WorldWideScience

Sample records for monitoring viv fatigue

  1. Simplified Model for Evaluation of VIV-induced Fatigue Damage of Deepwater Marine Risers

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XUE Hong-xiang; TANG Wen-yong; ZHANG Sheng-kun

    2009-01-01

    A simplified empirical model for fatigue analysis of deepwater marine risers due to vortex-induced vibration (VIV) in non-uniform current is presented. A simplified modal vibration equation is employed according to the characteristics of deepwater top tensioned risers. The response amplitude of each mode is determined by a balance between the energy feeding into the riser over the lock-in regions and the energy dissipated by the fluid damping over the remainder based on the data from self-excited oscillation and forced oscillation experiments of rigid cylinders. Multi-modal VIV fatigue loading is obtained by the square root of the sum of squares approach.Compared with previous works, this model can take fully account of the main intrinsic natures of VIV for low mass ratio structures on lock-in regions, added mass and nonlinear fluid damping. In addition, a closed form solution of fatigue damage is presented for the case of a riser with uniform mass and cross-section oscillating in a uniform flow. Fatigue analysis of a typical deepwater riser operating in Gulf of Mexico and West Africa shows that the current velocity profiles affect the riser's fatigue life significantly and the most dangerous locations of the riser are also pointed out.

  2. SI:FatiguePro 4 Advanced Approach for Fatigue Monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evon, Keith; Gilman, Tim; Carney, Curt

    2012-01-01

    Many nuclear plants are making commitments to implement fatigue monitoring systems in support of license renewal. Current fatigue monitoring systems use the methodology of ASME Code Subarticle NB-3200, which is a design code intended to compute a bounding cumulative usage factor (CUF). The first generation of fatigue monitoring software utilized a simplified, single stress term assumption and classical stress cycle-counting methods that take order into account such as Rainflow or Ordered Overall Range counting. Recently, the NRC has indicated in Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-30 that any fatigue analyses in support of License Renewal should use ASME Code Section III methodologies considering all six stress components. In addition, fatigue calculations for the license renewal term are required to consider the effects of environment. The implementation of a six stress term NB-3200 fatigue calculation to a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) feedwater nozzle, including environmental effects, is the topic of this paper. Differences in results between the advanced methodology and the simplified methodology are discussed. (author)

  3. Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Basketball

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toby Edwards

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The sport of basketball exposes athletes to frequent high intensity movements including sprinting, jumping, accelerations, decelerations and changes of direction during training and competition which can lead to acute and accumulated chronic fatigue. Fatigue may affect the ability of the athlete to perform over the course of a lengthy season. The ability of practitioners to quantify the workload and subsequent fatigue in basketball athletes in order to monitor and manage fatigue levels may be beneficial in maintaining high levels of performance and preventing unfavorable physical and physiological training adaptations. There is currently limited research quantifying training or competition workload outside of time motion analysis in basketball. In addition, systematic research investigating methods to monitor and manage athlete fatigue in basketball throughout a season is scarce. To effectively optimize and maintain peak training and playing performance throughout a basketball season, potential workload and fatigue monitoring strategies need to be discussed.

  4. Fatigue Monitoring Tool for Airline Operators (FMT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gislason Sigurdur Hrafn

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A Fatigue Monitoring Tool (FMT model was constructed for an operational airline in order to manage the fatigue levels of their crews in accordance with Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS practices. This article describes the implementation of the Fatigue Monitoring Tool model and the airline’s aims to put the recent scientific findings on aviation fatigue into practical use. The model consists of proxy points allotted to various duties and rest periods.

  5. Continuous fatigue crack monitoring of bridges: Long-Term Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (LTEFS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moshier, Monty A.; Nelson, Levi; Brinkerhoff, Ryan; Miceli, Marybeth

    2016-04-01

    Fatigue cracks in steel bridges degrade the load-carrying capacity of these structures. Fatigue damage accumulation caused by the repetitive loading of everyday truck traffic can cause small fatigue cracks initiate. Understanding the growth of these fatigue cracks is critical to the safety and reliability of our transportation infrastructure. However, modeling fatigue in bridges is difficult due to the nature of the loading and variations in connection integrity. When fatigue cracks reach critical lengths failures occur causing partial or full closures, emergency repairs, and even full structural failure. Given the aging US highway and the trend towards asset management and life extension, the need for reliable, cost effective sensors and monitoring technologies to alert bridge owners when fatigue cracks are growing is higher than ever. In this study, an innovative Long-Term Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (LTEFS) has been developed and introduced to meet the growing NDT marketplace demand for sensors that have the ability to continuously monitor fatigue cracks. The performance of the LTEFS has been studied in the laboratory and in the field. Data was collected using machined specimens with different lengths of naturally initiated fatigue cracks, applied stress levels, applied stress ratios, and for both sinusoidal and real-life bridge spectrum type loading. The laboratory data was evaluated and used to develop an empirically based algorithm used for crack detection. Additionally, beta-tests on a real bridge structure has been completed. These studies have conclusively demonstrated that LTEFS holds great potential for long-term monitoring of fatigue cracks in steel structures

  6. Automatic fatigue monitoring based on real loads. Live demonstration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergholz, Steffen; Rudolph, Juergen; Bruckmueller, Florian; Heinz, Benedikt; Jouan, Benoit

    2012-01-01

    The fatigue assessment of power plant components based on local fatigue monitoring approaches is an essential part of the integrity concept and modern lifetime management. An integral approach like the AREVA Fatigue Concept (AFC) basically consists of two essential modules: realistic determination of occurring operational thermal loads by means of a high end fatigue monitoring system and related highly qualified fatigue assessment methods and tools. The fatigue monitoring system delivers continuously realistic load data at the fatigue relevant locations. Consequently, realistic operational load sequences are available as input data for all ensuing fatigue analyses. This way, realistic load data are available and qualified fatigue usage factors can be determined. The mode of operation of the fatigue monitoring system will be explained in the framework of a live demonstration by means of the FAMOSi (i = integrated) demonstration wall. The workflow starts with the continuous online measurement of outer wall temperatures transients on a pipe. Visualization is implemented within the FAMOSi viewer software. In a second step, inner wall temperatures are directly calculated. In a third step, the resulting linearly elastic stress history will be calculated as the basis for subsequent code conforming fatigue assessment. Subsequently, the related advanced fatigue assessment methods of the three staged AFC-approach are addressed.

