACTERIZATION: CHARACTERIZATION OF AN MS2 SCFV ANTIBODY PRODUCED BY ILLUMINA Patricia E. Buckley Alena M. Calm Heather Welsh Roy...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE DARPA Antibody Technology Program Standardized Test Bed for Antibody Characterization: Characterization of an MS2 ScFv

  16. Tritium measurement technique using ''in-bed'' calorimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, J.E.; Mallory, M.K.; Nobile, A. Jr.

    1991-01-01

    One of the new technologies that has been introduced to the Savannah River Site (SRS) is the production scale use of metal hydride technology to store, pump, and compress hydrogen isotopes. For tritium stored in metal hydride storage beds, a unique relationship does not exist between the amount of tritium in the bed and the pressure-volume-temperature properties of the hydride material. Determining the amount of tritium in a hydride bed after desorbing the contents of the bed to a tank and performing pressure, volume, temperature, and composition (PVTC) measurements is not practical due to long desorption/absorption times and the inability to remove tritium ''heels'' from the metal hydride materials under normal processing conditions. To eliminate the need to remove tritium from hydride storage beds for measurement purposes, and ''in-bed'' tritium calorimetric measurement technique has been developed. The steady-state temperature rise of a gas stream flowing through a jacketed metal hydride storage bed is measured and correlated with power input to electric heaters used to simulate the radiolytic power generated by the decay of tritium to 3 He. Temperature rise results for prototype metal hydride storage beds and the effects of using different gases in the bed are shown. Linear regression results shows that for 95% confidence intervals, temperature rise measurements can be obtained in 14 hours and have an accuracy of ±1.6% of a tritium filled hydride storage bed

  17. An Apparatus for Bed Material Sediment Extraction From Coarse River Beds in Large Alluvial Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, M. B.; Adam, H.; Cooper, J.; Cepello, S.

    2005-12-01

    Grain size distributions of bed material sediment in large alluvial rivers are required in applications ranging from habitat mapping, calibration of sediment transport models, high resolution sediment routing, and testing of existing theories of longitudinal and cross steam sediment sorting. However, characterizing bed material sediment from coarse river beds is hampered by difficulties in sediment extraction, a challenge that is generally circumvented via pebble counts on point bars, even though it is unclear whether the bulk grain size distribution of bed sediments is well represented by pebble counts on bars. We have developed and tested a boat-based sampling apparatus and methodology for extracting bulk sediment from a wide range of riverbed materials. It involves the use of a 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.2 meter stainless steel toothed sampler, called the Cooper Scooper, which is deployed from and dragged downstream by the weight of a jet boat. The design is based on that of a river anchor such that a rotating center bar connected to a rope line in the boat aligns the sampler in the downstream direction, the teeth penetrate the bed surface, and the sampler digs into the bed. The sampler is fitted with lead weights to keep it from tipping over. The force of the sampler `biting' into the bed can be felt on the rope line held by a person in the boat at which point they let out slack. The boat then motors to the spot above the embedded sampler, which is hoisted to the water surface via a system of pulleys. The Cooper Scooper is then clipped into a winch and boom assembly by which it is brought aboard. This apparatus improves upon commonly used clamshell dredge samplers, which are unable to penetrate coarse or mixed bed surfaces. The Cooper Scooper, by contrast, extracts statistically representative bed material sediment samples of up to 30 kilograms. Not surprisingly, the sampler does not perform well in very coarse or armored beds (e.g. where surface material size is on the

  18. Test accelerator for linear collider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, S.; Akai, K.; Akemoto, M.; Araki, S.; Hayano, H.; Hugo, T.; Ishihara, N.; Kawamoto, T.; Kimura, Y.; Kobayashi, H.; Kubo, T.; Kurokawa, S.; Matsumoto, H.; Mizuno, H.; Odagiri, J.; Otake, Y.; Sakai, H.; Shidara, T.; Shintake, T.; Suetake, M.; Takashima, T.; Takata, K.; Takeuchi, Y.; Urakawa, J.; Yamamoto, N.; Yokoya, K.; Yoshida, M.; Yoshioka, M.; Yamaoka, Y.

    1989-01-01

    KEK has proposed to build Test Accelerator Facility (TAF) capable of producing a 2.5 GeV electron beam for the purpose of stimulating R ampersand D for linear collider in TeV region. The TAF consists of a 1.5 GeV S-band linear accelerator, 1.5 GeV damping ring and 1.0 GeV X-band linear accelerator. The TAF project will be carried forward in three phases. Through Phase-I and Phase-II, the S-band and X-band linacs will be constructed, and in Phase-III, the damping ring will be completed. The construction of TAF Phase-I has started, and the 0.2 GeV S-band injector linac has been almost completed. The Phase-I linac is composed of a 240 keV electron gun, subharmonic bunchers, prebunchers and traveling buncher followed by high-gradient accelerating structures. The SLAC 5045 klystrons are driven at 450 kV in order to obtain the rf-power of 100 MW in a 1 μs pulse duration. The rf-power from a pair of klystrons are combined into an accelerating structure. The accelerating gradient up to 100 MeV/m will be obtained in a 0.6 m long structure. 5 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  19. Quantum tests for the linearity and permutation invariance of Boolean functions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hillery, Mark [Department of Physics, Hunter College of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10021 (United States); Andersson, Erika [SUPA, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS (United Kingdom)

    2011-12-15

    The goal in function property testing is to determine whether a black-box Boolean function has a certain property or is {epsilon}-far from having that property. The performance of the algorithm is judged by how many calls need to be made to the black box in order to determine, with high probability, which of the two alternatives is the case. Here we present two quantum algorithms, the first to determine whether the function is linear and the second to determine whether it is symmetric (invariant under permutations of the arguments). Both require order {epsilon}{sup -2/3} calls to the oracle, which is better than known classical algorithms. In addition, in the case of linearity testing, if the function is linear, the quantum algorithm identifies which linear function it is. The linearity test combines the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm and amplitude amplification, while the test to determine whether a function is symmetric uses projective measurements and amplitude amplification.

  20. Experimental study of single-phase pressure drops in coarse particle beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clavier, R., E-mail: remi.clavier@irsn.fr [IRSN Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France); Chikhi, N., E-mail: nourdine.chikhi@irsn.fr [IRSN Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France); Fichot, F., E-mail: florian.fichot@irsn.fr [IRSN Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France); Quintard, M., E-mail: Michel.Quintard@imft.fr [Université de Toulouse, Allée Camille Soula, F-31400 Toulouse (France); INPT, UPS, Allée Camille Soula, F-31400 Toulouse (France); IMFT (Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse), Allée Camille Soula, F-31400 Toulouse (France); CNRS, F-31400 Toulouse (France)

    2017-02-15

    Motivated by uncertainty reduction in nuclear debris beds coolability, experiments have been conducted on the CALIDE facility in order to investigate single-phase pressure losses in representative debris beds, i.e., high sphericity (>80%) particle beds with small size dispersion (from 1 mm to 10 mm), for which no validated model exists. In this paper, experimental results are presented and analyzed in order to identify a simple correlation for single-phase flow pressure losses generated in this kind of porous media in reflooding flowing conditions, which cover Darcy to weakly turbulent regimes. In the literature, it has been observed that their behavior can be accurately described by a Darcy–Forchheimer law, involving the sum of a linear term and a quadratic non-linear deviation, with respect to the filtration velocity. Expressions for the coefficients of the linear and quadratic terms are determined by assessing the possibility to evaluate equivalent diameters, i.e., characteristic lengths allowing correct predictions of the linear and quadratic terms by the Ergun equation. It has been observed that the Sauter diameter of particles allows a very precise prediction of the linear term, while the quadratic term can be predicted using the product of the Sauter diameter and a sphericity coefficient as an equivalent diameter.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-05-01

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

  2. European Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) test blanket. ITER design description document. Status 1.12.1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albrecht, H.; Boccaccini, L.V.; Dalle Donne, M.; Fischer, U.; Gordeev, S.; Hutter, E.; Kleefeldt, K.; Norajitra, P.; Reimann, G.; Ruatto, P.; Schleisiek, K.; Schnauder, H.

    1997-04-01

    The Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) blanket is based on the use of separate small lithium orthosilicate and beryllium pebble beds placed between radial toroidal cooling plates. The cooling is provided by helium at 8 MPa. The tritium produced in the pebble beds is purged by the flow of helium at 0.1 MPa. The structural material is martensitic steel. It is foreseen, after an extended R and D work, to test in ITER a blanket module based on the HCPB design, which is one of the two European proposals for the ITER Test Blanket Programme. To facilitate the handling operation the Blanket Test Module (BTM) is bolted to a surrounding water cooled frame fixed to the ITER shield blanket back plate. For the design of the test module, three-dimensional Monte Carlo neutronic calculations and thermohydraulic and stress analyses for the operation during the Basic Performance Phase (BPP) and during the Extended Performance Phase (EPP) of ITER have been performed. The behaviour of the test module during LOCA and LOFA has been investigated. Conceptual designs of the required ancillary loops have been performed. The present report is the updated version of the Design Description Document (DDD) for the HCPB Test Module. It has been written in accordance with a scheme given by the ITER Joint Central Team (JCT) and accounts for the comments made by the JCT to the previous version of this report. This work has been performed in the framework of the Nuclear Fusion Project of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhne and it is supported by the European Union within the European Fusion Technology Program. (orig.) [de

  3. A Method to Derive Monitoring Variables for a Cyber Security Test-bed of I and C System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Kyung Soo; Song, Jae Gu; Lee, Joung Woon; Lee, Cheol Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    In the IT field, monitoring techniques have been developed to protect the systems connected by networks from cyber attacks and incidents. For the development of monitoring systems for I and C cyber security, it is necessary to review the monitoring systems in the IT field and derive cyber security-related monitoring variables among the proprietary operating information about the I and C systems. Tests for the development and application of these monitoring systems may cause adverse effects on the I and C systems. To analyze influences on the system and safely intended variables, the construction of an I and C system Test-bed should be preceded. This article proposes a method of deriving variables that should be monitored through a monitoring system for cyber security as a part of I and C Test-bed. The surveillance features and the monitored variables of NMS(Network Management System), a monitoring technique in the IT field, were reviewed in section 2. In Section 3, the monitoring variables for an I and C cyber security were derived by the of NMS and the investigation for information used for hacking techniques that can be practiced against I and C systems. The monitoring variables of NMS in the IT field and the information about the malicious behaviors used for hacking were derived as expected variables to be monitored for an I and C cyber security research. The derived monitoring variables were classified into the five functions of NMS for efficient management. For the cyber security of I and C systems, the vulnerabilities should be understood through a penetration test etc. and an assessment of influences on the actual system should be carried out. Thus, constructing a test-bed of I and C systems is necessary for the safety system in operation. In the future, it will be necessary to develop a logging and monitoring system for studies on the vulnerabilities of I and C systems with test-beds.

  4. A Method to Derive Monitoring Variables for a Cyber Security Test-bed of I and C System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Kyung Soo; Song, Jae Gu; Lee, Joung Woon; Lee, Cheol Kwon

    2013-01-01

    In the IT field, monitoring techniques have been developed to protect the systems connected by networks from cyber attacks and incidents. For the development of monitoring systems for I and C cyber security, it is necessary to review the monitoring systems in the IT field and derive cyber security-related monitoring variables among the proprietary operating information about the I and C systems. Tests for the development and application of these monitoring systems may cause adverse effects on the I and C systems. To analyze influences on the system and safely intended variables, the construction of an I and C system Test-bed should be preceded. This article proposes a method of deriving variables that should be monitored through a monitoring system for cyber security as a part of I and C Test-bed. The surveillance features and the monitored variables of NMS(Network Management System), a monitoring technique in the IT field, were reviewed in section 2. In Section 3, the monitoring variables for an I and C cyber security were derived by the of NMS and the investigation for information used for hacking techniques that can be practiced against I and C systems. The monitoring variables of NMS in the IT field and the information about the malicious behaviors used for hacking were derived as expected variables to be monitored for an I and C cyber security research. The derived monitoring variables were classified into the five functions of NMS for efficient management. For the cyber security of I and C systems, the vulnerabilities should be understood through a penetration test etc. and an assessment of influences on the actual system should be carried out. Thus, constructing a test-bed of I and C systems is necessary for the safety system in operation. In the future, it will be necessary to develop a logging and monitoring system for studies on the vulnerabilities of I and C systems with test-beds

  5. HIV incidence in rural South Africa: comparison of estimates from longitudinal surveillance and cross-sectional cBED assay testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Till Bärnighausen

    Full Text Available The BED IgG-Capture Enzyme Immunoassay (cBED assay, a test of recent HIV infection, has been used to estimate HIV incidence in cross-sectional HIV surveys. However, there has been concern that the assay overestimates HIV incidence to an unknown extent because it falsely classifies some individuals with non-recent HIV infections as recently infected. We used data from a longitudinal HIV surveillance in rural South Africa to measure the fraction of people with non-recent HIV infection who are falsely classified as recently HIV-infected by the cBED assay (the long-term false-positive ratio (FPR and compared cBED assay-based HIV incidence estimates to longitudinally measured HIV incidence.We measured the long-term FPR in individuals with two positive HIV tests (in the HIV surveillance, 2003-2006 more than 306 days apart (sample size n = 1,065. We implemented four different formulae to calculate HIV incidence using cBED assay testing (n = 11,755 and obtained confidence intervals (CIs by directly calculating the central 95(th percentile of incidence values. We observed 4,869 individuals over 7,685 person-years for longitudinal HIV incidence estimation. The long-term FPR was 0.0169 (95% CI 0.0100-0.0266. Using this FPR, the cross-sectional cBED-based HIV incidence estimates (per 100 people per year varied between 3.03 (95% CI 2.44-3.63 and 3.19 (95% CI 2.57-3.82, depending on the incidence formula. Using a long-term FPR of 0.0560 based on previous studies, HIV incidence estimates varied between 0.65 (95% CI 0.00-1.32 and 0.71 (95% CI 0.00-1.43. The longitudinally measured HIV incidence was 3.09 per 100 people per year (95% CI 2.69-3.52, after adjustment to the sex-age distribution of the sample used in cBED assay-based estimation.In a rural community in South Africa with high HIV prevalence, the long-term FPR of the cBED assay is substantially lower than previous estimates. The cBED assay performs well in HIV incidence estimation if the locally

  6. Test-bed Assessment of Communication Technologies for a Power-Balancing Controller

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Findrik, Mislav; Pedersen, Rasmus; Hasenleithner, Eduard

    2016-01-01

    and control. In this paper, we present a Smart Grid test-bed that integrates various communication technologies and deploys a power balancing controller for LV grids. Control performance of the introduced power balancing controller is subsequently investigated and its robustness to communication network cross......Due to growing need for sustainable energy, increasing number of different renewable energy resources are being connected into distribution grids. In order to efficiently manage a decentralized power generation units, the smart grid will rely on communication networks for information exchange...

  7. High-Resolution Adaptive Optics Test-Bed for Vision Science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilks, S.C.; Thomspon, C.A.; Olivier, S.S.; Bauman, B.J.; Barnes, T.; Werner, J.S.

    2001-01-01

    We discuss the design and implementation of a low-cost, high-resolution adaptive optics test-bed for vision research. It is well known that high-order aberrations in the human eye reduce optical resolution and limit visual acuity. However, the effects of aberration-free eyesight on vision are only now beginning to be studied using adaptive optics to sense and correct the aberrations in the eye. We are developing a high-resolution adaptive optics system for this purpose using a Hamamatsu Parallel Aligned Nematic Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator. Phase-wrapping is used to extend the effective stroke of the device, and the wavefront sensing and wavefront correction are done at different wavelengths. Issues associated with these techniques will be discussed

  8. In-pile test of Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble bed with neutron pulse operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsuchiya, K. E-mail: tsuchiya@oarai.jaeri.go.jp; Nakamichi, M.; Kikukawa, A.; Nagao, Y.; Enoeda, M.; Osaki, T.; Ioki, K.; Kawamura, H

    2002-12-01

    Lithium titanate (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}) is one of the candidate materials as tritium breeder in the breeding blanket of fusion reactors, and it is necessary to show the tritium release behavior of Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble beds. Therefore, a blanket in-pile mockup was developed and in situ tritium release experiments with the Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble bed were carried out in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor. In this study, the relationship between tritium release behavior from Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble beds and effects of various parameters were evaluated. The (R/G) ratio of tritium release (R) and tritium generation (G) was saturated when the temperature at the outside edge of the Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble bed became 300 deg. C. The tritium release amount increased cycle by cycle and saturated after about 20 pulse operations.

  9. What Bed Size Does a Patient Need? The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Space Required to Turn in Bed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggermann, Neal; Smith, Kathryn; Kumpar, Dee

    A bed that is too small to allow patients to turn from supine to side lying increases the difficulty of mobilizing patients, which can increase risk of musculoskeletal injury to caregivers, increase risk of pressure injuries to patients, and reduce patient comfort. Currently, no guidance is available for what patient sizes are accommodated by the standard 91cm (36 in.)-wide hospital bed, and no studies have evaluated the relationship between anthropometric attributes and space required to turn in bed. The purpose of this research was to determine how much space individuals occupy when turning from supine to side lying as predicted by their anthropometry (i.e., body dimensions) to establish guidance on selecting the appropriate bed size. Forty-seven adult participants (24 female) with body mass index (BMI) from 20 to 76 kg/m participated in a laboratory study. Body dimensions were measured, and the envelope of space required to turn was determined using motion capture. Linear regressions estimated the relationship between anthropometric attributes and space occupied when turning. BMI was strongly correlated (R = .88) with the space required to turn. Based on the linear regressions, individuals with BMI up to 35 kg/m could turn left and right within 91 cm and individuals with BMI up to 45 kg/m could turn one direction within 91 cm. BMI is a good predictor of the space required to turn from supine to lateral. Nurses should consider placing patients that are unable to laterally reposition themselves on a wider bed when BMI is greater than 35 kg/m and should consider placing all patients greater than 45 kg/m on a wider bed regardless of mobility. Hospital administrators can use historical demographic information about the BMI of their patient populations to plan facility-level equipment procurement for equipment that accommodates their patients.

  10. A Monocular Vision Measurement System of Three-Degree-of-Freedom Air-Bearing Test-Bed Based on FCCSP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhanyu; Gu, Yingying; Lv, Yaoyu; Xu, Zhenbang; Wu, Qingwen

    2018-06-01

    A monocular vision-based pose measurement system is provided for real-time measurement of a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) air-bearing test-bed. Firstly, a circular plane cooperative target is designed. An image of a target fixed on the test-bed is then acquired. Blob analysis-based image processing is used to detect the object circles on the target. A fast algorithm (FCCSP) based on pixel statistics is proposed to extract the centers of object circles. Finally, pose measurements can be obtained when combined with the centers and the coordinate transformation relation. Experiments show that the proposed method is fast, accurate, and robust enough to satisfy the requirement of the pose measurement.

  11. Dual Testing Algorithm of BED-CEIA and AxSYM Avidity Index Assays Performs Best in Identifying Recent HIV Infection in a Sample of Rwandan Sex Workers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Braunstein, Sarah L.; Nash, Denis; Kim, Andrea A.; Ford, Ken; Mwambarangwe, Lambert; Ingabire, Chantal M.; Vyankandondera, Joseph; van de Wijgert, Janneke H. H. M.

    2011-01-01

    To assess the performance of BED-CEIA (BED) and AxSYM Avidity Index (Ax-AI) assays in estimating HIV incidence among female sex workers (FSW) in Kigali, Rwanda. Eight hundred FSW of unknown HIV status were HIV tested; HIV-positive women had BED and Ax-AI testing at baseline and ≥12 months later to

  12. Fluidized bed dry dense medium coal beneficiation

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    North, Brian C

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available medium beneficiation using a fluidized bed was investigated. Bed materials of sand, magnetite and ilmenite were used in a laboratory sized cylindrical fluidized bed. The materials were individually tested, as were mixes of sand and heavy minerals. Coal...

  13. Fixed-bed gasifier and cleanup system engineering summary report through Test Run No. 100

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pater, K. Jr.; Headley, L.; Kovach, J.; Stopek, D.

    1984-06-01

    The state-of-the-art of high-pressure, fixed-bed gasification has been advanced by the many refinements developed over the last 5 years. A novel full-flow gas cleanup system has been installed and tested to clean coal-derived gases. This report summarizes the results of tests conducted on the gasifier and cleanup system from its inception through 1982. Selected process summary data are presented along with results from complementary programs in the areas of environmental research, process simulation, analytical methods development, and component testing. 20 references, 32 figures, 42 tables.

  14. Separate effects tests to determine the thermal dispersion in structured pebble beds in the PBMR HPTU test facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toit, C.G. du, E-mail: jat.dutoit@nwu.ac.za; Rousseau, P.G.; Kgame, T.L.

    2014-05-01

    Thermal-fluid simulations are used extensively to predict the maximum fuel temperatures, flows, pressure drops and thermal capacitance of pebble bed gas cooled reactors in support of the reactor safety case. The PBMR company developed the HTTF test facility in cooperation with M-Tech Industrial (Pty) Ltd. and the North-West University in South Africa to conduct comprehensive separate effects tests as well as integrated effects tests to study the different thermal-fluid phenomena. This paper describes the separate effects tests that were conducted to determine the effect of the porous structure on the fluid effective thermal conductivity due to the thermal dispersion. It also presents the methodology applied in the data analysis to derive the resultant values of the effective thermal conductivity and its associated uncertainty.

  15. Improvement of non destructive infrared test bed SATIR for examination of actively cooled tungsten armour Plasma Facing Components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vignal, N., E-mail: nicolas.vignal@cea.fr; Desgranges, C.; Cantone, V.; Richou, M.; Courtois, X.; Missirlian, M.; Magaud, Ph.

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: • Non destructive infrared techniques for control ITER like PFCs. • Reflective surface such as W induce a measurement temperature error. • Numerical data processing by evaluation of the local emissivity. • SATIR test bed can control metallic surface with low and variable emissivity. -- Abstract: For steady state (magnetic) thermonuclear fusion devices which need large power exhaust capability and have to withstand heat fluxes in the range 10–20 MW m{sup −2}, advanced Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) have been developed. The importance of PFCs for operating tokamaks requests to verify their manufacturing quality before mounting. SATIR is an IR test bed validated and recognized as a reliable and suitable tool to detect cooling defaults on PFCs with CFC armour material. Current tokamak developments implement metallic armour materials for first wall and divertor; their low emissivity causes several difficulties for infrared thermography control. We present SATIR infrared thermography test bed improvements for W monoblocks components without defect and with calibrated defects. These results are compared to ultrasonic inspection. This study demonstrates that SATIR method is fully usable for PFCs with low emissivity armour material.

  16. Improvement of non destructive infrared test bed SATIR for examination of actively cooled tungsten armour Plasma Facing Components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vignal, N.; Desgranges, C.; Cantone, V.; Richou, M.; Courtois, X.; Missirlian, M.; Magaud, Ph.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Non destructive infrared techniques for control ITER like PFCs. • Reflective surface such as W induce a measurement temperature error. • Numerical data processing by evaluation of the local emissivity. • SATIR test bed can control metallic surface with low and variable emissivity. -- Abstract: For steady state (magnetic) thermonuclear fusion devices which need large power exhaust capability and have to withstand heat fluxes in the range 10–20 MW m −2 , advanced Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) have been developed. The importance of PFCs for operating tokamaks requests to verify their manufacturing quality before mounting. SATIR is an IR test bed validated and recognized as a reliable and suitable tool to detect cooling defaults on PFCs with CFC armour material. Current tokamak developments implement metallic armour materials for first wall and divertor; their low emissivity causes several difficulties for infrared thermography control. We present SATIR infrared thermography test bed improvements for W monoblocks components without defect and with calibrated defects. These results are compared to ultrasonic inspection. This study demonstrates that SATIR method is fully usable for PFCs with low emissivity armour material

  17. An experimental test of the linear no-threshold theory of radiation carcinogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, B.L.

    1990-01-01

    There is a substantial body of quantitative information on radiation-induced cancer at high dose, but there are no data at low dose. The usual method for estimating effects of low-level radiation is to assume a linear no-threshold dependence. if this linear no-threshold assumption were not used, essentially all fears about radiation would disappear. Since these fears are costing tens of billions of dollars, it is most important that the linear no-threshold theory be tested at low dose. An opportunity for possibly testing the linear no-threshold concept is now available at low dose due to radon in homes. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to use this data to test the linear no-threshold theory

  18. SU-F-T-02: Estimation of Radiobiological Doses (BED and EQD2) of Single Fraction Electronic Brachytherapy That Equivalent to I-125 Eye Plaque: By Using Linear-Quadratic and Universal Survival Curve Models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y; Waldron, T; Pennington, E

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To test the radiobiological impact of hypofractionated choroidal melanoma brachytherapy, we calculated single fraction equivalent doses (SFED) of the tumor that equivalent to 85 Gy of I125-BT for 20 patients. Corresponding organs-at-risks (OARs) doses were estimated. Methods: Twenty patients treated with I125-BT were retrospectively examined. The tumor SFED values were calculated from tumor BED using a conventional linear-quadratic (L-Q) model and an universal survival curve (USC). The opposite retina (α/β = 2.58), macula (2.58), optic disc (1.75), and lens (1.2) were examined. The % doses of OARs over tumor doses were assumed to be the same as for a single fraction delivery. The OAR SFED values were converted into BED and equivalent dose in 2 Gy fraction (EQD2) by using both L-Q and USC models, then compared to I125-BT. Results: The USC-based BED and EQD2 doses of the macula, optic disc, and the lens were on average 118 ± 46% (p 14 Gy). Conclusion: The estimated single fraction doses were feasible to be delivered within 1 hour using a high dose rate source such as electronic brachytherapy (eBT). However, the estimated OAR doses using eBT were 112 ∼ 118% higher than when using the I125-BT technique. Continued exploration of alternative dose rate or fractionation schedules should be followed.

  19. Development and testing of analytical models for the pebble bed type HTRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huda, M.Q.; Obara, T.

    2008-01-01

    The pebble bed type gas cooled high temperature reactor (HTR) appears to be a good candidate for the next generation nuclear reactor technology. These reactors have unique characteristics in terms of the randomness in geometry, and require special techniques to analyze their systems. This study includes activities concerning the testing of computational tools and the qualification of models. Indeed, it is essential that the validated analytical tools be available to the research community. From this viewpoint codes like MCNP, ORIGEN and RELAP5, which have been used in nuclear industry for many years, are selected to identify and develop new capabilities needed to support HTR analysis. The geometrical model of the full reactor is obtained by using lattice and universe facilities provided by MCNP. The coupled MCNP-ORIGEN code is used to estimate the burnup and the refuelling scheme. Results obtained from Monte Carlo analysis are interfaced with RELAP5 to analyze the thermal hydraulics and safety characteristics of the reactor. New models and methodologies are developed for several past and present experimental and prototypical facilities that were based on HTR pebble bed concepts. The calculated results are compared with available experimental data and theoretical evaluations showing very good agreement. The ultimate goal of the validation of the computer codes for pebble bed HTR applications is to acquire and reinforce the capability of these general purpose computer codes for performing HTR core design and optimization studies

  20. Testing hypotheses for differences between linear regression lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley J. Zarnoch

    2009-01-01

    Five hypotheses are identified for testing differences between simple linear regression lines. The distinctions between these hypotheses are based on a priori assumptions and illustrated with full and reduced models. The contrast approach is presented as an easy and complete method for testing for overall differences between the regressions and for making pairwise...

  1. Integration of the SSPM and STAGE with the MPACT Virtual Facility Distributed Test Bed.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cipiti, Benjamin B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Shoman, Nathan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-08-01

    The Material Protection Accounting and Control Technologies (MPACT) program within DOE NE is working toward a 2020 milestone to demonstrate a Virtual Facility Distributed Test Bed. The goal of the Virtual Test Bed is to link all MPACT modeling tools, technology development, and experimental work to create a Safeguards and Security by Design capability for fuel cycle facilities. The Separation and Safeguards Performance Model (SSPM) forms the core safeguards analysis tool, and the Scenario Toolkit and Generation Environment (STAGE) code forms the core physical security tool. These models are used to design and analyze safeguards and security systems and generate performance metrics. Work over the past year has focused on how these models will integrate with the other capabilities in the MPACT program and specific model changes to enable more streamlined integration in the future. This report describes the model changes and plans for how the models will be used more collaboratively. The Virtual Facility is not designed to integrate all capabilities into one master code, but rather to maintain stand-alone capabilities that communicate results between codes more effectively.

  2. Real-Time Remote Diagnostic Monitoring Test-bed in JET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castro, R. [Asociation Euratom/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain); Kneupner, K.; Purahoo, K. [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Vega, J.; Pereira, A.; Portas, A. [Association EuratomCIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain); De Arcas, G.; Lopez, J.M. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (Spain); Murari, A. [Consorzio RFX, Padova (Italy); Fonseca, A. [Associacao URATOM/IST, Lisboa (Portugal); Contributors, J.E. [JET-EFDA, Abingdon (United Kingdom)

    2009-07-01

    Based on the remote experimentation concept oriented to long pulse shots, a test-bed system has been implemented in JET. It integrates 2 functionalities. The first one is the real-time monitoring, on remote, of a reflectometer diagnostic, to visualize different data outputs and status information. The second one is the integration of dotJET (Diagnostic Overview Tool for JET), which internally provides at JET an overview about the current diagnostic systems state, in order to monitor, on remote, JET diagnostics status. The architecture of the system is formed by: the data generator components, the data distribution system, an access control service, and the client applications. In the test-bed there are two data generators: the acquisition equipment associated with the reflectometer diagnostic that generates data and status information, and dotJET server that centralize the access to the status information of JET diagnostics. The data distribution system has been implemented using a publishing-subscribing technology that receives data from data generators and redistributes them to client applications. And finally, for monitoring, a client application based on Java Web Start technology, and a dotJET client application have been used. There are 3 interesting results from this project. The first one is the analysis of different aspects (data formats, data frame rate, data resolution, etc) related with remote real-time diagnostic monitoring oriented to long pulse experiments. The second one is the definition and implementation of a flexible enough architecture, to be applied to different types of data generated from other diagnostics, and that fits with remote access requirements; and the third one is to have achieved a secure system, taking into account internal networks and firewalls aspects in JET, and securing the access from remote users. For this last issue, PAPI technology has been used, enabling access control based on user attributes, enabling mobile users to

  3. Engineering scale tests of an FFTF fission gas delay bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabele, T.J.; Bohringer, A.P.

    1975-01-01

    The dynamic adsorption coefficient of 85 Kr on activated charcoal from a nitrogen carrier gas was measured at -80 and -120 0 C at pressures of zero and 30 psig. The effects of the presence of impurities in the nitrogen carrier gas (1 percent oxygen, and 100 vppm carbon dioxide) on the adsorption coefficient of 85 Kr were also measured. The 85 Kr adsorption coefficient increased with decreasing temperature, and increased with increasing pressure. The presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide impurities in the nitrogen carrier gas had no discernible effect upon the adsorption coefficient. The adsorption coefficient for 85 Kr from nitrogen gas was lower than for adsorption of 85 Kr from an argon gas stream. The work concluded a test program which provided design data for the fission gas delay beds which will be installed in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). (U.S.)

  4. Dryout heat flux experiments with deep heterogeneous particle bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindholm, I.; Holmstroem, S.; Miettinen, J.; Lestinen, V.; Hyvaerinen, J.; Pankakoski, P.; Sjoevall, H.

    2006-01-01

    A test facility has been constructed at Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) to simulate as accurately as possible the ex-vessel core particle bed in the conditions of Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The STYX particle bed reproduces the anticipated depth of the bed and the size range of particles having irregular shape. The bed is immersed in water, creating top flooding conditions, and internally heated by an array of electrical resistance heating elements. Dryout tests have been successfully conducted at 0.1-0.7 MPa pressure for both uniformly mixed and stratified bed geometries. In all tests, including the stratified ones, the dry zone first formed near the bottom of the bed. The measured dryout heat fluxes increased with increasing pressure, from 232 kW/m 2 at near atmospheric pressure to 451 kW/m 2 at 0.7 MPa pressure. The data show some scatter even for the uniform bed. The tests with the stratified bed indicate a clear reduction of critical power due to the presence of a layer of small particles on top of the uniform bed. Comparison of data with various critical power (dryout heat flux) correlations for porous media shows that the most important parameter in the models is the effective particle diameter. Adiabatic debris bed flow resistance measurements were conducted to determine the most representative particle diameter. This diameter is close, but not equal, to the particle number-weighted average diameter of the bed material. With it, uniform bed data can be calculated to within an accuracy of 3-28% using Lipinski's 0-D model. In the stratified bed experiments, it appears that the top layer was partially fluidized, hence the measured critical power was significantly higher than calculated. Future experiments are being planned with denser top layer material to eliminate non-prototypic fluidization

  5. Instability and the formation of bubbles and the plugs in fluidized beds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr Schulz

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This is an review paper, particulary concentrate on results not many researches by reason that are explain in the text. We consider stability of disperse, two-phase flow (gas-solid particles or liquid-solid particles linear and non-linear. In particular we discuss the result of Anderson, Sundareson and Jackson (1995 [Anderson K., Sundareson S., Jackson R.: Instabilities and the formation of bubbles in fluidized beds. J. Fluid Mech. 303 (1995, 327-366] that for vertical dispersion flow one- and two-dimensional, they attack problem growing disturbances directly by numerical integration of equations of motion from given initial conditions (using computer Cray C-90. In principle, this would allow authors to explore all aspects of dynamical behaviour of fluidized beds. It is interesting mechanism of periodic plug describing by Anderson et al. and attest by other researchers. Second part of paper is more general, dedicate the problem of linear stability of uniformly fluidized state ("fluidized bed". We make the most important stages of calculations (after to Jackson (2000 [Jackson R.: The Dynamics of Fluidized Particles. Cambridge University Press 2000] and demonstrate that the majority (but not all of fluidized beds with parameters having technical importance is unstable, or stable in narrow interval of wave numbers \\(k\\.

  6. Testing Parametric versus Semiparametric Modelling in Generalized Linear Models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Härdle, W.K.; Mammen, E.; Müller, M.D.

    1996-01-01

    We consider a generalized partially linear model E(Y|X,T) = G{X'b + m(T)} where G is a known function, b is an unknown parameter vector, and m is an unknown function.The paper introduces a test statistic which allows to decide between a parametric and a semiparametric model: (i) m is linear, i.e.

  7. Combustion of peanut shells in a cone-shaped bubbling fluidized-bed combustor using alumina as the bed material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arromdee, Porametr; Kuprianov, Vladimir I.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We propose burning of peanut shells in a conical fluidized bed using alumina sand. ► We examine hydrodynamic, combustion and emission characteristics of the reactor. ► High, over 99%, combustion efficiency is achievable. ► Emissions of CO and NO from the combustor meet the national emission limits. ► Composition of the bed material undergoes significant changes during the combustion. -- Abstract: This paper reports experimental studies on burning peanut shells in the conical fluidized-bed combustor using alumina sand as the fluidizing agent. Prior to combustion tests, hydrodynamic regimes and characteristics of a conical alumina–biomass bed were investigated under cold-state conditions for variable percentage of peanut shells in the mixture and static bed height. With selected particle sizes (300–500 μm) and static bed height (30 cm), alumina ensured bubbling fluidization regime of the bed at operating conditions specified for firing biomass. Combustion tests were performed at 60 kg/h and 45 kg/h fuel feed rates, while ranging excess air from 20% to 80% at a fixed combustor load. Temperature and gas concentrations (O 2 , CO, C x H y as CH 4 , and NO) were measured along radial and axial directions inside the reactor as well as at stack in order to characterize combustion and emission performance of the combustor for the ranges of operating conditions. For firing 60 kg/h peanut shells, excess air of 40% can be selected as an appropriate value ensuring high, about 99%, combustion efficiency and rather low emissions of CO and NO: 520 ppm and 125 ppm, respectively (both on a dry basis and at 6% O 2 ). With reducing combustor load, the combustion efficiency and emission characteristics were improved to a little extent. No evidence of bed agglomeration was found during 30-h combustion tests on this conical fluidized-bed combustor using alumina sand as the bed material. However, the timescale effect on the composition of the bed material was

  8. Development Of A Sensor Network Test Bed For ISD Materials And Structural Condition Monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeigler, K.; Ferguson, B.; Karapatakis, D.; Herbst, C.; Stripling, C.

    2011-01-01

    The P Reactor at the Savannah River Site is one of the first reactor facilities in the US DOE complex that has been placed in its end state through in situ decommissioning (ISD). The ISD end state consists of a grout-filled concrete civil structure within the concrete frame of the original building. To evaluate the feasibility and utility of remote sensors to provide verification of ISD system conditions and performance characteristics, an ISD Sensor Network Test Bed has been designed and deployed at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The test bed addresses the DOE-EM Technology Need to develop a remote monitoring system to determine and verify ISD system performance. Commercial off-the-shelf sensors have been installed on concrete blocks taken from walls of the P Reactor Building. Deployment of this low-cost structural monitoring system provides hands-on experience with sensor networks. The initial sensor system consists of: (1) Groutable thermistors for temperature and moisture monitoring; (2) Strain gauges for crack growth monitoring; (3) Tiltmeters for settlement monitoring; and (4) A communication system for data collection. Preliminary baseline data and lessons learned from system design and installation and initial field testing will be utilized for future ISD sensor network development and deployment.

  9. DEVELOPMENT OF A SENSOR NETWORK TEST BED FOR ISD MATERIALS AND STRUCUTRAL CONDITION MONITORING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeigler, K.; Ferguson, B.; Karapatakis, D.; Herbst, C.; Stripling, C.

    2011-07-06

    The P Reactor at the Savannah River Site is one of the first reactor facilities in the US DOE complex that has been placed in its end state through in situ decommissioning (ISD). The ISD end state consists of a grout-filled concrete civil structure within the concrete frame of the original building. To evaluate the feasibility and utility of remote sensors to provide verification of ISD system conditions and performance characteristics, an ISD Sensor Network Test Bed has been designed and deployed at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The test bed addresses the DOE-EM Technology Need to develop a remote monitoring system to determine and verify ISD system performance. Commercial off-the-shelf sensors have been installed on concrete blocks taken from walls of the P Reactor Building. Deployment of this low-cost structural monitoring system provides hands-on experience with sensor networks. The initial sensor system consists of: (1) Groutable thermistors for temperature and moisture monitoring; (2) Strain gauges for crack growth monitoring; (3) Tiltmeters for settlement monitoring; and (4) A communication system for data collection. Preliminary baseline data and lessons learned from system design and installation and initial field testing will be utilized for future ISD sensor network development and deployment.

  10. Response of bed mobility to sediment supply in natural gravel bed channels: A detailed examination and evaluation of mobility parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    T. E. Lisle; J. M. Nelson; B. L. Barkett; J. Pitlick; M. A. Madej

    1998-01-01

    Recent laboratory experiments have shown that bed mobility in gravel bed channels responds to changes in sediment supply, but detailed examinations of this adjustment in natural channels have been lacking, and practical methodologies to measure bed mobility have not been tested. We examined six gravel-bed, alternate-bar channels which have a wide range in annual...

  11. Linear Matrix Inequalities in Multirate Control over Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ángel Cuenca

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper faces two of the main drawbacks in networked control systems: bandwidth constraints and timevarying delays. The bandwidth limitations are solved by using multirate control techniques. The resultant multirate controller must ensure closed-loop stability in the presence of time-varying delays. Some stability conditions and a state feedback controller design are formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The theoretical proposal is validated in two different experimental environments: a crane-based test-bed over Ethernet, and a maglev based platform over Profibus.

  12. Coral-based Proxy Records of Ocean Acidification: A Pilot Study at the Puerto Rico Test-bed Site

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Coral cores collected nearby the Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed (AOAT) at La Parguera, Puerto Rico were used to characterize the relationship between...

  13. Thermomechanical interactions of particle bed-structural wall in a layered configuration. Pt. 1. Effect of particle bed thermal expansions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tehranian, F.

    1995-01-01

    Materials in the form of particle beds have been considered for shielding and tritium breeding as well as neutron multiplication in many of the conceptual reactor design studies. As the level of effort of the fusion blanket community in the area of out-of-pile and in-pile (ITER) testing of integrated test modules increases, so does the need for modelling capability for predicting the thermomechanical responses of the test modules under reactor environment.In this study, the thermomechanical responses of a particle bed-structural wall system in a layered configuration, subjected to bed temperature rise and/or external coolant pressure, were considered. Equations were derived which represent the dependence of the particle-to-particle and particle-to-wall contact forces and areas on the structural wall deformations and in turn on the thermomechanical loads. Using the derived equations, parametric analyses were performed to study the variations in the thermomechanical response quantities of a beryllium particle bed-stainless steel structural wall when subjected to thermomechanical loads. The results are presented in two parts. In Part I, presented in this paper, the derivation of the analytical equations and the effects of bed temperature rise are discussed. In Part II of this study, also presented in this symposium, the effects of external coolant pressure as well as the combined effects of bed temperature rise and coolant pressure on the thermomechanical responses are given.It is shown that, depending on the stiffness of the structural walls, uniform bed temperature rises in the range 100-400 C result in non-uniform effective thermal properties through the prticle bed and could increase the bed effective thermal conductivity by a factor of 2-5 and the bed-wall interface thermal conductance by even a larger factor. (orig.)

  14. Performance Testing of a High Temperature Linear Alternator for Stirling Convertors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metscher, Jonathan F.; Geng, Steven M.

    2016-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center has conducted performance testing of a high temperature linear alternator (HTLA) in support of Stirling power convertor development for potential future Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). The high temperature linear alternator is a modified version of that used in Sunpower's Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC), and is capable of operation at temperatures up to 200 deg. Increasing the temperature capability of the linear alternator could expand the mission set of future Stirling RPS designs. High temperature Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets were selected for the HTLA application, and were fully characterized and tested prior to use. Higher temperature epoxy for alternator assembly was also selected and tested for thermal stability and strength. A characterization test was performed on the HTLA to measure its performance at various amplitudes, loads, and temperatures. HTLA endurance testing at 200 deg is currently underway.

  15. Pilot-scale fluidized-bed combustor testing cofiring animal-tissue biomass with coal as a carcass disposal option

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruce G. Miller; Sharon Falcone Miller; Elizabeth M. Fedorowicz; David W. Harlan; Linda A. Detwiler; Michelle L. Rossman [Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States). Energy Institute

    2006-10-15

    This study was performed to demonstrate the technical viability of cofiring animal-tissue biomass (ATB) in a coal-fired fluidized-bed combustor (FBC) as an option for disposing of specified risk materials (SRMs) and carcasses. The purpose of this study was to assess the technical issues of feeding/combusting ATB and not to investigate prion deactivation/pathogen destruction. Overall, the project successfully demonstrated that carcasses and SRMs can be cofired with coal in a bubbling FBC. Feeding ATB into the FBC did, however, present several challenges. Specifically, handling/feeding issues resulting from the small scale of the equipment and the extremely heterogeneous nature of the ATB were encountered during the testing. Feeder modifications and an overbed firing system were necessary. Through statistical analysis, it was shown that the ATB feed location had a greater effect on CO emissions, which were used as an indication of combustion performance, than the fuel type due to the feeding difficulties. Baseline coal tests and tests cofiring ATB into the bed were statistically indistinguishable. Fuel feeding issues would not be expected at the full scale since full-scale units routinely handle low-quality fuels. In a full-scale unit, the disproportionate ratio of feed line size to unit diameter would be eliminated thereby eliminating feed slugging. Also, the ATB would either be injected into the bed, thereby ensuring uniform mixing and complete combustion, or be injected directly above the bed with overfire air ports used to ensure complete combustion. Therefore, it is anticipated that a demonstration at the full scale, which is the next activity in demonstrating this concept, should be successful. As the statistical analysis shows, emissions cofiring ATB with coal would be expected to be similar to that when firing coal only. 14 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

  16. An examination of vehicles at the brake-chassis test bed in the range of the partial engine load

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paweł MARZEC

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The performance of a ZI engine is presented in the paper, as well as a project involving a device for applying a partial load in the performed examinations of a brakechassis test bed. The device was prepared for an Opel Astra and enabled the determination of exterior characteristics of the engine for different values of the engine load. The indicating pressure sensor and the angle marker on the crankshaft allowed for the recording of the indicating pressure obtained at different values of the load. The analysis of heat evolution in the process of burning, based on the registered results of the measurements at the brake-chassis test bed, has also been included in the presentation.

  17. Experimental study of flow field characteristics on bed configurations in the pebble bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Xinlong; Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jia, Haijun; Jiang, Shengyao

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • PTV study of flow fields of pebble bed reactor with different configurations are carried out. • Some criteria are proposed to quantify vertical velocity field and flow uniformity. • The effect of different pebble bed configurations is also compared by the proposed criteria. • The displacement thickness is used analogically to analyze flow field characteristics. • The effect of mass flow variation in the stagnated region of the funnel flow is measured. - Abstract: The flow field characteristics are of fundamental importance in the design work of the pebble bed high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR). The different effects of bed configurations on the flow characteristics of pebble bed are studied through the PTV (Particle Tracking Velocimetry) experiment. Some criteria, e.g. flow uniformity (σ) and mass flow level (α), are proposed to estimate vertical velocity field and compare the bed configurations. The distribution of the Δθ (angle difference between the individual particle velocity and the velocity vector sum of all particles) is also used to estimate the resultant motion consistency level. Moreover, for each bed configuration, the thickness of displacement is analyzed to measure the effect of the funnel flow zone based on the boundary layer theory. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity and other characteristics; and the sequence of levels of each estimation criterion is obtained for all bed configurations. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested and these estimation criteria can be also applied and adopted in testing other geometry designs of pebble bed.

  18. Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. B. Phillips

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the mechanics of bed load at the flood scale is necessary to link hydrology to landscape evolution. Here we report on observations of the transport of coarse sediment tracer particles in a cobble-bedded alluvial river and a step-pool bedrock tributary, at the individual flood and multi-annual timescales. Tracer particle data for each survey are composed of measured displacement lengths for individual particles, and the number of tagged particles mobilized. For single floods we find that measured tracer particle displacement lengths are exponentially distributed; the number of mobile particles increases linearly with peak flood Shields stress, indicating partial bed load transport for all observed floods; and modal displacement distances scale linearly with excess shear velocity. These findings provide quantitative field support for a recently proposed modeling framework based on momentum conservation at the grain scale. Tracer displacement is weakly negatively correlated with particle size at the individual flood scale; however cumulative travel distance begins to show a stronger inverse relation to grain size when measured over many transport events. The observed spatial sorting of tracers approaches that of the river bed, and is consistent with size-selective deposition models and laboratory experiments. Tracer displacement data for the bedrock and alluvial channels collapse onto a single curve – despite more than an order of magnitude difference in channel slope – when variations of critical Shields stress and flow resistance between the two are accounted for. Results show how bed load dynamics may be predicted from a record of river stage, providing a direct link between climate and sediment transport.

  19. Advanced Photovoltaic Inverter Control Development and Validation in a Controller-Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prabakar, Kumaraguru [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Shirazi, Mariko [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Singh, Akanksha [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chakraborty, Sudipta [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-11-07

    Penetration levels of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation on the electric grid have increased in recent years. In the past, most PV installations have not included grid-support functionalities. But today, standards such as the upcoming revisions to IEEE 1547 recommend grid support and anti-islanding functions-including volt-var, frequency-watt, volt-watt, frequency/voltage ride-through, and other inverter functions. These functions allow for the standardized interconnection of distributed energy resources into the grid. This paper develops and tests low-level inverter current control and high-level grid support functions. The controller was developed to integrate advanced inverter functions in a systematic approach, thus avoiding conflict among the different control objectives. The algorithms were then programmed on an off-the-shelf, embedded controller with a dual-core computer processing unit and field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This programmed controller was tested using a controller-hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) test bed setup using an FPGA-based real-time simulator. The CHIL was run at a time step of 500 ns to accommodate the 20-kHz switching frequency of the developed controller. The details of the advanced control function and CHIL test bed provided here will aide future researchers when designing, implementing, and testing advanced functions of PV inverters.

  20. Comparison of depth-averaged concentration and bed load flux sediment transport models of dam-break flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia-heng Zhao

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents numerical simulations of dam-break flow over a movable bed. Two different mathematical models were compared: a fully coupled formulation of shallow water equations with erosion and deposition terms (a depth-averaged concentration flux model, and shallow water equations with a fully coupled Exner equation (a bed load flux model. Both models were discretized using the cell-centered finite volume method, and a second-order Godunov-type scheme was used to solve the equations. The numerical flux was calculated using a Harten, Lax, and van Leer approximate Riemann solver with the contact wave restored (HLLC. A novel slope source term treatment that considers the density change was introduced to the depth-averaged concentration flux model to obtain higher-order accuracy. A source term that accounts for the sediment flux was added to the bed load flux model to reflect the influence of sediment movement on the momentum of the water. In a one-dimensional test case, a sensitivity study on different model parameters was carried out. For the depth-averaged concentration flux model, Manning's coefficient and sediment porosity values showed an almost linear relationship with the bottom change, and for the bed load flux model, the sediment porosity was identified as the most sensitive parameter. The capabilities and limitations of both model concepts are demonstrated in a benchmark experimental test case dealing with dam-break flow over variable bed topography.

  1. Analysis of separation test for automatic brake adjuster based on linear radon transformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Zai; Jiang, Wensong; Guo, Bin; Fan, Weijun; Lu, Yi

    2015-01-01

    The linear Radon transformation is applied to extract inflection points for online test system under the noise conditions. The linear Radon transformation has a strong ability of anti-noise and anti-interference by fitting the online test curve in several parts, which makes it easy to handle consecutive inflection points. We applied the linear Radon transformation to the separation test system to solve the separating clearance of automatic brake adjuster. The experimental results show that the feature point extraction error of the gradient maximum optimal method is approximately equal to ±0.100, while the feature point extraction error of linear Radon transformation method can reach to ±0.010, which has a lower error than the former one. In addition, the linear Radon transformation is robust.

  2. Evaluation of the linear power of HANARO test fuel bundles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Choong Sung; Seo, C. G.; Lee, B. C.; Kim, H. R

    2001-02-01

    The HANARO fuel was developed by AECL and it is configured in a bundle of rods containing uranium silicide. AECL has conducted a variety of tests using specimen in order to achieve its qualification and licensing and the highest linear power was evaluated to be 112.8kW/m. In design stage of HANARO, the best estimated maximum linear power at hot spot was found to occur in the transition core from the initial to the equilibrium and its value was 108kW/m, which exceeds 112.8kW/m if the physics uncertainty of the HANARO nuclear design model is taken into account. Consequently, the licensing body issued the conditional permit to operate HANARO and the fuel integrity at the linear power higher than 112.8kW/m was requested to be confirmed through irradiation tests by realizing its repeatability. Hereby, KAERI designed uninstrumented and instrumented test fuel bundles and conducted their burnup tests. In parallel with the tests, the nuclear design model has been revised and updated to enable us to pursue the pin-by-pin power history. This report describes the best estimated power history of the test fuel bundles using the revised model. In conclusion, HANARO fuel keeps its integrity at power condition greater than 120kW/m.

  3. Effect of particle stratification on debris-bed dryout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabor, J.D.; Cassulo, J.C.; Pederson, D.R.

    1982-01-01

    Significant work has been performed on debris-bed dryout on beds of either uniformly sized particles or particles of a wide size range which are well mixed. This work has provided an understanding of the mechanisms of dryout and an empirical basis for containment analysis. However, the debris bed resulting from a HCDA would not consist of uniformly sized particles and for certain scenarios the bed could be stratified rather than well mixed. Tests have been conducted on the effect of particle size distribution on dryout and concluded that not only is the mean particle size an important parameter but also the standard deviation of the distribution and change in porosity. The D6 in-pile test at Sandia with a 114-mm deep stratified bed resulted in a reduced dryout heat flux compared to a uniformly mixed bed. Because of the many questions concerning the dryout behavior of stratified beds of wide size distribution out-of-pile experiments in which metal particles in water pools are inductively heated were initiated at Argonne

  4. Simultaneous determination of devolatilization and char burnout times during fluidized bed combustion of coal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christofiedes, N.; Brown, R.C.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, the authors investigate a method for simultaneous determination of devolatilization and char burnout times based on the analysis of CO 2 emissions from a fluidized bed combustor. The technique is non-intrusive and can be performed under realistic combustion conditions. The authors' method involves batching single-size coal samples in a fluidized bed combustor that is heated with propane gas or other fuel. Carbon dioxide profiles versus time for the batch tests are analyzed with a linear model to obtain characteristic time constants for coal devolatilization and char combustion which can be related to total devolatilization time and burnout time for a coal sample. The authors' approach does not require special sample preparation, can be performed in actual combustion equipment and employs standard boiler instrumentation

  5. Advection and dispersion of bed load tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lajeunesse, Eric; Devauchelle, Olivier; James, François

    2018-05-01

    We use the erosion-deposition model introduced by Charru et al. (2004) to numerically simulate the evolution of a plume of bed load tracers entrained by a steady flow. In this model, the propagation of the plume results from the stochastic exchange of particles between the bed and the bed load layer. We find a transition between two asymptotic regimes. The tracers, initially at rest, are gradually set into motion by the flow. During this entrainment regime, the plume is strongly skewed in the direction of propagation and continuously accelerates while spreading nonlinearly. With time, the skewness of the plume eventually reaches a maximum value before decreasing. This marks the transition to an advection-diffusion regime in which the plume becomes increasingly symmetrical, spreads linearly, and advances at constant velocity. We analytically derive the expressions of the position, the variance, and the skewness of the plume and investigate their asymptotic regimes. Our model assumes steady state. In the field, however, bed load transport is intermittent. We show that the asymptotic regimes become insensitive to this intermittency when expressed in terms of the distance traveled by the plume. If this finding applies to the field, it might provide an estimate for the average bed load transport rate.

  6. Significance tests for the wavelet cross spectrum and wavelet linear coherence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Ge

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available This work attempts to develop significance tests for the wavelet cross spectrum and the wavelet linear coherence as a follow-up study on Ge (2007. Conventional approaches that are used by Torrence and Compo (1998 based on stationary background noise time series were used here in estimating the sampling distributions of the wavelet cross spectrum and the wavelet linear coherence. The sampling distributions are then used for establishing significance levels for these two wavelet-based quantities. In addition to these two wavelet quantities, properties of the phase angle of the wavelet cross spectrum of, or the phase difference between, two Gaussian white noise series are discussed. It is found that the tangent of the principal part of the phase angle approximately has a standard Cauchy distribution and the phase angle is uniformly distributed, which makes it impossible to establish significance levels for the phase angle. The simulated signals clearly show that, when there is no linear relation between the two analysed signals, the phase angle disperses into the entire range of [−π,π] with fairly high probabilities for values close to ±π to occur. Conversely, when linear relations are present, the phase angle of the wavelet cross spectrum settles around an associated value with considerably reduced fluctuations. When two signals are linearly coupled, their wavelet linear coherence will attain values close to one. The significance test of the wavelet linear coherence can therefore be used to complement the inspection of the phase angle of the wavelet cross spectrum. The developed significance tests are also applied to actual data sets, simultaneously recorded wind speed and wave elevation series measured from a NOAA buoy on Lake Michigan. Significance levels of the wavelet cross spectrum and the wavelet linear coherence between the winds and the waves reasonably separated meaningful peaks from those generated by randomness in the data set. As

  7. SU-F-T-02: Estimation of Radiobiological Doses (BED and EQD2) of Single Fraction Electronic Brachytherapy That Equivalent to I-125 Eye Plaque: By Using Linear-Quadratic and Universal Survival Curve Models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Y; Waldron, T; Pennington, E [University Of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To test the radiobiological impact of hypofractionated choroidal melanoma brachytherapy, we calculated single fraction equivalent doses (SFED) of the tumor that equivalent to 85 Gy of I125-BT for 20 patients. Corresponding organs-at-risks (OARs) doses were estimated. Methods: Twenty patients treated with I125-BT were retrospectively examined. The tumor SFED values were calculated from tumor BED using a conventional linear-quadratic (L-Q) model and an universal survival curve (USC). The opposite retina (α/β = 2.58), macula (2.58), optic disc (1.75), and lens (1.2) were examined. The % doses of OARs over tumor doses were assumed to be the same as for a single fraction delivery. The OAR SFED values were converted into BED and equivalent dose in 2 Gy fraction (EQD2) by using both L-Q and USC models, then compared to I125-BT. Results: The USC-based BED and EQD2 doses of the macula, optic disc, and the lens were on average 118 ± 46% (p < 0.0527), 126 ± 43% (p < 0.0354), and 112 ± 32% (p < 0.0265) higher than those of I125-BT, respectively. The BED and EQD2 doses of the opposite retina were 52 ± 9% lower than I125-BT. The tumor SFED values were 25.2 ± 3.3 Gy and 29.1 ± 2.5 Gy when using USC and LQ models which can be delivered within 1 hour. All BED and EQD2 values using L-Q model were significantly larger when compared to the USC model (p < 0.0274) due to its large single fraction size (> 14 Gy). Conclusion: The estimated single fraction doses were feasible to be delivered within 1 hour using a high dose rate source such as electronic brachytherapy (eBT). However, the estimated OAR doses using eBT were 112 ∼ 118% higher than when using the I125-BT technique. Continued exploration of alternative dose rate or fractionation schedules should be followed.

  8. Hydrodynamics of multi-sized particles in stable regime of a swirling bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miin, Chin Swee; Sulaiman, Shaharin Anwar; Raghavan, Vijay Raj; Heikal, Morgan Raymond; Naz, Muhammad Yasin [Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak (Malaysia)

    2015-11-15

    Using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV), we observed particle motion within the stable operating regime of a swirling fluidized bed with an annular blade distributor. This paper presents velocity profiles of particle flow in an effort to determine effects from blade angle, particle size and shape and bed weight on characteristics of a swirling fluidized bed. Generally, particle velocity increased with airflow rate and shallow bed height, but decreased with bed weight. A 3 .deg. increase in blade angle reduced particle velocity by approximately 18%. In addition, particle shape, size and bed weight affected various characteristics of the swirling regime. Swirling began soon after incipience in the form of a supra-linear curve, which is the characteristic of a swirling regime. The relationship between particle and gas velocities enabled us to predict heat and mass transfer rates between gas and particles.

  9. High energy nuclear database: a test-bed for nuclear data information technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, D.A.; Vogt, R.; Beck, B.; Pruet, J.; Vogt, R.

    2008-01-01

    We describe the development of an on-line high-energy heavy-ion experimental database. When completed, the database will be searchable and cross-indexed with relevant publications, including published detector descriptions. While this effort is relatively new, it will eventually contain all published data from older heavy-ion programs as well as published data from current and future facilities. These data include all measured observables in proton-proton, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. Once in general use, this database will have tremendous scientific payoff as it makes systematic studies easier and allows simpler benchmarking of theoretical models for a broad range of experiments. Furthermore, there is a growing need for compilations of high-energy nuclear data for applications including stockpile stewardship, technology development for inertial confinement fusion, target and source development for upcoming facilities such as the International Linear Collider and homeland security. This database is part of a larger proposal that includes the production of periodic data evaluations and topical reviews. These reviews would provide an alternative and impartial mechanism to resolve discrepancies between published data from rival experiments and between theory and experiment. Since this database will be a community resource, it requires the high-energy nuclear physics community's financial and manpower support. This project serves as a test-bed for the further development of an object-oriented nuclear data format and database system. By using 'off-the-shelf' software tools and techniques, the system is simple, robust, and extensible. Eventually we envision a 'Grand Unified Nuclear Format' encapsulating data types used in the ENSDF, Endf/B, EXFOR, NSR and other formats, including processed data formats. (authors)

  10. Assessment of the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test within the VALGENT framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lan; Oštrbenk, Anja; Poljak, Mario; Arbyn, Marc

    2018-01-01

    Cervical cancer screening programs are switching from cytology-based screening to high-risk (hr) HPV testing. Only clinically validated tests should be used in clinical practice. To assess the clinical performance of the Roche Linear Array HPV genotyping test (Linear Array) within the VALGENT-3 framework. The VALGENT framework is designed for comprehensive comparison and clinical validation of HPV tests that have limited to extended genotyping capacity. The Linear Array enables type-specific detection of 37 HPV types. For the purpose of this study, Linear Array results were designated as positive only if one of the 13 hrHPV types also included in the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) was detected. The VALGENT-3 framework comprised 1600 samples obtained from Slovenian women (1300 sequential cases from routine cervical cancer screening enriched with 300 cytological abnormal samples). Sensitivity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) (n=127) and specificity for Linear Array and for HC2 and non-inferiority of Linear Array relative to HC2 was checked. In addition, the prevalence of separate hrHPV types in the screening population, as well as the concordance for presence of HPV16, HPV18 and other hrHPV types between Linear Array and the Abbott RealTime High Risk HPV test (RealTime) were assessed. The clinical sensitivity and specificity for CIN2+ of the Linear Array in the total study population was 97.6% (95% CI, 93.3-99.5%) and 91.7% (95% CI, 90.0-93.2%), respectively. The relative sensitivity and specificity of Linear Array vs HC2 was 1.02 [95% CI, 0.98-1.05, (pLinear Array in the screening population was 10.5% (95% CI, 8.9-12.3%) with HPV16 and HPV18 detected in 2.3% and 0.9% of the samples, respectively. Excellent agreement for presence or absence of HPV16, HPV18 and other hrHPV between Linear Array and RealTime was observed. Linear Array showed similar sensitivity with higher specificity to detect CIN2+ compared to HC2. Detection of 13 hrHPV types

  11. Linear shrinkage test: justification for its reintroduction as a standard South African test method

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Sampson, LR

    2009-06-04

    Full Text Available Several problems with the linear shrinkage test specified in Method A4 of the THM 1 1979 were addressed as part of this investigation in an effort to improve the alleged poor reproducibility of the test and justify its reintroduction into THM 1. A...

  12. BED-Volume histograms calculation for routine clinical dosimetry in brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galelli, M.; Feroldi, P.

    1995-01-01

    The consideration of volumes is essential in Brachytherapy clinical dosimetry (I.C.R.U). Indeed, several indices, all based on dose-volume histograms (DVHs), have been designed in order to evaluate: before the therapy the volumetric quality of different possible implant geometries; during the therapy the consistency of the real and the previsional implants. Radiobiological evaluations, considering the dose deposition temporal pattern of treatment, can be usefully added to dosimetric calculations, to compare different treatment schedules. The Linear-Quadratic model is the most used: radiobiological modelisation and Biologically Effective Dose (BED) is principal related dosimetric quantity. Therefore, the consideration of BED-volume histogram (BED-VHs) is a straightforward extension of DVHs. In practice, BED-VHs can help relative comparisons and optimisations in treatment planning when combined to dose-volume histograms. Since 1994 the dosimetric calculations for all the gynecological brachytherapy treatments are performed considering also DVHs and BED-VHs. In this presentation we show the methods of BEDVHs calculation, together with some typical results

  13. Using multiple bed load measurements: Toward the identification of bed dilation and contraction in gravel-bed rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquis, G. A.; Roy, A. G.

    2012-02-01

    This study examines bed load transport processes in a small gravel-bed river (Béard Creek, Québec) using three complementary methods: bed elevation changes between successive floods, bed activity surveys using tags inserted into the bed, and bed load transport rates from bed load traps. The analysis of 20 flood events capable of mobilizing bed material led to the identification of divergent results among the methods. In particular, bed elevation changes were not consistent with the bed activity surveys. In many cases, bed elevation changes were significant (1 to 2 times the D50) even if the bed surface had not been activated during the flood, leading to the identification of processes of bed dilation and contraction that occurred over 10% to 40% of the bed surface. These dynamics of the river bed prevent accurate derivation of bed load transport rates from topographic changes, especially for low magnitude floods. This paper discusses the mechanisms that could explain the dilation and contraction of particles within the bed and their implications in fluvial dynamics. Bed contraction seems to be the result of the winnowing of the fine sediments under very low gravel transport. Bed dilation seems to occur on patches of the bed at the threshold of motion where various processes such as fine sediment infiltration lead to the maintenance of a larger sediment framework volume. Both processes are also influenced by flood history and the initial local bed state and in turn may have a significant impact on sediment transport and morphological changes in gravel-bed rivers.

  14. The Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruth, R.D.; Adolphsen, C.; Bane, K.

    1993-04-01

    During the past several years, there has been tremendous progress the development of the RF system and accelerating structures for a Next Linear Collider (NLC). Developments include high-power klystrons, RF pulse compression systems and damped/detuned accelerator structures to reduce wakefields. In order to integrate these separate development efforts into an actual X-band accelerator capable of accelerating the electron beams necessary for an NLC, we are building an NLC Test Accelerator (NLCTA). The goal of the NLCTA is to bring together all elements of the entire accelerating system by constructing and reliably operating an engineered model of a high-gradient linac suitable for the NLC. The NLCTA will serve as a testbed as the design of the NLC evolves. In addition to testing the RF acceleration system, the NLCTA is designed to address many questions related to the dynamics of the beam during acceleration. In this paper, we will report oil the status of the design, component development, and construction of the NLC Test Accelerator

  15. Flow of power-law fluids in fixed beds of cylinders or spheres

    KAUST Repository

    Singh, John P.

    2012-10-29

    An ensemble average of the equations of motion for a Newtonian fluid over particle configurations in a dilute fixed bed of spheres or cylinders yields Brinkman\\'s equations of motion, where the disturbance velocity produced by a test particle is influenced by the Newtonian fluid stress and a body force representing the linear drag on the surrounding particles. We consider a similar analysis for a power-law fluid where the stress τ is related to the rate of strain e by τ = 2m en-1e, where m and n are constants. In this case, the ensemble-averaged momentum equation includes a body force resulting from the nonlinear drag exerted on the surrounding particles, a power-law stress associated with the disturbance velocity of the test particle, and a stress term that is linear with respect to the test particle\\'s disturbance velocity. The latter term results from the interaction of the test particle\\'s velocity disturbance with the random straining motions produced by the neighbouring particles and is important only in shear-thickening fluids where the velocity disturbances of the particles are long-ranged. The solutions to these equations using scaling analyses for dilute beds and numerical simulations using the finite element method are presented. We show that the drag force acting on a particle in a fixed bed can be written as a function of a particle-concentration-dependent length scale at which the fluid velocity disturbance produced by a particle is modified by hydrodynamic interactions with its neighbours. This is also true of the drag on a particle in a periodic array where the length scale is the lattice spacing. The effects of particle interactions on the drag in dilute arrays (periodic or random) of cylinders and spheres in shear-thickening fluids is dramatic, where it arrests the algebraic growth of the disturbance velocity with radial position when n≥ 1 for cylinders and n≥ 2 for spheres. For concentrated random arrays of particles, we adopt an

  16. ITER: a technology test bed for a fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huguet, M.; Green, B.J.

    1996-01-01

    The ITER Project aims to establish nuclear fusion as an energy source that has potential safety and environmental advantages, and to develop the technologies required for a fusion reactor. ITER is a collaborative project between the European Union, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. During the current phase of the Project, an R and D programme of about 850 million dollars is underway to develop the technologies required for ITER. This technological effort should culminate in the construction of the components and systems of the ITER machine and its auxiliaries. The main areas of technological development include the first wall and divertor technology, the blanket technology and tritium breeding, superconducting magnet technology, pulsed power technology and remote handling. ITER is a test bed and an essential step to establish the technology of future fusion reactors. Many of the ITER technologies are of potential interest to other fields and their development is expected to benefit the industries involved. (author)

  17. DURABILITY TESTING OF FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMER (FBSR) WASTE FORMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jantzen, C

    2006-01-01

    Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered as a potential technology for the immobilization of a wide variety of high sodium aqueous radioactive wastes. The addition of clay and a catalyst as co-reactants converts high sodium aqueous low activity wastes (LAW) such as those existing at the Hanford and Idaho DOE sites to a granular ''mineralized'' waste form that may be made into a monolith form if necessary. Simulant Hanford and Idaho high sodium wastes were processed in a pilot scale FBSR at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Science and Technology Applications Research (STAR) facility in Idaho Falls, ID. Granular mineral waste forms were made from (1) a basic Hanford Envelope A low-activity waste (LAW) simulant and (2) an acidic INL simulant commonly referred to as sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The FBSR waste forms were characterized and the durability tested via ASTM C1285 (Product Consistency Test), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and the Single Pass Flow Through (SPFT) test. The durability of the FBSR waste form products was tested in order to compare the measured durability to previous FBSR waste form testing on Hanford Envelope C waste forms that were made by THOR Treatment Technologies (TTT) and to compare the FBSR durability to vitreous LAW waste forms, specifically the Hanford low activity waste (LAW) glass known as the Low-activity Reference Material (LRM). The durability of the FBSR waste form is comparable to that of the LRM glass for the test responses studied

  18. COOLOCE debris bed experiments and simulations investigating the coolability of cylindrical beds with different materials and flow modes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takasuo, E.; Kinnunen, T.; Holmstroem, S.; Lehtikuusi, T. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland)

    2013-07-15

    The COOLOCE experiments aim at investigating the coolability of debris beds of different geometries, flow modes and materials. A debris bed may be formed of solidified corium as a result of a severe accident in a nuclear power reactor. The COOLOCE-8 test series consisted of experiments with a top-flooded test bed with irregular gravel as the simulant material. The objective was to produce comparison data useful in estimating the effects of different particle materials and the possible effect of the test arrangement on the results. It was found that the dryout heat flux (DHF) measured for the gravel was lower compared to previous experiments with spherical beads, and somewhat lower compared to the early STYX experiments. The difference between the beads and gravel is at least partially explained by the smaller average size of the gravel particles. The COOLOCE-9 test series included scoping experiments examining the effect of subcooling of the water pool in which the debris bed is immersed. The experiments with initially subcooled pool suggest that the subcooling may increase DHF and increase coolability. The aim of the COOLOCE-10 experiments was to investigate the effect of lateral flooding on the DHF a cylindrical test bed. The top of the test cylinder and its sidewall were open to water infiltration. It was found that the DHF is increased compared to a top-flooded cylinder by more than 50%. This suggests that coolability is notably improved. 2D simulations of the top-flooded test beds have been run with the MEWA code. Prior to the simulations, the effective particle diameter for the spherical beads and the irregular gravel was estimated by single-phase pressure loss measurements performed at KTH in Sweden. Parameter variations were done for particle size and porosity used as input in the models. It was found that with the measured effective particle diameter and porosity, the simulation models predict DHF with a relatively good accuracy in the case of spherical

  19. Preferences of group-housed female mice regarding structure of softwood bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirchner, J; Hackbarth, H; Stelzer, H D; Tsai, P-P

    2012-04-01

    Bedding influences various parameters in the housing of laboratory mice, such as health, physiology and behaviour (often considered as being integral parts of welfare). Notwithstanding existent studies about bedding preferences of individually tested mice, data about group-housed mice are still lacking. The aim of this study was to find out the structure preference for softwood bedding of group-housed mice. One hundred and eight 8-week-old female mice (C57BL6/JOlaHsd and BALB/cOlaHsd) were housed in groups of three and were given one-week free access to two different bedding structures at a time. In three test combinations, softwood shaving bedding was tested versus softwood chip bedding products of three different particle sizes (fine/medium/coarse-grained). The preference test was performed in a DoubleCage system composed of two Makrolon type IIL cages, connected by a perspex tunnel. This validated system was able to detect the crossings of each individual animal with correct crossing time and direction. On the basis of these data, dwelling times on the particular bedding structures were statistically analysed as a parameter for bedding preferences. In all three test combinations, a highly significant shaving preference was detected. On average, mice spent 70% of their dwelling time on the shavings. This preference was more explicit during the light period and in C57BL/6J mice. The relative ranking of the bedding structures was: shavings > coarse-grained chips > medium chips = fine chips. By means of these results, a shaving structure as bedding can be recommended for laboratory mice, whereas fine chip structures should be avoided.

  20. Design of Jet lower hybrid current drive generator and operation of high power test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobbing, J.A.; Bosia, G.; Brandon, M.; Gammelin, M.; Gormezano, C.; Jacquinot, J.; Jessop, G.; Lennholm, M.; Pain, M.; Sibley, A.

    1989-01-01

    The JET Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) generator consists of 24 klystrons each rated for 650 KW operating at 3.7 GHz, giving a nominal generator power of 15.6 MW for 10 seconds or 12 MW for 20 seconds. This power will be transmitted through 24 waveguides to a phased array launcher on one of the main ports of the JET machine. In addition, two klystrons are currently being operated on a high power test bed to establish reliable operation of the generators components and test high power microwave components prior to their installation

  1. Development of a Quadrotor Test Bed — Modelling, Parameter Identification, Controller Design and Trajectory Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Dong

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a quadrotor test bed is developed. The technical approach for this test bed is firstly proposed by utilizing a commercial quadrotor, a Vicon motion capture system and a ground station. Then, the mathematical model of the quadrotor is formulated considering aerodynamic effects, and the parameter identification approaches for this model are provided accordingly. Based on the developed model and identified parameters, a simulation environment that is consistent with the real system is developed. Subsequently, a flight control strategy and a trajectory generation method, both of which are conceptually and computationally lightweight, are developed and tested in the simulation environment. The developed algorithms are then directly transplanted to the real system, and the experimental results show that their responses in the real-time flights match well with those from the simulations. This indicates that the control algorithms developed for the quadrotor can be preliminarily verified and refined though simulations, and then directly implemented to the real system, which could significantly reduce the experimental risks and costs. Meanwhile, real-time experiments show that the developed flight controller can efficiently stabilize the quadrotor when external disturbances exist, and the trajectory generation approach can provide safe guidance for the quadrotor to fly smoothly through cluttered environments with obstacle rings. All of these features are valuable for real applications, thus demonstrating the feasibility of further development.

  2. Creating a Test Validated Structural Dynamic Finite Element Model of the Multi-Utility Technology Test Bed Aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pak, Chan-Gi; Truong, Samson S.

    2014-01-01

    Small modeling errors in the finite element model will eventually induce errors in the structural flexibility and mass, thus propagating into unpredictable errors in the unsteady aerodynamics and the control law design. One of the primary objectives of Multi Utility Technology Test Bed, X-56A, aircraft is the flight demonstration of active flutter suppression, and therefore in this study, the identification of the primary and secondary modes for the structural model tuning based on the flutter analysis of X-56A. The ground vibration test validated structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A is created in this study. The structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A is improved using a model tuning tool. In this study, two different weight configurations of the X-56A have been improved in a single optimization run.

  3. Fluid flow with heat transfer in a fix-bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gasparetto, C.A.

    1982-01-01

    Tests with two different fluids, water and air, flowing in a bed with irregular particles of silica were done. The bed was confined inside a tube, which was heated by an external jacket. The bed is characterized by permeability and porosity. The tests showed a wall effect face to the relation between the tube diameter and the medium dimension of the particles. The results are presented as a relation between Nusselt number / Peclet number. (E.G.) [pt

  4. Carbon Bed Mercury Emissions Control For Mixed Waste Treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soelberg, Nick; Enneking, Joe

    2010-01-01

    Mercury has had various uses in nuclear fuel reprocessing and other nuclear processes, and so is often present in radioactive and mixed (both radioactive and hazardous according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) wastes. Depending on regulatory requirements, the mercury in the off-gas must be controlled with sometimes very high efficiencies. Compliance to the Hazardous Waste Combustor (HWC) Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards can require off-gas mercury removal efficiencies up to 99.999% for thermally treating some mixed waste streams. Several test programs have demonstrated this level of off-gas mercury control using fixed beds of granular sulfur-impregnated activated carbon. Other results of these tests include: (a) The depth of the mercury control mass transfer zone was less than 15-30 cm for the operating conditions of these tests, (b) MERSORB(reg s ign) carbon can sorb Hg up to 19 wt% of the carbon mass, and (c) the spent carbon retained almost all (98-99.99%) of the Hg; but when even a small fraction of the total Hg dissolves, the spent carbon can fail the TCLP test when the spent carbon contains high Hg concentrations. Localized areas in a carbon bed that become heated through heat of adsorption, to temperatures where oxidation occurs, are referred to as 'bed hot spots.' Carbon bed hot spots must be avoided in processes that treat radioactive and mixed waste. Key to carbon bed hot spot mitigation are (a) designing for sufficient gas velocity, for avoiding gas flow maldistribution, and for sufficient but not excessive bed depth, (b) monitoring and control of inlet gas flowrate, temperature, and composition, (c) monitoring and control of in-bed and bed outlet gas temperatures, and (d) most important, monitoring of bed outlet CO concentrations. An increase of CO levels in the off-gas downstream of the carbon bed to levels about 50-100 ppm higher than the inlet CO concentration indicate CO formation in the bed, caused by carbon bed

  5. Measurement of alkali-vapor emission from pressurized fluidized-bed combustion of Illinois coals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S.H.D.; Teats, F.G.; Swift, W.M. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)); Banerjee, D.D. (Illinois Clean Coal Inst., Carterville, IL (United States))

    1993-01-01

    Two Illinois Herrin No. 6 coals and one Illinois Springfield No. 5 coal were separately combusted in a laboratory-scale (15-cm dia) pressurized fluidized-bed combustor (PFBC) combined with an alkali sorber. These coals were combusted in a fluidized bed of Tymochtee dolomite at temperatures ranging from 910 to 950[degree]C and a system pressure of 9.2 atm absolute. Alkali-vapor emission (Na and K) in the PFBC flue gas was determined by the analytical activated-bauxite sorber bed technique developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The test results showed that sodium is the major alkali-vapor species present in the PFBC flue gas, and that the level of sodium-vapor emission increases linearly with both Na and Cl contents in the coals. This suggests that the sodium-vapor emission results from direct vaporization of NaCl present in the coals. The measured alkali-vapor concentration (Na + K), 67 to 190 ppbW, is more than 2.5 times greater than the allowable alkali limit of 24 ppb for an industrial gas turbine. Combusting these coals in a PFBC for power generation may require developing a method to control alkali vapors.

  6. Measurement of alkali-vapor emission from pressurized fluidized-bed combustion of Illinois coals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S.H.D.; Teats, F.G.; Swift, W.M. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Banerjee, D.D. [Illinois Clean Coal Inst., Carterville, IL (United States)

    1993-04-01

    Two Illinois Herrin No. 6 coals and one Illinois Springfield No. 5 coal were separately combusted in a laboratory-scale (15-cm dia) pressurized fluidized-bed combustor (PFBC) combined with an alkali sorber. These coals were combusted in a fluidized bed of Tymochtee dolomite at temperatures ranging from 910 to 950{degree}C and a system pressure of 9.2 atm absolute. Alkali-vapor emission (Na and K) in the PFBC flue gas was determined by the analytical activated-bauxite sorber bed technique developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The test results showed that sodium is the major alkali-vapor species present in the PFBC flue gas, and that the level of sodium-vapor emission increases linearly with both Na and Cl contents in the coals. This suggests that the sodium-vapor emission results from direct vaporization of NaCl present in the coals. The measured alkali-vapor concentration (Na + K), 67 to 190 ppbW, is more than 2.5 times greater than the allowable alkali limit of 24 ppb for an industrial gas turbine. Combusting these coals in a PFBC for power generation may require developing a method to control alkali vapors.

  7. Temperature and pressure distributions in a 400 kW{sub t} fluidized bed straw gasifier

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erguedenler, A.; Ghaly, A.E.; Hamdullahpur, F. [Technical Univ. of Nova Scotia, Halifax (Canada)

    1993-12-31

    The temperature and pressure distribution characteristics of a 400 kW (thermal) dual-distributor type fluidized bed straw gasifier were investigated. The effects of the bed height, equivalence ratio (actual air-fuel ratio:stoichiometric air-fuel ratio) and fluidization velocity on the temperature and pressure variations in the gasifier were studied. Generally, the bed temperature reached the steady state condition within 15--20 minutes. The average temperature of the dense bed ranged from 649{degrees}C to 875{degrees}C depending on the levels of operating parameters used. The bed temperature increased linearly with increases in the equivalence ratio, higher bed temperatures were observed with lower bed height and no clear trend for the bed temperature with respect to variations in fluidization velocity was observed. The bed height, equivalence ratio and fluidization velocity affected the pressure drop in the fluidized bed gasifier. Increasing the fluidization velocity and/or decreasing the equivalence ratio resulted in higher pressure drops in the dense bed and the freeboard regions whereas increasing the bed height increased the pressure drop only in the dense bed.

  8. Permeability of granular beds emplaced in vertical drill holes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffiths, S.K.; Morrison, F.A. Jr.

    1979-01-01

    To determine the permeabilities of granular materials emplaced in vertical drill holes used for underground nuclear tests, an experiment at the USDOE Nevada Test Site (NTS) was conducted. As the hole is being filled, falling material increases pressure above and within the granular beds beneath. When the filling operation starts or stops, a transient pressure response occurs within the beds; measurements of this response in beds of various compositions were made. The permeabilities after emplacement were found by matching analytical predictions of the response to these data. This information is useful in assuring the containment of nuclear tests conducted in such drill holes

  9. Focal Gray Matter Plasticity as a Function of Long Duration Head-down Tilt Bed Rest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppelmans, V.; DeDios, Y. E.; Wood, S. J.; Reuter-Lorenz, P. A.; Kofman, I.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Mulavara, A. P.; Koppelmans, V.

    2014-01-01

    Long duration spaceflight (i.e., > or = 22 days) has been associated with changes in sensorimotor systems, resulting in difficulties that astronauts experience with posture control, locomotion, and manual control. The microgravity environment is an important causal factor for spaceflight induced sensorimotor changes. Whether these sensorimotor changes may be related to structural and functional brain changes is yet unknown. However, experimental studies revealed changes in the gray matter (GM) of the brain after simulated microgravity. Thus, it is possible that spaceflight may affect brain structure and thereby cognitive functioning and motor behavior. Long duration head-down tilt bed rest has been suggested as an exclusionary analog to study microgravity effects on the sensorimotor system. Bed rest mimics microgravity in body unloading and bodily fluid shifts. In consideration of the health and performance of crewmembers both in- and post-flight, we are conducting a prospective longitudinal 70-day bed rest study as an analog to investigate the effects of microgravity on the brain. VBM analysis revealed a progressive decrease from pre- to in- bed rest in GM volume in bilateral areas including the frontal medial cortex, the insular cortex and the caudate. Over the same time period, there was a progressive increase in GM volume in the cerebellum, occipital-, and parietal cortex, including the precuneus. The majority of these changes did not fully recover during the post-bed rest period. Analysis of lobular GM volumes obtained with BRAINS showed significantly increased volume from pre-bed rest to in-bed rest in GM of the parietal lobe and the third ventricle. Temporal GM volume at 70 days in bed rest was smaller than that at the first pre-bed rest measurement. Trend analysis showed significant positive linear and negative quadratic relationships between parietal GM and time, a positive linear relationship between third ventricle volume and time, and a negative linear

  10. Oak Ridge Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator test bed for continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibson, L.V. Jr.

    1997-01-01

    The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator, located on the K-25 Site at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, continues to be the only operational incinerator in the country that can process hazardous and radioactively contaminated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste. During 1996, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology (EM-50) and Lockheed Martin Energy Systems established a continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) test bed and began conducting evaluations of CEMS under development to measure contaminants from waste combustion and thermal treatment stacks. The program was envisioned to promote CEMS technologies meeting requirements of the recently issued Proposed Standards for Hazardous Waste Combustors as well as monitoring technologies that will allay public concerns about mixed waste thermal treatment and accelerate the development of innovative treatment technologies. Fully developed CEMS, as well as innovative continuous or semi-continuous sampling systems not yet interfaced with a pollutant analyzer, were considered as candidates for testing and evaluation. Complementary to other Environmental Protection Agency and DOE sponsored CEMS testing and within compliant operating conditions of the TSCA Incinerator, prioritization was given to multiple metals monitors also having potential to measure radionuclides associated with particulate emissions. In August 1996, developers of two multiple metals monitors participated in field activities at the incinerator and a commercially available radionuclide particulate monitor was acquired for modification and testing planned in 1997. This paper describes the CEMS test bed infrastructure and summarizes completed and planned activities

  11. Bacillus cereus in free-stall bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnusson, M; Svensson, B; Kolstrup, C; Christiansson, A

    2007-12-01

    To increase the understanding of how different factors affect the bacterial growth in deep sawdust beds for dairy cattle, the microbiological status of Bacillus cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust-bedded free stalls was investigated over two 14-d periods on one farm. High counts of B. cereus and coliforms were found in the entire beds. On average, 4.1 log(10) B. cereus spores, 5.5 log(10) B. cereus, and 6.7 log(10) coliforms per gram of bedding could be found in the upper layers of the sawdust likely to be in contact with the cows' udders. The highest counts of B. cereus spores, B. cereus, and coliforms were found in the bedding before fresh bedding was added, and the lowest immediately afterwards. Different factors of importance for the growth of B. cereus in the bedding material were explored in laboratory tests. These were found to be the type of bedding, pH, and the type and availability of nutrients. Alternative bedding material such as peat and mixtures of peat and sawdust inhibited the bacterial growth of B. cereus. The extent of growth of B. cereus in the sawdust was increased in a dose-dependent manner by the availability of feces. Urine added to different bedding material raised the pH and also led to bacterial growth of B. cereus in the peat. In sawdust, a dry matter content greater than 70% was needed to lower the water activity to 0.95, which is needed to inhibit the growth of B. cereus. In an attempt to reduce the bacterial growth of B. cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust beds on the farm, the effect of giving bedding daily or a full replacement of the beds was studied. The spore count of B. cereus in the back part of the free stalls before fresh bedding was added was 0.9 log units lower in stalls given daily bedding than in stalls given bedding twice weekly. No effect on coliform counts was found. Replacement of the entire sawdust bedding had an effect for a short period, but by 1 to 2 mo after replacement, the counts of B. cereus spores in the

  12. Combustion of gases released from peat or biomass in fluidized bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raiko, R. [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Energy and Process Engineering

    1996-12-01

    Temperature and gas concentration experiments have been conducted to determine at what temperature carbon monoxide, methane and propane begin to react within the particulate phase of a bubbling fluidized bed. The fluidized bed reactor used in these experiments was a stainless-steel tube with an internal diameter of 50 mm surrounded by an electric heater. Two different natural quartz sands were used (d{sub p} =0.35 mm and 0.6 mm). The bed height used varied between 100 and 260 mm (in unfluidized state). A porous plate distributor, made of kaowool, was used to avoid jets appearing at the distributor. The bed was operated at incipient fluidization (u = 5.9-9 cm/s). The bed temperatures used ranged from 600 deg C to 850 deg C. It was found that carbon monoxide, methane and propane react inside a fluidized bed, but often other conditions than temperature have a considerable effect on the rate of the reaction. The critical temperature was found to be 650 deg C for propane and carbon monoxide and 700 deg C for methane. With under-stoichiometric mixture of carbon monoxide and air the heat release can be over 2.5 MW/m{sup 3} when bed temperature is 650 deg C. According to these experiments it is obvious that the reaction mechanism for carbon monoxide oxidation inside a fluidized bed differs greatly from that of gas phase only. The results of our more than 1300 test runs show clearly the varying effects of the different bed materials. Even with the same bed material totally different results can be obtained. In order to elucidate the possible changes of particle surface, microscopic and porosimetric studies was conducted with both fresh bed particles and used bed particles. Also the effect of commonly used ingredients, like limestone and dolomite, was tested. A global model for carbon monoxide oxidation inside a fluidized bed was introduced. The model was tested against measured data from the laboratory-scale fluidized bed test rig. (Abstract Truncated)

  13. Experimental investigation on single-phase pressure losses in nuclear debris beds: Identification of flow regimes and effective diameter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clavier, R., E-mail: remi.clavier@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) – PSN-RES/SEREX/LE2M, Cadarache bât. 327, 13115 St Paul-lez-Durance (France); Chikhi, N., E-mail: nourdine.chikhi@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) – PSN-RES/SEREX/LE2M, Cadarache bât. 327, 13115 St Paul-lez-Durance (France); Fichot, F. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) – PSN-RES/SAG/LEPC, Cadarache bât. 700, 13115 St Paul-lez-Durance (France); Quintard, M. [Université de Toulouse – INPT – UPS – Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT), Allée Camille Soula, F-31400 Toulouse (France); CNRS – IMFT, F-31400 Toulouse (France)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • Single-phase pressure drops versus flow rates in particle beds are measured. • Conditions are representative of the reflooding of a nuclear fuel debris bed. • Darcy, weak inertial, strong inertial and weak turbulent regimes are observed. • A Darcy–Forchheimer law is found to be a good approximation in this domain. • A predictive correlation is derived from new experimental data. - Abstract: During a severe nuclear power plant accident, the degradation of the reactor core can lead to the formation of debris beds. The main accident management procedure consists in injecting water inside the reactor vessel. Nevertheless, large uncertainties remain regarding the coolability of such debris beds. Motivated by the reduction of these uncertainties, experiments have been conducted on the CALIDE facility in order to investigate single-phase pressure losses in representative debris beds. In this paper, these results are presented and analyzed in order to identify a simple single-phase flow pressure loss correlation for debris-bed-like particle beds in reflooding conditions, which cover Darcean to Weakly Turbulent flow regimes. The first part of this work is dedicated to study macro-scale pressure losses generated by debris-bed-like particle beds, i.e., high sphericity (>80%) particle beds with relatively small size dispersion (from 1 mm to 10 mm). A Darcy–Forchheimer law, involving the sum of a linear term and a quadratic deviation, with respect to filtration velocity, has been found to be relevant to describe this behavior in Darcy, Strong Inertial and Weak Turbulent regimes. It has also been observed that, in a restricted domain (Re = 15 to Re = 30) between Darcy and Weak Inertial regimes, deviation is better described by a cubic term, which corresponds to the so-called Weak Inertial regime. The second part of this work aims at identifying expressions for coefficients of linear and quadratic terms in Darcy–Forchheimer law, in order to obtain a

  14. Estimating ICU bed capacity using discrete event simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Zhecheng; Hen, Bee Hoon; Teow, Kiok Liang

    2012-01-01

    The intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital caters for critically ill patients. The number of the ICU beds has a direct impact on many aspects of hospital performance. Lack of the ICU beds may cause ambulance diversion and surgery cancellation, while an excess of ICU beds may cause a waste of resources. This paper aims to develop a discrete event simulation (DES) model to help the healthcare service providers determine the proper ICU bed capacity which strikes the balance between service level and cost effectiveness. The DES model is developed to reflect the complex patient flow of the ICU system. Actual operational data, including emergency arrivals, elective arrivals and length of stay, are directly fed into the DES model to capture the variations in the system. The DES model is validated by open box test and black box test. The validated model is used to test two what-if scenarios which the healthcare service providers are interested in: the proper number of the ICU beds in service to meet the target rejection rate and the extra ICU beds in service needed to meet the demand growth. A 12-month period of actual operational data was collected from an ICU department with 13 ICU beds in service. Comparison between the simulation results and the actual situation shows that the DES model accurately captures the variations in the system, and the DES model is flexible to simulate various what-if scenarios. DES helps the healthcare service providers describe the current situation, and simulate the what-if scenarios for future planning.

  15. A new bed-exiting alarm system for welfare facility residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Hidekuni; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Maki, Hiromichi; Caldwell, W

    2009-01-01

    A newly developed alarm system detects welfare facility residents leaving their beds, and does not respond to the care staff, who wear shoes or slippers. It employs a stainless steel tape electrode, several linear integrated circuits and a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer. The electrode, which is used as a bed-exiting detection sensor, is attached to the floor mat to record changes in the always-present AC (alternating current) voltage induced on the patient's body by electrostatic coupling from the standard 100 volt, 60 Hz AC utility power wiring in the room walls and ceiling. The resident's body movements, before trying to get out of bed and after leaving the bed, are detected by the microcomputer from changes in the induced AC voltage. The microcomputer alerts the care staff station, via a power line communication system or PHS (personal handy phone System).

  16. The Effect of Bedding Structure on Mechanical Property of Coal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zetian Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The mechanical property of coal, influencing mining activity considerably, is significantly determined by the natural fracture distributed within coal mass. In order to study the effecting mechanism of bedding structure on mechanical property of coal, a series of uniaxial compression tests and mesoscopic tests have been conducted. The experimental results show that the distribution characteristic of calcite particles, which significantly influences the growth of cracks and the macroscopic mechanical properties of coal, is obviously affected by the bedding structure. Specifically, the uniaxial compression strength of coal sample is mainly controlled by bedding structure, and the average peak stress of specimens with axes perpendicular to the bedding planes is 20.00 MPa, which is 2.88 times the average amount of parallel ones. The test results also show a close relationship between the bedding structure and the whole deformation process under uniaxial loading.

  17. Development and application of an actively controlled hybrid proton exchange membrane fuel cell - Lithium-ion battery laboratory test-bed based on off-the-shelf components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yufit, V.; Brandon, N.P. [Dept. Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2011-01-15

    The use of commercially available components enables rapid prototyping and assembling of laboratory scale hybrid test-bed systems, which can be used to evaluate new hybrid configurations. The development of such a test-bed using an off-the-shelf PEM fuel cell, lithium-ion battery and DC/DC converter is presented here, and its application to a hybrid configuration appropriate for an unmanned underwater vehicle is explored. A control algorithm was implemented to regulate the power share between the fuel cell and the battery with a graphical interface to control, record and analyze the electrochemical and thermal parameters of the system. The results demonstrate the applicability of the test-bed and control algorithm for this application, and provide data on the dynamic electrical and thermal behaviour of the hybrid system. (author)

  18. linear-quadratic-linear model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanwiwat Jaikuna

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To develop an in-house software program that is able to calculate and generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram by physical dose conversion using the linear-quadratic-linear (LQL model. Material and methods : The Isobio software was developed using MATLAB version 2014b to calculate and generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histograms. The physical dose from each voxel in treatment planning was extracted through Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR, and the accuracy was verified by the differentiation between the dose volume histogram from CERR and the treatment planning system. An equivalent dose in 2 Gy fraction (EQD2 was calculated using biological effective dose (BED based on the LQL model. The software calculation and the manual calculation were compared for EQD2 verification with pair t-test statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 (64-bit. Results: Two and three-dimensional biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram were displayed correctly by the Isobio software. Different physical doses were found between CERR and treatment planning system (TPS in Oncentra, with 3.33% in high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV determined by D90%, 0.56% in the bladder, 1.74% in the rectum when determined by D2cc, and less than 1% in Pinnacle. The difference in the EQD2 between the software calculation and the manual calculation was not significantly different with 0.00% at p-values 0.820, 0.095, and 0.593 for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT and 0.240, 0.320, and 0.849 for brachytherapy (BT in HR-CTV, bladder, and rectum, respectively. Conclusions : The Isobio software is a feasible tool to generate the biological dose distribution and biological dose volume histogram for treatment plan evaluation in both EBRT and BT.

  19. Comparison of the Effects of Fluidized-Bed and Fixed-Bed Reactors in Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Decomposition of TCE by Hydrogen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Ren

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Trichloroethylene (TCE decomposition by hydrogen with microwave heating under different reaction systems was investigated. The activities of a series of catalysts for microwave-assisted TCE hydrodechlorination were tested through the fixed-bed and the fluidized-bed reactor systems. This study found that the different reaction system is suitable for different catalyst type. And there is an interactive relationship between the catalyst type and the reaction bed type.

  20. In Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network, Meso-Scale Test Bed - Phase 3 Fluid Injection Test Summary Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serrato, M. G.

    2013-01-01

    The DOE Office of Environmental management (DOE EM) faces the challenge of decommissioning thousands of excess nuclear facilities, many of which are highly contaminated. A number of these excess facilities are massive and robust concrete structures that are suitable for isolating the contained contamination for hundreds of years, and a permanent decommissioning end state option for these facilities is in situ decommissioning (ISD). The ISD option is feasible for a limited, but meaningfull number of DOE contaminated facilities for which there is substantial incremental environmental, safety, and cost benefits versus alternate actions to demolish and excavate the entire facility and transport the rubble to a radioactive waste landfill. A general description of an ISD project encompasses an entombed facility; in some cases limited to the blow-grade portion of a facility. However, monitoring of the ISD structures is needed to demonstrate that the building retains its structural integrity and the contaminants remain entombed within the grout stabilization matrix. The DOE EM Office of Deactivation and Decommissioning and Facility Engineering (EM-13) Program Goal is to develop a monitoring system to demonstrate long-term performance of closed nuclear facilities using the ISD approach. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has designed and implemented the In Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network, Meso-Scale Test Bed (ISDSN-MSTB) to address the feasibility of deploying a long-term monitoring system into an ISD closed nuclear facility. The ISDSN-MSTB goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of installing and operating a remote sensor network to assess cementitious material durability, moisture-fluid flow through the cementitious material, and resulting transport potential for contaminate mobility in a decommissioned closed nuclear facility. The original ISDSN-MSTB installation and remote sensor network operation was demonstrated in FY 2011-12 at the ISDSN-MSTB test cube

  1. In Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network, Meso-Scale Test Bed - Phase 3 Fluid Injection Test Summary Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serrato, M. G.

    2013-09-27

    The DOE Office of Environmental management (DOE EM) faces the challenge of decommissioning thousands of excess nuclear facilities, many of which are highly contaminated. A number of these excess facilities are massive and robust concrete structures that are suitable for isolating the contained contamination for hundreds of years, and a permanent decommissioning end state option for these facilities is in situ decommissioning (ISD). The ISD option is feasible for a limited, but meaningfull number of DOE contaminated facilities for which there is substantial incremental environmental, safety, and cost benefits versus alternate actions to demolish and excavate the entire facility and transport the rubble to a radioactive waste landfill. A general description of an ISD project encompasses an entombed facility; in some cases limited to the blow-grade portion of a facility. However, monitoring of the ISD structures is needed to demonstrate that the building retains its structural integrity and the contaminants remain entombed within the grout stabilization matrix. The DOE EM Office of Deactivation and Decommissioning and Facility Engineering (EM-13) Program Goal is to develop a monitoring system to demonstrate long-term performance of closed nuclear facilities using the ISD approach. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has designed and implemented the In Situ Decommissioning Sensor Network, Meso-Scale Test Bed (ISDSN-MSTB) to address the feasibility of deploying a long-term monitoring system into an ISD closed nuclear facility. The ISDSN-MSTB goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of installing and operating a remote sensor network to assess cementitious material durability, moisture-fluid flow through the cementitious material, and resulting transport potential for contaminate mobility in a decommissioned closed nuclear facility. The original ISDSN-MSTB installation and remote sensor network operation was demonstrated in FY 2011-12 at the ISDSN-MSTB test cube

  2. Preliminary Flight Results of the Microelectronics and Photonics Test Bed: NASA DR1773 Fiber Optic Data Bus Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, George L.; LaBel, Kenneth A.; Marshall, Cheryl; Barth, Janet; Seidleck, Christina; Marshall, Paul

    1998-01-01

    NASA Goddard Spare Flight Center's (GSFC) Dual Rate 1773 (DR1773) Experiment on the Microelectronic and Photonic Test Bed (MPTB) has provided valuable information on the performance of the AS 1773 fiber optic data bus in the space radiation environment. Correlation of preliminary experiment data to ground based radiation test results show the AS 1773 bus is employable in future spacecraft applications requiring radiation tolerant communication links.

  3. Thermal-hydraulic analysis techniques for axisymmetric pebble bed nuclear reactor cores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroh, K.R.

    1979-03-01

    The pebble bed reactor's cylindrical core volume contains a random bed of small, spherical fuel-moderator elements. These graphite spheres, containing a central region of dispersed coated-particle fissile and fertile material, are cooled by high pressure helium flowing through the connected interstitial voids. A mathematical model and numerical solution technique have been developed which allow calculation of macroscopic values of thermal-hydraulic variables in an axisymmetric pebble bed nuclear reactor core. The computer program PEBBLE is based on a mathematical model which treats the bed macroscopically as a generating, conducting porous medium. The steady-state model uses a nonlinear Forchheimer-type relation between the coolant pressure gradient and mass flux, with newly derived coefficients for the linear and quadratic resistance terms. The remaining equations in the model make use of mass continuity, and thermal energy balances for the solid and fluid phases

  4. Development Of A Mobile Robot As A Test Bed For Tele-Presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diogenes Armando D. Pascua

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a human-sized tracked wheel robot with a large payload capacity for tele-presentation is presented. The robot is equipped with different sensors for obstacle avoidance and localization. A high definition web camera installed atop a pan and tilt assembly was in place as a remote environment feedback for users. An LCD monitor provides the visual display of the operator in the remote environment using the standard Skype teleconferencing software. Remote control was done via the internet through the free Teamviewer VNC remote desktop software. Moreover, this paper presents the design details, fabrication and evaluation of individual components. Core mobile robot movement and navigational controls were developed and tested. The effectiveness of the mobile robot as a test bed for tele-presentation were evaluated and analyzed by way of its real time response and time delay effects of the network.