  7. Application of fatigue monitoring system in PWR nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piao Lei

    2014-01-01

    Fatigue failure is one form of equipment failure of nuclear power plant, influencing equipment lifetime and lifetime extension. Fatigue monitoring system can track real thermal transient at fatigue sensitive components, establish a basis for fatigue analyses based on realistic operating loads, identify unexpected operational transients, optimize the plant behavior by improved operating modes, provide supporting data for lifetime management, enhance security of plant and reduce economical loss. Fatigue monitoring system has been applied in many plants and is required to be applied in Generation-III nuclear power plant. It is necessary to develop the fatigue monitoring system with independent intellectual property rights and improve the competitiveness of domestic Generation-III nuclear power technology. (author)

  8. A survey of fatigue monitoring in the nuclear power industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ware, A.G.

    1991-01-01

    The original design of nuclear power plants addressed fatigue concerns by including calculations of projected fatigue usage for specific components; the calculations were based on estimates of the number and severity of expected transients over the 40-year design life of the plants. In some cases, the transients occurring in the plants are not as severe as was anticipated in the original design analyses, while in other cases events have occurred that were not anticipated in the design basis documents. Field failures caused by fatigue have identified some of those cases. In response, several organizations in the United States and overseas have developed fatigue monitoring programs to more accurately estimate the fatigue usage. One basic approach consists of reconstructing the fatigue usage to date based on the transients recorded in the operating history instead of those projected in the design documents. Another approach includes monitoring the plant instrumentation to determine actual values for parameters such as temperature and pressure and using the measured values in the fatigue usage calculations instead of the values projected in the design documents. The use of existing plant instrumentation to measure temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc., along with the incorporation of conservative assumptions, had generally proven adequate for estimating fatigue usage; however, in some cases additional instrumentation installed for local monitoring can provide a more accurate estimate, especially where thermal stratification is known to occur. Fatigue monitoring can aid in identifying fatigue concerns not anticipated in the original design and for reducing the excessive conservatism in some of the original design calculations so that the fatigue lives of these components can be justified as they age. Fatigue monitoring can also assist efforts to reduce ongoing fatigue usage through design modifications and operating procedure changes

  9. FAMOSi: AREVA's new fatigue monitoring system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abib, E.; Heinz, B.

    2015-01-01

    With its local instrumentation, the Fatigue Monitoring System integrated (FAMOSi) is able to detect real thermal loadings like thermal stratification at the primary and secondary piping system. These thermal loadings are the basis for a reliable stress and fatigue evaluation and an essential part for plant lifetime extension programs. FAMOSi uses a fatigue estimation method for an on-line overview about the fatigue status of the plant's components. Detailed fatigue calculations under consideration of environmental assisted fatigue effects were done with the off-line part of the system. This contributes to optimize the operating modes or, to detect malfunctions of components like leaking valves. FAMOSi is used in several power plants in Europe and across the world to reach a better knowledge of plant behavior during start-up, shut-down, spray events or steam generator charging. In some lifetime extension programs, the exchange of heavy components could be avoided due to realistic stress and fatigue calculation based on real thermal loadings. Fatigue monitoring with FAMOSi contributes to cost savings, introduces condition based maintenance and provides a solid basis for life time extension. (authors)

  10. Monitoring Low-Cycle Fatigue Material-Degradation by Ultrasonic Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Himawan

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Any system consisting of structural material often undergoes fatigue, which is caused by dynamic load cycle. As a structural system, nuclear power plant is very likely to have low-cycle fatigue at many of its components. Taking into account the importance of monitoring low-cycle fatigue on structural components to prevent them from getting failure, the authors have conducted a work to monitor material degradation caused by low-cycle fatigue by using ultrasonic method. An alloy of Cu-40Zn was used as a test specimen. Ultrasonic water immersion procedure was employed in this ultrasonic test. The probe used is a focusing type and has frequency as high as 15 MHz. The specimen area tested is in the middle part divided into 14 points × 23 points. The results, which were frequency spectrums, were analyzed using two parameters: frequency spectrum peak intensity and attenuation function gradient. The analysis indicates that peak intensity increases at the beginning of load cycle and then decreases. Meanwhile, gradient of attenuation function is lower at the beginning of fatigue process, and then consistently gets higher. It concludes that low-fatigue material degradation can be monitored by using ultrasonic method.

  11. Individual aircraft life monitoring: An engineering approach for fatigue damage evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui JIAO

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Individual aircraft life monitoring is required to ensure safety and economy of aircraft structure, and fatigue damage evaluation based on collected operational data of aircraft is an integral part of it. To improve the accuracy and facilitate the application, this paper proposes an engineering approach to evaluate fatigue damage and predict fatigue life for critical structures in fatigue monitoring. In this approach, traditional nominal stress method is applied to back calculate the S-N curve parameters of the realistic structure details based on full-scale fatigue test data. Then the S-N curve and Miner’s rule are adopted in damage estimation and fatigue life analysis for critical locations under individual load spectra. The relationship between relative small crack length and fatigue life can also be predicted with this approach. Specimens of 7B04-T74 aluminum alloy and TA15M titanium alloy are fatigue tested under two types of load spectra, and there is a good agreement between the experimental results and analysis results. Furthermore, the issue concerning scatter factor in individual aircraft damage estimation is also discussed. Keywords: Fatigue damage, Fatigue monitoring, Fatigue test, Scatter factor, S-N curve

  12. A conductive grating sensor for online quantitative monitoring of fatigue crack

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-05-01

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

  13. In service monitoring based on fatigue analyses, possibilities and limitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dittmar, S.; Binder, F.

    2004-01-01

    German LWR reactors are equipped with monitoring systems which are to enable a comparison of real transients with load case catalogues and fatigue catalogues for fatigue analyses. The information accuracy depends on the accuracy of measurements, on the consideration of parameters influencing fatigue (medium, component surface, component size, etc.), and on the accuracy of the load analyses. The contribution attempts a critical evaluation, also inview of the fact that real fatigue damage often are impossible to quantify on the basis of fatigue analyses at a later stage. The effects of the consideration or non-consideration of various influencing factors are discussed, as well as the consequences of the scatter of material characteristics on which the analyses are based. Possible measures to be taken in operational monitoring are derived. (orig.) [de

  14. Fatigue evaluation for Tsing Ma Bridge using structural health monitoring data

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2001-08-01

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

  15. Mental fatigue, motivation and action monitoring

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boksem, MAS; Meijman, TF; Lorist, MM

    In this study we examined whether the effects of mental fatigue on behaviour are due to reduced action monitoring as indexed by the error related negativity (Ne/ERN), N2 and contingent negative variation (CNV) event-related potential (ERP) components. Therefore, we had Subjects perform a task, which

  16. Vivências da sexualidade durante a gravidez

    OpenAIRE

    Cruz, Maria Diana Fernandes da

    2012-01-01

    Trabalho apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em Enfermagem Sumário Durante o período de gravidez, existem uma série de mudanças biológicas, psicológicas, culturais e sociais, estas podem ter influência na vivência da sexualidade. A vivência da sexualidade durante esta fase pode ser entendida de diversas formas pela gestante, muitas vezes pode ser um factor importante para a satisfação das necessidades acrescidas d...