  5. Development of a Mobile Robot as a Test Bed for Tele-Presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diogenes Armando D. Pascua

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a human-sized tracked wheel robot with a large payload capacity for tele-presentation is presented. The robot is equipped with different sensors for obstacle avoidance and localization. A high definition web camera installed atop a pan and tilt assembly was in place as a remote environment feedback for users. An LCD monitor provides the visual display of the operator in the remote environment using the standard Skype teleconferencing software. Remote control was done via the internet through the free Teamviewer VNC remote desktop software. Moreover, this paper presents the design details, fabrication and evaluation of individual components. Core mobile robot movement and navigational controls were developed and tested. The effectiveness of the mobile robot as a test bed for tele-presentation were evaluated and analyzed by way of its real time response and time delay effects of the network

  6. A test bed for investigating and evaluating the use of biometric-encoded driver licenses and their impact on law enforcement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messner, Richard A.; Hludik, Frank; Crowley, Todd A.; Vidacic, Dragan; Stetson, Barrett; Nadel, Lawrence D.; Nichols, Linda J.; Harris, Carol

    2004-08-01

    This paper describes the results of a collaborative effort between the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and the Mitretek Systems (MTS) Center for Criminal Justice Technology (CCJT). Mitretek conducted an investigation into the impact of anticipated biometrically encoded driver licenses (DLs) on law enforcement. As part of this activity, Mitretek teamed with UNH to leverage the results of UNH's Project54 and develop a pilot Driver License Interoperability Test Bed to explore both implementation and operational aspects associated with reading and authenticating biometrically encoded DLs in law enforcement scenarios. The test bed enables the exploration of new methods, techniques (both hardware and software), and standards in a structured fashion. Spearheaded by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and the International Committee for Information Technology Standards Technical Group M1 (INCITS-M1) initiatives, standards involving both DLs and biometrics, respectively, are evolving at a rapid pace. In order to ensure that the proposed standards will provide for interstate interoperability and proper functionality for the law enforcement community, it is critical to investigate the implementation and deployment issues surrounding biometrically encoded DLs. The test bed described in this paper addresses this and will provide valuable feedback to the standards organizations, the states, and law enforcement officials with respect to implementation and functional issues that are exposed through exploration of actual test systems. The knowledge gained was incorporated into a report prepared by MTS to describe the anticipated impact of biometrically encoded DLs on law enforcement practice.

  7. Operational experience with the JET beryllium evaporators in the J1W test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peacock, A.T.; Dietz, K.J.; Israel, G.; Jensen, H.S.; Johnson, A.; Pick, M.A.; Saibene, G.; Sartori, R.

    1989-01-01

    Four beryllium evaporators were fitted onto the JET vessel during March 1989. These evaporators are planned to give the first introduction of beryllium into the JET machine to study the effect of using beryllium as a first wall material. Over 200 hours operational experience with such an evaporator had been gained on a test bed facility in which the evaporation rate, radial evaporant distribution and head operating temperature had been determined. The results obtained on this facility with two different heat materials, sintered S-65B and vacuum cast beryllium are described. The test vessel has also been used to conduct beryllium wall pumping experiments using the ''Langmuir effect''. The initial results of these experiments will be described. (author)

  8. Pulsed atmospheric fluidized-bed combustor development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-05-01

    Pulsed atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion (PAFBC) is a unique and innovative coal-fueled technology that has the potential to meet these conditions and provide heat and/or process steam to small industrial, commercial, institutional and residential complexes. The potential of Pulse Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion (PAFBC) technology has been amply demonstrated under the sponsorship of a previous DOE/METC contract (DE-AC21-88MC25069). The environmental performance of a coal-fired laboratory-scale system (1.5 million British Thermal Units per hour) (MMBtu/hr) significantly surpassed that of conventional bubbling and circulating fluidized-bed combustion units (see Table 1 for performance comparison). Prompted by these encouraging results in combustion, sulfur capture, emissions control, and enhanced heat transfer, Island Creek Coal Company (ICC) and Baltimore Thermal Energy Corporation expressed interest in the technology and offered to participate by providing host sites for field testing. EA's have been submitted independently for each of these field test sites. This submission addresses the preliminary testing of the PAFBC unit at Manufacturing and Technology Conversion International's (MTCI) Baltimore, MD facility

  9. Dispersion of Bed Load Particles

    OpenAIRE

    SAWAI, Kenji

    1987-01-01

    The motion of bed load particles is so irregular that they disperse remarkably with time.In this study, some flume tests using painted tracer particles were carried out, in which thedispersive property of tracers changed variously with sediment feed rate.In analysing this process, a stochastic simulation model is proposed where it is discussedabout the degree of exposure of individual particle near the bed surface and about the variationof its pick up rate. The exponential distribution of ste...

  10. Design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smithmaitrie, Pruittikorn; Suybangdum, Panumas; Laoratanakul, Pitak; Muensit, Nantakan

    2012-05-01

    In this work, design and performance testing of an ultrasonic linear motor with dual piezoelectric actuator patches are studied. The motor system consists of a linear stator, a pre-load weight, and two piezoelectric actuator patches. The piezoelectric actuators are bonded with the linear elastic stator at specific locations. The stator generates propagating waves when the piezoelectric actuators are subjected to harmonic excitations. Vibration characteristics of the linear stator are analyzed and compared with finite element and experimental results. The analytical, finite element, and experimental results show agreement. In the experiments, performance of the ultrasonic linear motor is tested. Relationships between velocity and pre-load weight, velocity and applied voltage, driving force and applied voltage, and velocity and driving force are reported. The design of the dual piezoelectric actuators yields a simpler structure with a smaller number of actuators and lower stator stiffness compared with a conventional design of an ultrasonic linear motor with fully laminated piezoelectric actuators.

  11. Space-Based Reconfigurable Software Defined Radio Test Bed Aboard International Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinhart, Richard C.; Lux, James P.

    2014-01-01

    The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) recently launched a new software defined radio research test bed to the International Space Station. The test bed, sponsored by the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Office within NASA is referred to as the SCaN Testbed. The SCaN Testbed is a highly capable communications system, composed of three software defined radios, integrated into a flight system, and mounted to the truss of the International Space Station. Software defined radios offer the future promise of in-flight reconfigurability, autonomy, and eventually cognitive operation. The adoption of software defined radios offers space missions a new way to develop and operate space transceivers for communications and navigation. Reconfigurable or software defined radios with communications and navigation functions implemented in software or VHDL (Very High Speed Hardware Description Language) provide the capability to change the functionality of the radio during development or after launch. The ability to change the operating characteristics of a radio through software once deployed to space offers the flexibility to adapt to new science opportunities, recover from anomalies within the science payload or communication system, and potentially reduce development cost and risk by adapting generic space platforms to meet specific mission requirements. The software defined radios on the SCaN Testbed are each compliant to NASA's Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture. The STRS Architecture is an open, non-proprietary architecture that defines interfaces for the connections between radio components. It provides an operating environment to abstract the communication waveform application from the underlying platform specific hardware such as digital-to-analog converters, analog-to-digital converters, oscillators, RF attenuators, automatic gain control circuits, FPGAs, general-purpose processors, etc. and the interconnections among

  12. Power properties of invariant tests for spatial autocorrelation in linear regression

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martellosio, F.

    2006-01-01

    Many popular tests for residual spatial autocorrelation in the context of the linear regression model belong to the class of invariant tests. This paper derives a number of exact properties of the power function of such tests. In particular, we extend the work of Krämer (2005, Journal of Statistical

  13. Virtual instrumention-based linearity test platform for DCCT of digital power supply at SSRF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Junlong; Li Deming; Shen Tianjian; Liu Hong

    2008-01-01

    Based on virtual instrumentation, a reliable and effective test platform, performing instrument control, data acquisition and data recording, has been established to evaluate linearity of high performance DCCT (DC current transducer) for digital power supply at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). The software in LabVIEW language was developed to perform computer communication via serial communication (RS232) and GPIB, providing a friendly user interface to the linearity test platform. This makes it easy to test the linearity and control power on or off and current output of high-precision and high-current DC constant current output power supply. The experimental data, stored in an EXCEL file, can be processed to obtain DCCT linearity, and provide basis to further analyze DCCT performance in the future. (authors)

  14. Femoral Test Bed for Impedance Controlled Surgical Instrumentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Brendle

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The risk for patients during the standard procedure of revision of cemented artificial hip joints is unsatisfactorily highdue to its high level of invasiveness and limited access to the operative field. To reduce this risk we are developing anImpedance Controlled Surgical Instrumentation (ICOS system, which aims to establish real-time control during a BoneCement (BC milling process. For this, the relationship between the thickness of the BC and its frequency-dependentelectrical impedance is used to estimate the residual BC thickness. The aim is to avoid unintended cutting of boneby detecting the passage of the BC/bone boundary layer by the milling head. In a second step, an estimation of theresidual BC thickness will be used to improve process control. As a first step towards demonstrating the feasibility ofour approach, presented here are experimental studies to characterize the BC permittivity and to describe the process indetail. The results show that the permittivity properties of BC are dominated by its polymethyl methacrylate (PMMAfraction. Thus, PMMA can be used as a substitute for future experiments. Furthermore, a Femoral Test Bed (FTB wasdesigned. Using this setup we show it is feasible to accurately distinguish between slightly different thicknesses of BC.

  15. How should we best estimate the mean recency duration for the BED method?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Hargrove

    Full Text Available BED estimates of HIV incidence from cross-sectional surveys are obtained by restricting, to fixed time T, the period over which incidence is estimated. The appropriate mean recency duration (Ω(T then refers to the time where BED optical density (OD is less than a pre-set cut-off C, given the patient has been HIV positive for at most time T. Five methods, tested using data for postpartum women in Zimbabwe, provided similar estimates of Ω(T for C = 0.8: i The ratio (r/s of the number of BED-recent infections to all seroconversions over T = 365 days: 192 days [95% CI 168-216]. ii Linear mixed modeling (LMM: 191 days [95% CI 174-208]. iii Non-linear mixed modeling (NLMM: 196 days [95% CrI 188-204]. iv Survival analysis (SA: 192 days [95% CI 168-216]. Graphical analysis: 193 days. NLMM estimates of Ω(T--based on a biologically more appropriate functional relationship than LMM--resulted in best fits to OD data, the smallest variance in estimates of VT, and best correspondence between BED and follow-up estimates of HIV incidence, for the same subjects over the same time period. SA and NLMM produced very similar estimates of Ω(T but the coefficient of variation of the former was .3 times as high. The r/s method requires uniformly distributed seroconversion events but is useful if data are available only from a single follow-up. The graphical method produces the most variable results, involves unsound methodology and should not be used to provide estimates of Ω(T. False-recent rates increased as a quadratic function of C: for incidence estimation C should thus be chosen as small as possible, consistent with an adequate resultant number of recent cases, and accurate estimation of Ω(T. Inaccuracies in the estimation of Ω(T should not now provide an impediment to incidence estimation.

  16. Bed-To-Wall Heat Transfer in a Supercritical Circulating Fluidised Bed Boiler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Błaszczuk Artur

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work is to find a correlation for heat transfer to walls in a 1296 t/h supercritical circulating fluidised bed (CFB boiler. The effect of bed-to-wall heat transfer coefficient in a long active heat transfer surface was discussed, excluding the radiation component. Experiments for four different unit loads (i.e. 100% MCR, 80% MCR, 60% MCR and 40% MCR were conducted at a constant excess air ratio and high level of bed pressure (ca. 6 kPa in each test run. The empirical correlation of the heat transfer coefficient in a large-scale CFB boiler was mainly determined by two key operating parameters, suspension density and bed temperature. Furthermore, data processing was used in order to develop empirical correlation ranges between 3.05 to 5.35 m·s-1 for gas superficial velocity, 0.25 to 0.51 for the ratio of the secondary to the primary air, 1028 to 1137K for bed temperature inside the furnace chamber of a commercial CFB boiler, and 1.20 to 553 kg·m-3 for suspension density. The suspension density was specified on the base of pressure measurements inside the boiler’s combustion chamber using pressure sensors. Pressure measurements were collected at the measuring ports situated on the front wall of the combustion chamber. The obtained correlation of the heat transfer coefficient is in agreement with the data obtained from typical industrial CFB boilers.

  17. Beam instrumentation for an ISOL test stand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackenzie, G.H.; Dombsky, M.; Rawnsley, W.; Stanford, G.; Yin, Y.; Novikov, A.

    1995-09-01

    TRIUMF is constructing a test bed for the first stages of the proposed TISAC accelerated radioactive beam facility. The authors will present the requirements for the diagnostic system for this test stand and describe the design and development work underway. Scintillators, beamstops and a Faraday Cup have been tested using stable, mass analyzed, 12 keV beams of ions from mass 14 to 132. The design of a linear drive, with 10 microm resolution, for scanning wires and slits has begun

  18. Beam instrumentation for an ISOL test stand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackenzie, G.H.; Dombsky, M.; Rawnsley, W.; Stanford, G.; Yin, Y.; Novikov, A.

    1995-09-01

    TRIUMF is constructing a test bed for the first stages of the proposed TISAC accelerated radioactive beam facility. We will present the requirements for the diagnostic system for this test stand and describe the design and development work underway. Scintillators, beamstops and Faraday Cup have been tested using stable, mass analyzed, 12 keV beams of ions from mass 14 to 132. The design of a linear drive, with 10 μm resolution, for scanning wires and slits has begun. (author)

  19. Infant's bed climate and bedding in the Japanese home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura Ikeda, Rie; Fukai, Kiyoko; Okamoto Mizuno, Kazue

    2012-06-01

    to assess the bed climate of infants in their homes in Japan. descriptive, exploratory, non-experimental research design. the data were collected at the participants' homes under normal circumstances. nineteen healthy infants between the ages of two and five months. Their mothers, who joined a parenting class organised by a maternity clinic in Okayama, Japan, consented to participate in this study. we visited the infants' homes and interviewed their mothers concerning the types and use of bedding. The temperature and relative humidity of the bed climate at the back and foot of the bedding, and in the room were measured every minute for four consecutive days. Differences among the bed climates measured during three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. The bed temperature was higher for infants than for adults. No significant difference in temperature was noted among the three seasons. The bed temperature was about 36.0°C when waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children or adult were used. The average relative humidity of the bed climate at the back was highest in summer, followed by that in spring and autumn; the differences were significant. The use of waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children in summer increased the relative humidity to 80% or more. The use of infant beds, sunoko drainboards, and cotton futon mattresses in summer was effective in reducing the bed humidity. these results suggest that nurse-midwives should advise the parents on comfortable bed climates for their infants, as well as how to select and use bedding for them. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Automated and connected vehicle (AV/CV) test bed to improve transit, bicycle, and pedestrian safety : concept of operations plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-01

    This document presents the Concept of Operations (ConOps) Plan for the Automated and Connected Vehicle (AV/CV) Test Bed to Improve Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Safety. As illustrated in Figure 1, the plan presents the overarching vision and goals...

  1. Comparison of Ocular Outcomes in Two 14-Day Bed Rest Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cromwell, R. L.; Zanello, S. B.; Yarbough, P. O.; Taibbi, G.; Vizzeri, G.

    2011-01-01

    Reports of astronauts visual changes raised concern about ocular health during long-duration spaceflight. Some of these findings included hyperopic shifts, choroidal folds, optic disc edema, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickening, and cotton wool spots. While the etiology remains unknown, hypotheses speculate that hypertension in the brain caused by cephalad fluid shifts during spaceflight is a possible mechanism for these ocular changes. Head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest is a spaceflight analog that induces cephalad fluid shifts. In addition, previous studies of the HDT position demonstrated body fluid shifts associated with changes in intraocular pressure (IOP). For these reasons, vision monitoring of HDT bed rest subjects was implemented for NASA bed rest studies. Subjects selected for these studies were healthy adults (14 males and 5 females). Average age was 37.5 plus or minus 9.1 years, weight was 77.4 plus or minus 11.3 Kg, and height was 173.4 plus or minus 7.2 14 cm. Controlled conditions followed for all NASA bed rest studies were implemented. These conditions included factors such as eating a standardized diet, maintaining a strict sleep wake cycle, and remaining in bed for 24 hours each day. In one study, subjects maintained a horizontal (0 degree) position while in bed and were exercised six days per week with an integrated resistance and aerobic training (iRAT) program. In the other study, subjects were placed at 6 degrees HDT while in bed and did not engage in exercise. All subjects underwent pre- and post bed rest vision testing. While the battery of vision tests for each study was not identical, measures common to both studies will be presented. These measures included IOP and measures that provided an indication of optic disc swelling as derived from optical coherence tomography (OCT) testing: average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (millimeters), disc area (square millimeters), rim area (square millimters), and average cup to disc (C

  2. Countermeasures and Functional Testing in Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest (CFT 70)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cromwell, Ronita L.

    2013-01-01

    This 70-day bed rest campaign was comprised of 6 integrated studies and conducted at the NASA Flight Analogs Research Unit (FARU). The FARU is located at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas and is a satellite unit of the Institute for Translational Sciences - Clinical Research Center. This presentation will describe the FARU, discuss the utility of the bed rest platform for use in these studies, and introduce the studies that participated in the CFT 70 bed rest campaign. Information in this presentation will serve as the background for subsequent talks from each individual study. Individual study presentations will discuss preliminary results from completed subjects. Studies included in CFT70 were: ? Physiological Factors Contributing to Post Flight Changes in Functional Performance. J. Bloomberg, NASA ? Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training Study. L. Ploutz-Snyder, USRA ? Testosterone Supplementation as a Countermeasure Against Musculoskeletal losses during Space Exploration. R. Urban, University of Texas Medical Branch ? Effects of Retronasal Smelling, Variety and Choice on Appetite & Satiety. J. Hunter, Cornell University ? AD ASTRA: Automated Detection of Attitudes and States through Transaction Recordings Analysis. C. Miller, Smart Information Flow Technologies, LLC ? Bed Rest as a Spaceflight Analog to Study Neuro-cognitive Changes: Extent, Longevity, and Neural Bases. R. Seidler, University of Michigan

  3. Forces on stationary particles in near-bed turbulent flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmeeckle, Mark W.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Shreve, Ronald L.

    2007-06-01

    In natural flows, bed sediment particles are entrained and moved by the fluctuating forces, such as lift and drag, exerted by the overlying flow on the particles. To develop a better understanding of these forces and the relation of the forces to the local flow, the downstream and vertical components of force on near-bed fixed particles and of fluid velocity above or in front of them were measured synchronously at turbulence-resolving frequencies (200 or 500 Hz) in a laboratory flume. Measurements were made for a spherical test particle fixed at various heights above a smooth bed, above a smooth bed downstream of a downstream-facing step, and in a gravel bed of similarly sized particles as well as for a cubical test particle and 7 natural particles above a smooth bed. Horizontal force was well correlated with downstream velocity and not correlated with vertical velocity or vertical momentum flux. The standard drag formula worked well to predict the horizontal force, but the required value of the drag coefficient was significantly higher than generally used to model bed load motion. For the spheres, cubes, and natural particles, average drag coefficients were found to be 0.76, 1.36, and 0.91, respectively. For comparison, the drag coefficient for a sphere settling in still water at similar particle Reynolds numbers is only about 0.4. The variability of the horizontal force relative to its mean was strongly increased by the presence of the step and the gravel bed. Peak deviations were about 30% of the mean force for the sphere over the smooth bed, about twice the mean with the step, and 4 times it for the sphere protruding roughly half its diameter above the gravel bed. Vertical force correlated poorly with downstream velocity, vertical velocity, and vertical momentum flux whether measured over or ahead of the test particle. Typical formulas for shear-induced lift based on Bernoulli's principle poorly predict the vertical forces on near-bed particles. The

  4. Sensors, Cyberinfrastructure, and Examination of Hydrologic and Hydrochemical Response in the Little Bear River Observatory Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horsburgh, J. S.; Stevens, D. K.; Tarboton, D. G.; Mesner, N. O.; Spackman Jones, A.

    2008-12-01

    The Little Bear River environmental observatory test bed is one of 11 test bed projects that are focused on developing techniques and technologies for environmental observatories ranging from innovative application of environmental sensors to publishing observations data in common formats that can be accessed by investigators nationwide. Specific objectives of the Little Bear test bed include the estimation of water quality constituent fluxes from surrogate data, relation of fluxes to watershed attributes and management practices, examination of high frequency hydrologic and hydrochemical responses, and development of cyberinfrastructure that supports these analyses and publication of the data. We have installed high frequency water quality and discharge monitoring instrumentation at seven locations in the Little Bear, along with two continuous weather stations. Cyberinfrastructure that has been implemented includes the sensors, a telemetry system that transmits data from the field to a central location, a central observations database, software that automates the ingestion of these data into the database so they are available in near real time, and software tools for screening and quality control of the raw data. We have implemented a CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) Server that includes an instance of the Observations Data Model (ODM) relational database that stores the data, web services that provide programmatic data access over the Internet using WaterML, the Data Access System for Hydrology (DASH) that provides an Internet map based interface for data access, and the Time Series Analyst that provides Internet-based plotting and summary functionality. The high frequency data have illustrated the dynamic nature of hydrologic and hydrochemical response in the Little Bear as well as the importance of sampling frequency on estimation of constituent fluxes. Annual estimates of total phosphorus and total suspended solids loads vary over orders of magnitude

  5. Recovery coefficients as a test of system linearity of response in PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geworski, L.; Munz, D.L.; Knoop, B.; Hofmann, M.; Knapp, W.H.

    2002-01-01

    Aim: New imaging protocols have created an increasing demand for quantitation in dedicated PET. Besides attenuation and scatter correction the recovery correction, accounting for the instrument's limited spatial resolution, has gained importance. For clinical practicability these corrections should work independent from the object, i.e. from the actual distribution of emitter and absorber. Aim of the study was to test this object independency, i.e. system linearity of response, by comparing recovery coefficients (RC) determined for different object geometries. In fact, this comparison may serve as a final test on system linearity of response, as measured on the quantitative accuracy by which the activity concentration in small lesions can be recovered. Method: For hot and cold spot imaging situations spatial distribution of activity is different. Therefore, scatter correction algorithm has to deal with different scatter distributions. If all factors disturbing system linearity, specifically scatter and attenuation, are corrected to a sufficient degree of accuracy, the system behaves linearly resulting in the theoretical relationship. CSRC = (1-HSRC). Thus, this equation, applied hot and cold spot measurements, will serve as a test on the effectiveness of the corrections and, hence, as a test of system linearity of response. Following IEC standard procedures (IEC 61675-1) measurements were done with and without interplane septa (2D/3D) on an ECAT EXACT 922 using a cylindrical phantom containing six spheres of different diameters (10 mm - 40 mm). All data were corrected for attenuation (transmission scan) and scatter (2D: deconvolution, 3D: scatter model), as implemented in the scanner's standard software. Recovery coefficients were determined for cold (CSRC) and hot (HSRC) lesions using both 2D and 3D acquisition mode. Results: CSRC directly measured versus CSRC calculated according to eq. (1) from HSRC resulted in an excellent agreement for both 2D and 3D data

  6. Advances in the analysis of pressure interference tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez R, N. [Petroleos Mexicanos, PEMEX, Mexico City (Mexico); Samaniego V, F. [Univ. Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico)

    2010-12-15

    This paper presented an extension for radial, linear, and spherical flow conditions of the El-Khatib method for analyzing pressure interference tests through utilization of the pressure derivative. Conventional analysis of interference tests considers only radial flow, but some reservoirs have physical field conditions in which linear or spherical flow conditions prevail. The INTERFERAN system, a friendly computer code for the automatic analysis of pressure interference tests, was also discussed and demonstrated by way of 2 field cases. INTERFERAN relies on the principle of superposition in time and space to interpret a test of several wells with variable histories of production or injection or both. The first field case addressed interference tests conducted in the naturally fractured geothermal field of Klamath Falls, and the second field case was conducted in a river-formed bed in which linear flow conditions are dominant. The analysis was deemed to be reliable. 13 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

  7. Physiological and Functional Alterations after Spaceflight and Bed Rest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulavara, Ajitkumar P; Peters, Brian T; Miller, Chris A; Kofman, Igor S; Reschke, Millard F; Taylor, Laura C; Lawrence, Emily L; Wood, Scott J; Laurie, Steven S; Lee, Stuart M C; Buxton, Roxanne E; May-Phillips, Tiffany R; Stenger, Michael B; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L; Ryder, Jeffrey W; Feiveson, Alan H; Bloomberg, Jacob J

    2018-04-03

    Exposure to microgravity causes alterations in multiple physiological systems, potentially impacting the ability of astronauts to perform critical mission tasks. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of spaceflight on functional task performance and to identify the key physiological factors contributing to their deficits. A test battery comprised of 7 functional tests and 15 physiological measures was used to investigate the sensorimotor, cardiovascular and neuromuscular adaptations to spaceflight. Astronauts were tested before and after 6-month spaceflights. Subjects were also tested before and after 70 days of 6° head-down bed rest, a spaceflight analog, to examine the role of axial body unloading on the spaceflight results. These subjects included Control and Exercise groups to examine the effects of exercise during bed rest. Spaceflight subjects showed the greatest decrement in performance during functional tasks that required the greatest demand for dynamic control of postural equilibrium which was paralleled by similar decrements in sensorimotor tests that assessed postural and dynamic gait control. Other changes included reduced lower limb muscle performance and increased heart rate to maintain blood pressure. Exercise performed during bed rest prevented detrimental change in neuromuscular and cardiovascular function, however, both bed rest groups experienced functional and balance deficits similar to spaceflight subjects. Bed rest data indicates that body support unloading experienced during spaceflight contributes to postflight postural control dysfunction. Further, the bed rest results in the Exercise group of subjects confirm that resistance and aerobic exercises performed during spaceflight can play an integral role in maintaining neuromuscular and cardiovascular function, which can help in reducing decrements in functional performance. These results indicate that a countermeasure to mitigate postflight postural control dysfunction is

  8. Fluidised bed heat exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, D.E.; Healey, E.M.; Roberts, A.G.

    1974-01-01

    Problems that have arisen during the initial stages of development of fluidised bed boilers in which heat transfer surfaces are immersed in fluidised solids are discussed. The very high heat transfer coefficients that are obtained under these conditions can be exploited to reduce the total heat transfer surface to a fraction of that in normal boilers. However, with the high heat flux levels involved, tube stressing becomes more important and it is advantageous to use smaller diameter tubes. One of the initial problems was that the pumping power absorbed by the fluidised bed appeared to be high. The relative influence of the fluidising velocity (and the corresponding bed area), tube diameter, tube spacing, heat transfer coefficient and bed temperature on pumping power and overall cost was determined. This showed the importance of close tube packing and research was undertaken to see if this would adversely affect the heat transfer coefficient. Pressure operation also reduces the pumping power. Fouling and corrosion tests in beds burning coal suggest that higher temperatures could be reached reliably and cost studies show that, provided the better refractory metals are used, the cost of achieving higher temperatures is not unduly high. It now remains to demonstrate at large scale that the proposed systems are viable and that the methods incorporated to overcome start up and part lead running problems are satisfactory. The promising role of these heat transfer techniques in other applications is briefly discussed

  9. Adaptive linear rank tests for eQTL studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szymczak, Silke; Scheinhardt, Markus O; Zeller, Tanja; Wild, Philipp S; Blankenberg, Stefan; Ziegler, Andreas

    2013-02-10

    Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies are performed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms that modify average expression values of genes, proteins, or metabolites, depending on the genotype. As expression values are often not normally distributed, statistical methods for eQTL studies should be valid and powerful in these situations. Adaptive tests are promising alternatives to standard approaches, such as the analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis test. In a two-stage procedure, skewness and tail length of the distributions are estimated and used to select one of several linear rank tests. In this study, we compare two adaptive tests that were proposed in the literature using extensive Monte Carlo simulations of a wide range of different symmetric and skewed distributions. We derive a new adaptive test that combines the advantages of both literature-based approaches. The new test does not require the user to specify a distribution. It is slightly less powerful than the locally most powerful rank test for the correct distribution and at least as powerful as the maximin efficiency robust rank test. We illustrate the application of all tests using two examples from different eQTL studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Bed Bugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevent, identify, and treat bed bug infestations using EPA’s step-by-step guides, based on IPM principles. Find pesticides approved for bed bug control, check out the information clearinghouse, and dispel bed bug myths.

  11. Testing for one Generalized Linear Single Order Parameter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellegaard, Niels Langager; Christensen, Tage Emil; Dyre, Jeppe

    We examine a linear single order parameter model for thermoviscoelastic relaxation in viscous liquids, allowing for a distribution of relaxation times. In this model the relaxation of volume and entalpy is completely described by the relaxation of one internal order parameter. In contrast to prior...... work the order parameter may be chosen to have a non-exponential relaxation. The model predictions contradict the general consensus of the properties of viscous liquids in two ways: (i) The model predicts that following a linear isobaric temperature step, the normalized volume and entalpy relaxation...... responses or extrapolate from measurements of a glassy state away from equilibrium. Starting from a master equation description of inherent dynamics, we calculate the complex thermodynamic response functions. We device a way of testing for the generalized single order parameter model by measuring 3 complex...

  12. Gypsum as a bedding source for broiler chickens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Three trials examined the feasibility of flue gas desulfurization gypsum as a bedding material for raising broilers. Gypsum was used alone, under or on top of pine shavings and pine bark. Test materials were placed as bedding in pens to simulate commercial broiler production through three growout cy...

  13. Testing the existence of optical linear polarization in young brown dwarfs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjavacas, E.; Miles-Páez, P. A.; Zapatero-Osorio, M. R.; Goldman, B.; Buenzli, E.; Henning, T.; Pallé, E.; Fang, M.

    2017-07-01

    Linear polarization can be used as a probe of the existence of atmospheric condensates in ultracool dwarfs. Models predict that the observed linear polarization increases with the degree of oblateness, which is inversely proportional to the surface gravity. We aimed to test the existence of optical linear polarization in a sample of bright young brown dwarfs, with spectral types between M6 and L2, observable from the Calar Alto Observatory, and cataloged previously as low gravity objects using spectroscopy. Linear polarimetric images were collected in I and R band using CAFOS at the 2.2-m telescope in Calar Alto Observatory (Spain). The flux ratio method was employed to determine the linear polarization degrees. With a confidence of 3σ, our data indicate that all targets have a linear polarimetry degree in average below 0.69 per cent in the I band, and below 1.0 per cent in the R band, at the time they were observed. We detected significant (I.e. P/σ ≥ 3) linear polarization for the young M6 dwarf 2MASS J04221413+1530525 in the R band, with a degree of p* = 0.81 ± 0.17 per cent.

  14. Real-Time Signal Processing for Multiantenna Systems: Algorithms, Optimization, and Implementation on an Experimental Test-Bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haustein Thomas

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A recently realized concept of a reconfigurable hardware test-bed suitable for real-time mobile communication with multiple antennas is presented in this paper. We discuss the reasons and prerequisites for real-time capable MIMO transmission systems which may allow channel adaptive transmission to increase link stability and data throughput. We describe a concept of an efficient implementation of MIMO signal processing using FPGAs and DSPs. We focus on some basic linear and nonlinear MIMO detection and precoding algorithms and their optimization for a DSP target, and a few principal steps for computational performance enhancement are outlined. An experimental verification of several real-time MIMO transmission schemes at high data rates in a typical office scenario is presented and results on the achieved BER and throughput performance are given. The different transmission schemes used either channel state information at both sides of the link or at one side only (transmitter or receiver. Spectral efficiencies of more than 20 bits/s/Hz and a throughput of more than 150 Mbps were shown with a single-carrier transmission. The experimental results clearly show the feasibility of real-time high data rate MIMO techniques with state-of-the-art hardware and that more sophisticated baseband signal processing will be an essential part of future communication systems. A discussion on implementation challenges towards future wireless communication systems supporting higher data rates (1 Gbps and beyond or high mobility concludes the paper.

  15. Drying of materials in fluidized bed: mathematical modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wildhagen, Gloria Regina S.; Silva, Eder F.; Calcada, Luis A.; Massarani, Giulio

    2000-01-01

    A three phase mathematical model for drying process in a fluidized bed was established. This model representing a bubble, interstitial gas and solid phase was based on principles of mass and energy conservation and on empirical relations for heat and mass transfer between phases. A fluidized bed dryer was built to test the results of proposed model with those obtained by experiments using alumina particles as a bed charge. A good agreement between the numerical and the experimental results were observed(author)

  16. High temperature degradation by erosion-corrosion in bubbling fluidized bed combustors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hou Peggy

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Heat-exchanger tubes in fluidized bed combustors (FBCs often suffer material loss due to combined corrosion and erosion. Most severe damage is believed to be caused by the impact of dense packets of bed material on the lower parts of the tubes. In order to understand this phenomenon, a unique laboratory test rig at Berkeley was designed to simulate the particle hammering interactions between in-bed particles and tubes in bubbling fluidized bed combustors. In this design, a rod shaped specimen is actuated a short distance within a partially fluidized bed. The downward specimen motion is controlled to produce similar frequencies, velocities and impact forces as those experienced by the impacting particle aggregates in practical systems. Room temperature studies have shown that the degradation mechanism is a three-body abrasion process. This paper describes the characteristics of this test rig, reviews results at elevated temperatures and compares them to field experience. At higher temperatures, deposits of the bed material on tube surfaces can act as a protective layer. The deposition depended strongly on the type of bed material, the degree of tube surface oxidation and the tube and bed temperatures. With HCl present in the bed, wastage was increased due to enhanced oxidation and reduced oxide scale adherence.

  17. Experimental investigation of the strength and failure behavior of layered sandstone under uniaxial compression and Brazilian testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Peng-Fei; Yang, Sheng-Qi

    2018-05-01

    As a typical inherently anisotropic rock, layered sandstones can differ from each other in several aspects, including grain size, type of material, type of cementation, and degree of compaction. An experimental study is essential to obtain and convictive evidence to characterize the mechanical behavior of such rock. In this paper, the mechanical behavior of a layered sandstone from Xuzhou, China, is investigated under uniaxial compression and Brazilian test conditions. The loading tests are conducted on 7 sets of bedding inclinations, which are defined as the angle between the bedding plane and horizontal direction. The uniaxial compression strength (UCS) and elastic modulus values show an undulatory variation when the bedding inclination increases. The overall trend of the UCS and elastic modulus values with bedding inclination is decreasing. The BTS value decreases with respect to the bedding inclination and the overall trend of it is approximating a linear variation. The 3D digital high-speed camera images reveal that the failure and fracture of a specimen are related to the surface deformation. Layered sandstone tested under uniaxial compression does not show a typical failure mode, although shear slip along the bedding plane occurs at high bedding inclinations. Strain gauge readings during the Brazilian tests indicate that the normal stress on the bedding plane transforms from compression to tension as the bedding inclination increases. The stress parallel to the bedding plane in a rock material transforms from tension to compression and agrees well with the fracture patterns; "central fractures" occur at bedding inclinations of 0°-75°, "layer activation" occurs at high bedding inclinations of 75°-90°, and a combination of the two occurs at 75°.

  18. Continuous austempering fluidized bed furnace. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srinivasan, M.N. [Lamar Univ., Beaumont, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    1997-09-23

    The intended objective of this project was to show the benefits of using a fluidized bed furnace for austenitizing and austempering of steel castings in a continuous manner. The division of responsibilities was as follows: (1) design of the fluidized bed furnace--Kemp Development Corporation; (2) fabrication of the fluidized bed furnace--Quality Electric Steel, Inc.; (3) procedure for austempering of steel castings, analysis of the results after austempering--Texas A and M University (Texas Engineering Experiment Station). The Department of Energy provided funding to Texas A and M University and Kemp Development Corporation. The responsibility of Quality Electric Steel was to fabricate the fluidized bed, make test castings and perform austempering of the steel castings in the fluidized bed, at their own expense. The project goals had to be reviewed several times due to financial constraints and technical difficulties encountered during the course of the project. The modifications made and the associated events are listed in chronological order.

  19. Hydrodynamics of multi-phase packed bed micro-reactors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Márquez Luzardo, N.M.

    2010-01-01

    Why to use packed bed micro-reactors for catalyst testing? Miniaturized packed bed reactors have a large surface-to-volume ratio at the reactor and particle level that favors the heat- and mass-transfer processes at all scales (intra-particle, inter-phase and inter-particle or reactor level). If the

  20. Thermo-mechanical Modelling of Pebble Beds in Fusion Blankets and its Implementation by a Return-Mapping Algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gan, Yixiang; Kamlah, Marc

    2008-01-01

    In this investigation, a thermo-mechanical model of pebble beds is adopted and developed based on experiments by Dr. Reimann at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK). The framework of the present material model is composed of a non-linear elastic law, the Drucker-Prager-Cap theory, and a modified creep law. Furthermore, the volumetric inelastic strain dependent thermal conductivity of beryllium pebble beds is taken into account and full thermo-mechanical coupling is considered. Investigation showed that the Drucker-Prager-Cap model implemented in ABAQUS can not fulfill the requirements of both the prediction of large creep strains and the hardening behaviour caused by creep, which are of importance with respect to the application of pebble beds in fusion blankets. Therefore, UMAT (user defined material's mechanical behaviour) and UMATHT (user defined material's thermal behaviour) routines are used to re-implement the present thermo-mechanical model in ABAQUS. An elastic predictor radial return mapping algorithm is used to solve the non-associated plasticity iteratively, and a proper tangent stiffness matrix is obtained for cost-efficiency in the calculation. An explicit creep mechanism is adopted for the prediction of time-dependent behaviour in order to represent large creep strains in high temperature. Finally, the thermo-mechanical interactions are implemented in a UMATHT routine for the coupled analysis. The oedometric compression tests and creep tests of pebble beds at different temperatures are simulated with the help of the present UMAT and UMATHT routines, and the comparison between the simulation and the experiments is made. (authors)

  1. Efficient Market Hypothesis in South Africa: Evidence from Linear and Nonlinear Unit Root Tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Phiri

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the weak form efficient market hypothesis (EMH for five generalized stock indices in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE using weekly data collected from 31st January 2000 to 16th December 2014. In particular, we test for weak form market efficiency using a battery of linear and nonlinear unit root testing procedures comprising of the classical augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF tests, the two-regime threshold autoregressive (TAR unit root tests described in Enders and Granger (1998 as well as the three-regime unit root tests described in Bec, Salem, and Carrasco (2004. Based on our empirical analysis, we are able to demonstrate that whilst the linear unit root tests advocate for unit roots within the time series, the nonlinear unit root tests suggest that most stock indices are threshold stationary processes. These results bridge two opposing contentions obtained from previous studies by concluding that under a linear framework the JSE stock indices offer support in favour of weak form market efficiency whereas when nonlinearity is accounted for, a majority of the indices violate the weak form EMH.

  2. Standard Test Method for Determining the Linearity of a Photovoltaic Device Parameter with Respect To a Test Parameter

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2005-01-01

    1.1 This test method determines the degree of linearity of a photovoltaic device parameter with respect to a test parameter, for example, short-circuit current with respect to irradiance. 1.2 The linearity determined by this test method applies only at the time of testing, and implies no past or future performance level. 1.3 This test method applies only to non-concentrator terrestrial photovoltaic devices. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

  3. Coal-char combustion in a fluidised bed reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mehrotra, S.P.; Pande, M. [Indian Institute of Technolgy, Kanpur (India)

    2001-12-01

    Combustion of bituminous coal chars ranging from 0.8 mm to 1.8 mm has been studied in a fluidised bed reactor at temperatures ranging from 500 to 850{sup o}C. The fluidised bed consists of inert sand particles of average size of 0.5 mm and reactive coal char particles. A heat balance has been worked out to calculate the rate of combustion of char from measured incremental changes in the bed temperature during combustion. Investigations on partially burnt particles suggest that the ash layer which builds up around the burning core of char particles is non-flaking and the particles burn in a shrinking core manner. Analysis of rate data indicates that the rate of combustion is controlled by chemical reaction kinetics, though diffusion of oxygen through the bundary layer begins to influence the overall reaction kinetics at higher temperatures. The burnt out time varies linearly with particle size. Activation energy for the chemical reaction control regime is found to be around 68 kJ/mole.

  4. The Safety of Hospital Beds: Ingress, Egress, and In-Bed Mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Janice M; Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K; Bloswick, Donald

    2015-01-01

    To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients' ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients' use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated.

  5. Hybrid Molten Bed Gasifier for High Hydrogen Syngas Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rue, David [Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL (United States)

    2017-05-23

    The techno-economic analyses of the hybrid molten bed gasification technology and laboratory testing of the HMB process were carried out in this project by the Gas Technology Institute and partner Nexant, Inc. under contract with the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. This report includes the results of two complete IGCC and Fischer-Tropsch TEA analyses comparing HMB gasification with the Shell slagging gasification process as a base case. Also included are the results of the laboratory simulation tests of the HMB process using Illinois #6 coal fed along with natural gas, two different syngases, and steam. Work in this 18-month project was carried out in three main Tasks. Task 2 was completed first and involved modeling, mass and energy balances, and gasification process design. The results of this work were provided to Nexant as input to the TEA IGCC and FT configurations studied in detail in Task 3. The results of Task 2 were also used to guide the design of the laboratory-scale testing of the HMB concept in the submerged combustion melting test facility in GTI’s industrial combustion laboratory. All project work was completed on time and budget. A project close-out meeting reviewing project results was conducted on April 1, 2015 at GTI in Des Plaines, IL. The hybrid molten bed gasification process techno-economic analyses found that the HMB process is both technically and economically attractive compared with the Shell entrained flow gasification process. In IGCC configuration, HMB gasification provides both efficiency and cost benefits. In Fischer-Tropsch configuration, HMB shows small benefits, primarily because even at current low natural gas prices, natural gas is more expensive than coal on an energy cost basis. HMB gasification was found in the TEA to improve the overall IGCC economics as compared to the coal only Shell gasification process. Operationally, the HMB process proved to be robust and easy to operate. The burner

  6. Fluid bed dryer and Aeropep solidification system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-01-01

    Performance measurements were made on the model of the Fluidized-bed Calciner developed by Aerojet Liquid Rocket Co. The measurements were made over the period August 11-19, 1975, at the Sacramento location of the calciner. The purpose of the tests was to evaluate the performance of the ALRC Fluidized Bed Concentrator for the processing of simulated waste containing realistic concentrations and chemical forms of radioiodine. (auth)

  7. Avoiding Carbon Bed Hot Spots in Thermal Process Off-Gas Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soelberg, Nick; Enneking, Joe

    2011-01-01

    Mercury has had various uses in nuclear fuel reprocessing and other nuclear processes, and so is often present in radioactive and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) wastes. Test programs performed in recent years have shown that mercury in off-gas streams from processes that treat radioactive wastes can be controlled using fixed beds of activated sulfur-impregnated carbon, to levels low enough to comply with air emission regulations such as the Hazardous Waste Combustor (HWC) Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards. Carbon bed hot spots or fires have occurred several times during these tests, and also during a remediation of tanks that contained mixed waste. Hot spots occur when localized areas in a carbon bed become heated to temperatures where oxidation occurs. This heating typically occurs due to heat of absorption of gas species onto the carbon, but it can also be caused through external means such as external heaters used to heat the carbon bed vessel. Hot spots, if not promptly mitigated, can grow into bed fires. Carbon bed hot spots and fires must be avoided in processes that treat radioactive and mixed waste. Hot spots are detected by (a) monitoring in-bed and bed outlet gas temperatures, and (b) more important, monitoring of bed outlet gas CO concentrations. Hot spots are mitigated by (a) designing for appropriate in-bed gas velocity, for avoiding gas flow maldistribution, and for sufficient but not excessive bed depth, (b) appropriate monitoring and control of gas and bed temperatures and compositions, and (c) prompt implementation of corrective actions if bed hot spots are detected. Corrective actions must be implemented quickly if bed hot spots are detected, using a graded approach and sequence starting with corrective actions that are simple, quick, cause the least impact to the process, and are easiest to recover from.

  8. General Linearized Theory of Quantum Fluctuations around Arbitrary Limit Cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarrete-Benlloch, Carlos; Weiss, Talitha; Walter, Stefan; de Valcárcel, Germán J

    2017-09-29

    The theory of Gaussian quantum fluctuations around classical steady states in nonlinear quantum-optical systems (also known as standard linearization) is a cornerstone for the analysis of such systems. Its simplicity, together with its accuracy far from critical points or situations where the nonlinearity reaches the strong coupling regime, has turned it into a widespread technique, being the first method of choice in most works on the subject. However, such a technique finds strong practical and conceptual complications when one tries to apply it to situations in which the classical long-time solution is time dependent, a most prominent example being spontaneous limit-cycle formation. Here, we introduce a linearization scheme adapted to such situations, using the driven Van der Pol oscillator as a test bed for the method, which allows us to compare it with full numerical simulations. On a conceptual level, the scheme relies on the connection between the emergence of limit cycles and the spontaneous breaking of the symmetry under temporal translations. On the practical side, the method keeps the simplicity and linear scaling with the size of the problem (number of modes) characteristic of standard linearization, making it applicable to large (many-body) systems.

  9. International Space Station Sustaining Engineering: A Ground-Based Test Bed for Evaluating Integrated Environmental Control and Life Support System and Internal Thermal Control System Flight Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Charles D.; Perry, Jay L.; Callahan, David M.

    2000-01-01

    As the International Space Station's (ISS) various habitable modules are placed in service on orbit, the need to provide for sustaining engineering becomes increasingly important to ensure the proper function of critical onboard systems. Chief among these are the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS). Without either, life onboard the ISS would prove difficult or nearly impossible. For this reason, a ground-based ECLSS/ITCS hardware performance simulation capability has been developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The ECLSS/ITCS Sustaining Engineering Test Bed will be used to assist the ISS Program in resolving hardware anomalies and performing periodic performance assessments. The ISS flight configuration being simulated by the test bed is described as well as ongoing activities related to its preparation for supporting ISS Mission 5A. Growth options for the test facility are presented whereby the current facility may be upgraded to enhance its capability for supporting future station operation well beyond Mission 5A. Test bed capabilities for demonstrating technology improvements of ECLSS hardware are also described.

  10. Performance analysis and pilot plant test results for the Komorany fluidized bed retrofit project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snow, G.C. [POWER International, Inc., Coeur d`Alene, ID (United States)

    1995-12-01

    Detailed heat and mass balance calculations and emission performance projections are presented for an atmospheric fluidized bed boiler bottom retrofit at the 927 MWt (steam output) Komorany power station and district heating plant in the Czech Republic. Each of the ten existing boilers are traveling grate stoker units firing a local, low-rank brown coal. This fuel, considered to be representative of much of the coal deposits in Central Europe, is characterized by an average gross calorific value of 10.5 MJ/kg (4,530 Btu/lb), an average dry basis ash content of 47 %, and a maximum dry basis sulfur content of 1.8 % (3.4 % on a dry, ash free basis). The same fuel supply, together with limestone supplied from the region will be utilized in the retrofit fluidized bed boilers. The primary objectives of this retrofit program are, (1) reduce emissions to a level at or below the new Czech Clean Air Act, and (2) restore plant capacity to the original specification. As a result of the AFBC retrofit and plant upgrade, the particulate matter emissions will be reduced by over 98 percent, SO{sub 2} emissions will be reduced by 88 percent, and NO{sub x} emissions will be reduced by 38 percent compared to the present grate-fired configuration. The decrease in SO{sub 2} emissions resulting from the fluidized bed retrofit was initially predicted based on fuel sulfur content, including the distribution among organic, pyritic, and sulfate forms; the ash alkalinity; and the estimated limestone calcium utilization efficiency. The methodology and the results of this prediction were confirmed and extended by pilot scale combustion trials at a 1.0 MWt (fuel input), variable configuration test facility in France.

  11. Application of the linear-quadratic model to myelotoxicity associated with radioimmunotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilder, R.B.; DeNardo, G.L.; Sheri, S.; Fowler, J.F.; Wessels, B.W.; DeNardo, S.J.

    1996-01-01

    The purposes of this study were: To use the linear-quadratic model to determine time-dependent biologically effective doses (BEDs) that were delivered to the bone marrow by multiple infusions of radiolabeled antibodies, and (2) to determine whether granulocyte and platelet counts correlate better with BED than administered radioactivity. Twenty patients with B-cell malignancies that had progressed despite intensive chemotherapy and who had a significant number of malignant cells in their bone marrow were treated with multiple 0.7-3.7 GBq/m 2 intravenous infusions of Lym-1, a murine monoclonal antibody that binds to a tumour-associated antigen, labeled with iodine-131. Granulocyte and platelet counts were measured in order to assess bone marrow toxicity. The cumulative 131 I-Lym-1 radioactivity administered to each patient was calculated. BEDs from multiple 131 I-Lym-1 infusions were summated in order to arrive at a total BED for each patient. There was a weak association between granulocyte and platelet counts and radioactivity. Likewise, there was a weak association between granulocyte and platelet counts and BED. The attempt to take bone marrow absorbed doses and overall treatment time into consideration with the linear-quadratic model did not produce a stronger association than was observed between peripheral blood counts and administered radioactivity. The association between granulocyte and platelet counts and BED may have been weakened by several factors, including variable bone marrow reserve at the start of 131 I-Lym-1 therapy and the delivery of heterogeneous, absorbed doses of radiation to the bone marrow. (orig./MG)

  12. Organic molecule fluorescence as an experimental test-bed for quantum jumps in thermodynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Cormac; Farrow, Tristan; Dahlsten, Oscar C O; Taylor, Robert A; Vlatko, Vedral

    2017-08-01

    We demonstrate with an experiment how molecules are a natural test bed for probing fundamental quantum thermodynamics. Single-molecule spectroscopy has undergone transformative change in the past decade with the advent of techniques permitting individual molecules to be distinguished and probed. We demonstrate that the quantum Jarzynski equality for heat is satisfied in this set-up by considering the time-resolved emission spectrum of organic molecules as arising from quantum jumps between states. This relates the heat dissipated into the environment to the free energy difference between the initial and final state. We demonstrate also how utilizing the quantum Jarzynski equality allows for the detection of energy shifts within a molecule, beyond the relative shift.