  17. Keep fatigue usage low for LTO. Benefits of load monitoring and related fatigue evaluations for long term operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rothenhoefer, H.; Koenig, G.

    2012-01-01

    Design fatigue calculations normally cover a service life of 40 years. Based on design transients with a specified number of cycles the evaluations have to prove that the fatigue usage after 40 years will stay below 1. In 40+ years of operation real loads can differ much from design loads so that premature ageing can occur. For long term operation, monitoring of real loads and detailed fatigue analysis for selected locations can be used to optimize operational modes in order to reduce the loads causing fatigue. As a result fatigue usage can be kept below 1 even for 60+ years. (author)

  18. A Wireless Fatigue Monitoring System Utilizing a Bio-Inspired Tree Ring Data Tracking Technique

    OpenAIRE

    Bai, Shi; Li, Xuan; Xie, Zhaohui; Zhou, Zhi; Ou, Jinping

    2014-01-01

    Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is propo...

  19. Mechanomyography versus Electromyography, in monitoring the muscular fatigue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarata Mihai T

    2003-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of the mechanomyogram (MMG which detects muscular vibrations generated by fused individual fiber twitches has been refined. The study addresses a comparison of the MMG and surface electromyogram (SEMG in monitoring muscle fatigue. Methods The SEMG and MMG were recorded simultaneously from the same territory of motor units in two muscles (Biceps, Brachioradialis of the human (n = 18, during sustained contraction at 25 % MVC (maximal voluntary contraction. Results The RMS (root mean square of the SEMG and MMG increased with advancing fatigue; MF (median frequency of the PSD (power density spectra progressively decreased from the onset of the contraction. These findings (both muscles, all subjects, demonstrate both through the SEMG and MMG a central component of the fatigue. The MF regression slopes of MMG were closer to each other between men and women (Biceps 1.55%; Brachialis 13.2% than were the SEMG MF slopes (Biceps 25.32%; Brachialis 17.72%, which shows a smaller inter-sex variability for the MMG vs. SEMG. Conclusion The study presents another quantitative comparison (MF, RMS of MMG and SEMG, showing that MMG signal can be used for indication of the degree of muscle activation and for monitoring the muscle fatigue when the application of SEMG is not feasible (chronical implants, adverse environments contaminated by electrical noise.

  20. Real-time Alarm Monitoring System for Detecting Driver Fatigue in Wireless Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rongrong Fu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper was to develop a real-time alarm monitoring system that can detect the fatigue driving state through wireless communication. The drivers’ electroencephalogram (EEG signals were recorded from occipital electrodes. Seven EEG rhythms with different frequency bands as gamma, hbeta, beta, sigma, alpha, theta and delta waves were extracted. They were simultaneously assessed using relative operating characteristic (ROC curves and grey relational analysis to select one as the fatigue feature. The research results showed that the performance of theta wave was the best one. Therefore, theta wave was used as fatigue feature in the following alarm device. The real-time alarm monitoring system based on the result has been developed, once the threshold was settled by using the data of the first ten minutes driving period. The developed system can detect driver fatigue and give alarm to indicate the onset of fatigue automatically.

  1. Ultrathin flexible piezoelectric sensors for monitoring eye fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lü, Chaofeng; Wu, Shuang; Lu, Bingwei; Zhang, Yangyang; Du, Yangkun; Feng, Xue

    2018-02-01

    Eye fatigue is a symptom induced by long-term work of both eyes and brains. Without proper treatment, eye fatigue may incur serious problems. Current studies on detecting eye fatigue mainly focus on computer vision detect technology which can be very unreliable due to occasional bad visual conditions. As a solution, we proposed a wearable conformal in vivo eye fatigue monitoring sensor that contains an array of piezoelectric nanoribbons integrated on an ultrathin flexible substrate. By detecting strains on the skin of eyelid, the sensors may collect information about eye blinking, and, therefore, reveal human’s fatigue state. We first report the design and fabrication of the piezoelectric sensor and experimental characterization of voltage responses of the piezoelectric sensors. Under bending stress, the output voltage curves yield key information about the motion of human eyelid. We also develop a theoretical model to reveal the underlying mechanism of detecting eyelid motion. Both mechanical load test and in vivo test are conducted to convince the working performance of the sensors. With satisfied durability and high sensitivity, this sensor may efficiently detect abnormal eyelid motions, such as overlong closure, high blinking frequency, low closing speed and weak gazing strength, and may hopefully provide feedback for assessing eye fatigue in time so that unexpected situations can be prevented.

  2. Onboard monitoring of fatigue damage rates in the hull girder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Ulrik Dam; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher; Pedersen, Preben Terndrup

    2011-01-01

    Most new advanced ships have extensive data collection systems to be used for continuous monitoring of engine and hull performance, for voyage performance evaluation etc. Such systems could be expanded to include also procedures for stress monitoring and for decision support, where the most...... critical wave-induced ship extreme responses and fatigue damage accumulation can be estimated for hypothetical changes in ship course and speed in the automatically estimated wave environment.The aim of this paper is to outline a calculation procedure for fatigue damage rate prediction in hull girders...... taking into account whipping stresses. It is conceptually shown how such a method, which integrates onboard estimation of sea states, can be used to deduce decision support with respect to the accumulated fatigue damage in the hull girder.The paper firstly presents a set of measured full-scale wave...

  3. On-line fatigue monitoring system for reactor pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokunaga, K.; Sakai, A.; Aoki, T.; Ranganath, S.; Stevens, G.L.

    1994-01-01

    A workstation-based, on-line fatigue monitoring system for tracking fatigue usage applied to an operating boiling water reactor (BWR), Tsuruga Unit-1, is described. The system uses the influence function approach and determines component stresses using temperature, pressure, and flow rate data that are made available via signal taps from previously existing plant sensors. Using plant unique influence functions developed specifically for the feedwater nozzle location, the system calculates stresses as a function of time and computed fatigue usage. The analysis method used to compute fatigue usage complies with MITI Code Notification No.501. Fatigue usage results for an entire fuel cycle are presented and compared to assumed design basis events to confirm that actual plant thermal duty is significantly less severe than originally estimated in the design basis stress report. As a result, the system provides the technical basis to more accurately evaluate actual reactor conditions as well as the justification for plant life extension. (author)

  4. Stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue crack growth monitoring in metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senadheera, T.; Shipilov, S.A.