  13. Radiation testing of thick-wall objects using a linear accelerator or Co-60

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Depending on the energy required, a 60 Co source or various types of betatrons and linear accelerators may be used for radiation testing of thick-walled metal parts. While 60 Co sources are easily transported, accelerators are not, but a transportable linear accelerator is described

  14. Petechiae: reproducible pattern of distribution and increased appearance after bed rest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganse, Bergita; Limper, Ulrich; Bühlmeier, Judith; Rittweger, Jörn

    2013-08-01

    Exposure to acceleration can cause petechial hemorrhages, called G measles. Petechiae usually start to develop between 5 and 9 G with a high interindividual variance. Centrifuge training delays the onset to higher G levels. One might expect onset at lower G levels after bed rest; however, there is no evidence in the literature. A case of petechiae formation after bed rest is presented here. Orthostatic tolerance was tested using a tilt table and lower body negative pressure before and after bed rest in both campaigns of a 2 x 21-d bed rest study with 6 degrees head-down tilt. A 42-yr-old male Caucasian without any history of thrombosis, venous disease, hemorrhage, or petechiae, and with a negative thrombophilia screening, took part in the bed rest study as 1 out of 10 subjects. He was the only one to develop petechiae during the orthostatic tests after, but not before, bed rest in both campaigns. Petechiae were distributed throughout the lower legs and most pronounced at the shin in a stocking-like fashion, surprisingly reoccurring in an identical pattern of distribution. Petechiae appeared slowly over minutes during hyperemia. This case indicates that prolonged bed rest decreases the threshold for petechiae formation. A reproducible distribution pattern suggests that factors predisposing to petechiae formation keep their local distribution over time (possibly due to local vessel structures). Mechanisms of adaptation and interindividual variance are unclear. Findings are of clinical relevance as such cases might occur after prolonged bed rest in patients without need of expensive testing.

  15. High gradient tests of SLAC Linear Collider Accelerator Structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.W.; Deruyter, H.; Eichner, J.; Fant, K.H.; Hoag, H.A.; Koontz, R.F.; Lavine, T.; Loew, G.A.; Loewen, R.; Menegat, L.

    1994-08-01

    This paper describes the current SLAC R ampersand D program to develop room temperature accelerator structures for the Next Linear Collider (NLC). The structures are designed to operate at 11.4 GHz at an accelerating gradient in the range of 50 to 100 MV/m. In the past year a 26 cm constant-impedance traveling-wave section, a 75 cm constant-impedance traveling-wave section, and a 1.8 m traveling-wave section with detuned deflecting modes have been high-power tested. The paper presents a brief description of the RF test setup, the design and manufacturing details of the structures, and a discussion of test results including field emission, RF processing, dark current spectrum and RF breakdown

  16. Steam and sodium leak simulation in a fluidized-bed steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaux, W.G.; Keeton, A.R.; Keairns, D.L.

    1977-01-01

    A fluidized-bed steam generator for the liquid metal fast breeder reactor enhances plant availability and minimizes the probability of a water/sodium reaction. An experimental test program was conceived to assess design criteria and fluidized-bed operation under conditions of water, steam, and sodium leaks. Sodium, steam, and water were leaked into helium-fluidized beds of metal and ceramic particles at 900 F. Test results show the effects of leaks on the heat transfer coefficient, quality of fluidization, leak detection, and cleanup procedures

  17. Body Unloading Associated with Space Flight and Bed-rest Impacts Functional Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomberg, J. J.; Ballard, K. L.; Batson, C. D.; Buxton, R. E.; Feiveson, A. H.; Kofman, I. S.; Lee, S. M. C.; Miller, C. A.; Mulavara, A. P.; Peters, B. T.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The goal of the Functional Task Test study is to determine the effects of space flight on functional tests that are representative of high priority exploration mission tasks and to identify the key underlying physiological factors that contribute to decrements in performance. Ultimately this information will be used to assess performance risks and inform the design of countermeasures for exploration class missions. We are currently conducting studies on both ISS crewmembers and on subjects experiencing 70 days of 6 degrees head-down bed-rest as an analog for space flight. Bed-rest provides the opportunity for us to investigate the role of prolonged axial body unloading in isolation from the other physiological effects produced by exposure to the microgravity environment of space flight. This allows us to parse out the contribution of the body unloading component on functional performance. In this on-going study both ISS crewmembers and bed-rest subjects were tested using an interdisciplinary protocol that evaluated functional performance and related physiological changes before and after 6 months in space and 70 days of 6? head-down bed-rest, respectively. Functional tests included ladder climbing, hatch opening, jump down, manual manipulation of objects and tool use, seat egress and obstacle avoidance, recovery from a fall, and object translation tasks. Crewmembers were tested three times before flight, and on 1, 6 and 30 days after landing. Bed-rest subjects were tested three times before bed-rest and immediately after getting up from bed-rest as well as 1, 6 and 12 days after reambulation. A comparison of bed-rest and space flight data showed a significant concordance in performance changes across all functional tests. Tasks requiring a greater demand for dynamic control of postural equilibrium (i.e. fall recovery, seat egress/obstacle avoidance during walking, object translation, jump down) showed the greatest decrement in performance. Functional tests with

  18. Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator conceptual design report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-08-01

    This document presents the scientific justification and the conceptual design for the open-quotes Next Linear Collider Test Acceleratorclose quotes (NLCTA) at SLAC. The goals of the NLCTA are to integrate the new technologies of X-band accelerator structures and rf systems being developed for the Next Linear Collider, to measure the growth of the open-quotes dark currentclose quotes generated by rf field emission in the accelerator, to demonstrate multi-bunch beam-loading energy compensation and suppression of higher-order deflecting modes, and to measure any transverse components of the accelerating field. The NLCTA will be a 42-meter-long beam line consisting, consecutively, of a thermionic-cathode gun, an X-band buncher, a magnetic chicane, six 1.8-meter-long sections of 11.4-GHz accelerator structure, and a magnetic spectrometer. Initially, the unloaded accelerating gradient will be 50 MV/m. A higher-gradient upgrade option eventually would increase the unloaded gradient to 100 MV/m

  19. Specificity of the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test for detecting human papillomavirus genotype 52 (HPV-52)

    OpenAIRE

    Kocjan, Boštjan; Poljak, Mario; Oštrbenk, Anja

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: HPV-52 is one of the most frequent human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes causing significant cervical pathology. The most widely used HPV genotyping assay, the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test (Linear Array), is unable to identify HPV- 52 status in samples containing HPV-33, HPV-35, and/or HPV-58. Methods: Linear Array HPV-52 analytical specificity was established by testing 100 specimens reactive with the Linear Array HPV- 33/35/52/58 cross-reactive probe, but not with the...

  20. 7 CFR 2902.15 - Bedding, bed linens, and towels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 2902.15 Bedding, bed linens, and towels. (a) Definition. (1) Bedding is that... minimum biobased content is 12 percent and shall be based on the amount of qualifying biobased carbon in..., and silk are not qualifying biobased feedstocks for the purpose of determining the biobased content of...

  1. Design of Linear Control System for Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Testing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft, Anders; Roe-Poulsen, Bjarke Nørskov; Christiansen, Rasmus

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a linear method for wind turbine blade fatigue testing at Siemens Wind Power. The setup consists of a blade, an actuator (motor and load mass) that acts on the blade with a sinusoidal moment, and a distribution of strain gauges to measure the blade flexure. Based...... difficult to control. To make a linear controller, a different approach has been chosen, namely making a controller which is not regulating on the input frequency, but on the input amplitude. A non-linear mechanical model for the blade and the motor has been constructed. This model has been simplified based...... on the desired output, namely the amplitude of the blade. Furthermore, the model has been linearised to make it suitable for linear analysis and control design methods.\\\\ The controller is designed based on a simplified and linearised model, and its gain parameter determined using pole placement. The model...

  2. Woodpecker-inspired shock isolation by microgranular bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Sang-Hee [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Roh, Jin-Eep; Kim, Ki Lyug, E-mail: shyoon@me.berkeley.ed [Agency for Defense Development, Yuseong PO Box 35, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-02-07

    This paper presents a woodpecker-inspired shock isolation (SI) using a microgranular bed to protect micromachined electronic devices (MEDs) for high-g military applications where mechanical excitations reach up to tens of thousands of gs and several hundreds of kHz. The shock isolating phenomenon in the microgranular bed within a metal housing, biomimetically inspired from a spongy bone within a skull of the woodpecker, controls unwanted high-frequency mechanical excitations so that their adverse effects on the embedded MEDs are kept within acceptable limit. The microgranular bed composed of close-packed microglass beads reduces the mechanical excitations transmitted to the MEDs through kinetic energy absorption. Two kinds of tests, a laboratory test and a 60 mm air-gun test, have been made. The laboratory test using a vibration exciter up to 25 kHz has demonstrated that the cut-off frequency (2.2-15.8 kHz) and roll-off steepness (-155.0 to -78.7 dB decade{sup -1}) are inversely proportional to the diameter of the close-packed microglass beads (68-875 {mu}m), whereas the vibration absorptivity (0.23-0.87) is proportional. The 60 mm air-gun test under high-g environments of up to 60 000 g has verified that the woodpecker-inspired SI is superior in improving the shock survivability of the MEDs to the conventional one using hard resin.

  3. Evaluation of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner for dairy cattle bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proietto, R L; Hinckley, L S; Fox, L K; Andrew, S M

    2013-02-01

    This study investigated the effects of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner on sawdust bedding pH, dry matter (DM), environmental pathogen counts, and environmental bacterial counts on teat ends of lactating dairy cows. Sixteen lactating Holstein cows were paired based on parity, days in milk, milk yield, and milk somatic cell count, and were negative for the presence of an intramammary pathogen. Within each pair, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments with 3-wk periods in a crossover design. Treatment groups consisted of 9 freestalls per group bedded with either untreated sawdust or sawdust with a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner, added at 3- to 4-d intervals over each 21-d period. Bedding and teat ends were aseptically sampled on d 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, and 21 for determination of environmental bacterial counts. At the same time points, bedding was sampled for DM and pH determination. The bacteria identified in the bedding material were total gram-negative bacteria, Streptococcus spp., and coliform bacteria. The bacteria identified on the teat ends were Streptococcus spp., coliform bacteria, and Klebsiella spp. Teat end score, milk somatic cell count, and intramammary pathogen presence were measured weekly. Bedding and teat cleanliness, environmental high and low temperatures, and dew point data were collected daily. The bedding conditioner reduced the pH, but not the DM, of the sawdust bedding compared with untreated sawdust. Overall environmental bacterial counts in bedding were lower for treated sawdust. Total bacterial counts in bedding and on teat ends increased with time over both periods. Compared with untreated sawdust, the treated bedding had lower counts of total gram-negative bacteria and streptococci, but not coliform counts. Teat end bacterial counts were lower for cows bedded on treated sawdust for streptococci, coliforms, and Klebsiella spp. compared with cows bedded on untreated sawdust. The clay-based acidic bedding conditioner

  4. Biodenitrification of gaseous diffusion plant aqueous wastes: stirred bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holland, M.E.

    1980-01-01

    Approximately 30 kilograms of nitrates per day are discarded in the raffinates (acid wastes) of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant's X-705 Uranium Recovery and Decontamination Facility. A biodenitrification process employing continuous-flow, stirred-bed reactors has been successfully used to remove nitrates from similar acid wastes at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. Laboratory studies have been made at Portsmouth to characterize the X-705 raffinates and to test the stirred-bed biodenitrification process on such raffinates. Raffinates which had been previously characterized were pumped through continuous-flow, stirred-bed, laboratory-scale reactors. Tests were conducted over a period of 146 days and involved variations in composition, mixing requirements, and the fate of several metal ions in the raffinates. Tests results show that 20 weight percent nitrates were reduced to a target nitrate effluent concentration of 100 μg/ml with a 99.64 percent efficiency. However, the average denitrification rate achieved was only 33% of that demonstrated with the Y-12 stirred-bed system. These low rates were probably due to the toxic effects of heavy metal ions on the denitrifying bacteria. Also, most of the uranium in the raffinate feed remained in the biomass and calcite, which collected in the reactor. This could cause criticality problems. For these reasons, it was decided not to make use of the stirred-bed bioreactor at Portsmouth. Instead, the biodenitrification installation now planned will use fluidized bed columns whose performance will be the subject of a subsequent report

  5. Hydroponics Database and Handbook for the Advanced Life Support Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, Allen J.

    1999-01-01

    During the summer 1998, I did student assistance to Dr. Daniel J. Barta, chief plant growth expert at Johnson Space Center - NASA. We established the preliminary stages of a hydroponic crop growth database for the Advanced Life Support Systems Integration Test Bed, otherwise referred to as BIO-Plex (Biological Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex). The database summarizes information from published technical papers by plant growth experts, and it includes bibliographical, environmental and harvest information based on plant growth under varying environmental conditions. I collected 84 lettuce entries, 14 soybean, 49 sweet potato, 16 wheat, 237 white potato, and 26 mix crop entries. The list will grow with the publication of new research. This database will be integrated with a search and systems analysis computer program that will cross-reference multiple parameters to determine optimum edible yield under varying parameters. Also, we have made preliminary effort to put together a crop handbook for BIO-Plex plant growth management. It will be a collection of information obtained from experts who provided recommendations on a particular crop's growing conditions. It includes bibliographic, environmental, nutrient solution, potential yield, harvest nutritional, and propagation procedure information. This handbook will stand as the baseline growth conditions for the first set of experiments in the BIO-Plex facility.

  6. The effect of patient migration in bed on torso elevation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggermann, Neal; Kotowski, Susan; Davis, Kermit; VanGilder, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    Elevating the hospital head of bed (HOB) to at least 30° is recommended practice to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients. However, this common practice prescribes the position of the bed and not of the patient, which could be significantly different. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between patient migration in bed and anatomic torso angle. Ten healthy participants were positioned in a hospital bed that was raised from flat to 30° and 45° HOB elevations. Prior to bed movement, participants were aligned to different locations along the length of the bed to represent different amounts of migration. A motion capture system was used to measure torso angle and migration toward the foot of the bed. The relationship between torso angle and migration was estimated by linear regression. Patient migration resulted in lower torso angles for both 30° and 45° HOB articulations. A migration of 10 cm resulted in a loss of 9.1° and 13.0° of torso angle for HOB articulations of 30° and 45°, respectively (for 30° articulations: (Equation is included in full-text article.)= -0.91, R = .96; for 45° articulations: (Equation is included in full-text article.)= -1.30, R = .98). Migration toward the foot of the bed flattens the torso. To maintain a torso angle that is likely to protect against VAP, healthcare providers need to manage both HOB angle and migration. Protocols and equipment that minimize patient migration will help support effective clinical practice. Future research on patient migration, as it relates to VAP or other outcomes, should measure patient torso angle to allow accurate translation of the results to care practice.

  7. Endotoxin, coliform, and dust levels in various types of rodent bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteside, Tanya E; Thigpen, Julius E; Kissling, Grace E; Grant, Mary G; Forsythe, Diane

    2010-03-01

    Endotoxins in grain dust, household dust, and animal bedding may induce respiratory symptoms in rodents and humans. We assayed the endotoxin, coliform, and dust levels in 20 types of rodent bedding. Endotoxin concentrations were measured by using a commercial test kit, coliform counts were determined by using conventional microbiologic procedures, and dust content was evaluated by using a rotating-tapping shaker. Paper bedding types contained significantly less endotoxin than did other bedding types; the highest levels of endotoxin were detected in hardwood and corncob beddings. The range of endotoxin content for each bedding type was: corncob bedding, 1913 to 4504 endotoxin units per gram (EU/g); hardwood bedding, 3121 to 5401 EU/g; corncob-paper mixed bedding, 1586 to 2416 EU/g; and paper bedding, less than 5 to 105 EU/g. Coliform counts varied from less than 10 to 7591 cfu/g in corncob beddings, 90 to 4010 cfu/g in corncob-paper mixed beddings, less than 10 to 137 cfu/g in hardwood beddings, and less than 10 cfu/g in paper beddings. Average dust content was less than 0.15% in all commercial bedding types. We conclude that paper bedding is the optimal bedding type for conducting LPS inhalation studies and that rodent bedding containing high levels of endotoxin may alter the results of respiratory and immunologic studies in rodents.

  8. Effects of bedding quality on lying behavior of dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fregonesi, J A; Veira, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G; Weary, D M

    2007-12-01

    Cows prefer to spend more time lying down in free stalls with more bedding, but no research to date has addressed the effects of bedding quality. Bedding in stalls often becomes wet either from exposure to the elements or from feces and urine. The aim of this study was to test the effect of wet bedding on stall preference and use. Four groups of 6 nonlactating Holstein cows were housed in free stalls bedded daily with approximately 0.1 m of fresh sawdust. Following a 5-d adaptation period, each group of cows was tested sequentially with access to stalls with either dry or wet sawdust bedding (86.4 +/- 2.1 vs. 26.5 +/- 2.1% dry matter), each for 2 d. These no-choice phases were followed by a 2-d free-choice phase during which cows had simultaneous access to stalls containing either wet or dry bedding. Stall usage was assessed by using 24-h video recordings scanned at 10-min intervals, and responses were analyzed by using a mixed model, with group (n = 4) as the observational unit. The minimum and maximum environmental temperatures during the experiment were 3.4 +/- 2.2 and 6.8 +/- 2.5 degrees C, respectively. When cows had access only to stalls with wet bedding, they spent 8.8 +/- 0.8 h/d lying down, which increased to 13.8 +/- 0.8 h/d when stalls with dry bedding were provided. Cows spent more time standing with their front 2 hooves in the stall when provided with wet vs. dry bedding (92 +/- 10 vs. 32 +/- 10 min/d). During the free-choice phase, all cows spent more time lying down in the dry stalls, spending 12.5 +/- 0.3 h/d in the dry stalls vs. 0.9 +/- 0.3 h/ d in stalls with wet bedding. In conclusion, dairy cows show a clear preference for a dry lying surface, and they spend much more time standing outside the stall when only wet bedding is available.

  9. Method of online cleanliness control for upward-facing transport mirrors in integration test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Longbiao; Qin Lang; Zhou Guorui; Ye Yayun; Zhang Chuanchao; Miao Xinxiang; Wang Hongbin; Yuan Xiaodong; Wang Xiaohong; Cheng Xiaofeng

    2013-01-01

    An online cleanliness control method based on the online monitoring system was developed for controlling the particle pollution and damage of upward-facing transport mirrors in the integration test bed. By building up gas knife system, the online cleanliness processing was effectively achieved for the particle pollution on the mirror surface. By using the gas screen, the cleanliness of the mirror surface was effectively online maintained. The image processing system was applied to assessing the effect of online cleanliness processing. The experimental results indicate that the particle pollution was reduced by the gas knife and the gas screen was useful to avoid the settlement of particle pollution. (authors)

  10. Pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas pressed cake for bio-oil production in a fixed-bed system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jourabchi, Seyed Amirmostafa; Gan, Suyin; Ng, Hoon Kiat

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas waste in a fixed-bed rig was studied. • Yield, calorific value, water content and acidity of bio-oil were compared. • Empirical correlations for bio-oil yield and specifications were developed. • Optimisation of bio-oil production based on combined specifications was achieved. - Abstract: This study investigated the effects of pyrolysis parameters on the yield and quality of bio-oil from Jatropha curcas pressed cake. This biomass was pyrolysed in a fixed-bed reactor over a temperature range of 573.15 K to 1073.15 K and a nitrogen linear speed range of 7.8 × 10 −5 m/s to 6.7 × 10 −2 m/s. The heating rate and biomass grain size were 50 K/min and <2 mm, respectively. The bio-oils were tested for the gross calorific value, water content and acidity. The pyrolysis process was simulated using Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) for mass and energy balances analyses. Empirical correlations between the bio-oil specifications and pyrolysis parameters were developed using linear and nonlinear multiple regression methods for process optimisation. At optimum pyrolysis conditions, above 50% of the waste is converted to bio-oil with less than 30% water content, a gross calorific value of 15.12 MJ/kg and a pH of 6.77

  11. Oxy-fuel combustion on circulating fluidized bed. Chapter 5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anthony, E.J. [Canmet, Natural Resources Canada (Canada); Hack, H. [Foster Wheeler North America Corporation (United States)

    2011-07-01

    This paper explores the developments and field tests carried out with oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion. This method has the advantage over the other options of emitting a pure stream of CO2 which thus does not need to be concentrated to be liquefied, transported and stored. In addition, pilot scale tests have shown that oxy-fired circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) results in low emission and fuel flexibility. This paper highlighted that oxy-fired CFBC might be a good option for CCS but tests performed so far have been on a small scale. To confirm the promising results of pilot tests, demonstration projects are underway and are presented herein.

  12. Design and testing of a coaxial linear magnetic spring with integral linear motor. [for spacecraft energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patt, P. J.

    1985-01-01

    The design of a coaxial linear magnetic spring which incorporates a linear motor to control axial motion and overcome system damping is presented, and the results of static and dynamic tests are reported. The system has nominal stiffness 25,000 N/m and is designed to oscillate a 900-g component over a 4.6-mm stroke in a Stirling-cycle cryogenic refrigerator being developed for long-service (5-10-yr) space applications (Stolfi et al., 1983). Mosaics of 10 radially magnetized high-coercivity SmCO5 segments enclosed in Ti cans are employed, and the device is found to have quality factor 70-100, corresponding to energy-storage efficiency 91-94 percent. Drawings, diagrams, and graphs are provided.

  13. Testing of downstream catalysts for tar destruction with a guard bed in a fluidised bed biomass gasifier at pilot plant scale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aznar, M.P.; Frances, E.; Campos, I.J.; Martin, J.A.; Gil, J. [Saragossa Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Chemistry and Environment Engineering; Corella, J. [Complutense Univ. of Madrid (Spain). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    1996-12-31

    A new pilot plant for advanced gasification of biomass in a fast fluidised bed is now fully operative at University of Saragossa, Spain. It is a `3rd generation` pilot plant. It has been built up after having used two previous pilot plants for biomass gasification. The main characteristic of this pilot plant is that it has two catalytic reactors connected in series, downstream the biomass gasifier. Such reactors, of 4 cm i.d., are placed in a slip stream in a by-pass from the main gasifier exit gas. The gasification is made at atmospheric pressure, with flow rates of 3-50 kg/in, using steam + O{sub 2} mixtures as the gasifying agent. Several commercial Ni steam-reforming catalyst are being tested under a realistic raw gas composition. Tar eliminations or destructions higher than 99 % are easily achieved. (orig.) 2 refs.

  14. Testing of downstream catalysts for tar destruction with a guard bed in a fluidised bed biomass gasifier at pilot plant scale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aznar, M P; Frances, E; Campos, I J; Martin, J A; Gil, J [Saragossa Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Chemistry and Environment Engineering; Corella, J [Complutense Univ. of Madrid (Spain). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    1997-12-31

    A new pilot plant for advanced gasification of biomass in a fast fluidised bed is now fully operative at University of Saragossa, Spain. It is a `3rd generation` pilot plant. It has been built up after having used two previous pilot plants for biomass gasification. The main characteristic of this pilot plant is that it has two catalytic reactors connected in series, downstream the biomass gasifier. Such reactors, of 4 cm i.d., are placed in a slip stream in a by-pass from the main gasifier exit gas. The gasification is made at atmospheric pressure, with flow rates of 3-50 kg/in, using steam + O{sub 2} mixtures as the gasifying agent. Several commercial Ni steam-reforming catalyst are being tested under a realistic raw gas composition. Tar eliminations or destructions higher than 99 % are easily achieved. (orig.) 2 refs.

  15. Dose calibrator linearity test: {sup 99m}Tc versus {sup 18}F radioisotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willegaignon, Jose; Coura-Filho, George Barberio; Garcez, Alexandre Teles, E-mail: willegaignon@hotmail.com [Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo Octavio Frias de Oliveira (ICESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Sapienza, Marcelo Tatit; Buchpiguel, Carlos Alberto [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FM/USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Medicina; Alves, Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez Ribeiro; Cardona, Marissa Anabel Rivera; Gutterres, Ricardo Fraga [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2015-01-15

    Objective: the present study was aimed at evaluating the viability of replacing {sup 18}F with {sup 99m}Tc in dose calibrator linearity testing. Materials and methods: the test was performed with sources of {sup 99m}Tc (62 GBq) and {sup 18}F (12 GBq) whose activities were measured up to values lower than 1 MBq. Ratios and deviations between experimental and theoretical {sup 99m}Tc and {sup 18}F sources activities were calculated and subsequently compared. Results: mean deviations between experimental and theoretical {sup 99m}Tc and {sup 18}F sources activities were 0.56 (± 1.79)% and 0.92 (± 1.19)%, respectively. The mean ratio between activities indicated by the device for the {sup 99m}Tc source as measured with the equipment precalibrated to measure {sup 99m}Tc and {sup 18}F was 3.42 (± 0.06), and for the {sup 18}F source this ratio was 3.39 (± 0.05), values considered constant over the measurement time. Conclusion: the results of the linearity test using {sup 99m}Tc were compatible with those obtained with the {sup 18}F source, indicating the viability of utilizing both radioisotopes in dose calibrator linearity testing. Such information in association with the high potential of radiation exposure and costs involved in {sup 18}F acquisition suggest {sup 99m}Tc as the element of choice to perform dose calibrator linearity tests in centers that use {sup 18}F, without any detriment to the procedure as well as to the quality of the nuclear medicine service. (author)

  16. Quality of Service Control Based on Virtual Private Network Services in a Wide Area Gigabit Ethernet Optical Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rea, Luca; Pompei, Sergio; Valenti, Alessandro; Matera, Francesco; Zema, Cristiano; Settembre, Marina

    We report an experimental investigation about the Virtual Private LAN Service technique to guarantee the quality of service in the metro/core network and also in the presence of access bandwidth bottleneck. We also show how the virtual private network can be set up for answering to a user request in a very fast way. The tests were performed in a GMPLS test bed with GbE core routers linked with long (tens of kilometers) GbE G.652 fiber links.

  17. Review of acute cancer beds.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Evans, D S

    2012-01-01

    A review of admissions to cancer services at University Hospital Galway (UHG) was undertaken to assess the appropriateness of hospital usage. All cancer specialty patients admitted from 26-28 May 2009 were reviewed (n = 82). Chi square tests, Exact tests, and One-way ANOVA were utilised to analyse key issues emerging from the data. Fifty (61%) were classified as emergencies. Twenty three (67%) occupied a designated cancer bed with 24 (30%) in outlying non-oncology wards. The mean length of stay was 29.3 days. Possible alternatives to admission were identified for 15 (19%) patients. There was no evidence of discharge planning for 50 (60%) admissions. There is considerable potential to make more appropriate utilisation of UHG for cancer patients, particularly in terms of reducing bed days and length of stay and the proportion of emergency cancer admissions, and further developing integrated systems of discharge planning.

  18. Application of range-test in multiple linear regression analysis in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Application of range-test in multiple linear regression analysis in the presence of outliers is studied in this paper. First, the plot of the explanatory variables (i.e. Administration, Social/Commercial, Economic services and Transfer) on the dependent variable (i.e. GDP) was done to identify the statistical trend over the years.

  19. Test bed for real-time image acquisition and processing systems based on FlexRIO, CameraLink, and EPICS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrera, E.; Ruiz, M.; Sanz, D.; Vega, J.; Castro, R.; Juárez, E.; Salvador, R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The test bed allows for the validation of real-time image processing techniques. • Offers FPGA (FlexRIO) image processing that does not require CPU intervention. • Is fully compatible with the architecture of the ITER Fast Controllers. • Provides flexibility and easy integration in distributed experiments based on EPICS. - Abstract: Image diagnostics are becoming standard ones in nuclear fusion. At present, images are typically analyzed off-line. However, real-time processing is occasionally required (for instance, hot-spot detection or pattern recognition tasks), which will be the objective for the next generation of fusion devices. In this paper, a test bed for image generation, acquisition, and real-time processing is presented. The proposed solution is built using a Camera Link simulator, a Camera Link frame-grabber, a PXIe chassis, and offers software interface with EPICS. The Camera Link simulator (PCIe card PCIe8 DVa C-Link from Engineering Design Team) generates simulated image data (for example, from video-movies stored in fusion databases) using a Camera Link interface to mimic the frame sequences produced with diagnostic cameras. The Camera Link frame-grabber (FlexRIO Solution from National Instruments) includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for image acquisition using a Camera Link interface; the FPGA allows for the codification of ad-hoc image processing algorithms using LabVIEW/FPGA software. The frame grabber is integrated in a PXIe chassis with system architecture similar to that of the ITER Fast Controllers, and the frame grabber provides a software interface with EPICS to program all of its functionalities, capture the images, and perform the required image processing. The use of these four elements allows for the implementation of a test bed system that permits the development and validation of real-time image processing techniques in an architecture that is fully compatible with that of the ITER Fast Controllers

  20. Gradient Compression Stockings may Prevent Recovery after Bed Rest Deconditioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenger, Michael B.; Lee, Stuart M.; Westby, Christian M.; Willig, Michael C.; Platts, Steven H.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Astronauts continue to wear a compression garment during and immediately after landing to prevent orthostatic intolerance (OI). We recently developed a custom-fitted, 3-piece garment that consists of thigh-high stockings with biker-style shorts that provides continuous, gradient compression: 55 mmHg at the ankle that decreases to approximately 20 mmHg at the top of the leg and 15 mmHg over the abdomen. This garment has been shown to be effective in preventing symptoms of OI during a short stand test after Space Shuttle missions, but symptoms may persist for several days after a long-duration mission in some astronauts. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of wearing these elastic, gradient compression garments during orthostatic testing after 2 weeks of 6 degree head-down tilt bed rest as a model of spaceflight and to determine whether they would impact recovery after bed rest. Methods: Eight (5 treatment, 3 control) of 16 subjects have completed this study to-date. All subjects wore the 3-piece garment from waking until tilt testing (3 h) as a simulation of the timeline for astronauts on landing day (BR+0). Control subjects removed the garment after the tilt test. Treatment subjects wore the garment for the remainder of the day and wore lower compression thigh-high only garments on the day after bed rest (BR+1). Blood pressure, heart rate, and stroke volume responses to a 15-min 80 degree head-up tilt test were determined before 2 weeks of 6 degree head-down tilt, and on BR+0 and BR+1. Plasma volume (PV) was measured before each of these test sessions. Data are mean SE. Results: Compression garments prevented signs of OI on BR+0; all subjects in both groups completed the full 15-min test. Heart rate responses to tilt were lower on BR+0 than all other test days. Control subjects demonstrated a marginal PV decrease after bed rest, but showed typical recovery the day after bed rest (BR+0: 2.32 plus or minus 0.15 L to BR+1: 2

  1. Hydraulic fracturing tests in anhydrite interbeds in the WIPP, Marker Beds 139 and 140

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howard, C L [RE/SPEC Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wawersik, W. R.; Carlson, L. V.; Henfling, J. A.; Borns, D. J.; Beauheim, R. L.; Roberts, R. M.

    1997-05-01

    Hydraulic fracturing tests were integrated with hydrologic tests to estimate the conditions under which gas pressure in the disposal rooms in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, NM (WIPP) will initiate and advance fracturing in nearby anhydrite interbeds. The measurements were made in two marker beds in the Salado formation, MB139 and MB140, to explore the consequences of existing excavations for the extrapolation of results to undisturbed ground. The interpretation of these measurements is based on the pressure-time records in two injection boreholes and several nearby hydrologic observation holes. Data interpretations were aided by post-test borehole video surveys of fracture traces that were made visible by ultraviolet illumination of fluorescent dye in the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The conclusions of this report relate to the upper- and lower-bound gas pressures in the WIPP, the paths of hydraulically and gas-driven fractures in MB139 and MB140, the stress states in MB139 and MB140, and the probable in situ stress states in these interbeds in undisturbed ground far away from the WIPP.

  2. The CERN linear collider test facility (CTF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baconnier, Y.; Battisti, S.; Bossart, R.; Delahaye, J.P.; Geissler, K.K.; Godot, J.C.; Huebner, K.; Madsen, J.H.B.; Potier, J.P.; Riche, A.J.; Sladen, J.; Suberlucq, G.; Wilson, I.; Wuensch, W.

    1992-01-01

    The CTF (Collider Test Facility) was brought into service last year. The 3 GHz gun produced a beam of 3 MeV/c which was accelerated to 40 MeV/c. This beam, passing a prototype CLIC (linear collider) structure, generated a sizeable amount of 30 GHz power. This paper describes the results and experience with the gun driven by a 8 ns long laser pulse and its CsI photo cathode, the beam behaviour, the beam diagnostics in particular with the bunch measurements by Cerenkov or transition radiation light and streak camera, the photo cathode research, and the beam dynamics studies on space charge effects. (Author)4 figs., tab., 6 refs

  3. Coolability of volumetrically heated particle beds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rashid, Muhammad

    2017-03-22

    In case of a severe nuclear reactor accident, with loss of coolant, a particle bed may be formed from the fragmentation of the molten core in the residual water at different stages of the accident. To avoid further propagation of the accident and maintain the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, the decay heat of the particle bed must be removed. To better understand the various thermo-hydraulic processes within such heat-generating particle beds, the existing DEBRIS test facility at IKE has been modified to be able to perform novel boiling, dryout and quenching experiments. The essential experimental data includes the pressure gradients measured by 8 differential pressure transducers along the bed height as a function of liquid and vapour superficial velocities, the determination of local dryout heat fluxes for different system pressures as well as the local temperature distribution measured by a set of 51 thermocouples installed inside the particle bed. The experiments were carried out for two different particle beds: a polydispersed particle bed which consisted of stainless steel balls (2 mm, 3 mm and 6 mm diameters) and an irregular particle bed which consisted of a mixture of steel balls (3 mm and 6 mm) and irregularly shaped Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles. Additionally, all experiments were carried out for different flow conditions, such as the reference case of passive 1D top-flooding, 1D bottom flooding (driven by external pumps and different downcomer configurations) and 2D top-/bottom-/lateral flooding with a perforated downcomer. In this work, it has been observed that for both particle beds with downcomer configurations an open downcomer leads to the best coolability (dryout heat flux = 1560 kW/m{sup 2}, polydispersed particle bed, psys = 1 bar) of the particle bed, mainly due to bottom-flow with enhanced natural convection. It has also been shown that a potential lateral flow via a perforation of the downcomer does not bring any further improvements

  4. Coolability of volumetrically heated particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashid, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    In case of a severe nuclear reactor accident, with loss of coolant, a particle bed may be formed from the fragmentation of the molten core in the residual water at different stages of the accident. To avoid further propagation of the accident and maintain the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, the decay heat of the particle bed must be removed. To better understand the various thermo-hydraulic processes within such heat-generating particle beds, the existing DEBRIS test facility at IKE has been modified to be able to perform novel boiling, dryout and quenching experiments. The essential experimental data includes the pressure gradients measured by 8 differential pressure transducers along the bed height as a function of liquid and vapour superficial velocities, the determination of local dryout heat fluxes for different system pressures as well as the local temperature distribution measured by a set of 51 thermocouples installed inside the particle bed. The experiments were carried out for two different particle beds: a polydispersed particle bed which consisted of stainless steel balls (2 mm, 3 mm and 6 mm diameters) and an irregular particle bed which consisted of a mixture of steel balls (3 mm and 6 mm) and irregularly shaped Al 2 O 3 particles. Additionally, all experiments were carried out for different flow conditions, such as the reference case of passive 1D top-flooding, 1D bottom flooding (driven by external pumps and different downcomer configurations) and 2D top-/bottom-/lateral flooding with a perforated downcomer. In this work, it has been observed that for both particle beds with downcomer configurations an open downcomer leads to the best coolability (dryout heat flux = 1560 kW/m 2 , polydispersed particle bed, psys = 1 bar) of the particle bed, mainly due to bottom-flow with enhanced natural convection. It has also been shown that a potential lateral flow via a perforation of the downcomer does not bring any further improvements in

  5. Exercise Effects on the Brain and Sensorimotor Function in Bed Rest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppelmans, V.; Cassady, K.; De Dios, Y. E.; Szecsy, D.; Gadd, N.; Wood, S. J.; Reuter-Lorenz, R. A.; Kofman, I.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Mulavara, A. P.; hide

    2016-01-01

    using both a region of interest (ROI, or seed-to-voxel) approach as well as a whole brain intrinsic connectivity (i.e., voxel-to-voxel) analysis. For the ROI analysis we selected 11 ROIs of brain regions that are involved in sensorimotor function (i.e., L. Insular C., L. Putamen, R. Premotor C., L.+R. Primary Motor C., R. Vestibular C., L. Posterior Cingulate G., R. Cerebellum Lobule V + VIIIb + Crus I, and the R. Superior Parietal G.) and correlated their time course of brain activation during rest with all other voxels in the brain. The whole brain connectivity analysis tests changes in the strength of the global connectivity pattern between each voxel and the rest of the brain. Functional mobility was assessed using an obstacle course. Vestibular contribution to balance was measured using Neurocom Sensory Organization Test 5. Behavioral measures were assessed pre-HDBR, and 0, 8 and 12 days post-HDBR. Linear mixed models were used to test for effects of time, group, and group-by-time interactions. Family-wise error corrected VBM revealed significantly larger increases in GM volume in the right primary motor cortex in bed rest control subjects than in bed rest exercise subjects. No other significant group by time interactions in gray matter changes with bed rest were observed. Functional connectivity MRI revealed that the increase in connectivity during bed rest of the left putamen with the bilateral midsagittal precunes and the right cingulate gyrus was larger in bed rest control subjects than in bed rest exercise subjects. Furthermore, the increase in functional connectivity with bed rest of the right premotor cortex with the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right primary motor cortex with the bilateral premotor cortex was smaller in bed rest control subjects than in bed rest exercise subjects. Functional mobility performance was less affected by HDBR in exercise subjects than in control subjects and post HDBR exercise subjects recovered faster than control

  6. One testing method of dynamic linearity of an accelerometer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Jing-Yu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available To effectively test dynamic linearity of an accelerometer over a wide rang of 104 g to about 20 × 104g, one published patent technology is first experimentally verified and analysed, and its deficient is presented, then based on stress wave propagation theory on the thin long bar, the relation between the strain signal and the corresponding acceleration signal is obtained, one special link of two coaxial projectile is developed. These two coaxial metal cylinders (inner cylinder and circular tube are used as projectiles, to prevent their mutual slip inside the gun barrel during movement, the one end of two projectiles is always fastened by small screws. Ti6-AL4-V bar with diameter of 30 mm is used to propagate loading stress pulse. The resultant compression wave can be measured by the strain gauges on the bar, and a half –sine strain pulse is obtained. The measuring accelerometer is attached on the other end of the bar by a vacuum clamp. In this clamp, the accelerometer only bear compression wave, the reflected tension pulse make the accelerometer off the bar. Using this system, dynamic linearity measurement of accelerometer can be easily tested in wider range of acceleration values. And a really measuring results are presented.

  7. Tracking channel bed resiliency in forested mountain catchments using high temporal resolution channel bed movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Sarah E.; Conklin, Martha H.

    2018-01-01

    This study uses continuous-recording load cell pressure sensors in four, high-elevation (1500-1800 m), Sierra Nevada headwater streams to collect high-temporal-resolution, bedload-movement data for investigating the channel bed movement patterns within these streams for water years 2012-2014. Data show an annual pattern where channel bed material in the thalweg starts to build up in early fall, peaks around peak snow melt, and scours back to baseline levels during hydrograph drawdown and base flow. This pattern is punctuated by disturbance and recovery of channel bed material associated with short-term storm events. A conceptual model, linking sediment sources at the channel margins to patterns of channel bed fill and scour in the thalweg, is proposed building on the results of Martin et al. (2014). The material in the thalweg represents a balance between sediment supply from the channel margins and sporadic, conveyor-belt-like downstream transport in the thalweg. The conceptual model highlights not only the importance of production and transport rates but also that seasonal connectedness between the margins and thalweg is a key sediment control, determining the accumulation rate of sediment stores at the margins and the redistribution of sediment from margins to thalweg that feeds the conveyor belt. Disturbance and recovery cycles are observed at multiple temporal scales; but long term, the channel beds are stable, suggesting that the beds act as short-term storage for sediment but are in equilibrium interannually. The feasibility of use for these sensors in forested mountain stream environments is tested. Despite a high failure rate (50%), load cell pressure sensors show potential for high-temporal-resolution bedload measurements, allowing for the collection of channel bed movement data to move beyond time-integrated change measurements - where many of the subtleties of bedload movement patterns may be missed - to continuous and/or real-time measurements. This

  8. Design and adjustment on test bed of replacing subassembly machine control system for China experimental fast reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Shengguo; Ma Hongsheng; Zhao Lixia

    2008-01-01

    The present research concerns in the design and adjustment of replacing sub- assembly machine control system of China Experimental Fast Reactor. The design of replacing subassembly machine control system adopts some electric equipments, such as programmable controllers, digital DC drivers. The designed control system was adjusted on the test bed. The results indicate that the operation of the control system is steady and reliable, and designed control system can meet the needs of the design specification. (authors)

  9. Displacement Damage Effects in Solar Cells: Mining Damage From the Microelectronics and Photonics Test Bed Space Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardage, Donna (Technical Monitor); Walters, R. J.; Morton, T. L.; Messenger, S. R.

    2004-01-01

    The objective is to develop an improved space solar cell radiation response analysis capability and to produce a computer modeling tool which implements the analysis. This was accomplished through analysis of solar cell flight data taken on the Microelectronics and Photonics Test Bed experiment. This effort specifically addresses issues related to rapid technological change in the area of solar cells for space applications in order to enhance system performance, decrease risk, and reduce cost for future missions.

  10. Thermalhydraulics of flowing particle-bed-type fusion reactor blankets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nietert, R.E.; Abdelk-Khalik, S.I.

    1982-01-01

    An experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the heat transfer characteristics of gravity-flowing particle beds using a special heat transfer loop. Glass microspheres were allowed to flow by gravity at controlled rates through an electrically heated stainless steel tubular test section. Values of the local and average convective heat transfer coefficient as a function of the average bed velocity, particle size and heat flux were determined. Such information is necessary for the design of gravity-flowing particle-bed type fusion reactor-blankets and associated tritium recovery systems. (orig.)

  11. Multiagency Urban Search Experiment Detector and Algorithm Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, Andrew D.; Garishvili, Irakli; Peplow, Douglas E.; Archer, Daniel E.; Ray, William R.; Swinney, Mathew W.; Willis, Michael J.; Davidson, Gregory G.; Cleveland, Steven L.; Patton, Bruce W.; Hornback, Donald E.; Peltz, James J.; McLean, M. S. Lance; Plionis, Alexander A.; Quiter, Brian J.; Bandstra, Mark S.

    2017-07-01

    In order to provide benchmark data sets for radiation detector and algorithm development, a particle transport test bed has been created using experimental data as model input and validation. A detailed radiation measurement campaign at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility in Fort Indiantown Gap, PA (FTIG), USA, provides sample background radiation levels for a variety of materials present at the site (including cinder block, gravel, asphalt, and soil) using long dwell high-purity germanium (HPGe) measurements. In addition, detailed light detection and ranging data and ground-truth measurements inform model geometry. This paper describes the collected data and the application of these data to create background and injected source synthetic data for an arbitrary gamma-ray detection system using particle transport model detector response calculations and statistical sampling. In the methodology presented here, HPGe measurements inform model source terms while detector response calculations are validated via long dwell measurements using 2"×4"×16" NaI(Tl) detectors at a variety of measurement points. A collection of responses, along with sampling methods and interpolation, can be used to create data sets to gauge radiation detector and algorithm (including detection, identification, and localization) performance under a variety of scenarios. Data collected at the FTIG site are available for query, filtering, visualization, and download at muse.lbl.gov.

  12. Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion of Sewage Sludge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Yoshizo; Nojima, Tomoyuki; Kakuta, Akihiko; Moritomi, Hiroshi

    A conceptual design of an energy recovering system from sewage sludge was proposed. This system consists of a pressurized fluidized bed combustor, a gas turbine, and a heat exchanger for preheating of combustion air. Thermal efficiency was estimated roughly as 10-25%. In order to know the combustion characteristics of the sewage sludge under the elevated pressure condition, combustion tests of the dry and wet sewage sludge were carried out by using laboratory scale pressurized fluidized bed combustors. Combustibility of the sewage sludge was good enough and almost complete combustion was achieved in the combustion of the actual wet sludge. CO emission and NOx emission were marvelously low especially during the combustion of wet sewage sludge regardless of high volatile and nitrogen content of the sewage sludge. However, nitrous oxide (N2O) emission was very high. Hence, almost all nitrogen oxides were emitted as the form of N2O. From these combustion tests, we judged combustion of the sewage sludge with the pressurized fluidized bed combustor is suitable, and the conceptual design of the power generation system is available.

  13. Tests with blast furnace slag as bed material in a 12 MW waste fired BFB boiler; Fullskalefoersoek med Hyttsand som baeddmaterial i 12 MW avfallseldad BFB-panna

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eklund, Anders; Oehman, Marcus

    2004-11-01

    A full-scale trial has been performed at Saeverstaverket twin 12 MWth BFB boilers in Bollnaes using Hyttsand (a proprietary blast furnace slag) as bed material. The purpose has been to investigate if Hyttsand can be used as bed material in FB boilers for difficult types of fuels. Used fuel has been municipal waste, recovered wood fuel and different types of bio fuels. The test period was 19 days and nearly 100 tons of Hyttsand was used. The most important conclusions are: Good fluidisation can be achieved with Hyttsand as bed material. Hyttsand can fluidise without any changes in boiler settings. Hyttsand can also be mixed with Baskarpsand (a natural sand with over 90% SiO{sub 2}) and used as bed material without any negative changes to the boiler performance. Bed material make-up rate is reduced with up to 30 % when using Hyttsand compared to using Baskarpsand. Other conclusions are: Bed temperature increased slightly and bed temperature deviation decreased. Emissions was in general not affected, however emissions of SO{sub 2} increased slightly. More deposit containing more sulphur was formed on superheater surfaces when using Hyttsand. The increased amount of sulphur when using Hyttsand could be an effect of higher content of sulphur in the fuel or, which is more likely, that sulphur is released from Hyttsand and forms gaseous sulphurous gases. No significant change in produced amounts of fly-, cyclone- or bottom ash. Hyttsand and Baskarpsand had both similar coatings on their particles and similar agglomeration tendencies. There have been some start-up problems during the trials, including two more severe boiler disturbances, but most of these disturbances can be explained and avoided in the future. Previous investigations in laboratory scale using Hyttsand as bed material when firing different bio fuels have shown the advantage of Hyttsand with its higher resistance against a chemical reaction with alkali in the fuel ash compared to conventional bed materials

  14. Forced Convection Heat Transfer of a sphere in Packed Bed Arrangement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Dong-Young; Chung, Bum-Jin

    2016-01-01

    This paper analysis and discuss the forced convective heat transfer from heated single sphere, which is buried in unheated packed bed, depending on Re d with porosity. The present work determines the test matrix for the packed bed experiment. And this study discuss difference of heat transfer according to the location of heated sphere and compared heated bed with heated sphere in packed bed and compared FCC (Face Centered Cubic), HCP (Hexagonal Closed Packed) structured packed bed with random packed. This paper is to discuss and make the plan to experiment the heat transfer for depending on location of heated single sphere in unheated packed bed, to compare single sphere in packed bed with heated packed bed and to compare the structured packed bed with random packed bed. The Nu d increase as heated single sphere is close to the wall and bottom because of increasing porosity and enhancing eddy motion respectively. The existing experiment of heated sphere in packed bed do not consider the preheating effect which decrease heat transfer on downstream. The heat transfer rate of structured packed bed is different from random packed bed because of unsteady flow in random packed bed. In this study, mass transfer experiments will replace heat transfer experiments based on analogy concept. An electroplating system is adopted using limiting current technique

  15. Forced Convection Heat Transfer of a sphere in Packed Bed Arrangement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Dong-Young; Chung, Bum-Jin [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    This paper analysis and discuss the forced convective heat transfer from heated single sphere, which is buried in unheated packed bed, depending on Re{sub d} with porosity. The present work determines the test matrix for the packed bed experiment. And this study discuss difference of heat transfer according to the location of heated sphere and compared heated bed with heated sphere in packed bed and compared FCC (Face Centered Cubic), HCP (Hexagonal Closed Packed) structured packed bed with random packed. This paper is to discuss and make the plan to experiment the heat transfer for depending on location of heated single sphere in unheated packed bed, to compare single sphere in packed bed with heated packed bed and to compare the structured packed bed with random packed bed. The Nu{sub d} increase as heated single sphere is close to the wall and bottom because of increasing porosity and enhancing eddy motion respectively. The existing experiment of heated sphere in packed bed do not consider the preheating effect which decrease heat transfer on downstream. The heat transfer rate of structured packed bed is different from random packed bed because of unsteady flow in random packed bed. In this study, mass transfer experiments will replace heat transfer experiments based on analogy concept. An electroplating system is adopted using limiting current technique.

  16. Exercise countermeasures for bed-rest deconditioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenleaf, John (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    The purpose for this 30-day bed rest study was to investigate the effects of short-term, high intensity isotonic and isokinetic exercise training on maintenance of working capacity (peak oxygen uptake), muscular strength and endurance, and on orthostatic tolerance, posture and gait. Other data were collected on muscle atrophy, bone mineralization and density, endocrine analyses concerning vasoactivity and fluid-electrolyte balance, muscle intermediary metabolism, and on performance and mood of the subjects. It was concluded that: The subjects maintained a relatively stable mood, high morale, and high esprit de corps throughout the study. Performance improved in nearly all tests in almost all the subjects. Isotonic training, as opposed to isokinetic exercise training, was associated more with decreasing levels of psychological tension, concentration, and motivation; and improvement in the quality of sleep. Working capacity (peak oxygen uptake) was maintained during bed rest with isotonic exercise training; it was not maintained with isokinetic or no exercise training. In general, there was no significant decrease in strength or endurance of arm or leg muscles during bed rest, in spite of some reduction in muscle size (atrophy) of some leg muscles. There was no effect of isotonic exercise training on orthostasis, since tilt-table tolerance was reduced similarly in all three groups following bed rest. Bed rest resulted in significant decreases of postural stability and self-selected step length, stride length, and walking velocity, which were not influenced by either exercise training regimen. Most pre-bed rest responses were restored by the fourth day of recovery.