    2003-01-01

    Environmentally assisted cracking (including stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue) is one of the major causes for materials failure in a wide variety of industries. It is extremely important to understand the mechanism(s) of environmentally assisted crack propagation in structural materials so as to choose correctly from among the various possibilities-alloying elements, heat treatment of steels, parameters of cathodic protection, and inhibitors-to prevent in-service failures due to stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue. An important step towards understanding the mechanism of environmentally assisted crack propagation is designing a testing machine for crack growth monitoring and that simultaneously provides measurement of electrochemical parameters. In the present paper, a direct current (DC) potential drop method for monitoring crack propagation in metals and a testing machine that uses this method and allows for measuring electrochemical parameters during stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue crack growth are described. (author)

  5. International experience feedback on fatigue monitoring systems for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morilhat, P.

    1997-01-01

    From the very beginning of electro-nuclear programmes the need has become internationally obvious to develop systems aiming at automation and improvement of monitoring of the transients stressing the main mechanical components of nuclear units, by checking the conservativeness of the design no longer from a comparison of causes (temperature and pressure variations) but by directly assessing the results (stresses and linked damage). Prototypes of such systems have appeared since the middle of the 1980's mainly in France, the USA and Germany, and manufacturing them has since continued. Several years of development and on site testing of prototypes of fatigue measuring devices designed by the R and D Direction have enabled contacts with the developers of similar systems to be established and, in some cases, comparisons to be made. The experience accumulated in the use of such systems, both in France and abroad from now on makes a first experience feedback possible. The fatigue measuring device concept is based on a succession of elementary modules which enable the information received from the unit to be processed, first in the form of transient counting (transient meters), then in the form of mechanical diagnosis (fatigue monitoring systems). Among the systems in operation some provide actually only the transient meter part while others link transient meters and fatigue meters (EDF, EPRI and MITSUBISHI systems and some versions of the SIEMENS system). Moreover, numerous systems require, in addition to unit operation instrumentation, specific instrumentation located in monitored areas. The number of devices in operation has not stopped growing since the middle of the 80's to reach 53 systems working in 1996. The biggest developers are EPRI and its consultant Structural Integrity Associates (FatiguePro system), SIEMENS (FAMOS system) and EDF whose gradual implementation of SYSFAC from '96 is going to make its share particularly increase. Technical experience feedback

  6. Registro e vivência

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Acevedo Aguilar

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available A memória natural, ligada ao corpo e ao seu universo sensitivo, parece ter cedido lugar à memória instrumental, dependente da tecnologia e dos seus dispositivos. A cultura dá um giro radical: privilegia-se o registro em detrimento da vivência, a prova em relação à experiência. Ao menos é o que parece nesta passagem da religiosidade quitenha.

  7. Monitoring for materials fatigue in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartonicek, J.; Hienstorfer, W.

    1991-01-01

    The pressurizer surge line in unit 1 of the GKN nuclear power station belongs to the safety-relevant systems that have been monitored since the year 1987. The results of this in-service monitoring period show this component part experiences temperature fluctuations that have not been specified in the design documents of GKN 1. The in-service monitoring revealed both local and global temperature changes in the entire surge line, so that the resulting real stresses affecting the surge line can be derived and incorporated in a realistic fatigue analysis. (orig.) [de

  8. A vivência afetiva em idosos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Érika Arantes de Oliveira

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se analisar a vivência afetiva em idosos asilados (A e não asilados (NA a partir de dois grupos de 25 mulheres com mais de 60 anos. Utilizou-se entrevista semi-estruturada sobre história de vida e Teste de Pfister, sendo que A e NA apontaram idealização da infância e da velhice e qualificação negativa da juventude. Na fase adulta, os asilados referiram vivência mais negativa. O Pfister sinalizou, em ambos os grupos, preservação do funcionamento lógico e afetivo, mas certa ansiedade. Inexistiu diferença significativa entre A e NA, sugerindo que a institucionalização não dificulta, necessariamente, o vivenciar saudável da velhice, apontando direção para intervenções terapêuticas com esta população.

  9. A methodology for on-line fatigue life monitoring of Indian nuclear power plant components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhopadhyay, N.K.; Dutta, B.K.; Kushawaha, H.S.

    1992-01-01

    Fatigue is one of the most important aging effects of nuclear power plant components. Information about accumulation of fatigue helps in assessing structural degradation of the components. This assists in-service inspection and maintenance and may also support future life extension program of a plant. In the present report a methodology is being proposed for monitoring on line fatigue life of nuclear power plant components using available plant instrumentations. Major factors affecting fatigue life of a nuclear power plant components are the fluctuations of temperature, pressure and flow rate. Green's function technique is used in on line fatigue monitoring as computation time is much less than finite element method. A code has been developed which computes temperature and stress Green's functions in 2-D and axisymmetric structure by finite element method due to unit change in various fluid parameters. A post processor has also been developed which computes the temperature and stress responses using corresponding Green's functions and actual fluctuation in fluid parameters. In this post processor, the multiple site problem is solved by superimposing single site Green's function technique. It is also shown that Green's function technique is best suited for on line fatigue life monitoring of nuclear power plant components. (author). 6 refs., 43 figs

  10. Fatigue crack growth monitoring: fracture mechanics and non-destructive testing requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, S.; Mudge, P.J.

    1982-01-01

    If a fatigue crack is found in a component in service, two options exist if plant integrity is to be maintained: first, the plant can be removed from service and repairs effected or replacements fitted; second, the growth of the crack can be monitored non-destructively until it is either considered to be too large to tolerate, in which case it must be repaired, or until a convenient down time when repair can be effected. The second option has obvious benefits for plant operators, but in such a situation it is essential that errors of the non-destructive estimate of defect size, which will undoubtedly exist, and uncertainties in the fatigue crack growth laws in operation must both be allowed for if a safe extension of service life is to be obtained; i.e. without failure by leakage or fast fracture arising from the fatigue crack. This paper analyses the accuracy required of non-destructive crack measurement techniques to permit the safe monitoring of crack growth by periodic inspection. It then demonstrates that it is possible to achieve adequate crack monitoring using conventional ultrasonic techniques. (author)

  11. A Wireless Fatigue Monitoring System Utilizing a Bio-Inspired Tree Ring Data Tracking Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shi Bai

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is proposed. The general framework, methodology, and verification of this intelligent system are discussed in details. The rain-flow counting (RFC method is adopted as the core algorithm which quantifies fatigue damages, and Digital Signal Processing (DSP is introduced as the core module for data collection and analysis. Laboratory test results based on strain gauges and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF sensors have shown that the developed intelligent system can provide a reliable quick feedback and early warning of fatigue failure. With the merits of low cost, high accuracy and great reliability, the developed wireless fatigue sensing system can be further applied to mechanical engineering, civil infrastructures, transportation systems, aerospace engineering, etc.