  17. CIRCULATING MOVING BED COMBUSTION PROOF OF CONCEPT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jukkola, Glen

    2010-06-30

    Circulating Moving Bed (CMB) combustion technology has its roots in traditional circulating fluidized bed technology and involves a novel method of solid fuel combustion and heat transfer. CMB technology represents a step change in improved performance and cost relative to conventional PC and FBC boilers. The CMB heat exchanger preheats the energy cycle working fluid, steam or air, to the high temperature levels required in systems for advanced power generation. Unique features of the CMB are the reduction of the heat transfer surfaces by about 60% as a result of the enhanced heat transfer rates, flexibility of operation, and about 30% lower cost over existing technology. The CMB Phase I project ran from July 2001 through March 2003. Its objective was to continue development of the CMB technology with a series of proof of concept tests. The tests were conducted at a scale that provided design data for scale up to a demonstration plant. These objectives were met by conducting a series of experiments in ALSTOM Power’s Multi-use Test Facility (MTF). The MTF was modified to operate under CMB conditions of commercial interest. The objective of the tests were to evaluate gas-to-solids heat transfer in the upper furnace, assess agglomeration in the high temperature CMB bubbling bed, and evaluate solids-to-tube heat transfer in the moving bed heat exchanger. The Phase I program results showed that there are still some significant technical uncertainties that needed to be resolved before the technology can be confidently scaled up for a successful demonstration plant design. Work remained in three primary areas: • scale up of gas to solid heat transfer • high temperature finned surface design • the overall requirements of mechanical and process design. The CMB Phase II workscope built upon the results of Phase I and specifically addressed the remaining technical uncertainties. It included a scaled MTF heat transfer test to provide the necessary data to scale up gas

  18. Thermal neutron measurement using the instrumented test bundle and assessment of maximum linear power in HANARO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, C. S.; Seo, C. K.; Lee, B. C.; Kim, H. N.; Kang, B. W. [KAERI, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2000-10-01

    The HANARO fuel, U{sub 3}Si-Al, has been developed by AECL and tested in NRU reactor. Due to the lack of the data performed under the high power, the repetitive conduct of the irradiation test was required under the power greater than 108kW/m, which is the estimated maximum linear power in the design stage. Accordingly, the instrumented test bundle with SPND(Self Powered Neutron Detector) was fabricated and its irradiation test was performed in IR2 of HANARO. The measured thermal neutron flux with SPND is compared with calculation results by HANAFMS(HANARO Fuel Management System). The difference in the measured and calculated thermal flux values are below {+-}11% and the accuracy of the linear power predicted by HANAFMS is consequently accompanied. Therefore, it is believed that the maximum linear power above 120kW/m is achieved during the irradiation test of the test bundle.

  19. Errors in 'BED'-derived estimates of HIV incidence will vary by place, time and age.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timothy B Hallett

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The BED Capture Enzyme Immunoassay, believed to distinguish recent HIV infections, is being used to estimate HIV incidence, although an important property of the test--how specificity changes with time since infection--has not been not measured.We construct hypothetical scenarios for the performance of BED test, consistent with current knowledge, and explore how this could influence errors in BED estimates of incidence using a mathematical model of six African countries. The model is also used to determine the conditions and the sample sizes required for the BED test to reliably detect trends in HIV incidence.If the chance of misclassification by BED increases with time since infection, the overall proportion of individuals misclassified could vary widely between countries, over time, and across age-groups, in a manner determined by the historic course of the epidemic and the age-pattern of incidence. Under some circumstances, changes in BED estimates over time can approximately track actual changes in incidence, but large sample sizes (50,000+ will be required for recorded changes to be statistically significant.The relationship between BED test specificity and time since infection has not been fully measured, but, if it decreases, errors in estimates of incidence could vary by place, time and age-group. This means that post-assay adjustment procedures using parameters from different populations or at different times may not be valid. Further research is urgently needed into the properties of the BED test, and the rate of misclassification in a wide range of populations.

  20. Estimated of associated uncertainties of the linearity test of dose calibrators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sousa, Carlos H.S.; Peixoto, Jose G.P.

    2013-01-01

    Activimeters determine the activity of radioactive samples and them are validated by performance tests. This research determined the expanded uncertainties associated to the linearity test. Were used three dose calibrators and three sources of 99 Tc m for testing using recommended protocol by the IAEA, which considered the decay of radioactive samples. The expanded uncertainties evaluated were not correlated with each other and their analysis considered a rectangular probability distribution. The results are also presented in graphical form by the function of normalized activity measured in terms of conventional true value. (author)

  1. Testing Linear Temporal Logic Formulae on Finite Execution Traces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havelund, Klaus; Rosu, Grigore; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We present an algorithm for efficiently testing Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formulae on finite execution traces. The standard models of LTL are infinite traces, reflecting the behavior of reactive and concurrent systems which conceptually may be continuously alive. In most past applications of LTL. theorem provers and model checkers have been used to formally prove that down-scaled models satisfy such LTL specifications. Our goal is instead to use LTL for up-scaled testing of real software applications. Such tests correspond to analyzing the conformance of finite traces against LTL formulae. We first describe what it means for a finite trace to satisfy an LTL property. We then suggest an optimized algorithm based on transforming LTL formulae. The work is done using the Maude rewriting system. which turns out to provide a perfect notation and an efficient rewriting engine for performing these experiments.

  2. Social Media Use Before Bed and Sleep Disturbance Among Young Adults in the United States: A Nationally Representative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levenson, Jessica C; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E; Colditz, Jason B; Primack, Brian A

    2017-09-01

    Social media (SM) use has been positively associated with disturbed sleep among young adults. However, previous studies have not elucidated the specific importance of SM use immediately before bed. We aimed to determine the independent association of SM use during the 30 minutes before bed and disturbed sleep while controlling for covariates including total SM use throughout the day. We assessed a nationally representative sample of 1763 US young adults aged 19-32. Participants estimated to what extent they used SM in the 30 minutes before bed. We assessed sleep disturbance using the brief Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Sleep Disturbance measure. After testing the proportional odds assumption, we used ordered logistic regression to compute the independent association between SM use before bed and sleep disturbance controlling for covariates, including total SM use. Compared with those who rarely or very rarely check SM in the 30 minutes before bed, those who often or very often check SM at that time had an adjusted odds ratio of 1.62 (95% confidence interval = 1.31-2.34) for increased sleep disturbance. Additionally, we found a significant linear trend in the odds ratios between the frequency of checking SM in the 30 minutes before bed and increased sleep disturbance (p = .007). Results were consistent in all sensitivity analyses. SM use in the 30 minutes before bed is independently associated with disturbed sleep among young adults. Future work should use qualitative and experimental methods to further elucidate the directionality of-and mechanisms underlying-this association. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. MARKETING MIX BY BED OCCUPANCY RATIO (BOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Muhith

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Bed Occupancy Ratio (BOR in RSI Arafah Mojosari during the last three years are at under ideal rate and the lowest of the three existing hospitals in the area of Mojosari. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship marketing mix with Bed Occupancy Ratio in RSI Arafah Mojosari. Methods: This research uses analytic methods with crossectional approach. Variables in the study is marketing mix and Bed Occupancy Ratio (BOR. The population in this study were all patients hospitalized in the RSI Arafah Mojosari. Samples amounted 44 respondents taken by the Stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using the questionnaire and analyzed using Fisher's Exact test. Result: The results obtained more than 50% of respondents (59.1% rate well against the marketing mix is developed by the hospital management and the majority of respondents (79.5% are in the treatment room that has a number BOR is not ideal. Fisher Exact test test results obtained probabililty value=0.02<0.05 so that H0 is rejected, which means there is a relationship marketing mix with the Bed Occupancy Ratio in RSI Arafah Mojosari. Discussion: Hospitals which able to develop the marketing mix very well, can attract consumers to use inpatient services at the hospital, with that BOR value will increase as the increased use of inpatient services. Hospital management must be able to formulate a good marketing mix strategy that hospital marketing objectives can be achieved. Conformity between service quality and service rates must be addressed, otherwise it extent of media promotions can attract patients to inpatient services.

  4. Impacts of bedding directions of shale gas reservoirs on hydraulically induced crack propagation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keming Sun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Shale gas reservoirs are different from conventional ones in terms of their bedding architectures, so their hydraulic fracturing rules are somewhat different. In this paper, shale hydraulic fracturing tests were carried out by using the triaxial hydraulic fracturing test system to identify the effects of natural bedding directions on the crack propagation in the process of hydraulic fracturing. Then, the fracture initiation criterion of hydraulic fracturing was prepared using the extended finite element method. On this basis, a 3D hydraulic fracturing computation model was established for shale gas reservoirs. And finally, a series of studies were performed about the effects of bedding directions on the crack propagation created by hydraulic fracturing in shale reservoirs. It is shown that the propagation rules of hydraulically induced fractures in shale gas reservoirs are jointly controlled by the in-situ stress and the bedding plane architecture and strength, with the bedding direction as the main factor controlling the crack propagation directions. If the normal tensile stress of bedding surface reaches its tensile strength after the fracturing, cracks will propagate along the bedding direction, and otherwise vertical to the minimum in-situ stress direction. With the propagating of cracks along bedding surfaces, the included angle between the bedding normal direction and the minimum in-situ stress direction increases, the fracture initiation and propagation pressures increase and the crack areas decrease. Generally, cracks propagate in the form of non-plane ellipsoids. With the injection of fracturing fluids, crack areas and total formation filtration increase and crack propagation velocity decreases. The test results agree well with the calculated crack propagation rules, which demonstrate the validity of the above-mentioned model.

  5. Vestibular and Somatosensory Covergence in Postural Equilibrium Control: Insights from Spaceflight and Bed Rest Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulavara, A. P.; Batson, C. D.; Buxton, R. E.; Feiveson, A. H.; Kofman, I. S.; Lee, S. M. C.; Miller, C. A.; Peters, B. T.; Phillips, T.; Platts, S. H.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The goal of the Functional Task Test study is to determine the effects of space flight on functional tests that are representative of high priority exploration mission tasks and to identify the key underlying physiological factors that contribute to decrements in performance. We are currently conducting studies on both International Space Station (ISS) astronauts experiencing up to 6 months of microgravity and subjects experiencing 70 days of 6??head-down bed-rest as an analog for space flight. Bed-rest provides the opportunity for us to investigate the role of prolonged axial body unloading in isolation from the other physiological effects produced by exposure to the microgravity environment of space flight. This allows us to parse out the contribution of the body unloading somatosensory component on functional performance. Both ISS crewmembers and bed-rest subjects were tested using a protocol that evaluated functional performance along with tests of postural and locomotor control before and after space flight and bed-rest, respectively. Functional tests included ladder climbing, hatch opening, jump down, manual manipulation of objects and tool use, seat egress and obstacle avoidance, recovery from a fall, and object translation tasks. Astronauts were tested three times before flight, and on 1, 6, and 30 days after landing. Bed-rest subjects were tested three times before bed-rest and immediately after getting up from bed-rest as well as 1, 6, and 12 days after re-ambulation. A comparison of bed-rest and space flight data showed a significant concordance in performance changes across all functional tests. Tasks requiring a greater demand for dynamic control of postural equilibrium (i.e. fall recovery, seat egress/obstacle avoidance during walking, object translation, jump down) showed the greatest decrement in performance. Functional tests with reduced requirements for postural stability showed less reduction in performance. Results indicate that body unloading

  6. Dynamic testing and qualification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleine Tebbe, A.; Schmidt, G.; Theymann, W.

    1990-01-01

    The core structure of an HTR-plant consists of the side reflector, the bottom reflector, the top reflector and the pebble bed of spherical fuel elements. Dynamically this system is a many-body structure with non-linear force-deformation couplings. The integrity of the system under seismic loads is given by radially orientated spring packs. These spring packs must be stiff against earthquake loads, but must allow radial thermal movements. To verify the seismic safety of the system, scaled-down models were tested. The results of these tests were compared with those of analytical methods. The good-natured behaviour of the pebble-bed under seismic loads has been confirmed. Due to the granular structure of the non-regular packed pebble-bed, high damping occurs during seismic excitations. With increasing depth the damping ratio decreases because of restriction of movement. We are able to describe the seismic behaviour of the pebble-bed analytically. The one- and two-dimensional test configurations of the top reflector were used to analyse resonance and lumping effects. The experimental results were verified by the computer codes CRUNCH-1D AND CRUNCH-2D. The experimental investigations of the side reflector are underway. The results show a non-critical behaviour under horizontal excitations. Small rigid-body motions of single blocks are detected, but they do not cause any global ovalisations of the complete ring structure. Finite element calculations with contact and friction between the blocks show a close agreement with the experimental results. Seismic qualification of ground mounted electrical equipment is usually performed on the basis of codes like IEEE, IEC, KTA, etc. These standards give different possibilities of the excitation mode: sinusoidal excitation in every natural frequency (continuous or sine beat) or time history excitation which covers a prescribed required response spectrum. Recently performed tests are compared regarding the usefulness and severity

  7. Feather bedding and childhood asthma associated with house dust mite sensitisation: a randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glasgow, Nicholas J; Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Kemp, Andrew; Tovey, Euan; van Asperen, Peter; McKay, Karen; Forbes, Samantha

    2011-06-01

    Observational studies report inverse associations between the use of feather upper bedding (pillow and/or quilt) and asthma symptoms but there is no randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence assessing the role of feather upper bedding as a secondary prevention measure. To determine whether, among children not using feather upper bedding, a new feather pillow and feather quilt reduces asthma severity among house dust mite (HDM) sensitised children with asthma over a 1-year period compared with standard dust mite avoidance advice, and giving children a new mite-occlusive mattress cover. RCT. The Calvary Hospital in the Australian Capital Territory and the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales. 197 children with HDM sensitisation and moderate to severe asthma. Intervention New upper bedding duck feather pillow and quilt and a mite-occlusive mattress cover (feather) versus standard care and a mite-occlusive mattress cover (standard). The proportion of children reporting four or more episodes of wheeze in the past year; an episode of speech-limiting wheeze; or one or more episodes of sleep disturbance caused by wheezing; and spirometry with challenge testing. Statistical analysis included multiple logistic and linear regression. No differences between groups were found for primary end points--frequent wheeze (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.76, p=0.17), speech-limiting wheeze (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.48, p=0.35), sleep disturbed because of wheezing (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.64 to 2.13, p=0.61) or for any secondary end points. Secondary analyses indicated the intervention reduced the risk of sleep being disturbed because of wheezing and severe wheeze to a greater extent for children who slept supine. No differences in respiratory symptoms or lung function were observed 1 year after children with moderate-severe asthma and HDM sensitisation were given a mite-occlusive mattress cover and then received either feather upper bedding (pillow and quilt) or standard

  8. Characterization of residues from waste combustion in fluidized bed boilers. Evaluation report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagman, U.; Elander, P.

    1996-04-01

    In this report a thorough characterization of the solid residues from municipal solid waste combustion in a Kvaerner EnviroPower bubbling fluidized bed boiler in Lidkoeping, is presented. Three different end products are generated, namely bottom ash, cyclone ash, and filter ash. The bottom ash, consisting of bed ash and hopper ash, is screened and useful bed material recycled. In the characterization, also the primary constituents bed ash and hopper ash have been included. A chemical characterization have been performed including total inorganic contents, content of unburnt matter, leaching behaviour (availability tests, column tests, pH-static tests) and leaching tests according to certain standards for classification (AFX31-210, DIN38414, TCLP). Physical characterization have included grain size distribution, grain density, compaction properties and stabilization of cyclone ash with subsequent testing of comprehensive strength and saturated hydraulic conductivity. From an environmental point of view, the quality of the bottom ash and probably the cyclone ash from fluidized bed combustion as determined in this study, indicate a potential for utilization. Utilization of the bottom ash could be accepted in certain countries, e.g. France, according to their current limit values. In other countries, e.g. Sweden, no general limit values are given and utilization have to be applied for in each case. The judgement is then based, not only on total contents in the residue and its leaching behaviour, but also on the specific environmental conditions at the site. 7 refs, 17 figs, 12 tabs

  9. Comparision between bed side testing of blood glucose by glucometer vs centralized testing in a tertiary care hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baig, Ayaz; Siddiqui, Imran; Jabbar, Abdul; Azam, Syed Iqbal; Sabir, Salman; Alam, Shahryar; Ghani, Farooq

    2007-01-01

    To determine the accuracy, turnaround time and cost effectiveness of bedside monitoring of blood glucose levels by non-laboratory health care workers and centralized testing of blood glucose by automated analyzer in a tertiary care hospital. The study was conducted in Section of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology and Section of Endocrinology Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University and Hospital Karachi, from April 2005 to March 2006. One hundred and ten patients were included in the study. The blood glucose levels were analyzed on glucometer (Precision Abbott) by finger stick, using Biosensor Technology. At the same time venous blood was obtained to analyze glucose in clinical laboratory on automated analyzer (SYNCHRON CX7) by glucose oxidase method. We observed good correlation between bed side glucometer and laboratory automated analyzer for glucose values between 3.3 mmol/L (60 mg/dl) and 16.7 (300 mg/dl). A significant difference was observed for glucose values less than 3.3 mmol/L (p = 0.002) and glucose values more than 16.67 mmol/l (p = 0.049). Mean Turnaround time for glucometer and automated analyzer were 0.08 hours and 2.49 hours respectively. The cost of glucose testing with glucometer was 48.8% lower than centralized lab based testing. Bedside glucometer testing, though less expensive does not have good accuracy in acutely ill patient with either very high or very low blood glucose levels.

  10. Ceramic breeder pebble bed packing stability under cyclic loads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chunbo, E-mail: chunbozhang@fusion.ucla.edu [Fusion Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed A. [Fusion Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Park, Yi-Hyun [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • The feasibility of obtaining packing stability for pebble beds is studied. • The responses of pebble bed to cyclic loads have been presented and analyzed in details. • Pebble bed packing saturation and its applications are discussed. • A suggestion is made regarding the improvement of pebbles filling technique. - Abstract: Considering the optimization of blanket performance, it is desired that the bed morphology and packing state during reactor operation are stable and predictable. Both experimental and numerical work are performed to explore the stability of pebble beds, in particular under pulsed loading conditions. Uniaxial compaction tests have been performed for both KIT’s Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} and NFRI’s Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebble beds at elevated temperatures (up to 750 °C) under cyclic loads (up to 6 MPa). The obtained data shows the stress-strain loop initially moves towards the larger strain and nearly saturates after a certain number of cyclic loading cycles. The characterized FEM CAP material models for a Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4} pebble bed with an edge-on configuration are used to simulate the thermomechanical behavior of pebble bed under ITER pulsed operations. Simulation results have shown the cyclic variation of temperature/stress/strain/gap and also the same saturation trend with experiments under cyclic loads. Therefore, it is feasible for pebble bed to maintain its packing stability during operation when disregarding pebbles’ breakage and irradiation.

  11. Hydrogeochemistry and coal-associated bacterial populations from a methanogenic coal bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnhart, Elliott P.; Weeks, Edwin P.; Jones, Elizabeth J.P.; Ritter, Daniel J.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Clark, Arthur C.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Cunningham, Alfred B.; Vinson, David S.; Orem, William H.; Fields, Matthew W.

    2016-01-01

    Biogenic coalbed methane (CBM), a microbially-generated source of natural gas trapped within coal beds, is an important energy resource in many countries. Specific bacterial populations and enzymes involved in coal degradation, the potential rate-limiting step of CBM formation, are relatively unknown. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has established a field site, (Birney test site), in an undeveloped area of the Powder River Basin (PRB), with four wells completed in the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, one in the overlying sandstone formation, and four in overlying and underlying coal beds (Knoblach, Nance, and Terret). The nine wells were positioned to characterize the hydraulic conductivity of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed and were selectively cored to investigate the hydrogeochemistry and microbiology associated with CBM production at the Birney test site. Aquifer-test results indicated the Flowers-Goodale coal bed, in a zone from about 112 to 120 m below land surface at the test site, had very low hydraulic conductivity (0.005 m/d) compared to other PRB coal beds examined. Consistent with microbial methanogenesis, groundwater in the coal bed and overlying sandstone contain dissolved methane (46 mg/L average) with low δ13C values (−67‰ average), high alkalinity values (22 meq/kg average), relatively positive δ13C-DIC values (4‰ average), and no detectable higher chain hydrocarbons, NO3−, or SO42−. Bioassay methane production was greatest at the upper interface of the Flowers-Goodale coal bed near the overlying sandstone. Pyrotag analysis identified Aeribacillus as a dominant in situbacterial community member in the coal near the sandstone and statistical analysis indicated Actinobacteria predominated coal core samples compared to claystone or sandstone cores. These bacteria, which previously have been correlated with hydrocarbon-containing environments such as oil reservoirs, have demonstrated the ability to produce biosurfactants to break down

  12. An experimental simulation study of debris quenching in a radially stratified porous bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sehgal, B.R.; Nayak, A.K.; Stepanyan, A.

    2004-01-01

    test section with dimensions 350x350 mm containing sand which simulates the corium debris. The height of the bed was 500 mm. The sand bed with lower porosity was put at the centre of test section and the bed with higher porosity was put at the periphery. The porosities and size of the sand chosen were close to that observed in a corium debris bed. The sand beds were heated directly with heaters of maximum capacity 46 kW. The bed was quenched by flooding water from the top of the bed. For this, seven downcomers (six small size and the centre one large) were placed inside the test section to study their effects on quenching of the various sections of the debris bed. Those downcomers bring water from the top of the debris bed to the bottom and enable quenching from the bottom. In addition, provisions were made for water injection into the bed at four different points located symmetrically in the side wall of the test section. The level of water above the bed was always maintained at 0.5 m for each experiment. In order to study the effects of non-condensable gases on quenching and CCFL (counter current flooding limitations), air was injected at different velocities and its effect on quenching rate and possible existence of CCFL was investigated. Fig.1 shows a typical quenching result measured with top flooding using all downcomers. Also, we allowed water injection at four locations through the side walls. The bed was heated to a temperature of about 500 deg. C before water at 95 deg. C was added to the top of the bed. The graph shows the temperature listing at different axial locations in one radial plane. Thermocouples 0 to 5 are distributed from top to bottom at equally spaced axial intervals. The results show that the top and bottom of the bed are quenched much earlier than the middle section of the bed. The time for water to ingress to middle of section bed is quite large as evident from the above figure. The experiments are continuing and further results on the

  13. Experimental investigation of multidimensional cooling effects on the coolability of a debris bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashidi, M.; Kulenovici, R.; Laurieni, E.

    2011-01-01

    During a severe accident in a light water reactor, the core can melt and be relocated to the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel. There it can form a particulate debris bed due to the possible presence of water. Within the reactor safety research, the removal of decay heat from a debris bed (formed from corium and residual water) is of great importance. In order to investigate experimentally the long-term coolability of debris beds, the down-scaled non nuclear test facility DEBRIS has been established at IKE. The major objectives of the experimental investigations at this test facility are the determination of local pressure drops for steady state boiling to check friction laws, the determination of dryout heat fluxes under various conditions for validation of numerical models, and the analysis of quenching processes of dry hot debris beds. A large number of 1D-experiments were carried out to investigate the coolability limits for different bed configurations at various thermohydraulic conditions, and to validate numerical models which can be used in reactor safety studies. Analyses based on one-dimensional configurations underestimate the coolability in realistic multidimensional configurations, where lateral water access and water inflow via bottom regions are favored. This paper presents 2D experimental results, based on various kinds of water inflow conditions into the bed, boiling and dryout tests with different bed configurations and different system pressures. Preliminary results show that the system pressure has no significant effect on the fundamental shape of the pressure gradient inside the bed, whereas with increasing system pressure the coolability limits are increased

  14. Steady-state and dynamic evaluation of the electric propulsion system test bed vehicle on a road load simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dustin, M. O.

    1983-01-01

    The propulsion system of the Lewis Research Center's electric propulsion system test bed vehicle was tested on the road load simulator under the DOE Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program. This propulsion system, consisting of a series-wound dc motor controlled by an infinitely variable SCR chopper and an 84-V battery pack, is typical of those used in electric vehicles made in 1976. Steady-state tests were conducted over a wide range of differential output torques and vehicle speeds. Efficiencies of all of the components were determined. Effects of temperature and voltage variations on the motor and the effect of voltage changes on the controller were examined. Energy consumption and energy efficiency for the system were determined over the B and C driving schedules of the SAE J227a test procedure.

  15. Limestone fragmentation and attrition during fluidized bed oxyfiring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fabrizio Scala; Piero Salatino [Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione - CNR, Napoli (Italy)

    2010-04-15

    Attrition/fragmentation of limestone under simulated fluidized bed oxyfiring conditions was investigated by means of an experimental protocol that had been previously developed for characterization of attrition/fragmentation of sorbents in air-blown atmospheric fluidized bed combustors. The protocol was based on the use of different and mutually complementary techniques. The extent and pattern of attrition by surface wear in the dense phase of a fluidized bed were assessed in experiments carried out with a bench scale fluidized bed combustor under simulated oxyfiring conditions. Sorbent samples generated during simulated oxyfiring tests were further characterized from the standpoint of fragmentation upon high velocity impact by means of a purposely designed particle impactor. Results showed that under calcination-hindered conditions attrition and fragmentation patterns are much different from those occurring under air-blown atmospheric combustion conditions. Noteworthy, attrition/fragmentation enhanced particle sulfation by continuously regenerating the exposed particle surface. 13 refs., 8 figs.

  16. Long Duration Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest Studies: Safety Considerations Regarding Vision Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cromwell, Ronita L.; Zanello, S. B.; Yarbough, P. O.; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Taibbi, G.; Vizzeri, G.

    2012-01-01

    Visual symptoms reported in astronauts returning from long duration missions in low Earth orbit, including hyperopic shift, choroidal folds, globe flattening and papilledema, are thought to be related to fluid shifts within the body due to microgravity exposure. Because of this possible relation to fluid shifts, safety considerations have been raised regarding the ocular health of head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest subjects. HDT is a widely used ground ]based analog that simulates physiological changes of spaceflight, including fluid shifts. Thus, vision monitoring has been performed in bed rest subjects in order to evaluate the safety of HDT with respect to vision health. Here we report ocular outcomes in 9 healthy subjects (age range: 27-48 years; Male/Female ratio: 8/1) completing bed rest Campaign 11, an integrated, multidisciplinary 70-day 6 degrees HDT bed rest study. Vision examinations were performed on a weekly basis, and consisted of office-based (2 pre- and 2 post-bed rest) and in-bed testing. The experimental design was a repeated measures design, with measurements for both eyes taken for each subject at each planned time point. Findings for the following tests were all reported as normal in each testing session for every subject: modified Amsler grid, red dot test, confrontational visual fields, color vision and fundus photography. Overall, no statistically significant differences were observed for any of the measures, except for both near and far visual acuity, which increased during the course of the study. This difference is not considered clinically relevant as may result from the effect of learning. Intraocular pressure results suggest a small increase at the beginning of the bed rest phase (p=0.059) and lesser increase at post-bed rest with respect to baseline (p=0.046). These preliminary results provide the basis for further analyses that will include correlations between intraocular pressure change pre- and post-bed rest, and optical coherence

  17. The influence of fine char particles burnout on bed agglomeration during the fluidized bed combustion of a biomass fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scala, Fabrizio; Chirone, Riccardo [Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione, CNR, P.le V. Tecchio, 80-80125 Naples (Italy); Salatino, Piero [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le V. Tecchio, 80-80125 Naples (Italy)

    2003-11-15

    The combustion of biomass char in a bubbling fluidized bed is hereby addressed, with specific reference to the influence that the combustion of fine char particles may exert on ash deposition and bed agglomeration phenomena. Experiments of steady fluidized bed combustion (FBC) of powdered biomass were carried out with the aim of mimicking the postcombustion of attrited char fines generated in the fluidized bed combustion of coarse char. Experimental results showed that the char elutriation rate is much smaller than expected on the basis of the average size of the biomass powder and of the carbon loading in the combustor. Samples of bed material collected after prolonged operation of the combustor were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-EDX analysis and revealed the formation of relatively coarse sand-ash-carbon aggregates. The phenomenology is consistent with the establishment of a char phase attached to the bed material as a consequence of adhesion of char fines onto the sand particles. Combustion under sound-assisted fluidization conditions was also tested. As expected, enhancement of fines adhesion on bed material and further reduction of the elutriation rate were observed. Experimental results are interpreted in the light of a simple model which accounts for elutriation of free fines, adhesion of free fines onto bed material and detachment of attached fines by attrition of char-sand aggregates. Combustion of both free and attached char fines is considered. The parameters of the model are assessed on the basis of the measured carbon loadings and elutriation rates. Model computations are directed to estimate the effective size and the peak temperature of char-sand aggregates. The theoretical estimates of the effective aggregate size match fairly well those observed in the experiments.

  18. Management bedding : vrijloopstal met composterende bedding van houtsnippers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boer, de H.C.; Wiersma, M.; Galama, P.J.; Szanto, G.L.

    2015-01-01

    In de vrijloopstal liggen de koeien meestal op een organische bedding en scheiden daar mest (feces en urine) uit. Om de bedding voldoende droog en schoon te houden wordt er regelmatig nieuw strooisel aangevoerd en wordt de toplaag bewerkt. Op basis van onderzoek- en praktijkervaringen tot nu toe

  19. An Interactive Method to Solve Infeasibility in Linear Programming Test Assembling Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huitzing, Hiddo A.

    2004-01-01

    In optimal assembly of tests from item banks, linear programming (LP) models have proved to be very useful. Assembly by hand has become nearly impossible, but these LP techniques are able to find the best solutions, given the demands and needs of the test to be assembled and the specifics of the item bank from which it is assembled. However,…

  20. Endotoxin, Coliform, and Dust Levels in Various Types of Rodent Bedding

    OpenAIRE

    Whiteside, Tanya E; Thigpen, Julius E; Kissling, Grace E; Grant, Mary G; Forsythe, Diane B

    2010-01-01

    Endotoxins in grain dust, household dust, and animal bedding may induce respiratory symptoms in rodents and humans. We assayed the endotoxin, coliform, and dust levels in 20 types of rodent bedding. Endotoxin concentrations were measured by using a commercial test kit, coliform counts were determined by using conventional microbiologic procedures, and dust content was evaluated by using a rotating–tapping shaker. Paper bedding types contained significantly less endotoxin than did other beddin...

  1. A Six-DOF Buoyancy Tank Microgravity Test Bed with Active Drag Compensation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Chong; Chen, Shiyu; Yuan, Jianping; Zhu, Zhanxia

    2017-10-01

    Ground experiment under microgravity is very essential because it can verify the space enabling technologies before applied in space missions. In this paper, a novel ground experiment system that can provide long duration, large scale and high microgravity level for the six degree of freedom (DOF) spacecraft trajectory tracking is presented. In which, the most gravity of the test body is balanced by the buoyancy, and the small residual gravity is offset by the electromagnetic force. Because the electromagnetic force on the test body can be adjusted in the electromagnetic system, it can significantly simplify the balancing process using the proposed microgravity test bed compared to the neutral buoyance system. Besides, a novel compensation control system based on the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) method is developed to estimate and compensate the water resistance online, in order to improve the fidelity of the ground experiment. A six-DOF trajectory tracking in the microgravity system is applied to testify the efficiency of the proposed compensation controller, and the experimental simulation results are compared to that obtained using the classic proportional-integral-derivative (PID) method. The simulation results demonstrated that, for the six-DOF motion ground experiment, the microgravity level can reach to 5 × 10-4 g. And, because the water resistance has been estimated and compensated, the performance of the presented controller is much better than the PID controller. The presented ground microgravity system can be applied in on-orbit service and other related technologies in future.

  2. Thurstonian models for sensory discrimination tests as generalized linear models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brockhoff, Per B.; Christensen, Rune Haubo Bojesen

    2010-01-01

    as a so-called generalized linear model. The underlying sensory difference 6 becomes directly a parameter of the statistical model and the estimate d' and it's standard error becomes the "usual" output of the statistical analysis. The d' for the monadic A-NOT A method is shown to appear as a standard......Sensory discrimination tests such as the triangle, duo-trio, 2-AFC and 3-AFC tests produce binary data and the Thurstonian decision rule links the underlying sensory difference 6 to the observed number of correct responses. In this paper it is shown how each of these four situations can be viewed...

  3. Testing linear growth rate formulas of non-scale endogenous growth models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ziesemer, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Endogenous growth theory has produced formulas for steady-state growth rates of income per capita which are linear in the growth rate of the population. Depending on the details of the models, slopes and intercepts are positive, zero or negative. Empirical tests have taken over the assumption of

  4. Progress on pebble bed experimental activity for the HE-FUS3 mock-ups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dell'Orco, G.; Sansone, L.; Simoncini, M.; Zito, D.

    2002-01-01

    The EU Long Term for DEMO Programme foresees the qualification of the reference design of the helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) - test blanket module (TBM) to be tested in ITER Reactor. In this frame, FZK and ENEA have launched many experimental activities for the evaluation of the interactions between the Tritium breeder and neutron multiplier pebble beds and the steel containment walls. Main aim of these activities is the measuring the pebble bed effective thermal conductivity, the wall heat transfer coefficient as well as their dependency from the mechanical constraints. The paper presents the progress of the testing activity and results of the tests on two mock-up, called Tazza and Helichetta, carried out on the HE-FUS3 facility at ENEA Brasimone. (orig.)

  5. Proceedings of the 2. International Linear Collider Test-beam workshop - LCTW'09

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wormser, G.; Poeschl, R.; Takeshi, M.; Yu, J.; Hauptman, J.; Jeans, D.; Velthuis, J.; Repond, J.; Stanitzki, M.; Chefdeville, M.; Pauletta, G.; Hauptman, J.; Kulis, S.; Charpy, A.; Rivera, R.; Turchetti, M.; Vos, M.; Dehmelt, K.; Settles, R.; Decotigny, D.; Killenberg, M.; Haas, D.; Gaede, F.; Graf, N.; Wing, M.; Gaede, F.; Karstensen, S.; Meyners, N.; Hast, C.; Vrba, V.; Takeshita, T.; Kawagoe, K.; Linssen, L.; Ramberg, E.; Demarteau, M.; Fisk, H.E.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Videau, H.; Boudry, V.; Hauptman, J.; Lipton, R.; Nelson, T.

    2009-01-01

    At this workshop detector and simulation experts have described and discussed the necessary ILC (International Linear Collider) detector research and development program in view of its need for test beams. This workshop has provided an opportunity to evaluate the capabilities and shortcomings of existing facilities in the context of planned test beam activities. This document gathers together the slides of the presentations. The presentations have been classified into 4 topics: -) plans of sub-detectors - calorimetry, silicon and gaseous tracking, -) data acquisition, -) test beam facilities, and -) resources and infrastructure for future test beams

  6. Experimental purification of paclitaxel from a complex mixture of taxanes using a simulated moving bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Cremasco

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available A laboratory-scale simulated moving bed (SMB was designed and tested for the separation of paclitaxel, a powerful anti-cancer agent known as Taxol@, from impurities of a plant tissue culture (PTC broth. The innovative strategy of a pseudo-binary model, where mixtures A and B were treated as single solutes A and B, was used in the linear standing wave analysis to fix the SMB operating parameters for a multicomponent and complex system. Linear standing wave design was used to specify the zone flow rates and the switching time for the laboratory-scale SMB unit, with two steps of separation. The SMB consists of four packed columns, where each column is 12.5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter. Two sequential separation steps were used to recover paclitaxel from a small feed batch (less than one liter. Placlitaxel was recovered from the complex plant tissue culture broth in 82% yield and 72% purity.

  7. Lewis pressurized, fluidized-bed combustion program. Data and calculated results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollbuhler, R. J.

    1982-03-01

    A 200 kilowatt (thermal), pressurized, fluidized bed (PFB) reactor and research test facility were designed, constructed, and operated. The facility was established to assess and evaluate the effect of PFB hot gas effluent on aircraft turbine engine materials that may have applications in stationary powerplant turbogenerators. The facility was intended for research and development work and was designed to operate over a wide range of conditions. These conditions included the type and rate of consumption of fuel (e.g., coal) and sulfur reacting sorbent material: the ratio of feed fuel to sorbent material; the ratio of feed fuel to combustion airflow; the depth of the fluidized reaction bed; the temperature and pressure in the reaction bed; and the type of test unit that was exposed to the combustion exhaust gases.

  8. Bed retained products in swept fixed bed (SFB) coal hydropyrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mastral, A.M.; Perez-Surio, M.J. [CSIC, Zaragosa (Spain). Inst. de Carboquimica

    1997-12-31

    The hydropyrolysis of a low rank coal in a swept fixed bed (SFB) reactor is carried out by fixing the hydrogen pressure (40 kg/cm{sup 2}), the hydrogen flow (2 l/min) and the residence time (10 min) at increasing temperatures (400 C, 500 C and 600 C) and coal bed heights (h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.5h and 3h). It is shown that the percentages of tars and char directly depend on the coal bed height and that there is not only a quantitative dependence, but also the height of the coal bed is very important and plays a relevant role on the nature of the conversion products. (orig.)

  9. Exploring the role of flood transience in coarse bed load sediment transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, C. B.; Singer, M. B.; Hill, K. M.; Paola, C.

    2015-12-01

    The rate of bed load transport under steady flow is known to vary both spatially and temporally due to various hydrologic and granular phenomena. Grain size distributions and riverbed properties (packing, imbrication, etc.) are known to affect flux for a particular value of applied flow stress, while hydrology is mainly assumed to control the magnitude of the applied bed stress above the threshold for bed material entrainment. The prediction of bed load sediment transport in field settings is further complicated by the inherent transience in flood hydrology, but little is known about how such flood transience influences bed load flux over a range of applied bed stress. Here we investigate the role of flood transience for gravel bed load transport through controlled laboratory experiments in a 28 m long 0.5 meter wide flume. We explore transient flow as the combination of unsteady and intermittent flow, where unsteady flow varies in magnitude over a given duration, and intermittent flow is characterized by turning the flow on and off. We systematically vary these details of flood hydrographs from one experiment to the next, and monitor the bed load as it varies with water discharge in real time by measuring sediment flux and tracking particles. We find that even with a narrow unimodal grain size distribution and constant sediment supply we observe hysteresis in bed load flux, different thresholds for entrainment and distrainment for the rising and falling limbs of a flood, and a threshold of entrainment that can vary one flood hydrograph to the next. Despite these complex phenomena we find that the total bed load transported for each flood plots along a linear trend with the integrated excess stress, consistent with prior field results. These results suggest that while the effects of transient flow and the shape of the hydrograph are measurable, they are second-order compared to the integrated excess stress.

  10. Chemical characteristics of beddings for swine: effects of bedding depths and of addition of inoculums in a pilot-scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrêa, E K; Corezzolla, J L; Corrêa, M N; Bianchi, I; Gil-Turnes, C; Lucia, T

    2012-11-01

    The effect of depths and of addition of inoculums on the chemical content of swine beddings was evaluated. For beddings 0.25m (25D) and 0.50m (50D) deep, three treatments were tested in two repeats with the same beddings: control (no inoculums); T1 (250g of Bacillus cereus var. toyoii at 8.4×10(7)CFU/g); and T2 (250g of a pool of Bacillus sp. at 8.4×10(7)CFU/g) (250g for 25D and 500g for 50D). For 25D, the C:N ratio was lower, but N, K and C contents were greater than for 50D (P0.05). In the second repeat, beddings presented lower C:N ratio and greater N, P and K contents than in the first repeat (P<0.05). Thus, the compost produced after using 25D twice had greater fertilizer value than that of 50D. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The optics of the Final Focus Test Beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irwin, J.; Brown, K.; Bulos, F.; Burke, D.; Helm, R.; Roy, G.; Ruth, R.; Yamamoto, N.; Oide, K.

    1991-01-01

    The Final Focus Test Beam (FFTB), currently under construction at the end of the SLAC Linac, is being built by an international collaboration as a test bed for ideas and methods required in the design and construction of final focus systems for next generation e + e - linear colliders. The FFTB lattice shown is based on the previously developed principle of using sextupole pairs in a dispersive region to compensate chromaticity. The linear lattice was optimized for length, and implementation of diagnostic procedures. The transformations between sextupole pairs (CCX and CCY) are exactly -I, the matrix for the intermediate transformer (BX) is exactly diagonal, and the dispersion function has zero slope at the sextupoles and is thus zero at the minimum of the β x function in the intermediate transformer

  12. Heat transfer to immersed horizontal tubes in gas fluidized bed dryers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jonassen, Ola

    1999-10-01

    The main objective of this study was to construct heat pump fluidized bed dryers of the FHT type with improved dewatering capacity for a given size of the dryer. The use of heat exchangers immersed in the fluidized bed drying chambers is an important part of the FHT (Fluidized Bed High Temperature Heat Pump Dryer) concept. A pilot plant FHT dryer was built and successfully tested on fish meal raw material and seaweed. The plant included two fluidized bed drying chambers with immersed heat exchangers. The gain in water vapor of the drying air through the chambers was increased up to four times that of adiabatic drying. The energy saving concept was retained as a SMER ratio of 3.5 to 4.7 was measured in the same tests. Therefore optimization of the immersed heat exchangers was considered the most important single objective for this work. The optimization study of the heat exchangers was confined to the actual operating conditions for the dryers using: (1) Bubbling gas fluidized beds were used, (2) air as the only type of fluidising gas, (3) beds at atmospheric pressure, (4) bed temperatures below 100 {sup o}C, (5) fluidized particles of Geldart classes B and D, (6) horizontal tube banks for the immersed heat exchanger, and the influence of radiation heat transfer was ignored. The heat transfer study was confined to the fluidized bed side of the heat exchanger surface. It was concluded early in this work that the bubbles play a major role in generating the particle circulation inside the bed and hence also in heat transfer. Publications describing the most important bubble induced mechanisms contributing to high rates of heat transfer were found to be limited. Therefore the first part of this study was aimed at establishing a method for locating and measuring the size and rise velocity of bubbles inside the bed. The method established through this work using differential pressure measurements from two static pressure probes was used later in the study of heat transfer

  13. Rocky Flats Plant fluidized-bed incinerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meile, L.J.; Meyer, F.G.; Johnson, A.J.; Ziegler, D.L.

    1982-01-01

    Laboratory and pilot-scale testing of a fluidized-bed incineration process for radioactive wastes led to the installation of an 82-kg/hr demonstration unit at Rocky Flats Plant in 1978. Design philosophy and criteria were formulated to fulfill the needs and objectives of an improved radwaste-incineration system. Unique process concepts include low-temperature (550 0 C), flameless, fluidized-bed combustion and catalytic afterburning; in-situ neutralization of acid gases; and dry off-gas cleanup. Detailed descriptions of the process and equipment are presented along with a summary of the equipment and process performance during a 2-1/2 year operational-testing period. Equipment modifications made during the test period are described. Operating personnel requirements for solid-waste burning are shown to be greater than those required for liquid-waste incineration; differences are discussed. Process-utility and raw-materials consumption rates for full-capacity operation are presented and explained. Improvements in equipment and operating procedures are recommended for any future installations. Process flow diagrams, an area floor plan, a process-control-system schematic, and equipment sketches are included

  14. Thermal Analysis of Fluidized Bed and Fixed Bed Latent Heat Thermal Storage System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beemkumar, N.; Karthikeyan, A.; Shiva Keshava Reddy, Kota; Rajesh, Kona; Anderson, A.

    2017-05-01

    Thermal energy storage technology is essential because its stores available energy at low cost. Objective of the work is to store the thermal energy in a most efficient method. This work is deal with thermal analysis of fluidized bed and fixed bed latent heat thermal storage (LHTS) system with different encapsulation materials (aluminium, brass and copper). D-Mannitol has been used as phase change material (PCM). Encapsulation material which is in orbicular shape with 4 inch diameter and 2 mm thickness orbicular shaped product is used. Therminol-66 is used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF). Arrangement of encapsulation material is done in two ways namely fluidized bed and fixed bed thermal storage system. Comparison was made between the performance of fixed bed and fluidized bed with different encapsulation material. It is observed that from the economical point of view aluminium in fluidized bed LHTS System has highest efficiency than copper and brass. The thermal energy storage system can be analyzed with fixed bed by varying mass flow rate of oil paves a way to find effective heat energy transfer.

  15. Design and construction of an optical test bed for LISA imaging systems and tilt-to-length coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chwalla, M; Fitzsimons, E; Danzmann, K; Fernández Barranco, G; Gerberding, O; Heinzel, G; Lieser, M; Schuster, S; Schwarze, T S; Tröbs, M; Zwetz, M; Killow, C J; Perreur-Lloyd, M; Robertson, D I; Ward, H

    2016-01-01

    The laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) is a future space-based interferometric gravitational-wave detector consisting of three spacecraft in a triangular configuration. The interferometric measurements of path length changes between satellites will be performed on optical benches in the satellites. Angular misalignments of the interfering beams couple into the length measurement and represent a significant noise source. Imaging systems will be used to reduce this tilt-to-length coupling. We designed and constructed an optical test bed to experimentally investigate tilt-to-length coupling. It consists of two separate structures, a minimal optical bench and a telescope simulator. The minimal optical bench comprises the science interferometer where the local laser is interfered with light from a remote spacecraft. In our experiment, a simulated version of this received beam is generated on the telescope simulator. The telescope simulator provides a tilting beam, a reference interferometer and an additional static beam as a phase reference. The tilting beam can either be a flat-top beam or a Gaussian beam. We avoid tilt-to-length coupling in the reference interferometer by using a small photo diode placed at an image of the beam rotation point. We show that the test bed is operational with an initial measurement of tilt-to-length coupling without imaging systems. Furthermore, we show the design of two different imaging systems whose performance will be investigated in future experiments. (paper)

  16. Critical bed shear stress and threshold of motion of maerl biogenic gravel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Siddhi; Duffy, Garret Patrick; Brown, Colin

    2017-07-01

    A determination of the critical bed shear stress of maerl is a prerequisite for quantifying its mobility, rate of erosion and deposition in conservation management. The critical bed shear stress for incipient motion has been determined for the first time for samples from biogenic free-living maerl beds in three contrasting environments (open marine, intertidal and beach) in Galway Bay, west of Ireland. The bed shear stress was determined using two methods, Law of the Wall and Turbulent Kinetic Energy, in a rotating annular flume and in a linear flume. The velocity profile of flowing water above a bed of natural maerl grains was measured in four runs of progressively increasing flow velocity until the flow exceeded the critical shear stress of grains on the bed. The critical Shields parameter and the mobility number are estimated and compared with the equivalent curves for natural quartz sand. The critical Shields parameters for the maerl particles from all three environments fall below the Shields curve. Along with a previously reported correlation between maerl grain shape and settling velocity, these results suggest that the highly irregular shapes also allow maerl grains to be mobilised more easily than quartz grains with the same sieve diameter. The intertidal beds with the roughest particles exhibit the greatest critical shear stress because the particle thalli interlock and resist entrainment. In samples with a high percentage of maerl and low percentage of siliciclastic sand, the lower density, lower settling velocity and lower critical bed shear stress of maerl results in its preferential transport over the siliciclastic sediment. At velocities ∼10 cm s-1 higher than the threshold velocity of grain motion, rarely-documented subaqueous maerl dunes formed in the annular flume.

  17. Bed care for patients in palliative settings: considering risks to caregivers and bed surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fragala, Guy

    2015-02-01

    Ensuring patients are comfortable in bed is key to effective palliative care, but when moving and positioning patients in bed, health professionals face an occupational risk of injury. The turning and positioning (TAP) system is a new method of moving patients in bed, that evidence has shown to reduce the risk of injury to caregivers. Providing the correct bed surface is another aspect of bed care essential to the comfort of the palliative patient, and to aid wound prevention and treatment. It is important to take a patient-centred approach when considering the most appropriate bed surface patients. This article provides an overview and discussion of these two aspects of bed care for palliative patients.

  18. Numerical characterization of thermo-mechanical performance of breeder pebble beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An, Zhiyong; Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed

    2007-01-01

    A numerical approach using the discrete element method (DEM) has been applied to study the thermo-mechanical properties of ceramic breeder pebble beds. This numerical scheme is able to predict the inelastic behavior observed in a loading and unloading operation. In addition, it demonstrates that the average value of contact force increases linearly with overall pressure, but at a much faster rate, about 3.4 times the overall pressure increase rate. In this paper, the thermal creep properties of two different ceramic breeder pebble materials, Li 4 SiO 4 and Li 2 O, are also examined by the current numerical code. The difference found in the properties of candidate materials is reflected numerically in the overall strain in the pebble bed when the stress magnitude becomes smaller

  19. Numerical characterization of thermo-mechanical performance of breeder pebble beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An, Zhiyong; Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed

    2008-01-01

    A numerical approach using the discrete element method (DEM) has been applied to study the thermo-mechanical properties of ceramic breeder pebble beds. This numerical scheme is able to predict the inelastic behavior observed in a loading and unloading operation. In addition, it demonstrates that the average value of contact force increases linearly with overall pressure, but at a much faster rate, about 3.4 times the overall pressure increase rate. In this paper, the thermal creep properties of two different ceramic breeder pebble materials, Li 4 SiO 4 and Li 2 O, are also examined by the current numerical code. The difference found in the properties of candidate materials is reflected numerically in the overall strain in the pebble bed when the stress magnitude becomes smaller. (author)

  20. Fluid bed porosity equation for an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor with particles growing biofilm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campos-Diaz, K. E.; Limas-Ballesteros, R.