  12. A wireless fatigue monitoring system utilizing a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Shi; Li, Xuan; Xie, Zhaohui; Zhou, Zhi; Ou, Jinping

    2014-03-05

    Fatigue, a hot scientific research topic for centuries, can trigger sudden failure of critical structures such as aircraft and railway systems, resulting in enormous casualties as well as economic losses. The fatigue life of certain structures is intrinsically random and few monitoring techniques are capable of tracking the full life-cycle fatigue damage. In this paper, a novel in-situ wireless real-time fatigue monitoring system using a bio-inspired tree ring data tracking technique is proposed. The general framework, methodology, and verification of this intelligent system are discussed in details. The rain-flow counting (RFC) method is adopted as the core algorithm which quantifies fatigue damages, and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is introduced as the core module for data collection and analysis. Laboratory test results based on strain gauges and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors have shown that the developed intelligent system can provide a reliable quick feedback and early warning of fatigue failure. With the merits of low cost, high accuracy and great reliability, the developed wireless fatigue sensing system can be further applied to mechanical engineering, civil infrastructures, transportation systems, aerospace engineering, etc.

  13. Investigation and Control of VIVs with Multi-Lock-in Regions on Wide Flat Box Girders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Wu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available On the preliminary designing of a wide flat box girder with the slenderness ratio 12, vertical and torsional vortex-induced vibrations (VIV are observed in wind tunnel tests. More than one lock-in region, which are defined as “multi-lock-in regions,” are recorded. Therefore, suspicions should be aroused regarding the viewpoint that wide box girders are aerodynamic friendly. As the three nascent vortexes originating at the pedestrian guardrails and inspection rails shed to near-wake through different pathways with different frequencies, the mechanisms of VIVs and multi-lock-in regions are analyzed to be determined by the inappropriate subsidiary structures. A hybrid method combining Large Eddy Simulation (LES with experimental results is introduced to study the flow-structure interactions (FSI when undergoing VIVs; the vortex mode of torsional VIV on wide flat box girders is defined as “4/2S,” which is different from any other known ones. Based on the mechanism of VIV, a new approach by increasing ventilation rate of the pedestrian guardrails is proved to be effective in suppressing vertical and torsional VIVs, and it is more feasible than other control schemes. Then, the control mechanisms are deeper investigated by analyzing the evolution of vortex mode and FSI using Hybrid-LES method.

  14. A methodology for on line fatigue life monitoring : rainflow cycle counting method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhopadhyay, N.K.; Dutta, B.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.

    1992-01-01

    Green's function technique is used in on line fatigue life monitoring to convert plant data to stress versus time data. This technique converts plant data most efficiently to stress versus time data. To compute the fatigue usage factor the actual number of cycles experienced by the component is to be found out from stress versus time data. Using material fatigue properties the fatigue usage factor is to be computed from the number of cycles. Generally the stress response is very irregular in nature. To convert an irregular stress history to stress frequency spectra rainflow cycle counting method is used. This method is proved to be superior to other counting methods and yields best fatigue estimates. A code has been developed which computes the number of cycles experienced by the component from stress time history using rainflow cycle counting method. This postprocessor also computes the accumulated fatigue usage factor from material fatigue properties. The present report describes the development of a code to compute fatigue usage factor using rainflow cycle counting technique and presents a real life case study. (author). 10 refs., 10 figs

  15. Concept of a new method for fatigue monitoring of nuclear power plant components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zafosnik, M.; Cizelj, L.

    2007-01-01

    Fatigue is one of the well-understood aging mechanisms affecting mechanical components in many industrial facilities including nuclear power plants. Operational experience of nuclear power plants worldwide to date confirmed adequate design of safety related components against fatigue. In some cases however, for example when the plant life extension is envisioned, it may be very useful to monitor the remaining fatigue life of safety related components. Nuclear power plants components are classified into safety classes regarding their importance in mitigating the consequences of hypothetic accidents. Service life of components subjected to fatigue loading can be estimated with Usage Factor uk. A concept of the new method aiming both at monitoring the current state of the component and predicting its remaining lifetime in the life-extension conditions is presented. The method is based on determination of partial Usage Factor of components in which operating transients will be considered and compared to design transients. (author)

  16. French experience in transient data collection and fatigue monitoring of PWR's nuclear steam supply system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabaton, M.; Morilhat, P.; Savoldelli, D.; Genette, P.

    1995-10-01

    Electricite de France (EDF), the french national electricity company, is operating 54 standardized pressurizer water reactors. This about 500 reactor-years experience in nuclear stations operation and maintenance area has allowed EDF to develop its own strategy for monitoring of age-related degradations of NPP systems and components relevant for plant safety and reliability. After more than fifteen years of experience in regulatory transient data collection and seven years of successful fatigue monitoring prototypes experimentation, EDF decided to design a new system called SYSFAC (acronym for SYsteme de Surveillance en FAtigue de la Chaudiere) devoted to transient logging and thermal fatigue monitoring of the reactor coolant pressure boundary. The system is fully automatic and directly connected to the on-site data acquisition network without any complementary instrumentation. A functional transient detection module and a mechanical transient detection module are in charge of the general transient data collection. A fatigue monitoring module is aimed towards a precise surveillance of five specific zones particularly sensible to thermal fatigue. After the first step of preliminary studies, the industrial phase of the SYSFAC project is currently going on, with hardware and software tests and implementation. The first SYSFAC system will be delivered to the pilot power plant by the beginning of 1996. The extension to all EDF's nuclear 900 MW is planned after one more year of feedback experience. (authors). 12 refs., 3 figs

  17. Effects of Various Factors on the Viv-Induced Fatigue Damage In The Cable Of Submerged Floating Tunnel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luoa Gang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available According to the modal superposition method, the vortex vibration procedure of submerged floating tunnel cable was compiled using Matlab, based on the calculated results, the fatigue damage was predicted. The effects of various factors, such as cable density, cable length, and pretension and velocity distribution on vortex induced fatigue damage in the cable were studied. The results show that velocity distribution has more effect on the cable fatigue damage than cable length, cable density and pre-tension. Secondly, cable length has also relatively effect on the cable damage fatigue, cable density and pretension has limited in a certain range.

  18. Potential drop crack growth monitoring in high temperature biaxial fatigue tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fitzgerald, B.P.; Krempl, E.

    1993-01-01

    The present work describes a procedure for monitoring crack growth in high temperature, biaxial, low cycle fatigue tests. The reversing DC potential drop equipment monitors smooth, tubular type 304 stainless steel specimens during fatigue testing. Electrical interference from an induction heater is filtered out by an analog filter and by using a long integration time. A Fourier smoothing algorithm and two spline interpolations process the large data set. The experimentally determined electrical potential drop is compared with the theoretical electrostatic potential that is found by solving Laplace's equation for an elliptical crack in a semi-infinite conducting medium. Since agreement between theory and experiment is good, the method can be used to measure crack growth to failure from the threshold of detectability

  19. Violência institucional: vivências no cotidiano da equipe de enfermagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Ribeiro dos Santos

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Estudo qualitativo que objetivou descrever a vivência dos profissionais da equipe de enfermagem expostos à violência institucional, discutir como essas vivências influem no cotidiano e na organização do serviço e conhecer os eventos causadores dessas atitudes violentas. Os sujeitos foram onze profissionais da equipe de enfermagem. Os dados foram produzidos por meio de entrevista, analisados utilizando técnica de análise temática, organizados nas categorias: vivências de violência na equipe de enfermagem, influência da violência no cotidiano de trabalho e na organização do serviço e fatores causadores de atitudes violentas contra a equipe de enfermagem. Os resultados demonstram que os profissionais encontram-se susceptíveis a atitudes violentas no ambiente de trabalho por permanecerem mais tempo e em maior interação com pacientes e acompanhantes

  20. Violência institucional: vivências no cotidiano da equipe de enfermagem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Ribeiro dos Santos

    Full Text Available Estudo qualitativo que objetivou descrever a vivência dos profissionais da equipe de enfermagem expostos à violência institucional, discutir como essas vivências influem no cotidiano e na organização do serviço e conhecer os eventos causadores dessas atitudes violentas. Os sujeitos foram onze profissionais da equipe de enfermagem. Os dados foram produzidos por meio de entrevista, analisados utilizando técnica de análise temática, organizados nas categorias: vivências de violência na equipe de enfermagem, influência da violência no cotidiano de trabalho e na organização do serviço e fatores causadores de atitudes violentas contra a equipe de enfermagem. Os resultados demonstram que os profissionais encontram-se susceptíveis a atitudes violentas no ambiente de trabalho por permanecerem mais tempo e em maior interação com pacientes e acompanhantes

  1. Use of on-line fatigue monitoring of nuclear reactor components as a tool for plant life extension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, G.L.; Ranganath, S.

    1991-01-01

    In this paper the application of an on-line fatigue monitoring system for tracking fatigue usage in operating power plants is described. The system, like several others which have been developed, uses the influence function approach, operates on a microcomputer, and determines component stresses using temperature, pressure, and flow rate data that are typically available from plant computers. Using plant-unique influence functions developed specifically for each component location, the system calculates stresses as a function of time and computes the fatigue usage. Stress values are calculated at time internals defined by the user and the fatigue values are saved on files for use at a later time. The application of the GE Fatigue Monitoring System (GEFMS) to calculate fatigue usage in the feedwater nozzle of a GE boiling Water Reactor is described in this paper

  2. Gearbox Fatigue Load Estimation for Condition Monitoring of Wind Turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perisic, Nevena; Pedersen, Bo Juul; Kirkegaard, Poul Henning

    2012-01-01

    control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Estimated loads can be further used for prediction of remaining operating lifetime of turbine components, detection of high stress level or fault detection. An augmented Kalman filter is chosen as the fatigue load estimator because its characteristics well suit......The focus of the paper is on a design of a fatigue load estimator for predictive condition monitoring systems (CMS) of wind turbines. In order to avoid high-price measurement equipment required for direct load measuring, an indirect approach is suggested using only measurements from supervisory...... for the real time application. This paper presents results of the estimation of the gearbox fatigue load, often called shaft torque, using simulated data of wind turbine. Noise sensitivity of the algorithm is investigated by assuming different levels of measurement noise. Shaft torque estimations are compared...

  3. Performance Deterioration of Heavy-Haul Railway Bridges under Fatigue Loading Monitored by a Multisensor System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiwu Yu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Heavy-haul railway bridges play an increasingly essential role in the transportation in China due to the increasing transport volume. The performance deterioration of the scale models of a typical heavy-haul railway bridge under fatigue loading is monitored in this work, based on a multisensor system including the fiber-reinforced polymer optical fiber Bragg grating and electrical resistance strain gauges, linear variable displacement transducer, and accelerometer. Specifically, by monitoring/observing on the failure mode, fatigue life, load-midspan deflection response, material strain development, and so forth, this work develops an S-N model by comparing the relationship between fatigue life and rebar stress range with that between fatigue life and load level and proposes a damage evolution model considering the coupling of the stiffness degradation and inelastic deformation of specimens. It is found that the fatigue life of specimens is determined by the fatigue life of the rebar at the bottom and it may be lower than 2.0 million cycles with a 30-ton axle weight when environmental factors are taken into account. The predictions of the models agree well with experimental results. Therefore, this work furthers the understanding of the fatigue performance deterioration of the bridges by using a multisensor system.

  4. Monitoring Poisson’s Ratio Degradation of FRP Composites under Fatigue Loading Using Biaxially Embedded FBG Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akay, Erdem; Yilmaz, Cagatay; Kocaman, Esat S.; Turkmen, Halit S.; Yildiz, Mehmet

    2016-01-01

    The significance of strain measurement is obvious for the analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites. Conventional strain measurement methods are sufficient for static testing in general. Nevertheless, if the requirements exceed the capabilities of these conventional methods, more sophisticated techniques are necessary to obtain strain data. Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have many advantages for strain measurement over conventional ones. Thus, the present paper suggests a novel method for biaxial strain measurement using embedded FBG sensors during the fatigue testing of FRP composites. Poisson’s ratio and its reduction were monitored for each cyclic loading by using embedded FBG sensors for a given specimen and correlated with the fatigue stages determined based on the variations of the applied fatigue loading and temperature due to the autogenous heating to predict an oncoming failure of the continuous fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composite specimens under fatigue loading. The results show that FBG sensor technology has a remarkable potential for monitoring the evolution of Poisson’s ratio on a cycle-by-cycle basis, which can reliably be used towards tracking the fatigue stages of composite for structural health monitoring purposes. PMID:28773901

  5. Factors Associated with Visual Fatigue from Curved Monitor Use: A Prospective Study of Healthy Subjects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haeng Jin Lee

    Full Text Available To investigate the factors associated with visual fatigue using monitors with various radii of curvature.Twenty normal healthy adults (8 men, 12 women; mean age, 26.2 ± 2.5 years prospectively watched five types of monitors including flat, 4000R, 3000R, 2000R, and 1000R curved monitors for 30 min. An experienced examiner measured the ophthalmological factors including near point of accommodation (NPA, near point of convergence (NPC, refraction, parameters during pupil response at light and saccadic movement just before and after the visual tasks. The questionnaires about subjective ocular symptoms were also investigated just before and after the visual tasks.The NPA increased after the visual tasks with a flat monitor compared with the curved monitors, with the 1000R curved monitor showing the smallest change (p = 0.020. The NPC increased for every monitor after the visual tasks; the largest increase occurred with the flat monitor (p = 0.001. There was no difference in refractive error, pupil response, or saccadic movement in the comparison of before and after the visual tasks. Among the nine factors in the questionnaire, the score of "eye pain" was significantly higher for the flat monitor versus the 1000R curved monitor after the visual tasks (p = 0.034.We identified NPA, NPC, and eye pain as factors associated with visual fatigue. Also, the curvature of the monitor was related to the visual fatigue.