    2009-01-01

    Fluid Bed Bioreactor performance is strongly affected by bed void fraction or bed porosity fluctuations. Particle size enlargement due to biofilm growth is an important factor that is involved in these variations and until now there are no mathematical equations that consider biofilm growth. In this work a mathematical equation is proposed to calculate bed void fraction in an inverse fluid bed bioreactor. (Author)

  1. Fast-solving thermally thick model of biomass particles embedded in a CFD code for the simulation of fixed-bed burners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gómez, M.A.; Porteiro, J.; Patiño, D.; Míguez, J.L.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A thermally thick treatment is used to simulate of fuel the thermal conversion of solid biomass. • A dynamic subgrid scale is used to model the advance of reactive fronts inside the particle. • Efficient solution algorithms are applied to calculate the temperatures and volume of the internal layers. • Several tests were simulated and compared with experimental data. - Abstract: The thermally thick treatment of fuel particles during the thermal conversion of solid biomass is required to consider the internal gradients of temperature and composition and the overlapping of the existing biomass combustion stages. Due to the implied mixture of scales, the balance between model resolution and computational efficiency is an important limitation in the simulation of beds with large numbers of particles. In this study, a subgrid-scale model is applied to consider the intraparticle gradients, the interactions with other particles and the gas phase using a Euler–Euler CFD framework. Numerical heat transfer and mass conservation equations are formulated on a subparticle scale to obtain a system of linear equations that can be used to resolve the temperature and position of the reacting front inside the characteristic particle of each cell. To simulate the entire system, this modelling is combined with other submodels of the gas phase, the bed reaction and the interactions. The performance of the new model is tested using published experimental results for the particle and the bed. Similar temperatures are obtained in the particle-alone tests. Although the mass consumption rates tend to be underpredicted during the drying stage, they are subsequently compensated. In addition, an experimental batch-loaded pellet burner was simulated and tested with different air mass fluxes, in which the experimental ignition rates and temperatures are employed to compare the thermally thick model with the thermally thin model that was previously developed by the authors

  2. Aerobic exercise deconditioning and countermeasures during bed rest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Stuart M C; Moore, Alan D; Everett, Meghan E; Stenger, Michael B; Platts, Steven H

    2010-01-01

    Bed rest is a well-accepted model for spaceflight in which the physiologic adaptations, particularly in the cardiovascular system, are studied and potential countermeasures can be tested. Bed rest without countermeasures results in reduced aerobic capacity and altered submaximal exercise responses. Aerobic endurance and factors which may impact prolonged exercise, however, have not been well studied. The initial loss of aerobic capacity is rapid, occurring in parallel with the loss of plasma volume. Thereafter, the reduction in maximal aerobic capacity proceeds more slowly and is influenced by central and peripheral adaptation. Exercise capacity can be maintained during bed rest and may be improved during recovery with appropriate countermeasures. Plasma volume restoration, resistive exercise, orthostatic stress, aerobic exercise, and aerobic exercise plus orthostatic stress all have been tested with varying levels of success. However, the optimal combination of elements-exercise modality, intensity, duration, muscle groups exercised and frequency of aerobic exercise, orthostatic stress, and supplementary resistive or anaerobic exercise training-has not been systematically evaluated. Currently, frequent (at least 3 days per week) bouts of intense exercise (interval-style and near maximal) with orthostatic stress appears to be the most efficacious method to protect aerobic capacity during bed rest. Further refinement of protocols and countermeasure hardware may be necessary to insure the success of countermeasures in the unique environment of space.

  3. Development of the fluidized bed thermal treatment process for treating mixed waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semones, G.B.; Williams, P.M.; Stiefvater, S.P.; Mitchell, D.L.; Roecker, B.D.

    1993-01-01

    A fluidized bed system is being developed at Rocky Flats for the treatment of mixed waste (a mixture of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste). The current program builds on experience gained in the 1970's and 1980's in tests with bench-scale, pilot-scale, and demonstration-scale fluidized bed systems. The system operates at low temperatures (∼ 525--600 degree C) which eliminates many of the disadvantages associated with high temperature thermal treatment processes. The process has shown the ability to destroy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) with 99.9999% (''six-nines'') destruction efficiency in tests monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The bed makes use of in situ neutralization of acidic off-gases by incorporating sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) in the bed media. This eliminates using wet scrubbers to treat the off-gas; these produce a high volume of secondary waste. Once in operation, it is expected that the fluidized bed process will yield up to a 40:1 reduction in the volume of the waste

  4. Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol in a trickle bed reactor over a Pt/TiO2 catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maugans, Clayton B; Akgerman, Aydin

    2003-01-01

    Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol was studied in a batch and a trickle bed reactor using 4.45% Pt/TiO2 catalyst in the temperature range 150-205 degrees C. Kinetic data were obtained from batch reactor studies and used to model the reaction kinetics for phenol disappearance and for total organic carbon disappearance. Trickle bed experiments were then performed to generate data from a heterogeneous flow reactor. Catalyst deactivation was observed in the trickle bed reactor, although the exact cause was not determined. Deactivation was observed to linearly increase with the cumulative amount of phenol that had passed over the catalyst bed. Trickle bed reactor modeling was performed using a three-phase heterogeneous model. Model parameters were determined from literature correlations, batch derived kinetic data, and trickle bed derived catalyst deactivation data. The model equations were solved using orthogonal collocations on finite elements. Trickle bed performance was successfully predicted using the batch derived kinetic model and the three-phase reactor model. Thus, using the kinetics determined from limited data in the batch mode, it is possible to predict continuous flow multiphase reactor performance.

  5. Species removal from aqueous radioactive waste by deep-bed filtration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobre, Tănase; Zicman, Laura Ruxandra; Pârvulescu, Oana Cristina; Neacşu, Elena; Ciobanu, Cătălin; Drăgolici, Felicia Nicoleta

    2018-05-26

    Performances of aqueous suspension treatment by deep-bed sand filtration were experimentally studied and simulated. A semiempirical deterministic model and a stochastic model were used to predict the removal of clay particles (20 μm) from diluted suspensions. Model parameters, which were fitted based on experimental data, were linked by multiple linear correlations to the process factors, i.e., sand grain size (0.5 and 0.8 mm), bed depth (0.2 and 0.4 m), clay concentration in the feed suspension (1 and 2 kg p /m 3 ), suspension superficial velocity (0.015 and 0.020 m/s), and operating temperature (25 and 45 °C). These relationships were used to predict the bed radioactivity determined by the deposition of radioactive suspended particles (>50 nm) from low and medium level aqueous radioactive waste. A deterministic model based on mass balance, kinetic, and interface equilibrium equations was developed to predict the multicomponent sorption of 60 Co, 137 Cs, 241 Am, and 3 H radionuclides (0.1-0.3 nm). A removal of 98.7% of radioactive particles was attained by filtering a radioactive wastewater volume of 10 m 3 (0.5 mm sand grain size, 0.3 m bed depth, 0.223 kg p /m 3 suspended solid concentration in the feed suspension, 0.003 m/s suspension superficial velocity, and 25 °C operating temperature). Predicted results revealed that the bed radioactivity determined by the sorption of radionuclides (0.01 kBq/kg b ) was significantly lower than the bed radioactivities caused by the deposition of radioactive particles (0.5-1.8 kBq/kg b ). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. CFD Model of HDS Catalyst Tests in Trickle-Bed Reactor

    OpenAIRE

    Tukač, V.

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate hydrodynamic influence on experimental HDS catalyst activity measurement carried out in pilot scale trickle-bed reactor. Hydrodynamic data were evaluated by RTD method in laboratory glass model of pilot reactor. Mathematical models of the process were formulated both like 1D pseudohomogeneou and 3D heterogeneous ones. The aim of this work was to forecast interaction between intrinsic reaction kinetic, hydrodynamics and mass transfer.

  7. Devolatilization of oil sludge in a lab-scale bubbling fluidized bed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianguo; Jiang, Xiumin; Han, Xiangxin

    2011-01-30

    Devolatilization of oil sludge pellets was investigated in nitrogen and air atmosphere in a lab-scale bubbling fluidized bed (BFB). Devolatilization times were measured by the degree of completion of the evolution of the volatiles for individual oil sludge pellets in the 5-15 mm diameter range. The influences of pellet size, bed temperature and superficial fluidization velocity on devolatilization time were evaluated. The variation of devolatilization time with particle diameter was expressed by the correlation, τ(d) = Ad(p)(N). The devolatilization time to pellet diameter curve shows nearly a linear increase in nitrogen, whereas an exponential increase in air. No noticeable effect of superficial fluidization velocity on devolatilization time in air atmosphere was observed. The behavior of the sludge pellets in the BFB was also focused during combustion experiments, primary fragmentation (a micro-explosive combustion phenomenon) was observed for bigger pellets (>10mm) at high bed temperatures (>700 °C), which occurred towards the end of combustion and remarkably reduce the devolatilization time of the oil sludge pellet. The size analysis of bed materials and fly ash showed that entire ash particle was entrained or elutriated out of the BFB furnace due to the fragile structure of oil sludge ash particles. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Chaotic behavior in a hydrodynamic model of a fluidized bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schouten, J.C.; van den Bleek, C.M.

    1991-01-01

    Recent preliminary experimental studies using time-series analysis have demonstrated that the multi-phase flow in fluidized bed reactors can be characterized as chaotic. In the present paper, it is therefore argued that the chaotic time-dependence of fluidization is a characteristic feature which should be included in scaling rules for fluidized bed reactors. For example, the similarity groups applied in dimensionless fluidized bed scaling should be improved by extending them with functions of the relevant numbers from chaos theory, such as the correlation and embedding dimension or the maximum Lyapunov exponent. This requires that the dependence of these numbers on fluidization parameters must be theoretically and experimentally investigated. The concept of chaos in fluidization also requires that the classical, empirically developed, hydrodynamic models that are applied in fluidized bed scaling are amended to include time-dependence, non-linearity as well as a sufficient level of complexity before they can predict any chaotic behavior. An example is given of chaotic behavior generated in the classical counter-current flow model according to Van Deemter by writing the upwards solids velocity as a harmonic oscillating function of time. A low-dimensional strange attractor is found, embedded in two-dimensional phase space, of which the correlation dimension depends on the solids exchange coefficient

  9. Linear-rank testing of a non-binary, responder-analysis, efficacy score to evaluate pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Tyson H; Li, Shou-Hua; McCann, David J

    2016-11-23

    The design of pharmacological trials for management of substance use disorders is shifting toward outcomes of successful individual-level behavior (abstinence or no heavy use). While binary success/failure analyses are common, McCann and Li (CNS Neurosci Ther 2012; 18: 414-418) introduced "number of beyond-threshold weeks of success" (NOBWOS) scores to avoid dichotomized outcomes. NOBWOS scoring employs an efficacy "hurdle" with values reflecting duration of success. Here, we evaluate NOBWOS scores rigorously. Formal analysis of mathematical structure of NOBWOS scores is followed by simulation studies spanning diverse conditions to assess operating characteristics of five linear-rank tests on NOBWOS scores. Simulations include assessment of Fisher's exact test applied to hurdle component. On average, statistical power was approximately equal for five linear-rank tests. Under none of conditions examined did Fisher's exact test exhibit greater statistical power than any of the linear-rank tests. These linear-rank tests provide good Type I and Type II error control for comparing distributions of NOBWOS scores between groups (e.g. active vs. placebo). All methods were applied to re-analyses of data from four clinical trials of differing lengths and substances of abuse. These linear-rank tests agreed across all trials in rejecting (or not) their null (equality of distributions) at ≤ 0.05. © The Author(s) 2016.

  10. Hypothetical operation model for the multi-bed system of the Tritium plant based on the scheduling approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jae-Uk, E-mail: eslee@dongguk.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-Dong, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Min Ho; Yun, Sei-Hun [National Fusion Research Institute, 169-148-gil Kwahak-ro, Yusong-gu, Daejon 34133 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Euy Soo [Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, In-Beum [Department of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Mastership, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-Dong, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kun-Hong [Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-Dong, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • We introduce a mathematical model for the multi-bed storage system in the tritium plant. • We obtain details of operation by solving the model. • The model assesses diverse operation scenarios with respect to risk. - Abstract: In this paper, we describe our hypothetical operation model (HOM) for the multi-bed system of the storage and delivery system (SDS) of the ITER tritium plant. The multi-bed system consists of multiple getter beds (i.e., for batch operation) and buffer vessels (i.e., for continuous operation). Our newly developed HOM is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and has been extensively investigated to optimize chemical and petrochemical production planning and scheduling. Our model determines the timing, duration, and size of tasks corresponding to each set of equipment. Further, inventory levels for each set of equipment are calculated. Our proposed model considers the operation of one cycle of one set of getter beds and is implemented and assessed as a case study problem.

  11. Posttreatment Feeding Affects Mortality of Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Exposed to Insecticides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Narinderpal; Wang, Changlu; Cooper, Richard

    2016-02-01

    Insecticide sprays and dusts are used for controlling bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. In natural environments, bed bugs have daily access to hosts after they are exposed to insecticides. The established laboratory insecticide bioassay protocols do not provide feeding after insecticide treatments, which can result in inflated mortality compared with what would be encountered in the field. We evaluated the effect of posttreatment feeding on mortality of bed bugs treated with different insecticides. None of the insecticides tested had a significant effect on the amount of blood consumed and percent feeding. The effect of posttreatment feeding on bed bug mortality varied among different insecticides. Feeding significantly reduced mortality in bed bugs exposed to deltamethrin spray, an essential oil mixture (Bed Bug Fix) spray, and diatomaceous earth dust. Feeding increased the mean survival time for bed bugs treated with chlorfenapyr spray and a spray containing an essential oil mixture (Ecoraider), but did not affect the final mortality. First instars hatched from eggs treated with chlorfenapyr liquid spray had reduced feeding compared with nymphs hatched from nontreated eggs. Those nymphs hatched from eggs treated with chlorfenapyr liquid spray and successfully fed had reduced mortality and a higher mean survival time than those without feeding. We conclude that the availability of a bloodmeal after insecticide exposure has a significant effect on bed bug mortality. Protocols for insecticide efficacy testing should consider offering a bloodmeal to the treated bed bugs within 1 to 3 d after treatment. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Test results for three prototype models of a linear induction launcher

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zabar, Z.; Lu, X.N.; He, J.L.; Birenbaum, L.; Levi, E.; Kuznetsov, S.B.; Nahemow, M.D.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on the work on the linear induction launcher (LIL) started with an analytical study tht was followed by computer simulations and then was tested by laboratory models. Two mathematical representations have been developed to describe the launcher. The first, based on the field approach with sinusoidal excitation, has been validated by static tests on a small scale prototype fed at constant current and variable frequency. The second, a transient representation using computer simulation allows consideration of energization by means of a capacitor bank and a power conditioner. Tests performed on three small-scale prototypes up to 100 m/s muzzle velocities show good agreement with predicted performance

  13. Commissioning and Acceptance Testing of the existing linear accelerator upgraded to volumetric modulated arc therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varadharajan, Ekambaram; Ramasubramanian, Velayudham

    2013-01-01

    Aim The RapidArc commissioning and Acceptance Testing program will test and ensure accuracy in DMLC position, precise dose-rate control during gantry rotation and accurate control of gantry speed. Background Recently, we have upgraded our linear accelerator capable of performing IMRT which was functional from 2007 with image guided RapidArc facility. The installation of VMAT in the existing linear accelerator is a tedious process which requires many quality assurance procedures before the proper commissioning of the facility and these procedures are discussed in this study. Materials and methods Output of the machine at different dose rates was measured to verify its consistency at different dose rates. Monitor and chamber linearity at different dose rates were checked. DMLC QA comprising of MLC transmission factor measurement and dosimetric leaf gap measurements were performed using 0.13 cm3 and 0.65 cm3 Farmer type ionization chamber, dose 1 dosimeter, and IAEA 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm water phantom. Picket fence test, garden fence test, tests to check leaf positioning accuracy due to carriage movement, calibration of the leaves, leaf speed stability effects due to the acceleration and deceleration of leaves, accuracy and calibration of leaves in producing complex fields, effects of interleaf friction, etc. were verified using EDR2 therapy films, Vidar scanner, Omnipro accept software, amorphous silicon based electronic portal imaging device and EPIQA software.1–8 Results All the DMLC related quality assurance tests were performed and evaluated by film dosimetry, portal dosimetry and EPIQA.7 Conclusion Results confirmed that the linear accelerator is capable of performing accurate VMAT. PMID:24416566

  14. Commissioning and Acceptance Testing of the existing linear accelerator upgraded to volumetric modulated arc therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varadharajan, Ekambaram; Ramasubramanian, Velayudham

    2013-01-01

    The RapidArc commissioning and Acceptance Testing program will test and ensure accuracy in DMLC position, precise dose-rate control during gantry rotation and accurate control of gantry speed. Recently, we have upgraded our linear accelerator capable of performing IMRT which was functional from 2007 with image guided RapidArc facility. The installation of VMAT in the existing linear accelerator is a tedious process which requires many quality assurance procedures before the proper commissioning of the facility and these procedures are discussed in this study. Output of the machine at different dose rates was measured to verify its consistency at different dose rates. Monitor and chamber linearity at different dose rates were checked. DMLC QA comprising of MLC transmission factor measurement and dosimetric leaf gap measurements were performed using 0.13 cm(3) and 0.65 cm(3) Farmer type ionization chamber, dose 1 dosimeter, and IAEA 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm water phantom. Picket fence test, garden fence test, tests to check leaf positioning accuracy due to carriage movement, calibration of the leaves, leaf speed stability effects due to the acceleration and deceleration of leaves, accuracy and calibration of leaves in producing complex fields, effects of interleaf friction, etc. were verified using EDR2 therapy films, Vidar scanner, Omnipro accept software, amorphous silicon based electronic portal imaging device and EPIQA software.(1-8.) All the DMLC related quality assurance tests were performed and evaluated by film dosimetry, portal dosimetry and EPIQA.(7.) Results confirmed that the linear accelerator is capable of performing accurate VMAT.

  15. Hydrodynamics of a hybrid circulating fluidized bed reactor with a partitioned loop seal system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bae, Dal-Hee; Moon, Jong-Ho; Jin, Gyoung Tae; Shun, Dowon [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Minyoung; Park, Chan Seung; Norbeck, Joseph M. [University of California, Riverside (United States)

    2015-07-15

    A circulating fluidized bed (CFB) with a hybrid design has been developed and optimized for steam hydrogasification. The hybrid CFB is composed of a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) type combustor and a fast fluidized bed (FB) type gasifier. Char is burnt in the combustor and the generated heat is supplied to the gasifier along with the bed materials. Two different types of fluidized beds are connected to each other with a newly developed partitioned loop seal to avoid direct contact between two separate gas streams flowing in each fluidized bed. Gas mixing tests were carried out with Air and Argon in a cold model hybrid CFB to test the loop seal efficiency. Increase in solid inventory in the loop seal can improve the gas separation efficiency. It can be realized at higher gas velocity in fast bed and with higher solid inventory in the loop seal system. In addition, bed hydrodynamics was investigated with varying gas flow conditions and particle sizes in order to obtain a full understanding of changes of solid holdup in the FB. The solid holdup in the FB increased with increasing gas velocity in the BFB. Conversely, increase in gas velocity in the FB contributed to reducing the solid holdup in the FB. It was observed that changing the particle size of bed material does not have a big impact on hydrodynamic parameters.

  16. Hydrodynamics of a hybrid circulating fluidized bed reactor with a partitioned loop seal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Dal-Hee; Moon, Jong-Ho; Jin, Gyoung Tae; Shun, Dowon; Yun, Minyoung; Park, Chan Seung; Norbeck, Joseph M.

    2015-01-01

    A circulating fluidized bed (CFB) with a hybrid design has been developed and optimized for steam hydrogasification. The hybrid CFB is composed of a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) type combustor and a fast fluidized bed (FB) type gasifier. Char is burnt in the combustor and the generated heat is supplied to the gasifier along with the bed materials. Two different types of fluidized beds are connected to each other with a newly developed partitioned loop seal to avoid direct contact between two separate gas streams flowing in each fluidized bed. Gas mixing tests were carried out with Air and Argon in a cold model hybrid CFB to test the loop seal efficiency. Increase in solid inventory in the loop seal can improve the gas separation efficiency. It can be realized at higher gas velocity in fast bed and with higher solid inventory in the loop seal system. In addition, bed hydrodynamics was investigated with varying gas flow conditions and particle sizes in order to obtain a full understanding of changes of solid holdup in the FB. The solid holdup in the FB increased with increasing gas velocity in the BFB. Conversely, increase in gas velocity in the FB contributed to reducing the solid holdup in the FB. It was observed that changing the particle size of bed material does not have a big impact on hydrodynamic parameters

  17. Investigation of debris bed formation, spreading and coolability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kudinov, P.; Konovalenko, A.; Grishchenko, D.; Yakush, S.; Basso, S.; Lubchenko, N.; Karbojian, A. [Royal Institute of Technology, KTH. Div. of Nuclear Power Safety, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2013-08-15

    The work is motivated by the severe accident management strategy adopted in Nordic type BWRs. It is assumed that core melt ejected from the vessel will fragment, quench and form a coolable debris bed in a deep water pool below the vessel. In this work we consider phenomena relevant to the debris bed formation and coolability. Several DEFOR-A (Debris Bed Formation - Agglomeration) tests have been carried out with new corium melt material and a melt releasing nozzle mockup. The influence of the melt material, melt superheat, jet free fall height on the (i) faction of agglomerated debris, (ii) particle size distribution, (iii) ablation/plugging of the nozzle mockup has been addressed. Results of the DECOSIM (Debris Coolability Simulator) code validation against available COOLOCE data are presented in the report. The dependence of DHF on system pressure from COOLOCE experiments can be reproduced quite accurately if either the effective particle diameter or debris bed porosity is increased. For a cylindrical debris bed, good agreement is achieved in DECOSIM simulations for the particle diameter 0.89 mm and porosity 0.4. The results obtained are consistent with MEWA simulation where larger particle diameters and porosities were found to be necessary to reproduce the experimental data on DHF. It is instructive to note that results of DHF prediction are in better agreement with POMECO-HT data obtained for the same particles. It is concluded that further clarification of the discrepancies between different experiments and model predictions. In total 13 exploratory tests were carried out in PDS (particulate debris spreading) facility to clarify potential influence of the COOLOCE (VTT) facility heaters and TCs on particle self-leveling process. Results of the preliminary analysis suggest that there is no significant influence of the pins on self-leveling, at least for the air superficial velocities ranging from 0.17 up to 0.52 m/s. Further confirmatory tests might be needed

  18. Investigation of debris bed formation, spreading and coolability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudinov, P.; Konovalenko, A.; Grishchenko, D.; Yakush, S.; Basso, S.; Lubchenko, N.; Karbojian, A.

    2013-08-01

    The work is motivated by the severe accident management strategy adopted in Nordic type BWRs. It is assumed that core melt ejected from the vessel will fragment, quench and form a coolable debris bed in a deep water pool below the vessel. In this work we consider phenomena relevant to the debris bed formation and coolability. Several DEFOR-A (Debris Bed Formation - Agglomeration) tests have been carried out with new corium melt material and a melt releasing nozzle mockup. The influence of the melt material, melt superheat, jet free fall height on the (i) faction of agglomerated debris, (ii) particle size distribution, (iii) ablation/plugging of the nozzle mockup has been addressed. Results of the DECOSIM (Debris Coolability Simulator) code validation against available COOLOCE data are presented in the report. The dependence of DHF on system pressure from COOLOCE experiments can be reproduced quite accurately if either the effective particle diameter or debris bed porosity is increased. For a cylindrical debris bed, good agreement is achieved in DECOSIM simulations for the particle diameter 0.89 mm and porosity 0.4. The results obtained are consistent with MEWA simulation where larger particle diameters and porosities were found to be necessary to reproduce the experimental data on DHF. It is instructive to note that results of DHF prediction are in better agreement with POMECO-HT data obtained for the same particles. It is concluded that further clarification of the discrepancies between different experiments and model predictions. In total 13 exploratory tests were carried out in PDS (particulate debris spreading) facility to clarify potential influence of the COOLOCE (VTT) facility heaters and TCs on particle self-leveling process. Results of the preliminary analysis suggest that there is no significant influence of the pins on self-leveling, at least for the air superficial velocities ranging from 0.17 up to 0.52 m/s. Further confirmatory tests might be needed

  19. Pebble-bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lohnert, G.; Mueller-Frank, U.; Heil, J.

    1976-01-01

    A pebble-bed nuclear reactor of large power rating comprises a container having a funnel-shaped bottom forming a pebble run-out having a centrally positioned outlet. A bed of downwardly-flowing substantially spherical nuclear fuel pebbles is positioned in the container and forms a reactive nuclear core maintained by feeding unused pebbles to the bed's top surface while used or burned-out pebbles run out and discharge through the outlet. A substantially conical body with its apex pointing upwardly and its periphery spaced from the periphery of the container spreads the bottom of the bed outwardly to provide an annular flow down the funnel-shaped bottom forming the runout, to the discharge outlet. This provides a largely constant downward velocity of the spheres throughout the diameter of the bed throughout a substantial portion of the down travel, so that all spheres reach about the same burned-out condition when they leave the core, after a single pass through the core area

  20. The Safety of Hospital Beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K.; Bloswick, Donald

    2015-01-01

    To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients’ ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients’ use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated. PMID:28462302

  1. The research and development of pressurized ash agglomerating fluidized bed coal gasification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang Yitian; Wu Jinhu; Chen Hanshi [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan (China). Institute of Coal Chemistry

    1999-11-01

    Coal gasification tests in a pressurized ash agglomeration fluidized bed coal gasifier were carried out. The effects of pressure and temperature on the gasification capacity, carbon conversion, carbon content in discharged ash and gas composition were investigated. Gasification capacity was shown to be in direct proportion to operation pressure. Tests of hot gas dedusting using a moving granular bed were also carried out. 3 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

  2. Identification and MPC control of a circulation fluidized bed boiler using an LPV model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huang, J.; Ji, G.; Zhu, Y.; Lin, W.; Kothare, M.; Tade, M.; Vande Wouwer, A.; Smets, I.

    2010-01-01

    This work studies the identification and control of circulation fluidized bed (CFB) boilers. The CFB boiler under investigation shows strong nonlinearity due to big changes of steam load. A linear parameter varying (LPV) model is used to represent the process dynamics and used in control. The steam

  3. Simulation of a high efficiency multi-bed adsorption heat pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    TeGrotenhuis, W.E.; Humble, P.H.; Sweeney, J.B.

    2012-01-01

    Attaining high energy efficiency with adsorption heat pumps is challenging due to thermodynamic losses that occur when the sorbent beds are thermally cycled without effective heat recuperation. The multi-bed concept described here enables high efficiency by effectively transferring heat from beds being cooled to beds being heated. A simplified lumped-parameter model and detailed finite element analysis are used to simulate a sorption compressor, which is used to project the overall heat pump coefficient of performance. Results are presented for ammonia refrigerant and a nano-structured monolithic carbon sorbent specifically modified for the application. The effects of bed geometry and number of beds on system performance are explored, and the majority of the performance benefit is obtained with four beds. Results indicate that a COP of 1.24 based on heat input is feasible at AHRI standard test conditions for residential HVAC equipment. When compared on a basis of primary energy input, performance equivalent to SEER 13 or 14 are theoretically attainable with this system. - Highlights: ► A multi-bed concept for adsorption heat pumps is capable of high efficiency. ► Modeling is used to simulate sorption compressor and overall heat pump performance. ► Results are presented for ammonia refrigerant and a nano-structured monolithic carbon sorbent. ► The majority of the efficiency benefit is obtained with four beds. ► Predicted COP as high as 1.24 for cooling is comparable to SEER 13 or 14 for electric heat pumps.

  4. Enhanced stability of steep channel beds to mass failure and debris flow initiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prancevic, J.; Lamb, M. P.; Ayoub, F.; Venditti, J. G.

    2015-12-01

    Debris flows dominate bedrock erosion and sediment transport in very steep mountain channels, and are often initiated from failure of channel-bed alluvium during storms. While several theoretical models exist to predict mass failures, few have been tested because observations of in-channel bed failures are extremely limited. To fill this gap in our understanding, we performed laboratory flume experiments to identify the conditions necessary to initiate bed failures in non-cohesive sediment of different sizes (D = 0.7 mm to 15 mm) on steep channel-bed slopes (S = 0.45 to 0.93) and in the presence of water flow. In beds composed of sand, failures occurred under sub-saturated conditions on steep bed slopes (S > 0.5) and under super-saturated conditions at lower slopes. In beds of gravel, however, failures occurred only under super-saturated conditions at all tested slopes, even those approaching the dry angle of repose. Consistent with theoretical models, mass failures under super-saturated conditions initiated along a failure plane approximately one grain-diameter below the bed surface, whereas the failure plane was located near the base of the bed under sub-saturated conditions. However, all experimental beds were more stable than predicted by 1-D infinite-slope stability models. In partially saturated sand, enhanced stability appears to result from suction stress. Enhanced stability in gravel may result from turbulent energy losses in pores or increased granular friction for failures that are shallow with respect to grain size. These grain-size dependent effects are not currently included in stability models for non-cohesive sediment, and they may help to explain better the timing and location of debris flow occurrence.

  5. Thermal-hydraulic considerations for particle bed reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benenati, R.; Araj, K. J.; Horn, F.

    In the design of particle bed reactor (PBR) cores, consideration must be given to the gas coolant channels and their configuration. Neutronics analysis provides the relative volume fractions of the component materials, but these must be arranged in such a manner as to allow proper cooling of all components by the gas flow at relatively low pressure drops. The thermal hydraulic aspects of this problem are addressed. A description of the computer model used in the analysis of the steady state condition is also included. Blowdown tests on hot particle bed fuel elements were carried out and are described.

  6. Formation and removal of biomass-derived contaminants in fluidized-bed gasification processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurkela, E [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Production Technologies

    1997-12-31

    The objectives of this thesis were to examine the effects of the feedstock and the operating conditions of a fluidized-bed gasifier on the formation of tars and nitrogen-containing compounds and to study the effectiveness of the hot gas cleaning methods developed for the removal of particulates, alkali metals, tars and nitrogen-containing compounds. The most essential part of the work was carried out in the pressurized fluidized-bed gasification test facilities composed of an air-blown bubbling fluidized-bed gasifier and subsequent hot gas filter unit. The operation pressure of the test rig could be varied in the range 0.3 - 1.0 MPa and the maximum allowable gasification temperature was 1 050 deg C. The maximum capacity with biomass fuels was 80 kg/h. A wide range of feedstocks from hard coals, lignite and peat to different wood derived fuels and straw were used in the gasification tests. Two different types of ceramic filters were tested in the filter unit connected to the pressurized fluidized-bed gasifier. The filter unit was operated in a temperature range of 400 - 740 deg C. The particulate removal requirements set by the gas turbines were met by both types of filters and with product gases derived from all the feedstocks tested. In addition to the gasification and gas filtration tests, catalytic tar and ammonia decomposition was studied using both laboratory and bench-scale test facilities. Inexpensive calcium-based bulk materials, dolomites and limestones, were efficient tar decomposition catalysts in atmospheric-pressure tests

  7. Formation and removal of biomass-derived contaminants in fluidized-bed gasification processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurkela, E. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Production Technologies

    1996-12-31

    The objectives of this thesis were to examine the effects of the feedstock and the operating conditions of a fluidized-bed gasifier on the formation of tars and nitrogen-containing compounds and to study the effectiveness of the hot gas cleaning methods developed for the removal of particulates, alkali metals, tars and nitrogen-containing compounds. The most essential part of the work was carried out in the pressurized fluidized-bed gasification test facilities composed of an air-blown bubbling fluidized-bed gasifier and subsequent hot gas filter unit. The operation pressure of the test rig could be varied in the range 0.3 - 1.0 MPa and the maximum allowable gasification temperature was 1 050 deg C. The maximum capacity with biomass fuels was 80 kg/h. A wide range of feedstocks from hard coals, lignite and peat to different wood derived fuels and straw were used in the gasification tests. Two different types of ceramic filters were tested in the filter unit connected to the pressurized fluidized-bed gasifier. The filter unit was operated in a temperature range of 400 - 740 deg C. The particulate removal requirements set by the gas turbines were met by both types of filters and with product gases derived from all the feedstocks tested. In addition to the gasification and gas filtration tests, catalytic tar and ammonia decomposition was studied using both laboratory and bench-scale test facilities. Inexpensive calcium-based bulk materials, dolomites and limestones, were efficient tar decomposition catalysts in atmospheric-pressure tests

  8. An Optical Receiver Post Processing System for the Integrated Radio and Optical Communications Software Defined Radio Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nappier, Jennifer M.; Tokars, Roger P.; Wroblewski, Adam C.

    2016-01-01

    The Integrated Radio and Optical Communications (iROC) project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Glenn Research Center is investigating the feasibility of a hybrid radio frequency (RF) and optical communication system for future deep space missions. As a part of this investigation, a test bed for a radio frequency (RF) and optical software defined radio (SDR) has been built. Receivers and modems for the NASA deep space optical waveform are not commercially available so a custom ground optical receiver system has been built. This paper documents the ground optical receiver, which is used in order to test the RF and optical SDR in a free space optical communications link.

  9. An Optical Receiver Post-Processing System for the Integrated Radio and Optical Communications Software Defined Radio Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nappier, Jennifer M.; Tokars, Roger P.; Wroblewski, Adam C.

    2016-01-01

    The Integrated Radio and Optical Communications (iROC) project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center is investigating the feasibility of a hybrid radio frequency (RF) and optical communication system for future deep space missions. As a part of this investigation, a test bed for a radio frequency (RF) and optical software defined radio (SDR) has been built. Receivers and modems for the NASA deep space optical waveform are not commercially available so a custom ground optical receiver system has been built. This paper documents the ground optical receiver, which is used in order to test the RF and optical SDR in a free space optical communications link.

  10. Apparatus for controlling fluidized beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehmat, A.G.; Patel, J.G.

    1987-05-12

    An apparatus and process are disclosed for control and maintenance of fluidized beds under non-steady state conditions. An ash removal conduit is provided for removing solid particulates from a fluidized bed separate from an ash discharge conduit in the lower portion of the grate supporting such a bed. The apparatus and process of this invention is particularly suitable for use in ash agglomerating fluidized beds and provides control of the fluidized bed before ash agglomeration is initiated and during upset conditions resulting in stable, sinter-free fluidized bed maintenance. 2 figs.

  11. A review of some parameters involved in fluidized bed bioreactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wright, P.C. [School of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, The Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); Raper, J.A. [School of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, The Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia)

    1996-02-01

    Three-phase fluidized bed bioreactors have advantages over conventional chemical reaction systems. There is a lack of agreement over most major operational conditions, and a wide range of design variables are open to question. A large body of recent work in the field has been reviewed, with a degree of historical comparison and discussion. It has been found that aspects of fluidized bed biofilm reactors of vital importance include: choice of solid media, gas and liquid loadings, bacterial type and reactor mechanical design. A large proportion of the work in the field of three-phase fluidization is non-biologically specific, or not tested on a bacterially inoculated system. The majority of three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor work is in the field of water treatment. Although this work has highlighted the potential for use of bio-fluidized beds for this application, there are still specific problems hinderin the large scale industrial acceptance of three-phase fluidized bed bioreactors. (orig.)

  12. Glacier seismology: eavesdropping on the ice-bed interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, F.; Röösli, C.

    2015-12-01

    Glacier sliding plays a central role in ice dynamics. A number of remote sensing and deep drilling initiatives have therefore focused on the ice-bed interface. Although these techniques have provided valuable insights into bed properties, they do not supply theorists with data of sufficient temporal and spatial resolution to rigorously test mathematical sliding laws. As an alternative, passive seismic techniques have gained popularity in glacier monitoring. Analysis of glacier-related seismic sources ('icequakes') has become a useful technique to study inaccessible regions of the cryosphere, including the ice-bed interface. Seismic monitoring networks on the polar ice sheets have shown that ice sliding is not only a smooth process involving viscous deformation and regelation of basal ice layers. Instead, ice streams exhibit sudden slip episodes over their beds and intermittent phases of partial or complete stagnation. Here we discuss new and recently published discoveries of basal seismic sources beneath various glacial bodies. We revisit basal seismicity of hard-bedded Alpine glaciers, which is not the result of pure stick-slip motion. Sudden changes in seismicity suggest that the local configuration of the subglacial drainage system undergoes changes on sub daily time scales. Accordingly, such observations place constraints on basal resistance and sliding of hard-bedded glaciers. In contrast, certain clusters of stick-slip dislocations associated with micro seismicity beneath the Greenland ice sheet undergo diurnal variations in magnitudes and inter event times. This is best explained with a soft till bed, which hosts the shear dislocations and whose strength varies in response to changes in subglacial water pressure. These results suggest that analysis of basal icequakes is well suited for characterizing glacier and ice sheet beds. Future studies should address the relative importance between "smooth" and seismogenic sliding in different glacial environments.

  13. Fluidized bed combustion with the use of Greek solid fuels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kakaras Emmanuel

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is an overview of the results obtained up to date from the combustion and co-combustion activities with Greek brown coal in different installations, both in semi-industrial and laboratory scale. Combustion tests with Greek lignite were realized in three different Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC facilities. Low rank lignite was burned in a pilot scale facility of approx. 100kW thermal capacity, located in Athens (NTUA and a semi-industrial scale of 1.2 MW thermal capacity, located at RWE's power station Niederaussem in Germany. Co-combustion tests with Greek xylitic lignite and waste wood were carried out in the 1 MWth CFBC installation of AE&E, in Austria. Lab-scale co-combustion tests of Greek pre-dried lignite with biomass were accomplished in a bubbling fluidized bed in order to investigate ash melting problems. The obtained results of all aforementioned activities showed that fluidized bed is the appropriate combustion technology to efficiently exploit the low quality Greek brown coal either alone or in conjunction with biomass species.

  14. Bed diameter effects and incipient slugging in gas fluidized beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agarwal, P.K.

    1986-01-01

    The coalescence and growth of bubble swarms formed at the distributor of a fluidized bed gives rise to lateral as well as vertical distributions of bubble properties. However, existing models employ average bubble properties obtained largely from semi-empirical considerations. In a recent Paper, the author developed a bubble growth model based on a population balance approach. Analytical expressions were derived for the bubble characteristic distributions and averages. However, the model, developed for unconstrained growth, did not take into account the effect of the bed diameter and the possibility of slugging. In this Paper, the model is extended to take these aspects into account. A slugging criterion is also developed which is expected to be valid for the regime where incipient slugging depends on the bed height as well as the region where bed height does not significantly affect minimum slugging conditions

  15. Study on transient of fluidized bed nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Streck, E.E.

    1988-01-01

    The point kinetic equations for a Fluidized-Bed Nuclear Reactor are solved by the method of Hansen. Due to the time varying nature of the reactor volume, the equations have a non-conventional formulation (moving boundary problem), but the method of solution preserves its asymptotic convergence and efficiency characteristics under this formulation. A one dimensional and linearized thermal hydraulics feedback model was coupled to the point kinetic equations in order to obtain a more realistic representation of the reactor power. The resulting equations are solved by the Euler explicit method. (author)

  16. Status of the fluidized bed unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, P.M.; Wade, J.F.

    1994-01-01

    Rocky Flats has a serious mixed waste problem. No technology or company has a license and available facilities to remedy this dilemma. One solution under study is to use a catalytic fluidized bed unit to destroy the combustible portion of the mixed waste. The fluidized bed thermal treatment program at Rocky Flats is building on knowledge gained over twenty years of successful development activity. The FBU has numerous technical advantages over other thermal technologies to treat Rocky Flats' mixed waste, the largest being the lower temperature (700 degrees C versus 1000 degrees C) which reduces acid corrosion and mechanical failures and obviates the need for ceramic lining. Successful demonstrations have taken place on bench, pilot, and full-scale tests using radioactive mixed wastes. The program is approaching implementation and licensing of a production-scale fluidized bed system for the safe treatment of mixed waste. The measure for success on this project is the ability to work closely with the community to jointly solve problems and respond to concerns of mixed waste treatment at Rocky Flats

  17. Space and frequency-multiplexed optical linear algebra processor - Fabrication and initial tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casasent, D.; Jackson, J.

    1986-01-01

    A new optical linear algebra processor architecture is described. Space and frequency-multiplexing are used to accommodate bipolar and complex-valued data. A fabricated laboratory version of this processor is described, the electronic support system used is discussed, and initial test data obtained on it are presented.

  18. Executive function on the 16-day of bed rest in young healthy men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishizaki, Yuko; Fukuoka, Hideoki; Tanaka, Hidetaka; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Fujii, Yuri; Hattori-Uchida, Yuko; Nakamura, Minako; Ohkawa, Kaoru; Kobayashi, Hodaka; Taniuchi, Shoichiro; Kaneko, Kazunari

    2009-05-01

    Microgravity due to prolonged bed rest may cause changes in cerebral circulation, which is related to brain function. We evaluate the effect of simulated microgravity due to a 6° head-down tilt bed rest experiment on executive function among 12 healthy young men. Four kinds of psychoneurological tests—the table tapping test, the trail making test, the pointing test and losing at rock-paper-scissors—were performed on the baseline and on day 16 of the experiment. There was no significant difference in the results between the baseline and day 16 on all tests, which indicated that executive function was not impaired by the 16-day 6° head-down tilting bed rest. However, we cannot conclude that microgravity did not affect executive function because of the possible contribution of the following factors: (1) the timing of tests, (2) the learning effect, or (3) changes in psychophysiology that were too small to affect higher brain function.

  19. Heat transfer to immersed horizontal tubes in gas fluidized bed dryers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jonassen, Ola

    1999-07-01

    The main objective of this study was to construct heat pump fluidized bed dryers of the FHT type with improved dewatering capacity for a given size of the dryer. The use of heat exchangers immersed in the fluidized bed drying chambers is an important part of the FHT (Fluidized Bed High Temperature Heat Pump Dryer) concept. A pilot plant FHT dryer was built and successfully tested on fish meal raw material and seaweed. The plant included two fluidized bed drying chambers with immersed heat exchangers. The gain in water vapor of the drying air through the chambers was increased up to four times that of adiabatic drying. The energy saving concept was retained as a SMER ratio of 3.5 to 4.7 was measured in the same tests. Therefore optimization of the immersed heat exchangers was considered the most important single objective for this work. The optimization study of the heat exchangers was confined to the actual operating conditions for the dryers using: (1) Bubbling gas fluidized beds were used, (2) air as the only type of fluidizing gas,(3) beds at atmospheric pressure, (4) bed temperatures below 100 {sup o}C, (5) fluidized particles of Geldart classes B and D, (6) horizontal tube banks for the immersed heat exchanger and the influence of radiation heat transfer was ignored. The heat transfer study was confined to the fluidized bed side of the heat exchanger surface. It was concluded early in this work that the bubbles play a major role in generating the particle circulation inside the bed and hence also in heat transfer. Publications describing the most important bubble induced mechanisms contributing to high rates of heat transfer were found to be limited. Therefore the first part of this study was aimed at establishing a method for locating and measuring the size and rise velocity of bubbles inside the bed. The method established through this work using differential pressure measurements from two static pressure probes was used later in the study of heat transfer

  20. Effect of bed configuration on pebble flow uniformity and stagnation in the pebble bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jiang, Shengyao

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for HTR-PM. • Arc- and brachistochrone-shaped configuration effects are studied by DEM simulation. • Best bed configurations with uniform flow and no stagnated pebbles are suggested. • Detailed quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects are shown for explanation. - Abstract: Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for the design of pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor. Pebble flows inside some specifically designed contraction configurations of pebble bed are studied by discrete element method. The results show the characteristics of stagnation rates, recycling rates, radial distribution of pebble velocity and residence time. It is demonstrated clearly that the bed with a brachistochrone-shaped configuration achieves optimum levels of flow uniformity and recycling rate concentration, and almost no pebbles are stagnated in the bed. Moreover, the optimum choice among the arc-shaped bed configurations is demonstrated too. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested

  1. Visualization of bed material movement in a simulated fluidized bed heat exchanger by neutron radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umekawa, Hisashi; Ozawa, Mamoru; Takenaka, Nobuyuki; Matsubayashi, Masahito

    1999-01-01

    The bulk movement of fluidized bed material was visualized by neutron radiography by introducing tracers into the bed materials. The simulated fluidized bed consisted of aluminum plates, and the bed material was sand of 99.7% SiO 2 (mean diameter: 0.218 mm, density: 2555 kg/m 3 ). Both materials were almost transparent to neutrons. Then the sand was colored by the contamination of the sand coated by CdSO 4 . Tracer particles of about 2 mm diameter were made by the B 4 C, bonded by the vinyl resin. The tracer was about ten times as large as the particle of fluidized bed material, but the traceability was enough to observe the bed-material bulk movement owing to the large effective viscosity of the fluidized bed. The visualized images indicated that the bubbles and/or wakes were important mechanism of the behavior of the fluidized bed movement

  2. Experimental results on the coolability of a debris bed with multidimensional cooling effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashid, M.; Kulenovic, R.; Laurien, E.; Nayak, A.K.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: ► Performing of dryout experiments with a polydispersed bed for top- and bottom-flooding. ► Study of influence of different down comer configurations on the coolability of debris bed. ► Measurement of temperature profiles, pressure drops and determination of dryout heat flux. ► Observation of noticeable increase in coolability of debris bed with the use of down comer is observed. - Abstract: Within the reactor safety research, the removal of decay heat from a debris bed (formed from corium and residual water) is of great importance. In order to investigate experimentally the long term coolability of debris beds, the scaled test facility “DEBRIS” (Fig. 1) has been built at IKE. A large number of experiments had been carried out to investigate the coolability limits for different bed configurations (). Analyses based on one-dimensional configurations underestimate the coolability in realistic multidimensional configurations, where lateral water access and water inflow via bottom regions are favoured. Following the experiments with top- and bottom-flooding flow conditions this paper presents experimental results of boiling and dryout tests at different system pressures based on top- and bottom-flooding via a down comer configuration. A down comer with an internal diameter of 10 mm has been installed at the centre of the debris bed. The debris bed is built up in a cylindrical crucible with an inner diameter of 125 mm. The bed of height 640 mm is composed of polydispersed particles with particle diameters 2, 3 and 6 mm. Since the long term coolability of such particle bed is limited by the availability of coolant inside the bed and not by heat transfer limitations from the particles to the coolant, the bottom inflow of water improves the coolability of the debris bed and an increase of the dryout heat flux can be observed. With increasing system pressure, the coolability limits are enhanced (increased dryout heat flux).

  3. Method and apparatus for a combination moving bed thermal treatment reactor and moving bed filter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badger, Phillip C.; Dunn, Jr., Kenneth J.

    2015-09-01

    A moving bed gasification/thermal treatment reactor includes a geometry in which moving bed reactor particles serve as both a moving bed filter and a heat carrier to provide thermal energy for thermal treatment reactions, such that the moving bed filter and the heat carrier are one and the same to remove solid particulates or droplets generated by thermal treatment processes or injected into the moving bed filter from other sources.

  4. A Bed-Deformation Experiment Beneath Engabreen, Norway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iverson, N. R.; Hooyer, T. S.; Fischer, U. H.; Cohen, D.; Jackson, M.; Moore, P. L.; Lappegard, G.; Kohler, J.

    2001-12-01

    Although deformation of sediment beneath ice masses may contribute to their motion and may sometimes enable fast glacier flow, both the kinematics and mechanics of deformation are controversial. This controversy stems, in part, from subglacial measurements that are difficult to interpret. Measurements have been made either beneath ice margins or remotely through boreholes with interpretive limitations caused by uncertain instrument position and performance, uncertain sediment thickness and bed geometry, and unknown disturbance of the bed and stress state by drilling. We have used a different approach made possible by the Svartisen Subglacial Laboratory, which enables human access to the bed of Engabreen, Norway, beneath 230 m of temperate ice. A trough (2 m x 1.5 m x 0.4 m deep) was blasted in the rock bed and filled with sediment (75 percent sand and gravel, 20 percent silt, 5 percent clay). Instruments were placed in the sediment to record shear deformation (tiltmeters), dilation and contraction, total normal stress, and pore-water pressure. Pore pressure was manipulated by feeding water to the base of the sediment with a high-pressure pump, operated in a rock tunnel 4 m below the bed surface. After irregular deformation during closure of ice on the sediment, shear deformation and volume change stopped, and total normal stress became constant at 2.2 MPa. Subsequent pump tests, which lasted several hours, induced pore-water pressures greater than 70 percent of the total normal stress and resulted in shear deformation over most of the sediment thickness with attendant dilation. Ice separated from the sediment when effective normal stress was lowest, arresting shear deformation. Displacement profiles during pump tests were similar to those observed by Boulton and co-workers at Breidamerkurjökull, Iceland, with rates of shear strain increasing upward toward the glacier sole. Such deformation does not require viscous deformation resistance and is expected in a

  5. Fluidised bed combustion system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKenzie, E.C.

    1976-01-01

    Fluidized bed combustion systems that facilitates the maintenance of the depth of the bed are described. A discharge pipe projects upwardly into the bed so that bed material can flow into its upper end and escape downwardly. The end of the pipe is surrounded by an enclosure and air is discharged into the enclosure so that material will enter the pipe from within the enclosure and have been cooled in the enclosure by the air discharged into it. The walls of the enclosure may themselves be cooled

  6. Kinetic evaluation of an anaerobic fluidised-bed reactor treating slaughterhouse wastewater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borja, R. [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Seville (Spain). Inst. de la Grasa; Banks, C.J.; Zhengjian Wang [Manchester Univ. (United Kingdom). Inst. of Science and Technology

    1995-09-01

    An anaerobic fluidised-bed reactor for purification of slaughterhouse wastewater was modelled as a continuous-flow, completely-mixed homogeneous microbial system, with the feed COD as the limiting-substrate concentration. The average microbial residence time in the reactor was defined in terms of conventional sludge-retention-time. The experimental data obtained indicated that the Michaelis-Menten expression was applicable to a description of substrate utilisation (i.e. COD removal) in the anaerobic fluidised-bed system. The maximum substrate utilisation rate, k, and the Michaelis constant, K{sub s}, were determined to be 1.2/day and 0.039 g/l. The observed biomass yield in the reactor decreased with increasing sludge-retention-time. The specific methane production rate observed was a linear function of the specific substrate-utilisation rate. (Author)

  7. WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, E. K. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-05-06

    This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

  8. WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, E. K.

    2015-01-01

    This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

  9. Development of an Indoor Location Based Service Test Bed and Geographic Information System with a Wireless Sensor Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jan, Shau-Shiun; Hsu, Li-Ta; Tsai, Wen-Ming

    2010-01-01

    In order to provide the seamless navigation and positioning services for indoor environments, an indoor location based service (LBS) test bed is developed to integrate the indoor positioning system and the indoor three-dimensional (3D) geographic information system (GIS). A wireless sensor network (WSN) is used in the developed indoor positioning system. Considering the power consumption, in this paper the ZigBee radio is used as the wireless protocol, and the received signal strength (RSS) fingerprinting positioning method is applied as the primary indoor positioning algorithm. The matching processes of the user location include the nearest neighbor (NN) algorithm, the K-weighted nearest neighbors (KWNN) algorithm, and the probabilistic approach. To enhance the positioning accuracy for the dynamic user, the particle filter is used to improve the positioning performance. As part of this research, a 3D indoor GIS is developed to be used with the indoor positioning system. This involved using the computer-aided design (CAD) software and the virtual reality markup language (VRML) to implement a prototype indoor LBS test bed. Thus, a rapid and practical procedure for constructing a 3D indoor GIS is proposed, and this GIS is easy to update and maintenance for users. The building of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan is used as an example to assess the performance of various algorithms for the indoor positioning system. PMID:22319282

  10. Development of an Indoor Location Based Service Test Bed and Geographic Information System with a Wireless Sensor Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shau-Shiun Jan

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available In order to provide the seamless navigation and positioning services for indoor environments, an indoor location based service (LBS test bed is developed to integrate the indoor positioning system and the indoor three-dimensional (3D geographic information system (GIS. A wireless sensor network (WSN is used in the developed indoor positioning system. Considering the power consumption, in this paper the ZigBee radio is used as the wireless protocol, and the received signal strength (RSS fingerprinting positioning method is applied as the primary indoor positioning algorithm. The matching processes of the user location include the nearest neighbor (NN algorithm, the K-weighted nearest neighbors (KWNN algorithm, and the probabilistic approach. To enhance the positioning accuracy for the dynamic user, the particle filter is used to improve the positioning performance. As part of this research, a 3D indoor GIS is developed to be used with the indoor positioning system. This involved using the computer-aided design (CAD software and the virtual reality markup language (VRML to implement a prototype indoor LBS test bed. Thus, a rapid and practical procedure for constructing a 3D indoor GIS is proposed, and this GIS is easy to update and maintenance for users. The building of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan is used as an example to assess the performance of various algorithms for the indoor positioning system.