  6. Relatos de vivências educacionais

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Congresso Internacional de Dislexia

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Relatos de experiências em educação, abrangendo a descrição de projeto ou vivência específica em sala de aula ou outro ambiente educacional, que envolva o trabalho com escolares com dislexia e outros transtornos da aprendizagem da leitura e escrita.Os trabalhos foram apresentados na terceira edição do Congresso Internacional de Dislexia (CID, realizado nas dependências do Centro Universitário Metodista Izabela Hendrix, em maio de 2011. 

  7. On-line fatigue monitoring and probabilistic assessment of margins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fournier, I. [Electricite de France, 93 - Saint-Denis (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches; Morilhat, P. [Electricite de France, 93 - Saint-Denis (France). Direction des Etudes et Recherches

    1995-01-01

    An on-line computer-aided system has been developed by Electricite de France, the French utility, for fatigue monitoring of critical locations in the nuclear steam supply system. This tool, called a fatigue meter, includes as input data plant parameters and is based on some conservative assumptions at several steps of the damage assessment (thermal boundary conditions, stress computation,..). In this paper we present recent developments performed towards a better assessment of margins involved in the complete analysis. The methodology is illustrated with an example showing the influence of uncertainty in plant parameters on the final stress computed at a pressurized water reactor 900MW unit pressurizer surge line nozzle. A second example is shown to illustrate the possibility of defining some transient archetypes. ((orig.)).

  8. Fatigue crack growth monitoring in multi-layered structures using guided ultrasonic waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kostson, E; Fromme, P

    2009-01-01

    This contribution investigates the application of low frequency guided ultrasonic waves for monitoring fatigue crack growth at fastener holes in the 2nd layer of multi-layered plate structures, a common problem in aerospace industry. The model multi-layered structure investigated consists of two aluminum plate-strips adhesively bonded using a structural paste adhesive. Guided ultrasonic waves were excited using multiple piezoelectric discs bonded to the surface of the multi-layered structure. The wave propagation in the tensile specimen was measured using a laser interferometer and compared to numerical simulations. Thickness and width mode shapes of the excited flexural waves were identified from Semi-Analytical Finite Element (SAFE) calculations. Experiments and 3D Finite Element (FE) simulations show a change in the scattered field around fastener holes caused by a defect in the 2nd layer. The amplitude of the guided ultrasonic wave was monitored during fatigue experiments at a single point. The measured changes in the amplitude of the ultrasonic signal due to fatigue crack growth agree well with FE simulations.

  9. An Intelligent Sensor System for Monitoring Fatigue Damage in Welded Steel Components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, B.; Gaydecki, P.; Burdekin, F. Michael

    2005-04-01

    A system for monitoring fatigue damage in steel components is described. The sensor, a thin steel sheet with a pre-crack in it, is attached to the component. Its crack length increases by fatigue in service and is recorded using a microcontroller. Measurement is accomplished using conductive tracks in a circuit whose output voltage changes when the crack propagates past a track. Data stored in memory can be remotely downloaded using Bluetooth™ technology to a PC.

  10. An Intelligent Sensor System for Monitoring Fatigue Damage in Welded Steel Components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, B.; Gaydecki, P.; Burdekin, F. Michael

    2005-01-01

    A system for monitoring fatigue damage in steel components is described. The sensor, a thin steel sheet with a pre-crack in it, is attached to the component. Its crack length increases by fatigue in service and is recorded using a microcontroller. Measurement is accomplished using conductive tracks in a circuit whose output voltage changes when the crack propagates past a track. Data stored in memory can be remotely downloaded using Bluetooth TM technology to a PC

  11. Structural health monitoring in end-of-life prediction for steel bridges subjected to fatigue cracking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Attema, T.; Courage, W.M.G.; Maljaars, J.; Meerveld, H. van; Paulissen, J.H.; Pijpers, R.J.M.; Slobbe, A.T.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a monitoring and modelling methodology to assess the current and future conditions of steel bridges subjected to fatigue cracking. Steel bridges are subjected to fatigue cracking as a result of fluctuating stresses caused by the crossing of heavy vehicles. Specifically for

  12. Monitoring fatigue loads on wind turbines using cycle counting data acquisition systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soeker, H; Seifert, H [Deutsches Windenergie-Institut (Germany); Fragoulis, A; Vionis, P; Foussekis, D [Center for Renewable Energy Sources (Greece); Dahlberg, J A; Poppen, M [The Aeronautical Research Institue of Sweden (Sweden)

    1996-09-01

    As in any industrial application, the duration of a wind turbine`s life is a key parameter for the evaluation of its economic potential. Assuming a service life of 20 years, components of the turbine have to withstand a number of load cycles of up to 10{sup 8}. Such numbers of load cycles impose high demands on the fatigue characteristics of both, the used materials and the design. Nevertheless, fatigue loading of wind turbine components still remains a parameter of high uncertainty in the design of wind turbines. The specific features of these fatigue loads can be expected to vary with the type of turbine and the site of operation. In order to ensure the reliability of the next generation of larger scale wind turbines improved load assumptions will be of vital importance. Within the scope of the presented research program DEWI, C.R.E.S. and FFA monitored fatigue loads of serial produced wind turbines by means of a monitoring method that uses on-line cycle counting techniques. The blade root bending moments of two pitch controlled, variable speed wind turbines operating in the Hamswehrum wind farm, and also that of a stall controlled, fixed speed wind turbine operating in CRES` complex terrain test site, were measured by DEWI and CRES. In parallel FFA used their database of time series measurements of blade root bending moments on a stall controlled, fixed speed turbine at Alsvik Windfarm in order to derive semi-empirical fatigue load data. The experience gained from application of the on-line measurement technique is discussed with respect to performance, data quality, reliability and cost effectiveness. Investigations on the effects of wind farm and complex terrain operation on the fatigue loads of wind turbine rotor blades are presented. (au)

  13. Self-Calibrating Ultrasonic Methods for In-Situ Monitoring of Fatigue Crack Progression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michaels, J.E.; Mi, B.; Cobb, A.C.; Michaels, T.E.; Stobbe, D.M.