  11. Test of the linear-no threshold theory of radiation carcinogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, B.L.

    1994-01-01

    We recently completed a compilation of radon measurements from available sources which gives the average radon level, in homes for 1730 counties, well over half of all U.S. counties and comprising about 90% of the total U.S. population. Epidemiologists normally study the relationship between mortality risks to individuals, m, vs their personal exposure, r, whereas an ecological study like ours deals with the relationship between the average risk to groups of individuals (population of counties) and their average exposure. It is well known to epidemiologists that, in general, the average dose does not determine the average risk, and to assume otherwise is called 'the ecological fallacy'. However, it is easy to show that, in testing a linear-no threshold theory, 'the ecological fallacy' does not apply; in that theory, the average dose does determine the average risk. This is widely recognized from the fact that 'person-rem' determines the number of deaths. Dividing person-rem by population gives average dose, and dividing number of deaths by population gives mortality rate. Because of the 'ecological fallacy', epidemiology textbooks often state that an ecological study cannot determine a causal relationship between risk and exposure. That may be true, but it is irrelevant here because the purpose of our study is not to determine a causal relationship; it is rather to test the linear-no threshold dependence of m on r. (author)

  12. Definition of the linearity loss of the surface temperature in static tensile tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Risitano

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Static tensile tests on material for mechanical constructions have pointed out the linearity loss of the surface temperature with the application of load. This phenomenon is due to the heat generation caused by the local microplasticizations which carry the material to deviate from its completely thermoelastic behavior,. The identification of the static load which determines the loss of linearity of the temperature under stress, becomes extremely important to define a first dynamic characterization of the material. The temperature variations that can be recorded during the static test are often very limited (a few tenths of degree for every 100 MPa in steels and they require the use of special sensors able to measure very low temperature variations. The experience acquired in such analysis highlighted that, dealing with highly accurate sensors or with particular materials, the identification of the first linearity loss (often by eye in the temperature curves, can be influenced by the sensibility of the investigator himself and can lead to incorrect estimates. The aim of this work is to validate the above mentioned observations on different steels, by applying the autocorrelation function to the data collected during the application of a static load. This, in order to make the results of the thermal analysis free from the sensitivity of the operator and to make the results as objective as possible, for defining the closest time of the linearity loss in the temperature-time function.

  13. Astronomical cycle origin of bedded chert: A middle Triassic bedded chert sequence, Inuyama, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Masayuki; Tada, Ryuji; Sakuma, Hironobu

    2010-09-01

    Astronomical forcing is one of the main drivers of climate change, and astronomical cyclicity recorded in sediments provides a clue to understand the dynamics of the global climate system. Bedded cherts consist of rhythmic alternations of chert and shale beds. Although previous studies have hypothesized that the origin of bedded chert is related to astronomical cycles (e.g. Fischer, 1976; Hori et al., 1993), conclusive proof remains elusive. To explore this possibility, we established a continuous, high-resolution lithostratigraphy of middle Triassic bedded chert in Central Japan. The average duration of each chert-shale couplet is 20 kyr, similar to that of the precession cycle. Spectral analysis of a bed number series of thickness variations in chert beds was performed assuming that each chert-shale couplet represents a 20-kyr precession cycle. The results reveal cycles involving approximately 200, 20, 5, and 2-3 beds, corresponding to periodicities of approximately 4000, 400, 100, and 40-60 kyr, respectively. By further assuming that the 20-bed cycle represents a 405-kyr eccentricity cycle of constant and stable periodicity, we converted the bed number series to a time series. Spectral analysis of the time series revealed distinct periodicities of 3600, 117, 97, and 38 kyr, in addition to 405 kyr. Besides 3600 kyr, these periodicities agree well with the 120, 95, and 37 kyr periodicities for eccentricity cycles and the obliquity cycle during the Triassic. Moreover, we detected amplitude modulation of the approximately 100-kyr cycle of thickness variations in chert beds with a 405-kyr periodicity, which may correspond to amplitude modulation of 100-kyr climatic precession cycle with the 405-kyr periodicity. The approximately 3600-kyr periodicity described above and 1800-kyr periodicity manifested as the amplitude modulation of the 405-kyr cycle are correlated to present-day long-term eccentricity cycles of 2400 and 4800 kyr evolved by chaotic behavior of solar

  14. Continuous cleaning of heat exchanger with recirculating fluidized bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    St Kollbach, J.; Dahm, W.; Rautenbach, R.

    1987-01-01

    Fluidized bed heat exchangers for liquids have been studied in the United States, the Netherlands, and the Federal Republic of Germany. Between 1965 and 1970, fluidized bed heat exchangers were developed in the United States as brine heaters in seawater desalination. Furthermore, their potential in the utilization of geothermal energy was tested between 1975 and 1980. In the Netherlands, fluidized bed heat exchangers have been developed since 1973 for brine heating and heat recovery in multistage flash evaporators for seawater desalination and, since about 1980, for applications in the process industry. The authors became interested in fluidized bed heat exchangers first in 1978 in connection with wastewater evaporation. The authors emphasize that the results of all these groups were in basic agreement. They can be summarized as follows: 1. The fluidized bed will in many cases maintain totally clean surfaces and neither scaling nor fouling will occur. In cases where even a fluidized bed cannot completely prevent scaling or fouling, the thickness of the layer is controlled. In these cases stable operation maintaining acceptable overall heat transfer coefficients is possible without cleaning. 2. There are always excellent heat transfer coefficients as low superficial velocities of less than ν < 0.5 m/s. 3. The pressure losses are comparable with those in normal heat exchangers since fluidized bed heat exchangers are mostly operated at low superficial velocities. 4. Feed flow may be varied between 50 and 150% or more of the design feed flow. 5. Erosion is negligible. 6. Fluidized bed particles can be manufactured from all sorts of chemically and mechanically resistant materials, such as sand, glass, ceramics, and metals

  15. Sodium and steam leak simulation studies for fluidized bed steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keeton, A.R.; Vaux, W.G.; Lee, P.K.; Witkowski, R.E.

    1976-01-01

    An experimental program is described which was conducted to study the effects of sodium or steam leaking into an operating fluidized bed of metal or ceramic particles at 680 to 800 0 K. This effort was part of the early development studies for a fluidized-bed steam generator concept using helium as the fluidizing gas. Test results indicated that steam and small sodium leaks had no effect on the quality of fluidization, heat transfer coefficient, temperature distribution, or fluidizing gas pressure drop across the bed. Large sodium leaks, however, immediately upset the operation of the fluidized bed. Both steam and sodium leaks were detected positively and rapidly at an early stage of a leak by instruments specifically selected to accomplish this

  16. Feasibility study - Lowered bed temperature in Fluidised Bed boilers for waste; Foerstudie - Saenkt baeddtemperatur i FB-pannor foer avfallsfoerbraenning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niklasson, Fredrik

    2009-01-15

    Waste incineration generally serves two purposes; 1) dispose of waste and 2) generation of heat and power. In the process of power production from waste fuels, the steam temperatures in super heaters are generally limited by the severe fouling and corrosion that occurs at elevated material temperatures, caused by high concentrations of alkali metals and chloride in the flue gas and fly ash. The overall aim of a continuation of present project is to determine if a reduced temperature of the bed zone in a fluidized bed waste incinerator reduces the amount of alkali chlorides in the flue gas. If so, a reduced bed temperature might enable increased steam temperature in super heaters, or, at unchanged steam temperature, improve the lifespan of the super heaters. The results from the project are of interest for plant owners wishing to improve performance of existing plants. The results may also be used to modify the design of future plants by boiler manufacturers. The aim of present pre-study was to determine how far the bed temperature can be reduced in a waste fired fluidized bed boiler in Boraas while maintaining a stable operation with sufficient combustion temperature in the freeboard to fulfil the directives of waste incineration. A continuation of the project will be based on the results from present study. The work is based on experiments at the test boiler. During the present study, no other measurements were performed apart from some sampling of bed material and ashes at different modes of operation. The experiments show that it is possible to alter the air and recycled flue gas in such a manner that the bed temperature is reduced from about 870 deg C to 700 deg C at 100% load and normal fuel mixture, while fulfilling the directive of 850 deg C at 2 seconds. Within normal variations of the fuel properties, however, the bed temperature increases to somewhat above 700 deg C if the fuel turns dry, while it falls below 650 deg C when the fuel turns wet. With

  17. Bed-Deformation Experiments Beneath a Temperate Glacier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iverson, N. R.; Hooyer, T. S.; Fischer, U. H.; Cohen, D.; Jackson, M.; Moore, P. L.; Lappegard, G.; Kohler, J.

    2002-12-01

    Fast flow of glaciers and genesis of glacial landforms are commonly attributed to shear deformation of subglacial sediment. Although models of this process abound, data gathered subglacially on the kinematics and mechanics of such deformation are difficult to interpret. Major difficulties stem from the necessity of either measuring deformation near glacier margins, where conditions may be abnormal, or at the bottoms of boreholes, where the scope of instrumentation is limited, drilling disturbs sediment, and local boundary conditions are poorly known. A different approach is possible at the Svartisen Subglacial Laboratory, where tunnels melted in the ice provide temporary human access to the bed of Engabreen, a temperate outlet glacier of the Svartisen Ice Cap in Norway. A trough (2 m x 1.5 m x 0.5 m deep) was blasted in the rock bed, where the glacier is 220 m thick and sliding at 0.1-0.2 m/d. During two spring field seasons, this trough was filled with 2.5 tons of simulated till. Instruments in the till recorded shear (tiltmeters), volume change, total normal stress, and pore-water pressure as ice moved across the till surface. Pore pressure was brought to near the total normal stress by feeding water to the base of the till with a high-pressure pump, operated in a rock tunnel 4 m below the bed surface. Results illustrate some fundamental aspects of bed deformation. Permanent shear deformation requires low effective normal stress and hence high pore-water pressure, owing to the frictional nature of till. Shear strain generally increases upward in the bed toward the glacier sole, consistent with previous measurements beneath thinner ice at glacier margins. At low effective normal stresses, ice sometimes decouples from underlying till. Overall, bed deformation accounts for 10-35 % of basal motion, although this range excludes shear in the uppermost 0.05 m of till where shear was not measured. Pump tests with durations ranging from seconds to hours highlight the need

  18. Design of a Loose Part Monitoring System Test-bed using CompactRIO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Min-seok; Lee, Kwang-Dae; Lee, Eui-Jong [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    A loose part monitoring system (LPMS) is included in the NSSS integrity monitoring system (NIMS), which serves to detect loose parts in reactor coolant systems (RCS). LPMSs at Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in Korea follow the ASME OM standard and acquire data from 18 sensors simultaneously. Data acquisition requires a sampling rate of more than 50KHz along with a 12bit A/D converter. Existing LPMS equipment is composed of several different platforms, such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a micro control unit (MCU), and electric circuit cards. These systems have vulnerabilities, such as discontinuance due to aging and incompatibility issues between different pieces of equipment. This paper suggests CompactRIO as a new platform. We devised a Test-bed using CompactRIO and demonstrate that the proposed method meets the criteria required by the standard. The LPMS provides an alert when an impact event occurs and provides information with which to analyze the location, energy, and mass of the loose parts. LPMSs in NPPs in Korea operate on a variety of platforms. Thus, these systems are vulnerable to discontinuances due to aging and incompatibilities arising from the use of different type of equipment. In order to solve these problems, this paper suggests CompactRIO as a new platform. It is a rugged, reconfigurable, high-performance industrial embedded system. The results of performance tests meet the criteria set by the current standard.

  19. Application of CaO-Based Bed Material for Dual Fluidized Bed Steam Biomass Gasification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppatz, S.; Pfeifer, C.; Kreuzeder, A.; Soukup, G.; Hofbauer, H.

    Gasification of biomass is a suitable option for decentralized energy supply based on renewable sources in the range of up to 50 MW fuel input. The paper presents the dual fluidized bed (DFB) steam gasification process, which is applied to generate high quality and nitrogen-free product gas. Essential part of the DFB process is the bed material used in the fluidized reactors, which has significant impact on the product gas quality. By the use of catalytically active bed materials the performance of the overall process is increased, since the bed material favors reactions of the steam gasification. In particular, tar reforming reactions are favored. Within the paper, the pilot plant based on the DFB process with 100kW fuel input at Vienna University of Technology, Austria is presented. Actual investigations with focus on CaO-based bed materials (limestone) as well as with natural olivine as bed material were carried out at the pilot plant. The application of CaO-based bed material shows mainly decreased tar content in the product gas in contrast to experiments with olivine as bed material. The paper presents the results of steam gasification experiments with limestone and olivine, whereby the product gas composition as well as the tar content and the tar composition are outlined.

  20. Greater bottoms upgrading with Albemarle's e-bed catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toshima, H.; Sedlacek, Z.; Backhouse, D.; Mayo, S.; Plantenga, F. [Albemarle Catalysts, Houston, TX (United States)

    2006-07-01

    The E-bed process is a heavy oil upgrading technology that produces near isothermal reactor conditions at a constant catalytic activity. However, E-bed conversion optimization is limited by reactor and downstream fouling problems caused by asphaltene precipitation. While asphaltene precipitation can controlled by reducing hydrogenation, high hydrogenation activity is needed for the removal of sulfur and heavy metals. This presentation described an asphaltene molecule management concept to reduce the fouling of E-bed units. Sediment reduction and high hydrogenation catalysts were used in a modified E-bed process with a variety of feeds and operating conditions. It was observed that the KF1312 catalyst achieved much higher sediment-reduction capability along with satisfactory hydrogenation activity with the different kinds of crude oil sources tested. The catalyst hydrocracked the asphaltenes into smaller molecules, which created greater asphaltene solubility. The sediment reduction capacity of the catalyst-staging technology is now being optimized. It was concluded that the technology will help to reduce fouling in E-bed processes and lead to improved conversion rates for refineries. refs., tabs., figs.

  1. Biodegradation of phenolic waste liquors in stirred-tank, packed-bed, and fluidized-bed bioreactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holladay, D W; Hancher, G W; Chilcote, D D; Scott, C D

    1978-11-01

    The biological degradation of phenolic scrub liquors similar to those that arise in coal conversion processes was studied for symbiotic bacterial populations contained in a continuously stirred tank bioreactor, a three-phase packed-bed bioreactor, and a three-phase, fluidized-bed bioreactor. The conversions of phenol compounds were comparable in the three-phase, packed-bed bioreactor and the continuously stirred tank bioreactor; however, the packed-bed bioreactor degradation rates were as much as twice those in the continuously stirred tank bioreactor, and packed-bed bioreactor retention times were as low as one- tenth those of the continuously stirred tank bioreactors (minimum time was 12 hours).

  2. Improving Emergency Department flow through optimized bed utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chartier, Lucas Brien; Simoes, Licinia; Kuipers, Meredith; McGovern, Barb

    2016-01-01

    Over the last decade, patient volumes in the emergency department (ED) have grown disproportionately compared to the increase in staffing and resources at the Toronto Western Hospital, an academic tertiary care centre in Toronto, Canada. The resultant congestion has spilled over to the ED waiting room, where medically undifferentiated and potentially unstable patients must wait until a bed becomes available. The aim of this quality improvement project was to decrease the 90th percentile of wait time between triage and bed assignment (time-to-bed) by half, from 120 to 60 minutes, for our highest acuity patients. We engaged key stakeholders to identify barriers and potential strategies to achieve optimal flow of patients into the ED. We first identified multiple flow-interrupting challenges, including operational bottlenecks and cultural issues. We then generated change ideas to address two main underlying causes of ED congestion: unnecessary patient utilization of ED beds and communication breakdown causing bed turnaround delays. We subsequently performed seven tests of change through sequential plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. The most significant gains were made by improving communication strategies: small gains were achieved through the optimization of in-house digital information management systems, while significant improvements were achieved through the implementation of a low-tech direct contact mechanism (a two-way radio or walkie-talkie). In the post-intervention phase, time-to-bed for the 90th percentile of high-acuity patients decreased from 120 minutes to 66 minutes, with special cause variation showing a significant shift in the weekly measurements.

  3. Bed and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwata, Yuji; Ando, Chieko

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we describe bed (nest) and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, south-eastern Gabon. During an eight-month study 44 bed sites and 506 beds were found. Among these, 38.6% of bed sites and 4.1% of beds were reused. We analyzed the monthly frequency of bed-site reuse in relation to rainfall, fruit abundance, and fruit consumption by the gorillas. The different frequency of bed-site reuse in the rainy and dry seasons was not significant. More bed-site reuse was observed during the fruiting season than during the non-fruiting season. Results from fecal analysis suggested that gorillas ate more fruit in the fruiting season than in the non-fruiting season. The frugivorous diet of western gorillas may possibly cause gorillas to stay in some areas and, consequently, reuse their bed sites. Reuse of bed sites by gorillas suggests their frequent return to an area where preferred fruit is readily available. A higher percentage of arboreal beds may also affect bed-site reuse, because of the shortage of bed material.

  4. Computational fluid dynamic modeling of fluidized-bed polymerization reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rokkam, Ram [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Polyethylene is one of the most widely used plastics, and over 60 million tons are produced worldwide every year. Polyethylene is obtained by the catalytic polymerization of ethylene in gas and liquid phase reactors. The gas phase processes are more advantageous, and use fluidized-bed reactors for production of polyethylene. Since they operate so close to the melting point of the polymer, agglomeration is an operational concern in all slurry and gas polymerization processes. Electrostatics and hot spot formation are the main factors that contribute to agglomeration in gas-phase processes. Electrostatic charges in gas phase polymerization fluidized bed reactors are known to influence the bed hydrodynamics, particle elutriation, bubble size, bubble shape etc. Accumulation of electrostatic charges in the fluidized-bed can lead to operational issues. In this work a first-principles electrostatic model is developed and coupled with a multi-fluid computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model to understand the effect of electrostatics on the dynamics of a fluidized-bed. The multi-fluid CFD model for gas-particle flow is based on the kinetic theory of granular flows closures. The electrostatic model is developed based on a fixed, size-dependent charge for each type of particle (catalyst, polymer, polymer fines) phase. The combined CFD model is first verified using simple test cases, validated with experiments and applied to a pilot-scale polymerization fluidized-bed reactor. The CFD model reproduced qualitative trends in particle segregation and entrainment due to electrostatic charges observed in experiments. For the scale up of fluidized bed reactor, filtered models are developed and implemented on pilot scale reactor.

  5. Lagrangian Approach to Study Catalytic Fluidized Bed Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madi, Hossein; Hossein Madi Team; Marcelo Kaufman Rechulski Collaboration; Christian Ludwig Collaboration; Tilman Schildhauer Collaboration

    2013-03-01

    Lagrangian approach of fluidized bed reactors is a method, which simulates the movement of catalyst particles (caused by the fluidization) by changing the gas composition around them. Application of such an investigation is in the analysis of the state of catalysts and surface reactions under quasi-operando conditions. The hydrodynamics of catalyst particles within a fluidized bed reactor was studied to improve a Lagrangian approach. A fluidized bed methanation employed in the production of Synthetic Natural Gas from wood was chosen as the case study. The Lagrangian perspective was modified and improved to include different particle circulation patterns, which were investigated through this study. Experiments were designed to evaluate the concepts of the model. The results indicate that the setup is able to perform the designed experiments and a good agreement between the simulation and the experimental results were observed. It has been shown that fluidized bed reactors, as opposed to fixed beds, can be used to avoid the deactivation of the methanation catalyst due to carbon deposits. Carbon deposition on the catalysts tested with the Lagrangian approach was investigated by temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) analysis of ex-situ catalyst samples. This investigation was done to identify the effects of particles velocity and their circulation patterns on the amount and type of deposited carbon on the catalyst surface. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne(EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)

  6. Computational and experimental prediction of dust production in pebble bed reactors, Part II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mie Hiruta; Gannon Johnson; Maziar Rostamian; Gabriel P. Potirniche; Abderrafi M. Ougouag; Massimo Bertino; Louis Franzel; Akira Tokuhiro

    2013-10-01

    This paper is the continuation of Part I, which describes the high temperature and high pressure helium environment wear tests of graphite–graphite in frictional contact. In the present work, it has been attempted to simulate a Pebble Bed Reactor core environment as compared to Part I. The experimental apparatus, which is a custom-designed tribometer, is capable of performing wear tests at PBR relevant higher temperatures and pressures under a helium environment. This environment facilitates prediction of wear mass loss of graphite as dust particulates from the pebble bed. The experimental results of high temperature helium environment are used to anticipate the amount of wear mass produced in a pebble bed nuclear reactor.

  7. CRUCIBLE TESTING OF TANK 48H RADIOACTIVE WASTE SAMPLE USING FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMING TECHNOLOGY FOR ORGANIC DESTRUCTION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crawford, C

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of crucible scale testing with actual radioactive Tank 48H material was to duplicate the test results that had been previously performed on simulant Tank 48H material. The earlier crucible scale testing using simulants was successful in demonstrating that bench scale crucible tests produce results that are indicative of actual Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) pilot scale tests. Thus, comparison of the results using radioactive Tank 48H feed to those reported earlier with simulants would then provide proof that the radioactive tank waste behaves in a similar manner to the simulant. Demonstration of similar behavior for the actual radioactive Tank 48H slurry to the simulant is important as a preliminary or preparation step for the more complex bench-scale steam reformer unit that is planned for radioactive application in the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Shielded Cells Facility (SCF) later in 2008. The goals of this crucible-scale testing were to show 99% destruction of tetraphenylborate and to demonstrate that the final solid product produced is sodium carbonate. Testing protocol was repeated using the specifications of earlier simulant crucible scale testing, that is sealed high purity alumina crucibles containing a pre-carbonated and evaporated Tank 48H material. Sealing of the crucibles was accomplished by using an inorganic 'nepheline' sealant. The sealed crucibles were heat-treated at 650 C under constant argon flow to inert the system. Final product REDOX measurements were performed to establish the REDuction/OXidation (REDOX) state of known amounts of added iron species in the final product. These REDOX measurements confirm the processing conditions (pyrolysis occurring at low oxygen fugacity) of the sealed crucible environment which is the environment actually achieved in the fluidized bed steam reformer process. Solid product dissolution in water was used to measure soluble cations and anions, and to investigate insoluble

  8. New proposition on performance evaluation of hydrophobic Pt catalyst packed in trickle bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, Masami; Kitamoto, Asashi; Takashima, Yoichi.

    1983-01-01

    On the evaluation of the performance of the hydrophobic Pt catalyst packed in the trickle-bed test column, the conventionally defined (Ksub(y)a) and the newly defined (Ksub(f))sub (G) are compared with each other as a measure of the overall D-transfer coefficient. The value of (Ksub(y)a) varies in a wide range in accordance with the length of the test column. On the other hand (Ksub(f))sub (G sub (l = L)) has a finite value in the test column longer than about 0.5 m. By considering the values of ksub(g) and ksub(l) which are the constituents of (Ksub(f))sub (G), it is possible to improve the hydrophobic Pt catalyst trickle bed and to design the H 2 /H 2 O-isotopic exchange trickle-bed column packed with this catalyst. (author)

  9. Multi-bed patient room architectural evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evangelia Sklavou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Leveraging the physical environment’s merits is crucial in healthcare settings towards fostering sustainable healing conditions. In the future, the need to retrofit hospitals already appears more probable than to build new facilities. In Greece, holistic healthcare architecture has significant potential and room to develop. Aim: The architectural research of multi-bed patient room environment. Method: A sample of multi-bed patient rooms of a Greek hospital was studied per architectural documentation and user evaluation survey. Beyond recording the existing situation and user experience, user group differences and the influence of window proximity were studied. The survey sample was based on convenience and comprised 160 patients and 136 visitors. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS 20, using chi-square exact tests of independence. The chosen level of significance was p < 0.05. Results: Architectural documentation showed that the building morphology had a positive impact in patient rooms, with regard to sunlight penetration and view. Further solar daylight control was deemed necessary, to facilitate overall environmental comfort conditions. High spatial density and considerable disadvantages of the middle patient bed, compared to the one bedside the window and the one further in the back of the room, were also ascertained. User groups did not evaluate their surroundings significantly different, with the exception of ease of access to the view. Window proximity influenced both patients and visitors in evaluating ease of access to the view and visual discomfort. Patients were further affected on window size evaluation and visitors on view related aspects. Conclusions: Synergy between building form and function contributes in creating holistic sustainable healing environments. User evaluation can deviate from objective documentation. Patients and visitors experienced the patient room in a similar manner. The middle bed was

  10. The effect of vibration on bed voidage behaviors in fluidized beds with large particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Jin

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The effects of vibration parameters, operating conditions and material properties on bed voidage were investigated using an optical fiber probe approach in a vibrating fluidized bed with a diameter of 148 mm. Variables studied included frequency (0-282 s-1, amplitude (0 mm-1 mm, bed height (0.1 m-0.4 m as well as four kinds of particles (belonging to Geldart's B and D groups. The axial and radial voidage distribution with vibration is compared with that without vibration, which shows vibration can aid in the fluidization behaviors of particles. For a larger vibration amplitude, the vibration seriously affects bed voidage. The vibration energy can damp out for particle layers with increasing the bed height. According to analysis of experimental data, an empirical correlation for predicting bed voidage, giving good agreement with the experimental data and a deviation within ±15%, was proposed.

  11. Induced venous pooling and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise after bed rest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Convertino, V. A.; Sandler, H.; Webb, P.; Annis, J. F.

    1982-01-01

    Venous pooling induced by a specially constructed garment is investigated as a possible means for reversing the reduction in maximal oxygen uptake regularly observed following bed rest. Experiments involved a 15-day period of bed rest during which four healthy male subjects, while remaining recumbent in bed, received daily 210-min venous pooling treatments from a reverse gradient garment supplying counterpressure to the torso. Results of exercise testing indicate that while maximal oxygen uptake endurance time and plasma volume were reduced and maximal heart rate increased after bed rest in the control group, those parameters remained essentially unchanged for the group undergoing venous pooling treatment. Results demonstrate the importance of fluid shifts and venous pooling within the cardiovascular system in addition to physical activity to the maintenance of cardiovascular conditioning.

  12. False-positive results after environmental pinworm PCR testing due to Rhabditid nematodes in Corncob bedding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leblanc, Mathias; Berry, Kristina; Graciano, Sandy; Becker, Brandon; Reuter, Jon D

    2014-11-01

    Modern rodent colonies are housed in individually ventilated cages to protect the animals from contamination with adventitious pathogens. Standard health monitoring through soiled-bedding sentinels does not always detect infections, especially in the context of low pathogen prevalence. Recently proposed alternatives include analyzing environmental samples from the cages or rack exhaust by PCR to improve the detection of rodent pathogens but optimal sampling strategies have not yet been established for different microorganisms. Although generally very sensitive and specific, these molecular assays are not foolproof and subject to false-positive and -negative results and should always be interpreted cautiously with an overall understanding of the intrinsic controls and all the variables that may affect the results. Here, we report a limited Aspiculuris tetraptera outbreak in a mouse barrier facility that was detected by fecal PCR in sentinels and confirmed by fecal flotation and direct cecal examination of both sentinels and colony animals. The outbreak led to a widespread survey of all facilities for pinworms by using environmental PCR from ventilated rack exhaust plenums. Environmental PCR suggested an unexpected widespread contamination of all ventilated racks holding nonautoclaved cages, but results could not be confirmed in sentinel or colony animals by fecal flotation, cecal and colonic examination, or cage PCR testing. After additional investigation, the unexpected environmental PCR results were confirmed as false-positive findings due to the nonspecificity of the assay, leading to the amplification of rhabditid nematodes, which are not infectious in rodents but which contaminated the corncob bedding.

  13. Wave plus current over a ripple-covered bed

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fredsøe, Jørgen; Andersen, Ken Haste; Sumer, B. Mutlu

    1999-01-01

    This paper concerns the combined wave and current boundary layer flow over a ripple-covered bed, The study comprises experiments as well as a numerical modelling study: the experimental part comprises laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) velocity and turbulence measurements, and a flow-visualization st......This paper concerns the combined wave and current boundary layer flow over a ripple-covered bed, The study comprises experiments as well as a numerical modelling study: the experimental part comprises laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) velocity and turbulence measurements, and a flow......-visualization study in the laboratory with ripples, 22 cm in length, and 3.5 cm in height. One wave-alone, three current-alone, and three combined waves and current tests were conducted. The wave-velocity-to-current-velocity ratio ranges from 1 to 2.4. The orbiral-amplitude-ro-ripple-length ratio (at the bed) is 0.......41. The effect of superimposing waves on a current is to displace the velocity profile to higher elevations. The velocity profiles exhibit two "logarithmic layers", one associated with the actual roughness of the bed (the actual ripple roughness), and the other with the apparent roughness induced by the waves...

  14. Standard Test Method for Measuring Dose for Use in Linear Accelerator Pulsed Radiation Effects Tests

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2011-01-01

    1.1 This test method covers a calorimetric measurement of the total dose delivered in a single pulse of electrons from an electron linear accelerator or a flash X-ray machine (FXR, e-beam mode) used as an ionizing source in radiation-effects testing. The test method is designed for use with pulses of electrons in the energy range from 10 to 50 MeV and is only valid for cases in which both the calorimeter and the test specimen to be irradiated are“thin” compared to the range of these electrons in the materials of which they are constructed. 1.2 The procedure described can be used in those cases in which (1) the dose delivered in a single pulse is 5 Gy (matl) (500 rd (matl)) or greater, or (2) multiple pulses of a lower dose can be delivered in a short time compared to the thermal time constant of the calorimeter. Matl refers to the material of the calorimeter. The minimum dose per pulse that can be acceptably monitored depends on the variables of the particular test, including pulse rate, pulse uniformity...

  15. Computational and experimental prediction of dust production in pebble bed reactors, Part II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiruta, Mie; Johnson, Gannon [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States); Rostamian, Maziar, E-mail: mrostamian@asme.org [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States); Potirniche, Gabriel P. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States); Ougouag, Abderrafi M. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States); Bertino, Massimo; Franzel, Louis [Department of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284 (United States); Tokuhiro, Akira [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: • Custom-built high temperature, high pressure tribometer is designed. • Two different wear phenomena at high temperatures are observed. • Experimental wear results for graphite are presented. • The graphite wear dust production in a typical Pebble Bed Reactor is predicted. -- Abstract: This paper is the continuation of Part I, which describes the high temperature and high pressure helium environment wear tests of graphite–graphite in frictional contact. In the present work, it has been attempted to simulate a Pebble Bed Reactor core environment as compared to Part I. The experimental apparatus, which is a custom-designed tribometer, is capable of performing wear tests at PBR relevant higher temperatures and pressures under a helium environment. This environment facilitates prediction of wear mass loss of graphite as dust particulates from the pebble bed. The experimental results of high temperature helium environment are used to anticipate the amount of wear mass produced in a pebble bed nuclear reactor.

  16. Factors affecting cleanup of exhaust gases from a pressurized, fluidized-bed coal combustor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollbuhler, R. J.; Kobak, J. A.

    1980-01-01

    The cleanup of effluent gases from the fluidized-bed combustion of coal is examined. Testing conditions include the type and feed rate of the coal and the sulfur sorbent, the coal-sorbent ratio, the coal-combustion air ratio, the depth of the reactor fluidizing bed, and the technique used to physically remove fly ash from the reactor effluent gases. Tests reveal that the particulate loading matter in the effluent gases is a function not only of the reactor-bed surface gas velocity, but also of the type of coal being burnt and the time the bed is operating. At least 95 percent of the fly ash particules in the effluent gas are removed by using a gas-solids separator under controlled operating conditions. Gaseous pollutants in the effluent (nitrogen and sulfur oxides) are held within the proposed Federal limits by controlling the reactor operating conditions and the type and quantity of sorbent material.

  17. Results of radiotherapy in craniopharyngiomas analysed by the linear quadratic model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guerkaynak, M. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey); Oezyar, E. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey); Zorlu, F. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey); Akyol, F.H. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey); Lale Atahan, I. [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey)

    1994-12-31

    In 23 craniopharyngioma patients treated by limited surgery and external radiotherapy, the results concerning local control were analysed by linear quadratic formula. A biologically effective dose (BED) of 55 Gy, calculated with time factor and an {alpha}/{beta} value of 10 Gy, seemed to be adequate for local control. (orig.).

  18. Loading and Unloading Weaned Pigs: Effects of Bedding Types, Ramp Angle, and Bedding Moisture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arlene Garcia

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of non-slip surfaces during loading and unloading of weaned pigs plays an important role in animal welfare and economics of the pork industry. Currently, the guidelines available only suggest the use of ramps below 20° to load and unload pigs. Three ramp angles (0°, 10° or 20°, five bedding materials (nothing, sand, feed, wood shavings or wheat straw hay, two moistures (dry or wet bedding; >50% moisture over two seasons (>23.9 °C summer, <23.9 °C winter were assessed for slips/falls/vocalizations (n = 6,000 pig observations. “Score” was calculated by the sum of slips, falls, and vocalizations. With the exception of using feed as a bedding, all beddings provided some protection against elevated slips, falls, and vocalizations (P < 0.01. Providing bedding reduced (P < 0.05 scores regardless of whether the bedding was dry or wet. Scores increased as the slope increased (P < 0.01. Provision of bedding, other than feed, at slopes greater than zero, decreased slips, falls and vocalizations. The total time it took to load and unload pigs was

  19. Experimental studies on the coolability of packed beds. Flooding of hot dry packed beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leininger, S.; Kulenovic, R.; Laurien, E.

    2013-01-01

    In case of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant meltdown of the reactor core can occur and form a packed bed in the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) after solidification due to contact with water. The removal of after-heat and the long-term coolability is of essential interest. The efficient injection of cooling water into the packed bed has to be assured without endangering the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. The experiments performed aimed to study the dry-out and the quenching (flooding) of hot dry packed beds. Two different inflow variants, bottom- and top-flooding including the variation of the starting temperature of the packed bed and the injection rate were studied. In case of bottom flooding the quenching time increases with increasing packed bed temperature and decreasing injection rate. In case of top flooding the flow pattern is more complex, in a first phase the water flows preferentially toward the RPV wall, the flow paths conduct the water downwards. The flow resistance of the packed bed increases with increasing bed temperatures. The quenching temperatures increase significantly above average.

  20. Infestation by pyrethroids resistant bed bugs in the suburb of Paris, France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durand R.

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Bed bugs are hematophagous insects responsible for a re-emerging and challenging indoor pest in many countries. Bed bugs infestations may have health consequences including nuisance biting, cutaneous and systemic reactions. This resurgence can probably be attributed to factors such as increased international travel and development of resistance against insecticides. Resistance against pyrethroids has been reported several times from the USA and rarely in Europe. In France, very few data on bed bugs are available. The present study aimed to assess the infestation by bed bugs of a complex of two high-rise apartment buildings in the suburb of Paris and to evaluate their susceptibility to pyrethroid insecticides. We inspected for bed bugs 192 out of 198 apartments units (97% and interviewed their residents. 76 (39.6% apartments were infested. Among the 97 residents living in infested apartments, 53 (54.6% reported bed bug bites. A total of 564 bed bugs were collected in the infested units. Bioassays showed that 54 out of 143 bed bugs were resistant to pyrethroids (37.8%; 95% confidence interval: 29.9-45.7%. DNA sequencing showed that all bed bugs tested (n = 124 had homozygous L925I kdr-like gene mutation. The level of pyrethroid resistance found indicates that this phenomenon was already established in the site and prompts the need to reevaluate the wide use of pyrethroids to control bed bugs.

  1. Airborne Test Bed Facility

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Laboratory operates the main hangar on the Hanscom Air Force Base flight line. This very large building (~93,000sqft) accommodates the Laboratory's airborne test...

  2. A new method to quantify fluidized bed agglomeration in the combustion of biomass fuels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oehman, M. [Umeaa Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Chemistry

    1997-12-31

    -combustion of these fuels with coal. The results showed that loss of fluidization resulted from formation of molten phases coating the bed materials. By fuel mixing, the in-bed ash composition is altered, conferring higher melting temperatures and thereby preventing agglomeration and defluidization. In the last paper, a comparison between three techniques to predict bed agglomeration tendencies was performed. The limited applicability of the ASTM standard test was clearly illustrated as the resulting initial deformation temperatures were found to be 100 - 900 deg C higher than those from the compression strength and bench scale FBC tests. With some minor modifications of a compression strength based sintering method, a relatively good agreement was obtained with the actual bed agglomeration results 90 refs, 6 figs

  3. Use of rice husk for the removal of methylene blue in fixed-bed columns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yurany A. Villada-Villada

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This work shows the use of rice husk in the removal of cationic dye methylene blue on continuous system. A factorial design 23 with center points and random distribution was implemented to evaluate the correlation of the experimental factors in the adsorption process. The considered variables were pH, particle size, salt presence, flow rate, dye initial concentration, and bed depth. The samples were analyzed in defined time intervals. The amount of removed dye was quantified by UV spectroscopy - Visible. Adams-Bohart, Thomas and BDST (Bed-depht/service time analysis models were used to predict the breakthrough curves using non-linear regression and establish the characteristic parameters of the process. It was found that the transference of dye toward the adsorbent is favored by a basic pH, a small particle size, low flow rate and dye concentration, and high bed depth. The design of experiments established that the initial dye concentration and the bed depth were the most significant factors. Regarding the models, the Thomas provided the best fit to describe the breakthrough curves in experimental conditions and Adams-Bohart was found suitable for dynamic behavior limited to the initial part. Finally, BDST model exhibited a good correlation and allowed to establish that bed depth is a determinant factor for scaling process.

  4. Study on effective particle diameters and coolability of particulate beds packed with irregular multi-size particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thakre, S.; Ma, W.; Kudinov, P.; Bechta, S. [Royal Institute of Technology, KTH. Div. of Nuclear Power Safety, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2013-08-15

    One of the key questions in severe accident research is the coolability of the debris bed, i.e., whether decay heat can be completely removed by the coolant flow into the debris bed. Extensive experimental and analytical work has been done to substantiate the coolability research. Most of the available experimental data is related to the beds packed with single size (mostly spherical) particles, and less data is available for multi-size/irregular-shape particles. There are several analytical models available, which rely on the mean particle diameter and porosity of the bed in their predictions. Two different types of particles were used to investigate coolability of particulate beds at VTT, Finland. The first type is irregular-shape Aluminum Oxide gravel particles whose sizes vary from 0.25 mm to 10 mm, which were employed in the STYX experiment programme (2001-2008). The second type is spherical beads of Zirconium silicate whose sizes vary between 0.8 mm to 1 mm, which were used in the COOLOCE tests (Takasuo et al., 2012) to study the effect of multi-dimensional flooding on coolability. In the present work, the two types of particles are used in the POMECO-FL and POMECO-HT test facility to obtain their effective particle diameters and dryout heat flux of the beds, respectively. The main idea is to check how the heaters' orientations (vertical in COOLOCE vs. horizontal in POMECO-HT) and diameters (6 mm in COOLOCE vs. 3 mm in POMECO-HT) affect the coolability (dryout heat flux) of the test beds. The tests carried out on the POMECO-FL facility using a bed packed with aluminum oxide gravel particles show the effective particle diameter of the gravel particles is 0.65 mm, by which the frictional pressure gradient can be predicted by the Ergun equation. After the water superficial velocity is higher than 0.0025 m/s, the pressure gradient is underestimated. The effective particle diameter of the zirconium particles is found as 0.8 mm. The dryout heat flux is measured on

  5. Study on effective particle diameters and coolability of particulate beds packed with irregular multi-size particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thakre, S.; Ma, W.; Kudinov, P.; Bechta, S.

    2013-08-01

    One of the key questions in severe accident research is the coolability of the debris bed, i.e., whether decay heat can be completely removed by the coolant flow into the debris bed. Extensive experimental and analytical work has been done to substantiate the coolability research. Most of the available experimental data is related to the beds packed with single size (mostly spherical) particles, and less data is available for multi-size/irregular-shape particles. There are several analytical models available, which rely on the mean particle diameter and porosity of the bed in their predictions. Two different types of particles were used to investigate coolability of particulate beds at VTT, Finland. The first type is irregular-shape Aluminum Oxide gravel particles whose sizes vary from 0.25 mm to 10 mm, which were employed in the STYX experiment programme (2001-2008). The second type is spherical beads of Zirconium silicate whose sizes vary between 0.8 mm to 1 mm, which were used in the COOLOCE tests (Takasuo et al., 2012) to study the effect of multi-dimensional flooding on coolability. In the present work, the two types of particles are used in the POMECO-FL and POMECO-HT test facility to obtain their effective particle diameters and dryout heat flux of the beds, respectively. The main idea is to check how the heaters' orientations (vertical in COOLOCE vs. horizontal in POMECO-HT) and diameters (6 mm in COOLOCE vs. 3 mm in POMECO-HT) affect the coolability (dryout heat flux) of the test beds. The tests carried out on the POMECO-FL facility using a bed packed with aluminum oxide gravel particles show the effective particle diameter of the gravel particles is 0.65 mm, by which the frictional pressure gradient can be predicted by the Ergun equation. After the water superficial velocity is higher than 0.0025 m/s, the pressure gradient is underestimated. The effective particle diameter of the zirconium particles is found as 0.8 mm. The dryout heat flux is measured on

  6. The effect of bed non-uniformities and porosity of particles on dryout in boiling particle beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macbeth, R.V.; Mogford, D.J.; Willshire, S.J.

    1988-03-01

    This report relates to an on-going experimental programme concerned with the coolability of beds of reactor core debris or rubble immersed in a liquid coolant, as might occur in an accident situation. The objectives are to develop experimental techniques, improve the understanding of bed cooling mechanisms, determine dry-out limitations of various bed configurations and particle shapes and sizes and devise ways of improving bed coolability. The report concentrates on a recently discovered effect on bed coolability of particle porosity, such as exists in fragmented UO 2 fuel pellets. It is shown that porosity can lower bed dry-out powers by a factor of 4 or 5. A mechanism which explains the effect is presented. The report also gives results of bed non-uniformities obtained by mixing glass particles with the dielectrically heated 'ferrite' particles used in the experiments. (author)

  7. A test-bed modeling study for wave resource assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Z.; Neary, V. S.; Wang, T.; Gunawan, B.; Dallman, A.

    2016-02-01

    Hindcasts from phase-averaged wave models are commonly used to estimate standard statistics used in wave energy resource assessments. However, the research community and wave energy converter industry is lacking a well-documented and consistent modeling approach for conducting these resource assessments at different phases of WEC project development, and at different spatial scales, e.g., from small-scale pilot study to large-scale commercial deployment. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate current wave model codes, as well as limitations and knowledge gaps for predicting sea states, in order to establish best wave modeling practices, and to identify future research needs to improve wave prediction for resource assessment. This paper presents the first phase of an on-going modeling study to address these concerns. The modeling study is being conducted at a test-bed site off the Central Oregon Coast using two of the most widely-used third-generation wave models - WaveWatchIII and SWAN. A nested-grid modeling approach, with domain dimension ranging from global to regional scales, was used to provide wave spectral boundary condition to a local scale model domain, which has a spatial dimension around 60km by 60km and a grid resolution of 250m - 300m. Model results simulated by WaveWatchIII and SWAN in a structured-grid framework are compared to NOAA wave buoy data for the six wave parameters, including omnidirectional wave power, significant wave height, energy period, spectral width, direction of maximum directionally resolved wave power, and directionality coefficient. Model performance and computational efficiency are evaluated, and the best practices for wave resource assessments are discussed, based on a set of standard error statistics and model run times.

  8. A test to evaluation non-linear soil structure interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagiwara, T.; Kitada, Y.

    2005-01-01

    JNES is planning a new project to study non-linear soil-structure interaction (SSI) effect under large earthquake ground motions equivalent to and/or over a design earthquake ground motion of S2. Concerning the SSI test, it is pointed out that handling of the scale effect of the specimen taking into account the surrounding soil on the earthquake response evaluation to the actual structure is essential issue for the scaled model test. Thus, for the test, the largest specimen possible and the biggest input motion possible are necessary. Taking into account the above issues, new test methodology, which utilizes artificial earthquake ground motion, is considered desirable if it can be performed at a realistic cost. With this motivation, we have studied the test methodology which applying blasting power as for a big earthquake ground motion. The information from a coalmine company in the U.S.A. indicates that the works performed in the surface coalmine to blast a rock covering a coal layer generates a big artificial ground motion, which is similar to earthquake ground motion. Application of this artificial earthquake ground motion for the SSI test is considered very promising because the blasting work is carried out periodically for mining coal so that we can apply artificial motions generated by the work if we construct a building model at a closed point to the blasting work area. The major purposes of the test are to understand (a) basic earthquake response characteristics of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) reactor building when a large earthquake strikes the NPP site and (b) nonlinear characteristics of SSI phenomenon during a big earthquake. In the paper of ICONE-13, we will introduce the test method and basic characteristics of measured artificial ground motions generated by the blasting works on an actual site. (authors)

  9. Direct Observation of Heavy-Tailed Storage Times of Bed Load Tracer Particles Causing Anomalous Superdiffusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, D. Nathan

    2017-12-01

    A consensus has formed that the step length distribution of fluvial bed load is thin tailed and that the observed anomalous superdiffusion of bed load tracer particles must arise from heavy-tailed resting times. However, heavy-tailed resting times have never been directly observed in the field over multiple floods. Using 9 years of data from a large bed load tracer experiment, I show that the spatial variance of the tracer plume scales faster than linearly with integrated excess stream power, indicating anomalous superdiffusion. The superdiffusion is caused by a heavy-tailed distribution of observed storage times that is fit with a truncated Pareto distribution with a tail parameter that is predicted by anomalous diffusion theory. The heavy-tailed distribution of storage times causes the tracer virtual velocity to slow over time, indicated by a sublinear increase in the mean displacement that is predicted by the storage time distribution tail parameter.

  10. Pressured fluidized-bed gasification experiments with wood, peat and coal at VTT in 1991-1992. Test facilities and gasification experiments with sawdust

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurkela, E; Staahlberg, P; Laatikainen, J [Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland). Lab. of Fuel and Process Technology

    1994-12-31

    Fluidized-bed air gasification of Finnish pine saw dust was studied in the PDU-scale test facilities of VTT to support the development of simplified integrated gasification combined-cycle processes by providing new information on the formation and behaviour of different gas impurities in wood gasification. The gasifier was operated at 4-5 bar pressure and at 880-1 020 deg C Product gas was cleaned by ceramic candle filters operated at 490-715 deg C. Concentrations of tars, fixed nitrogen species and vapour-phase alkali metals were determined in different operating conditions. Carbon conversion exceeded 95 deg C in all test periods although the gasifier was operated without recycling the cyclone or filter fines back to the reactor. However, at the gasification temperature of 880-900 deg C more than 5 deg C of the wood carbon was converted to tars. The total concentration of tars (compounds heavier than benzene) was reduced from 6 000 to 3 000 mg/m{sup 3}n by increasing the gasification temperature from 880 deg C to 1 000 deg C. The expected catalytic effects of calcium on tar decomposition could not be achieved in these experiments by feeding coarse dolomite into the bed. The use of sand or aluminium oxide as an inert bed material did neither lead to any decrease in tar concentrations. However, the tar concentrations were dramatically reduced in the cogasification experiments, when a mixture of approximately 50 deg C/50 deg C wood and coal was used as the feed stock. Wood nitrogen was mainly converted into ammonia, while the concentrations of HCN and organic nitrogen containing compounds were very low

  11. Pressured fluidized-bed gasification experiments with wood, peat and coal at VTT in 1991-1992. Test facilities and gasification experiments with sawdust

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurkela, E.; Staahlberg, P.; Laatikainen, J. [Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland). Lab. of Fuel and Process Technology

    1993-12-31

    Fluidized-bed air gasification of Finnish pine saw dust was studied in the PDU-scale test facilities of VTT to support the development of simplified integrated gasification combined-cycle processes by providing new information on the formation and behaviour of different gas impurities in wood gasification. The gasifier was operated at 4-5 bar pressure and at 880-1 020 deg C Product gas was cleaned by ceramic candle filters operated at 490-715 deg C. Concentrations of tars, fixed nitrogen species and vapour-phase alkali metals were determined in different operating conditions. Carbon conversion exceeded 95 deg C in all test periods although the gasifier was operated without recycling the cyclone or filter fines back to the reactor. However, at the gasification temperature of 880-900 deg C more than 5 deg C of the wood carbon was converted to tars. The total concentration of tars (compounds heavier than benzene) was reduced from 6 000 to 3 000 mg/m{sup 3}n by increasing the gasification temperature from 880 deg C to 1 000 deg C. The expected catalytic effects of calcium on tar decomposition could not be achieved in these experiments by feeding coarse dolomite into the bed. The use of sand or aluminium oxide as an inert bed material did neither lead to any decrease in tar concentrations. However, the tar concentrations were dramatically reduced in the cogasification experiments, when a mixture of approximately 50 deg C/50 deg C wood and coal was used as the feed stock. Wood nitrogen was mainly converted into ammonia, while the concentrations of HCN and organic nitrogen containing compounds were very low

  12. Synthesis of carbon nanotubes using fluidized bed technology

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Swartbooi, AM

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available virgin plastics as well as a carbonaceous gas using fluidized bed technology. Current investigations are underway to test various factors involved with the CNT growth and production. An understanding of these factors and their interactions could provide...

  13. Experimental study of gas–liquid two-phase flow through packed bed under natural circulation conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Shao-Wen; Miwa, Shuichiro; Griffiths, Matt

    2016-01-01

    Dry-out phenomena in packed beds or porous media may cause a significant digression of cooling/reaction performance in heat transfer/chemical reactor systems. One of the phenomena responsible for the dry-out in packed beds is known as the counter-current flow limitation (CCFL). In order to investigate the CCFL phenomena induced by gas–liquid two-phase flow in packed beds inside a pool, a natural circulation packed bed test facility was designed and constructed. A total of 27 experimental conditions covering various packing media sizes (sphere diameters: 3.0, 6.4 and 9.5 mm), packed bed heights (15, 35 and 50 cm) and water level heights (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 m) were tested to examine the CCFL criteria with adiabatic air–water two-phase flow under natural circulation conditions. Both CCFL and flow reversal phenomena were observed, and the experimental data including instantaneous and time-averaged void fraction, differential pressure and superficial gas–liquid velocities were collected. The CCFL criteria were determined when periodical oscillations of void fraction and differential pressure appear. In addition, the Wallis correlation for CCFL was utilized for data analysis, and the Wallis coefficient, C, was determined experimentally from the packed bed CCFL tests. Compared to the existing data-sets in literature, the higher C values obtained in the present experiment suggest a possibly higher dry-out heat flux for natural circulation debris systems, which may be due to the water supply from both top and bottom surfaces of the packed beds. Considering the effects of bed height and hydraulic diameter of the packing media, a newly developed model for the Wallis coefficient, C, under natural circulation CCFL is presented. The present model can predict the experimental data with an averaged absolute error of ±7.9%. (author)

  14. Prevention of Bed Agglomeration Problems in a Fluidized Bed Boiler by Finding the Trigging Value of Sewage Sludge Dosage Added to Combustion of Biofuels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersson, Kajsa; Gervind, Pernilla

    2009-07-01

    Agglomeration of bed sand is a common problem during combustion of biofuels with high ash content in fluidized bed boilers. Former studies have shown that co-combustion of biofuels with sewage sludge increases the agglomeration temperature. Sewage sludge has a low heating value and high ash content. It would therefore be better to use sludge as an additive to the combustion than as a co-combusted biofuel. In this study the trigging value of sludge addition to the combustion of some biofuel was investigated. The effect of adding sludge with different precipitation chemicals, iron sulphate and aluminium sulphate, was investigated. The biofuels used for the experiments were bark, refused derived fuel (RDF) and a mixture of wood and straw, 75/25 % on energy basis. All experiments were carried out in a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. Analyses of chemical composition of bed sand and SEM/EDX analyses were performed after the combustion. Eventually agglomeration tests were performed in order to find the agglomeration temperature of the samples. Some of the samples sintered during the combustion and were not tested for the agglomeration temperature. SEM/EDX showed that all samples of bed sand contained sand particles with more or less coatings. In some cases the coatings seemed to consist of one dense inner layer and one more porous outer layer. From SEM/EDX and chemical composition analyses it was found that the total amount of phosphorous in the bed sand samples was increased with an increased addition of sludge in all experiments. The concentration of phosphorous was especially higher in the outer layers/coatings. It was also found that elements from the sludge seem to get caught by a sticky layer at the bed sand surface and form a non-sticky or less sticky layer that prevents agglomeration. The total amount of aluminium was increased with an increased addition of sludge for the wood/straw samples, while it increased with an increased amount of combusted fuel for

  15. Particle bed reactor modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapyta, Joe; Reid, Hank; Walton, Lew

    The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: particle bed reactor (PBR) core cross section; PBR bleed cycle; fuel and moderator flow paths; PBR modeling requirements; characteristics of PBR and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) modeling; challenges for PBR and NTP modeling; thermal hydraulic computer codes; capabilities for PBR/reactor application; thermal/hydralic codes; limitations; physical correlations; comparison of predicted friction factor and experimental data; frit pressure drop testing; cold frit mask factor; decay heat flow rate; startup transient simulation; and philosophy of systems modeling.

  16. ALICE EMCal Reconstructable Energy Non-Linearity From Test Beam Monte Carlo

    CERN Document Server

    Carter, Thomas Michael

    2017-01-01

    Calorimeters play many important roles in modern high energy physics detectors, such as event selection, triggering, and precision energy measurements. EMCal, in the case of the ALICE experiment provides triggering on high energy jets, improves jet quenching study measurement bias and jet energy resolution, and improves electron and photon measurements [3]. With the EMCal detector in the ALICE experiment taking on so many important roles, it is important to fully understand, characterize and model its interactions with particles. In 2010 SPS and PS electron test beam measurements were performed on an EMCal mini-module [2]. Alongside this, the test beam setup and geometry was recreated in Geant4 by Nico [1]. Figure 1 shows the reconstructable energy linearity for the SPS test beam data and that obtained from the test beam monte carlo, indicating the amount of energy deposit as hits in the EMCal module. It can be seen that for energies above ∼ 100 GeV there is a significant drop in the reconstructableenergym...

  17. Modeling of hydrogen isotopes separation in a metal hydride bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charton, S.; Corriou, J.P.; Schweich, D.

    1999-01-01

    A predictive model for hydrogen isotopes separation in a non-isothermal bed of unsupported palladium hydride particles is derived. It accounts for the non-linear adsorption-dissociation equilibrium, hydrodynamic dispersion, pressure drop, mass transfer kinetics, heat of sorption and heat losses at the bed wall. Using parameters from the literature or estimated with classical correlations, the model gives simulated curves in agreement with previously published experiments without any parameter fit. The non-isothermal behavior is shown to be responsible for drastic changes of the mass transfer rate which is controlled by diffusion in the solid-phase lattice. For a feed at 300 K and atmospheric pressure, the endothermic hydride-to-deuteride exchange is kinetically controlled, whereas the reverse exothermic exchange is nearly at equilibrium. Finally, a simple and efficient thermodynamic model for the dissociative equilibrium between a metal and a diatomic gas is proposed. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  18. Do non-melanoma skin cancer survivors use tanning beds less often than the general public?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiznia, Lauren; Dai, Feng; Chagpar, Anees B

    2016-08-15

    Purpose Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), yet little is known about indoor tanning habits of individuals with a history of NMSC. Methods We examined self-reported history of NMSC and tanning bed use among non-Hispanic white respondents in the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a cross-sectional population-based survey designed to be representative of the civilian US population. We computed weighted population estimates and standard errors using the Taylor series linearization method. We then evaluated chi-square tests of independence and conducted weighted logistic regression analyses to evaluate if NMSC status was a predictor of indoor tanning. Results In our analytic sample of 14,400 non-Hispanic white participants, representing 145,287,995 in the population, 543 participants (weighted proportion = 3.45%) self-reported a history of NMSC or "skin cancer type not known." In multivariate analyses, non-melanoma skin cancer survivors were no less likely to use tanning beds in the last 12 months than skin cancer free controls (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.34-1.43, p = 0.33). Conclusions Non-melanoma skin cancer survivors should be educated on their increased risk of recurrence and other skin cancers and in particular the role of indoor tanning in skin tumorigenesis.

  19. Integrated Testing of a 4-Bed Molecular Sieve and a Temperature-Swing Adsorption Compressor for Closed-Loop Air Revitalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knox, James C.; Mulloth, Lila M.; Affleck, David L.

    2004-01-01

    Accumulation and subsequent compression of carbon dioxide that is removed from space cabin are two important processes involved in a closed-loop air revitalization scheme of the International Space Station (ISS). The 4-Bed Molecular Sieve (4BMS) of ISS currently operates in an open loop mode without a compressor. This paper reports the integrated 4BMS and liquid-cooled TSAC testing conducted during the period of March 3 to April 18, 2003. The TSAC prototype was developed at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). The 4BMS was modified to a functionally flight-like condition at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Testing was conducted at MSFC. The paper provides details of the TSAC operation at various CO2 loadings and corresponding performance of CDRA.

  20. Biofluid process: fluidised-bed gasification of biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dittrich, A. [ATEKO a.s., Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)

    1996-12-31

    Fluidised-bed gasification of biomass was developed by ATEKO by using long-term experience from coal gasification. An experimental unit was built and a number of tests, first with sawdust gasification, were carried out. A gas combustion engine combined with a power generator was installed and operated in power production. (orig.)

  1. Biofluid process: fluidised-bed gasification of biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dittrich, A [ATEKO a.s., Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic)

    1997-12-31

    Fluidised-bed gasification of biomass was developed by ATEKO by using long-term experience from coal gasification. An experimental unit was built and a number of tests, first with sawdust gasification, were carried out. A gas combustion engine combined with a power generator was installed and operated in power production. (orig.)

  2. Linear and non-linear analyses of Conner's Continuous Performance Test-II discriminate adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from patients with mood and anxiety disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasmer, Ole Bernt; Mjeldheim, Kristin; Førland, Wenche; Hansen, Anita L; Syrstad, Vigdis Elin Giæver; Oedegaard, Ketil J; Berle, Jan Øystein

    2016-08-11

    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous disorder. Therefore it is important to look for factors that can contribute to better diagnosis and classification of these patients. The aims of the study were to characterize adult psychiatric out-patients with a mixture of mood, anxiety and attentional problems using an objective neuropsychological test of attention combined with an assessment of mood instability. Newly referred patients (n = 99; aged 18-65 years) requiring diagnostic evaluation of ADHD, mood or anxiety disorders were recruited, and were given a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation including the self-report form of the cyclothymic temperament scale and Conner's Continuous Performance Test II (CPT-II). In addition to the traditional measures from this test we have extracted raw data and analysed time series using linear and non-linear mathematical methods. Fifty patients fulfilled criteria for ADHD, while 49 did not, and were given other psychiatric diagnoses (clinical controls). When compared to the clinical controls the ADHD patients had more omission and commission errors, and higher reaction time variability. Analyses of response times showed higher values for skewness in the ADHD patients, and lower values for sample entropy and symbolic dynamics. Among the ADHD patients 59 % fulfilled criteria for a cyclothymic temperament, and this group had higher reaction time variability and lower scores on complexity than the group without this temperament. The CPT-II is a useful instrument in the assessment of ADHD in adult patients. Additional information from this test was obtained by analyzing response times using linear and non-linear methods, and this showed that ADHD patients with a cyclothymic temperament were different from those without this temperament.

  3. Thermal enhancement cartridge heater modified tritium hydride bed development, Part 2 - Experimental validation of key conceptual design features

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heroux, K.J.; Morgan, G.A. [Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States)

    2015-03-15

    The Thermal Enhancement Cartridge Heater Modified (TECH Mod) tritium hydride bed is an interim replacement for the first generation (Gen1) process hydride beds currently in service in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tritium Facilities. 3 new features are implemented in the TECH Mod hydride bed prototype: internal electric cartridge heaters, porous divider plates, and copper foam discs. These modifications will enhance bed performance and reduce costs by improving bed activation and installation processes, in-bed accountability measurements, end-of-life bed removal, and He-3 recovery. A full-scale hydride bed test station was constructed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in order to evaluate the performance of the prototype TECH Mod hydride bed. Controlled hydrogen (H{sub 2}) absorption/ desorption experiments were conducted to validate that the conceptual design changes have no adverse effects on the gas transfer kinetics or H{sub 2} storage/release properties compared to those of the Gen1 bed. Inert gas expansions before, during, and after H{sub 2} flow tests were used to monitor changes in gas transfer rates with repeated hydriding/de-hydriding of the hydride material. The gas flow rates significantly decreased after initial hydriding of the material; however, minimal changes were observed after repeated cycling. The data presented herein confirm that the TECH Mod hydride bed would be a suitable replacement for the Gen1 bed with the added enhancements expected from the advanced design features. (authors)

  4. Bed Bug Infestations and Control Practices in China: Implications for Fighting the Global Bed Bug Resurgence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changlu Wang

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The bed bug resurgence in North America, Europe, and Australia has elicited interest in investigating the causes of the widespread and increasing infestations and in developing more effective control strategies. In order to extend global perspectives on bed bug management, we reviewed bed bug literature in China by searching five Chinese language electronic databases. We also conducted telephone interviews of 68 pest control firms in two cities during March 2011. In addition, we conducted telephone interviews to 68 pest control companies within two cities in March 2011. Two species of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. and Cimex hemipterus (F. are known to occur in China. These were common urban pests before the early1980s. Nationwide “Four-Pest Elimination” campaigns (bed bugs being one of the targeted pests were implemented in China from 1960 to the early 1980s. These campaigns succeeded in the elimination of bed bug infestations in most communities. Commonly used bed bug control methods included applications of hot water, sealing of bed bug harborages, physical removal, and applications of residual insecticides (mainly organophosphate sprays or dusts. Although international and domestic travel has increased rapidly in China over the past decade (2000–2010, there have only been sporadic new infestations reported in recent years. During 1999–2009, all documented bed bug infestations were found in group living facilities (military dormitories, worker dormitories, and prisons, hotels, or trains. One city (Shenzhen city near Hong Kong experienced significantly higher number of bed bug infestations. This city is characterized by a high concentration of migratory factory workers. Current bed bug control practices include educating residents, washing, reducing clutter, putting items under the hot sun in summer, and applying insecticides (pyrethroids or organophosphates. There have not been any studies or reports on bed bug insecticide

  5. Effects of sawdust bedding dry matter on lying behavior of dairy cows: a dose-dependent response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, L J; Weary, D M; Veira, D M; von Keyserlingk, M A G

    2010-04-01

    The objective was to determine the effect of sawdust bedding dry matter on the lying behavior of Holstein cows. Dry matter (DM) was varied systematically over 5 treatment levels to test how cows respond to damp bedding. This experiment was repeated during summer and winter to test if the effects of damp bedding varied with season. The 5 bedding treatments averaged (+/-SD) 89.8+/-3.7, 74.2+/-6.4, 62.2+/-6.3, 43.9+/-4.0, and 34.7+/-3.8% DM. Over the course of the trial, minimum and maximum temperatures in the barn were 2.6+/-2.0 and 6.8+/-2.2 degrees C in the winter and 13.3+/-2.5 and 22.6+/-4.1 degrees C in the summer. In both seasons, 5 groups of 3 nonlactating cows were housed in free stalls bedded with sawdust. Following a 5-d acclimation period on dry bedding, groups were exposed to the 5 bedding treatments in a 5 x 5 Latin square. Each treatment lasted 4 d, followed by 1 d when the cows were provided with dry bedding. Stall usage was assessed by 24-h video scanned at 5-min intervals. Responses were analyzed within group (n=5) as the observational unit. Bedding DM affected lying time, averaging 10.4+/-0.4 h/d on the wettest treatment and increasing to 11.5+/-0.4 h/d on the driest bedding. Lying time varied with season, averaging 12.1+/-0.4 h/d across treatments during the winter and 9.9+/-0.6 h/d during the summer, but season and bedding DM did not interact. These results indicate that access to dry bedding is important for dairy cows. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Agglomeration of bed material: Influence on efficiency of biofuel fluidized bed boiler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryabov Georgy A.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available The successful design and operation of a fluidized bed combustor requires the ability to control and mitigate ash-related problems. The main ash-related problem of biomass filing boiler is agglomeration. The fluidized bed boiler with steam capacity of 66 t/h (4 MPa, 440 °C was started up at the Arkhangelsk Paper-Pi dp-Plant in 2001. This boiler was manufactured by the Russian companies "Energosofin" and "Belenergomash" and installed instead of the existing boiler with mechanical grate. Some constructional elements and steam drum of existing boiler remained unchanged. The primary air fan was installed past the common air fan, which supply part of the air into 24 secondary airports. First operating period shows that the bed material is expanded and then operator should increase the primary air rate, and the boiler efficiency dramatically decreases. Tills paper presents some results of our investigations of fuel, bed and fly ash chemical compositions and other characteristics. Special experiments were carried out to optimize the bed drain flow rate. The influence of secondly air supply improvement on mixing with the main flow and boiler efficiency are given.

  7. Seaweed beds support more juvenile reef fish than seagrass beds in a south-western Atlantic tropical seascape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggertsen, L.; Ferreira, C. E. L.; Fontoura, L.; Kautsky, N.; Gullström, M.; Berkström, C.

    2017-09-01

    Seascape connectivity is regarded essential for healthy reef fish communities in tropical shallow systems. A number of reef fish species use separate adult and nursery habitats, and hence contribute to nutrient and energy transfer between habitats. Seagrass beds and mangroves often constitute important nursery habitats, with high structural complexity and protection from predation. Here, we investigated if reef fish assemblages in the tropical south-western Atlantic demonstrate ontogenetic habitat connectivity and identify possible nurseries on three reef systems along the eastern Brazilian coast. Fish were surveyed in fore reef, back reef, Halodule wrightii seagrass beds and seaweed beds. Seagrass beds contained lower abundances and species richness of fish than expected, while Sargassum-dominated seaweed beds contained significantly more juveniles than all other habitats (average juvenile fish densities: 32.6 per 40 m2 in Sargassum beds, 11.2 per 40 m2 in back reef, 10.1 per 40 m2 in fore reef, and 5.04 per 40 m2 in seagrass beds), including several species that are found in the reef habitats as adults. Species that in other regions worldwide (e.g. the Caribbean) utilise seagrass beds as nursery habitats were here instead observed in Sargassum beds or back reef habitats. Coral cover was not correlated to adult fish distribution patterns; instead, type of turf was an important variable. Connectivity, and thus pathways of nutrient transfer, seems to function differently in east Brazil compared to many tropical regions. Sargassum-dominated beds might be more important as nurseries for a larger number of fish species than seagrass beds. Due to the low abundance of structurally complex seagrass beds we suggest that seaweed beds might influence adult reef fish abundances, being essential for several keystone species of reef fish in the tropical south-western Atlantic.

  8. A mathematical model for supplying air-cooling for a building using a packed bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marewo, G.T. [Zimbabwe Univ., Mathematics Dept., Harare (Zimbabwe); Henwood, D.J. [School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Brighton (United Kingdom)

    2006-01-15

    The cooling system at the Harare International School uses a packed bed system for storing the coldness of the night-time to be used later for day-time air-conditioning. A two-phase mathematical model is described for the packed bed which includes heat dispersion in the fluid, and heat loss to the environment. This is in contrast to other studies, where at least one of these terms is neglected to simplify the mathematical model. A numerical method for obtaining a solution is proposed and implemented. Using measured inlet temperatures, the measured and predicted outlet temperatures of the bed show good trend agreement. The differences in detail are examined through sensitivity analyses for both the heat convection transfer and air velocity. It is apparent that adjusting these parameters can increase the agreement between the predicted and measured data. A parametric study for heat storage with various materials and bed sizes is given, which indicates how the code may be used as a tool for improving design and operational parameters. Practical application: A mathematical model of a packed bed is described; the bed is made up of fluid flowing over solid material with heat interchange between the two. The solid material is idealized as spheres and the fluid temperature is assumed uniform in a cross-section of the bed. The model includes heat interchange between the bed and its surrounding environment and allows for time varying fluid velocity. The input data is the inlet temperature to the bed, which may be measured. The comparison with measured data may be helpful to anyone attempting to develop and test a similar model. The sensitivity tests give an understanding of the significance of some of the parameters involved. The Appendix gives a mathematical statement of the problem and an outline of an approach to developing computer code for a numerical solution. (Author)

  9. Investigation of heat transfer in bed and freeboard of fluidized bed combustors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitor, V.V.; Matsnev, V.V.; Sorokin, A.P.

    1986-01-01

    Experimental results for heat transfer between immersed bundles of bare tubes and fluidized beds are reported. The experimental results are obtained on industrial boilers with a bed area from 2,5 to 4 m/sup 2/ under conditions of long term operation. The bed temperature range has been 1073 0 K-1233 0 K, gas velocity between 1,8-4,5 m/s, mean particle size from 1,5 mm to 6,0 mm, freeboard furnace height of 2,3 and 5 m. The obtained data are compared with experimental results from literature

  10. A New Method for Tracking Individual Particles During Bed Load Transport in a Gravel-Bed River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, M.; Marquis, G. A.; Roy, A. G.; Chaire de Recherche Du Canada En Dynamique Fluviale

    2010-12-01

    Many particle tracers (passive or active) have been developed to study gravel movement in rivers. It remains difficult, however, to document resting and moving periods and to know how particles travel from one deposition site to another. Our new tracking method uses the Hobo Pendant G acceleration Data Logger to quantitatively describe the motion of individual particles from the initiation of movement, through the displacement and to the rest, in a natural gravel river. The Hobo measures the acceleration in three dimensions at a chosen temporal frequency. The Hobo was inserted into 11 artificial rocks. The rocks were seeded in Ruisseau Béard, a small gravel-bed river in the Yamaska drainage basin (Québec) where the hydraulics, particle sizes and bed characteristics are well known. The signals recorded during eight floods (Summer and Fall 2008-2009) allowed us to develop an algorithm which classifies the periods of rest and motion. We can differentiate two types of motion: sliding and rolling. The particles can also vibrate while remaining in the same position. The examination of the movement and vibration periods with respect to the hydraulic conditions (discharge, shear stress, stream power) showed that vibration occurred mostly before the rise of hydrograph and allowed us to establish movement threshold and response times. In all cases, particle movements occurred during floods but not always in direct response to increased bed shear stress and stream power. This method offers great potential to track individual particles and to establish a spatiotemporal sequence of the intermittent transport of the particle during a flood and to test theories concerning the resting periods of particles on a gravel bed.

  11. SABRE (Sandia Accelerator and Beam Research Experiment): A test bed for the light ion fusion program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuneo, M.E.; Hanson, D.L.; McKay, P.F.; Maenchen, J.E.; Tisone, G.C.; Adams, R.G.; Nash, T.; Bernard, M.; Boney, C.; Chavez, J.R.; Fowler, W.F.; Ruscetti, J.; Stearns, W.F.; Noack, D.; Wenger, D.F.

    1992-01-01

    Extraction applied-B ion diode experiments are underway on the recently completed SABRE positive polarity linear induction accelerator (6 MV, 220 kA). The authors are performing these experiments in direct support of the light ion fusion program on PBFAII at Sandia. SABRE provides a test bed with a higher shot rate and improved diagnostic access for ion source development and ion beam divergence control experiments. These experiments will also address the coupling of an ion diode to the turbulent, wide spectrum feed electrons which occur on these inductive adders in positive polarity. This work continues previous work on the HELIA accelerator. The diode is a uniformly magnetically insulated, extraction ion diode, with a 5-cm mean anode surface radius. The uniform insulation field profiles are generated by four individual 60 kJ capacitor banks. Field-exclusion profiles are also anticipated. They have developed a wide array of electrical, ion beam, and plasma diagnostics to accomplish their objectives. MITL (magnetically insulated transmission line) and diode voltages are being measured with a magnetic spectrometer, a range-filtered-scintillator (RFS) fiber optic/PMT system, and a range-filtered CR-39 nuclear track film based system. Beam energy can be determined by these diagnostics as well as a filtered Faraday cup array. MITL and ion currents are being measured with an array of Rogowski coils, common-mode rejection and single turn Bs, and resistive shunts. The ion source experiments will investigate thin-film lithium ion sources, particularly the active LEVIS (Laser EVaporation Ion Source) and the passive LiF source. LEVIS uses two pulsed lasers to evaporate and then ionize lithium from a lithium bearing thin-film on the anode. A ruby laser (20 ns, 12 J) for evaporation, and a dye laser for resonant lithium ionization have been developed. The performance of LEVIS with an array of active and passive surface cleaning techniques will be studied

  12. Mass transfer controlled reactions in packed beds at low Reynolds numbers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fedkiw, P.S.

    1978-12-01

    The a priori prediction and correlation of mass-transfer rates in transport limited, packed-bed reactors at low Reynolds numbers is examined. The solutions to the governing equations for a flow-through porous electrode reactor indicate that these devices must operate at a low space velocity to suppress a large ohmic potential drop. Packed-bed data for the mass-transfer rate at such low Reynolds numbers were examined and found to be sparse, especially in liquid systems. Prior models to simulate the solid-void structure in a bed are reviewed. Here the bed was envisioned as an array of sinusoidal periodically constricted tubes (PCT). Use of this model has not appeared in the literature. The velocity field in such a tube should be a good approximation to the converging-diverging character of the velocity field in an actual bed. The creeping flow velocity profiles were calculated. These results were used in the convective-diffusion equation to find mass transfer rates at high Peclet number for both deep and shallow beds, for low Peclet numbers in a deep bed. All calculations assumed that the reactant concentration at the tube surface is zero. Mass-transfer data were experimentally taken in a transport controlled, flow-through porous electrode to test the theoretical calculations and to provide data resently unavailable for deeper beds. It was found that the sinusoidal PCT model could not fit the data of this work or that available in the literature. However, all data could be adequately described by a model which incorporates a channelingeffect. The bed was successfully modeled as an array of dual sized straight tubes.

  13. Development and linearization of generalized material balance equation for coal bed methane reservoirs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penuela, G; Ordonez R, A; Bejarano, A

    1998-01-01

    A generalized material balance equation was presented at the Escuela de Petroleos de la Universidad Industrial de Santander for coal seam gas reservoirs based on Walsh's method, who worked in an analogous approach for oil and gas conventional reservoirs (Walsh, 1995). Our equation was based on twelve similar assumptions itemized by Walsh for his generalized expression for conventional reservoirs it was started from the same volume balance consideration and was finally reorganized like Walsh (1994) did. Because it is not expressed in terms of traditional (P/Z) plots, as proposed by King (1990), it allows to perform a lot of quantitative and qualitative analyses. It was also demonstrated that the existent equations are only particular cases of the generalized expression evaluated under certain restrictions. This equation is applicable to coal seam gas reservoirs in saturated, equilibrium and under saturated conditions, and to any type of coal beds without restriction on especial values of the constant diffusion

  14. Establishment of a radiotherapy service with a linear accelerator (photons): acceptance tests, dosimetry and quality control; Implantacao de um servico de radioterapia com acelerador linear (fotons): testes de aceitacao, dosimetria e controle de qualidade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berdaky, Mafalda Feliciano

    2000-07-01

    This work presents the operational part of the final process of the establishment of a radiotherapy service with a linear accelerator (6 MeV photon beams), including the acceptance tests, commissioning tests and the implementation of a quality control program through routine mechanical and radiation tests. All acceptance tests were satisfactory, showing results below the allowed limits of the manufacturer, the commissioning tests presented results within those of the international recommendations. The quality control program was performed during 34 months and showed an excellent stability of this accelerator. (author)

  15. Casing pull tests for directionally drilled environmental wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staller, G.E.; Wemple, R.P.; Layne, R.R.

    1994-11-01

    A series of tests to evaluate several types of environmental well casings have been conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and it's industrial partner, The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW). A test bed was constructed at the CMW test range to model a typical shallow, horizontal, directionally drilled wellbore. Four different types of casings were pulled through this test bed. The loads required to pull the casings through the test bed and the condition of the casing material were documented during the pulling operations. An additional test was conducted to make a comparison of test bed vs actual wellbore casing pull loads. A directionally drilled well was emplaced by CMW to closely match the test bed. An instrumented casing was installed in the well and the pull loads recorded. The completed tests are reviewed and the results reported

  16. Casing pull tests for directionally drilled environmental wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Staller, G.E.; Wemple, R.P. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Layne, R.R. [Charles Machine Works, Inc., Perry, OK (United States)

    1994-11-01

    A series of tests to evaluate several types of environmental well casings have been conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and it`s industrial partner, The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW). A test bed was constructed at the CMW test range to model a typical shallow, horizontal, directionally drilled wellbore. Four different types of casings were pulled through this test bed. The loads required to pull the casings through the test bed and the condition of the casing material were documented during the pulling operations. An additional test was conducted to make a comparison of test bed vs actual wellbore casing pull loads. A directionally drilled well was emplaced by CMW to closely match the test bed. An instrumented casing was installed in the well and the pull loads recorded. The completed tests are reviewed and the results reported.

  17. Exercise-induced pyruvate dehydrogenase activation is not affected by 7 days of bed rest

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiilerich, Kristian; Jørgensen, Stine Ringholm; Biensø, Rasmus Sjørup

    2011-01-01

    To test the hypothesis that physical inactivity impairs the exercise-induced modulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), 6 healthy normally physically active male subjects completed 7 days of bed rest. Before and immediately after the bed rest, the subjects completed an OGTT and a one-legged knee...

  18. Volatile Removal Assembly Flight Experiment and KC-135 Packed Bed Experiment: Results and Lessons Learned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holder, Donald W.; Parker, David

    2000-01-01

    The Volatile Removal Assembly (VRA) is a high temperature catalytic oxidation process that will be used as the final treatment for recycled water aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The multiphase nature of the process had raised concerns as to the performance of the VRA in a microgravity environment. To address these concerns, two experiments were designed. The VRA Flight Experiment (VRAFE) was designed to test a full size VRA under controlled conditions in microgravity aboard the SPACEHAB module and in a 1 -g environment and compare the performance results. The second experiment relied on visualization of two-phase flow through small column packed beds and was designed to fly aboard NASA's microgravity test bed plane (KC-135). The objective of the KC-135 experiment was to understand the two-phase fluid flow distribution in a packed bed in microgravity. On Space Transportation System (STS) flight 96 (May 1999), the VRA FE was successfully operated and in June 1999 the KC-135 packed bed testing was completed. This paper provides an overview of the experiments and a summary of the results and findings.

  19. Application of geocomposite placed beneath ballast bed to improve ballast quality and track stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horníček, Leoš; Břešt'ovský, Petr; Jasanský, Petr

    2017-09-01

    The article deals with the application of a stabilization hexagonal geocomposite for the improvement of poor stability of railway tracks caused by undesirable migration of fine soil particles from the subgrade into the ballast bed. The establishment of a test railway section on a single-line track situated near Domazlice and its long-term monitoring programme are described. Evaluation is aimed especially at track geometry parameters, the load-bearing capacity of the ballast bed, elastic rail deflection during train passages and the durability of geocomposite’s physical properties. The data taken from the test section during five measurement campaigns are compared with both adjacent sections. In one of them, only the ballast bed renovation was carried out, whereas in the second one no intervention was performed at all. The usage of a pioneering geosynthetic product in combination with new trends in ballast bed restoration seems to be an innovative as well as effective solution to analogous problematic spots on railway tracks in the Czech Republic.

  20. Improved lignin pyrolysis for phenolics production in a bubbling bed reactor--Effect of bed materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dongbing; Briens, Cedric; Berruti, Franco

    2015-01-01

    Lignin pyrolysis was studied in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor equipped with a fractional condensation train, using nitrogen as the fluidization gas. The effect of different bed materials (silica sand, lignin char, activated lignin char, birch bark char, and foamed glass beads) on bio-oil yield and quality was investigated for a pyrolysis temperature of 550 °C. Results how that a bed of activated lignin char is preferable to the commonly used silica sand: pyrolysis of Kraft lignin with a bed of activated lignin char not only provides a pure char product, but also a higher dry bio-oil yield (with a relative increase of 43%), lower pyrolytic water production, and better bio-oil quality. The bio-oil obtained from Kraft lignin pyrolysis with a bed of activated lignin char has a lower average molecular weight, less tar, more phenolics, and less acidity than when sand is used as bed material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Tritium storage metal-bed pyrophoricity measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longhurst, G.R.; Neilson, R.M. Jr.; Porter, L.J.

    1987-01-01

    A safety concern for metal-bed tritium storage systems is the possibility of spontaneous combustion and/or explosion if the bed is accidentally exposed to air. This may result in the dispersion of tritium or tritiated compounds. Of several materials being considered for use in tritium storage beds, uranium (U), zirconium-cobalt (ZrCo), and lanthanum-nickel aluminide (LaNi 5-x Al x ) are of particular interest. It is well known that uranium that has been activated by cycles of hydriding and dehydriding is extremely pyrophoric when exposed to air or other oxidizers. Uranium hydride has also been found to be mildly pyrophoric, but less is known about the pyrophoric natures of the hydrides of the other materials. An experiment is in progress to evaluate the pyrophoric response of these materials and their hydrides and deuterides in air. Small (<100 mg) samples of depleted uranium were hydrided and then exposed to atmospheres of air, oxygen, or nitrogen using a thermogravimetric analyzer to monitor the sample weight and temperature. There was not an immediate pyrophoric response at room temperature, but ignition occured at moderately elevated temperatures for air and oxygen atmospheres. The experimental apparatus has been upgraded, and tests are continuing on these materials

  2. Ice sheets on plastically-yielding beds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hewitt, Ian

    2016-11-01

    Many fast flowing regions of ice sheets are underlain by a layer of water-saturated sediments, or till. The rheology of the till has been the subject of some controversy, with laboratory tests suggesting almost perfectly plastic behaviour (stress independent of strain rate), but many models adopting a pseudo-viscous description. In this work, we consider the behaviour of glaciers underlain by a plastic bed. The ice is treated as a viscous gravity current, on a bed that allows unconstrained slip above a critical yield stress. This simplified description allows rapid sliding, and aims to investigate 'worst-case' scenarios of possible ice-sheet disintegration. The plastic bed results in an approximate ice-sheet geometry that is primarily controlled by force balance, whilst ice velocity is determined from mass conservation (rather than the other way around, as standard models would hold). The stability of various states is considered, and particular attention is given to the pace at which transitions between unstable states can occur. Finally, we observe that the strength of basal tills depends strongly on pore pressure, and combine the model with a description of subglacial hydrology. Implications for the present-day ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will be discussed. Funding: ERC Marie Curie FP7 Career Integration Grant.

  3. Aerosol sampling of an experimental fluidized bed coal combustor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newton, G.J.; Peele, E.R.; Carpenter, R.L.; Yeh, H.C.

    1977-01-01

    Fluidized bed combustion of coal, lignite or other materials has a potential for widespread use in central electric generating stations in the near future. This technology may allow widespread use of low-grade and/or high sulfur fuels due to its high energy utilization at low combustion temperature and its ability to meet emission criteria by using limestone bed material. Particulate and gaseous products resulting from fuel combustion and fluidization of bed material are discharged and proceed out the exhaust clean-up system. Sampling philosophy, methodology and equipment used to obtain aerosol samples from the exhaust system of the 18-inch fluidized bed combustor (FBC) at the Morgantown Energy Research Center (MERC) are described. Identification of sampling sites led to design of an aerosol sampling train which allowed a known quantity of the effluent streams to be sampled. Depending on the position, a 15 to 25 l/min sample is extracted from the duct, immediately diluted and transferred to a sampling/aging chamber. Transmission and scanning electron microscope samples, two types of cascade impactor samples, vapor-phase and particulate-phase organic samples, spiral duct aerosol centrifuge samples, optical size measurements and filter samples were obtained. Samples are undergoing physical, chemical and biological tests to help establish human health risk estimates for fluidized bed coal combustion and to provide information for use in design and evaluation of control technologies

  4. Applicability of linear and non-linear potential flow models on a Wavestar float

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bozonnet, Pauline; Dupin, Victor; Tona, Paolino

    2017-01-01

    as a model based on non-linear potential flow theory and weakscatterer hypothesis are successively considered. Simple tests, such as dip tests, decay tests and captive tests enable to highlight the improvements obtained with the introduction of nonlinearities. Float motion under wave actions and without...... control action, limited to small amplitude motion with a single float, is well predicted by the numerical models, including the linear one. Still, float velocity is better predicted by accounting for non-linear hydrostatic and Froude-Krylov forces.......Numerical models based on potential flow theory, including different types of nonlinearities are compared and validated against experimental data for the Wavestar wave energy converter technology. Exact resolution of the rotational motion, non-linear hydrostatic and Froude-Krylov forces as well...

  5. Uranium bed oxidation vacuum process system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLeland, H.L.

    1977-01-01

    Deuterium and tritium gases are occluded in uranium powder for release into neutron generator tubes. The uranium powder is contained in stainless steel bottles, termed ''beds.'' If these beds become damaged, the gases must be removed and the uranium oxidized in order not to be flammable before shipment to ERDA disposal grounds. This paper describes the system and methods designed for the controlled degassing and oxidation process. The system utilizes sputter-ion, cryo-sorption and bellows pumps for removing the gases from the heated source bed. Removing the tritium gas is complicated by the shielding effect of helium-3, a byproduct of tritium decay. This effect is minimized by incremental pressure changes, or ''batch'' processing. To prevent runaway exothermic reaction, oxidation of the uranium bed is also done incrementally, or by ''batch'' processing, rather than by continuous flow. The paper discusses in detail the helium-3 shielding effect, leak checks that must be made during processing, bed oxidation, degree of gas depletion, purity of gases sorbed from beds, radioactivity of beds, bed disposal and system renovation

  6. Practice Hospital Bed Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Practice Hospital Bed Safety Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options ... It depends on the complexity of the bed." Safety Tips CDRH offers the following safety tips for ...

  7. Modeling the influence of storms on sand wave formation : A linear stability approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Campmans, G.H.P.; Roos, P.C.; de Vriend, H.J.; Hulscher, S.J.M.H.

    2017-01-01

    We present an idealized process-based morphodynamic model to study the effect of storms on sand wave formation. To this end, we include wind waves, wind-driven flow and, in addition to bed load transport, suspended load sediment transport. A linear stability analysis is applied to systematically

  8. Proposed new ultrasonic test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxfield, B.W.

    1978-01-01

    Within the last four or five years, a great deal of progress has been made both here and in a number of other laboratories in developing techniques that will enable considerably more information to be obtained from the ultrasonic examination of an object. Some of these recent developments relate to information contained within the diffracted beam which does not return along the incident path. An ultrasonic examination based upon an evaluation of diffracted energy must use at least two transducers, one for transmission and the other for reception. Current indications are that even more reliable test results will be achieved using a receiving transducer that can scan a significant portion of the diffracted field including that portion which is back-reflected. In general, this scan can be interpreted most accurately if it follows a path related to the surface shape. If more than one region within the object is to be interrogated, then the transmitting transducer must also be scanned, again along a path related to the surface shape. The large quantity of information obtained as the result of such an examination must be subjected to sophisticated computer analysis in order to be displayed in a meaningful and intelligible manner. Although one motivation for building such an instrument is to explore new ultrasonic test procedures that are evolving from current laboratory research, this is neither the sole motivation nor the only use for this instrument. Such a mechanical and electronic device would permit conventional ultrasonic tests to be performed on parts of complex geometry without the expensive and time-consuming special fixturing that is currently required. May possible test geometries could be explored in practice prior to the construction of a specialized test apparatus. Hence, it would be necessary to design much, if any, flexibility into the special test apparatus

  9. Statistical description of flume experiments on mixed-size bed-load transport and bed armoring processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, D.; Zhang, Y.

    2008-12-01

    The objective of this paper is to describe the statistical properties of experiments on non-uniform bed-load transport as well as the mechanism of bed armoring processes. Despite substantial effort made over the last two decades, the ability to compute the bed-load flux in a turbulent system remains poor. The major obstacles include the poor understanding of the formation of armor lays on bed surfaces. Such a layer is much flow-resistible than the underlying material and therefore significantly inhibits sediment transport from the reach. To study the problem, we conducted a flume study for mixed sand/gravel sediments. We observed that aggregated sediment blocks were the most common characters in armor layers - the largest sizes resist hydraulic forces, while the smaller sizes add interlocking support and prevent loss of fine material through gaps between the larger particles. Fractional transport rates with the existing of armor layers were measured with time by sediment trapping method at the end of flume. To address the intermittent and time-varying behavior of bed-load transport during bed armoring processes, we investigated the probability distribution of the fractional bed-load transport rates, and the underlying dynamic model derived from the continuous time random walk framework. Results indicate that it is critical to consider the impact of armor layers when a flow is sufficient to move some of the finer particles and yet insufficient to move all the larger particles on a channel bed.

  10. Dynamical and technological consequences of multiple isolas of steady states in a catalytic fluidised-bed reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bizon Katarzyna

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Steady-state characteristics of a catalytic fluidised bed reactor and its dynamical consequences are analyzed. The occurrence of an untypical steady-state structure manifesting in a form of multiple isolas is described. A two-phase bubbling bed model is used for a quantitative description of the bed of catalyst. The influence of heat exchange intensity and a fluidisation ratio onto the generation of isolated solution branches is presented for two kinetic schemes. Dynamical consequences of the coexistence of such untypical branches of steady states are presented. The impact of linear growth of the fluidisation ratio and step change of the cooling medium temperature onto the desired product yield is analyzed. The results presented in this study confirm that the identification of a region of the occurrence of multiple isolas is important due to their strong impact both on the process start-up and its control.

  11. Helicopter Field Testing of NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System fully Integrated with the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed Avionics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epp, Chirold D.; Robertson, Edward A.; Ruthishauser, David K.

    2013-01-01

    The Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project was chartered to develop and mature to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six an autonomous system combining guidance, navigation and control with real-time terrain sensing and recognition functions for crewed, cargo, and robotic planetary landing vehicles. The ALHAT System must be capable of identifying and avoiding surface hazards to enable a safe and accurate landing to within tens of meters of designated and certified landing sites anywhere on a planetary surface under any lighting conditions. This is accomplished with the core sensing functions of the ALHAT system: Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA), and Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN). The NASA plan for the ALHAT technology is to perform the TRL6 closed loop demonstration on the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed (VTB). The first Morpheus vehicle was lost in August of 2012 during free-flight testing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), so the decision was made to perform a helicopter test of the integrated ALHAT System with the Morpheus avionics over the ALHAT planetary hazard field at KSC. The KSC helicopter tests included flight profiles approximating planetary approaches, with the entire ALHAT system interfaced with all appropriate Morpheus subsystems and operated in real-time. During these helicopter flights, the ALHAT system imaged the simulated lunar terrain constructed in FY2012 to support ALHAT/Morpheus testing at KSC. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest fidelity testing of a system of this kind to date. During this helicopter testing, two new Morpheus landers were under construction at the Johnson Space Center to support the objective of an integrated ALHAT/Morpheus free-flight demonstration. This paper provides an overview of this helicopter flight test activity, including results and lessons learned, and also provides an overview of recent integrated testing of ALHAT on the second

  12. Comparison of packed bed and fluidized bed membrane reactors for methane reforming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallucci, F.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

    2009-01-01

    In this work the performance of different membrane reactor concepts, both fluidized bed and packed bed membrane reactors, have been compared for the reforming of methane for the production of ultra-pure hydrogen. Using detailed theoretical models, the required membrane area to reach a given

  13. Effects of bed-load movement on flow resistance over bed forms

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. The effect of bed-load transport on flow resistance of alluvial channels with undulated bed was experimentally investigated. The experiments were carried out in a tilting flume 250mm wide and 12·5m long with glass-sides of rectan- gular cross-section and artificial dune shaped floor that was made from Plexi-glass.

  14. Strain gauge validation experiments for the Sandia 34-meter VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine) test bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, Herbert J.

    1988-08-01

    Sandia National Laboratories has erected a research oriented, 34- meter diameter, Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine near Bushland, Texas. This machine, designated the Sandia 34-m VAWT Test Bed, is equipped with a large array of strain gauges that have been placed at critical positions about the blades. This manuscript details a series of four-point bend experiments that were conducted to validate the output of the blade strain gauge circuits. The output of a particular gauge circuit is validated by comparing its output to equivalent gauge circuits (in this stress state) and to theoretical predictions. With only a few exceptions, the difference between measured and predicted strain values for a gauge circuit was found to be of the order of the estimated repeatability for the measurement system.

  15. Staged fluidized-bed combustion and filter system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei, J.S.; Halow, J.S.

    1994-01-01

    A staged fluidized-bed combustion and filter system are described for substantially reducing the quantity of waste through the complete combustion into ash-type solids and gaseous products. The device has two fluidized-bed portions, the first primarily as a combustor/pyrolyzer bed, and the second as a combustor/filter bed. The two portions each have internal baffles to define stages so that material moving therein as fluidized beds travel in an extended route through those stages. Fluidization and movement is achieved by the introduction of gases into each stage through a directional nozzle. Gases produced in the combustor/pyrolyzer bed are permitted to travel into corresponding stages of the combustor/filter bed through screen filters that permit gas flow but inhibit solids flow. Any catalyst used in the combustor/filter bed is recycled. The two beds share a common wall to minimize total volume of the system. A slightly modified embodiment can be used for hot gas desulfurization and sorbent regeneration. Either side-by-side rectangular beds or concentric beds can be used. The system is particularly suited to the processing of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste. 10 figures

  16. Effect of bedding control on amount of house dust mite allergens, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Inn-Sook

    2003-04-30

    This quasi-experimental study was designed to investigate the effect of bedding control on the amount of house dust mite (HDM) allergens, asthma symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in asthmatics sensitive to HDMs. The subjects in the study were drawn from patients receiving treatment at the allergy clinics of three university-affiliated hospitals in Seoul. Forty-two patients without prior practice of the bedding control used in this study were selected. They commonly showed bronchial asthma caused by HDMs, and exhibited strong positive points (more than 3 points) in skin prick test (D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus), and positive response in both fluoro-allergosorbent test (FAST), and PC20 methacholine test. Of the subjects, alternatively, 22 were assigned to the experimental group and 20 to control group. Bedding control consisted of the use of outer cotton covers, boiling them for 10 minutes fortnightly, and disinfecting bedding by sunlight fortnightly. The experimental group was under bedding control for 4 weeks. The data were collected from October 2000 to January 2001. The results were as follows: 1. After bedding control, the total amount of HDM allergens decreased significantly in the experimental group. However there was no significant difference in the decrease of the amount of HDM allergens between the two groups. 2. Of the asthma symptoms, there was significant difference only in the decrease of the frequency of dyspnea, and in the increase of sleeping disturbance between the two groups after bedding control. 3. After bedding control, PEFR increased in the experimental group whereas it decreased in the control group. However, neither change was significant. The above findings indicate that bedding control improved several asthma symptoms in asthmatics sensitive to HDMs. Accordingly, we suggest that bedding control is adopted as a useful nursing intervention in the field.

  17. Using Set Covering with Item Sampling to Analyze the Infeasibility of Linear Programming Test Assembly Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huitzing, Hiddo A.

    2004-01-01

    This article shows how set covering with item sampling (SCIS) methods can be used in the analysis and preanalysis of linear programming models for test assembly (LPTA). LPTA models can construct tests, fulfilling a set of constraints set by the test assembler. Sometimes, no solution to the LPTA model exists. The model is then said to be…

  18. [Comparison of application of Cochran-Armitage trend test and linear regression analysis for rate trend analysis in epidemiology study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, D Z; Wang, C; Shen, C F; Zhang, Y; Zhang, H; Song, G D; Xue, X D; Xu, Z L; Zhang, S; Jiang, G H

    2017-05-10

    We described the time trend of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from 1999 to 2013 in Tianjin incidence rate with Cochran-Armitage trend (CAT) test and linear regression analysis, and the results were compared. Based on actual population, CAT test had much stronger statistical power than linear regression analysis for both overall incidence trend and age specific incidence trend (Cochran-Armitage trend P valuelinear regression P value). The statistical power of CAT test decreased, while the result of linear regression analysis remained the same when population size was reduced by 100 times and AMI incidence rate remained unchanged. The two statistical methods have their advantages and disadvantages. It is necessary to choose statistical method according the fitting degree of data, or comprehensively analyze the results of two methods.

  19. Multipurpose 5-MeV linear induction accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birx, D.L.; Hawkins, S.A.; Poor, S.E.; Reginato, L.L.; Smith, M.W.

    1984-01-01

    Although linear induction accelerators (LIAs) are quite reliable by most standards, they are limited in repeating rate, average power, and reliability because the final stage of energy delivery is based on spark gap performance. In addition, they have a low duty factor of operation. To provide a higher burst rate and greater reliability, the researchers used new technology to develop a magnetic pulse compression scheme that eliminates all spark gaps and exceeds requirements. The paper describes the scheme. The magnetic drive system can be tailored to drive induction cells from a few kA to over 10 kA at 500 kV, with average beam power levels in the megawatts. This new 5-MeV, 2.5-kA LIA under construction at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will be used for the development of high brightness sources and will provide a test bed for the new technology, which should lead to LIAs that surpass the radio frequency linacs for efficiency and reliability, as well as fit other industrial applications, such as sewage sterilization

  20. Determination of mean recency period for estimation of HIV type 1 Incidence with the BED-capture EIA in persons infected with diverse subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parekh, Bharat S; Hanson, Debra L; Hargrove, John; Branson, Bernard; Green, Timothy; Dobbs, Trudy; Constantine, Niel; Overbaugh, Julie; McDougal, J Steven

    2011-03-01

    The IgG capture BED enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) was developed to detect recent HIV-1 infection for the estimation of HIV-1 incidence from cross-sectional specimens. The mean time interval between seroconversion and reaching a specified assay cutoff value [referred to here as the mean recency period (ω)], an important parameter for incidence estimation, is determined for some HIV-1 subtypes, but testing in more cohorts and new statistical methods suggest the need for a revised estimation of ω in different subtypes. A total of 2927 longitudinal specimens from 756 persons with incident HIV infections who had been enrolled in 17 cohort studies was tested by the BED-CEIA. The ω was determined using two statistical approaches: (1) linear mixed effects regression (ω(1)) and (2) a nonparametric survival method (ω(2)). Recency periods varied among individuals and by population. At an OD-n cutoff of 0.8, ω(1) was 176 days (95% CL 164-188 days) whereas ω(2) was 162 days (95% CL 152-172 days) when using a comparable subset of specimens (13 cohorts). When method 2 was applied to all available data (17 cohorts), ω(2) ranged from 127 days (Thai AE) to 236 days (subtypes AG, AD) with an overall ω(2) of 197 days (95% CL 173-220). About 70% of individuals reached a threshold OD-n of 0.8 by 197 days (mean ω) and 95% of people reached 0.8 OD-n by 480 days. The determination of ω with more data and new methodology suggests that ω of the BED-CEIA varies between different subtypes and/or populations. These estimates for ω may affect incidence estimates in various studies.