    2005-01-01

    Ultrasonic sensors permanently affixed to aluminum coupons are used to monitor progression of damage during fatigue testing with the long term goal of structural health monitoring for diagnostics and prognostics. Necessary for success are proper design of the ultrasonic testing methods, robust transducer mounting techniques, and real-time signal processing for determining the state of the structure. It is also highly desirable for the overall system to be self-calibrating with built-in diagnostics in order to detect and compensate for sensor degradation or failure. Self-calibrating ultrasonic techniques are applied for monitoring of cracks initiating and propagating from the inaccessible inner diameters of rivet holes where the transducers are mounted on the accessible specimen surface. Angle beam ultrasonic methods are utilized that are suitable for detecting small defects in critical local regions of high stress. Results are presented for aluminum coupons subjected to low cycle fatigue and demonstrate ultrasonic tracking of crack growth

  14. A Muscle Fibre Conduction Velocity Tracking ASIC for Local Fatigue Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutsos, Ermis; Cretu, Vlad; Georgiou, Pantelis

    2016-12-01

    Electromyography analysis can provide information about a muscle's fatigue state by estimating Muscle Fibre Conduction Velocity (MFCV), a measure of the travelling speed of Motor Unit Action Potentials (MUAPs) in muscle tissue. MFCV better represents the physical manifestations of muscle fatigue, compared to the progressive compression of the myoelectic Power Spectral Density, hence it is more suitable for a muscle fatigue tracking system. This paper presents a novel algorithm for the estimation of MFCV using single threshold bit-stream conversion and a dedicated application-specified integrated circuit (ASIC) for its implementation, suitable for a compact, wearable and easy to use muscle fatigue monitor. The presented ASIC is implemented in a commercially available AMS 0.35 [Formula: see text] CMOS technology and utilizes a bit-stream cross-correlator that estimates the conduction velocity of the myoelectric signal in real time. A test group of 20 subjects was used to evaluate the performance of the developed ASIC, achieving good accuracy with an error of only 3.2% compared to Matlab.

  15. Analysis of the Suppression Device as Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV Reducer on Free Span using Finite Element Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Priyanta

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Subsea pipeline is a transportation infrastructure of oil and gas as an alternative for ship tanker. The uneven topography surface of the sea floor resulting the pipe undergoes free span. The free span is a condition endured by the pipe where the pipe position has  distance or gap with the seabed supported by two pivot. The free span is at risk of experiencing a vibration caused by the presence of dynamic load that is current and the wave. The vibration that occurs is the impact of the presence of the phenomenon of Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV. The Phenomenon Of VIV occur on a cylindrical component caused by ocean currents, causing the occurrence of vibration by the movement of fluid on the pipe so that it raises the vortex at the rear of the direction of oncoming flow. One way to dampen or reduce the impact of VIV is by adding suppresion device. VIV suppression device is a tool that is installed on the pipeline on offshore piping installationcthat serves to dampen or reduce the impact of VIV. One of the simulations used to know the characteristics of a fluid is to use (CFD Computational Fluid Dynamic. With the addition of suppression device can add the rest of the operating time on a free span of affected VIV, on the condition of free span critical exposed VIV (Vortex Induced Vibration value has a life time on plain pipe 44.21 years, on pipe with 53.09 years and Fairing on the pipe with the Helical strike 52.95 year.

  16. Fatigue Damage Monitoring of a Composite Step Lap Joint Using Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Leslie; Chowdhury, Nabil; Wang, John; Chiu, Wing Kong; Kodikara, Jayantha

    2016-01-01

    Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable interest in the use of distributed optical fibre sensors (DOFS) for structural health monitoring of composite structures. In aerospace-related work, health monitoring of the adhesive joints of composites has become more significant, as they can suffer from cracking and delamination, which can have a significant impact on the integrity of the joint. In this paper, a swept-wavelength interferometry (SWI) based DOFS technique is used to monitor the fatigue in a flush step lap joint composite structure. The presented results will show the potential application of distributed optical fibre sensor for damage detection, as well as monitoring the fatigue crack growth along the bondline of a step lap joint composite structure. The results confirmed that a distributed optical fibre sensor is able to enhance the detection of localised damage in a structure. PMID:28773496

  17. Fatigue damage monitoring for basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites using acoustic emission technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wentao; Li, Hui; Qu, Zhi

    2012-04-01

    Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) is a structural material with superior mechanical properties. In this study, unidirectional BFRP laminates with 14 layers are made with the hand lay-up method. Then, the acoustic emission technique (AE) combined with the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) technique is employed to monitor the fatigue damage evolution of the BFRP plates in the fatigue loading tests. Time-frequency analysis using the wavelet transform technique is proposed to analyze the received AE signal instead of the peak frequency method. A comparison between AE signals and SEM images indicates that the multi-frequency peaks picked from the time-frequency curves of AE signals reflect the accumulated fatigue damage evolution and fatigue damage patterns. Furthermore, seven damage patterns, that is, matrix cracking, delamination, fiber fracture and their combinations, are identified from the time-frequency curves of the AE signals.

  18. Assessment of the impact of VIV (Vortex Induced Vibrations) on closely spaced production jumpers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saint-Marcoux, Jean-Francois; Legras, Jean-Luc; Bastos, Renato; Rochereau, Max [Acergy, London (United Kingdom)

    2009-12-19

    Brazilian deep water projects require new concepts both for Early Production and Extended Tests Systems for which Floating Production units with smaller hulls are cost-efficient. Further more the Brazilian environment precludes spread mooring. This results in closely spaced riser configurations. Acergy has investigated the issue of interference between closely spaced risers for a few years in practice (bundle Riser Towers, SCR's), experimentally (with Scripps Institution of Oceanography), and with CFD (with Texas A and M University). The result has been in 2008 the inclusion of the Blevins model in commercially available software. Nevertheless the assessment of the impact of VIV of the upstream riser remained elusive. Measurements performed in 2007 confirmed that the wake behind a cylinder under VIV was expanded and the hydrodynamic forces on the downstream riser strongly affected when the upstream cylinder was undergoing Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV). Measurements conducted in 2008 up to a Reynolds number of 140 000 appear to validate an engineering approach of the impact of VIV that can be readily included in commercially available software for design engineering purpose. The paper describes the experimental measurements, the proposed wake model, comparison of the measurements and model. Application to the design of deep water riser and jumper systems is also included. (author)

  19. Remote monitoring of fatigue-sensitive details on bridges : [part I and II].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    Fatigue is one of the most critical problems for steel bridges as well as for any steel structures that needs : to be considered during design and operation. The objectives of this study are to explore monitoring : technologies, and to develop effect...

  20. A study on the stress history condensation method for a fatigue monitoring system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ko, Hanok; Jhung, Myungjo; Lee, Kihyoung

    2014-01-01

    Fatigue damage is the one of important aging mechanisms. Time-varying thermal, pressure and mechanical loads produce perturbations of stress cycles primarily at the surface of a component. Stress cycles of sufficient magnitude cause fatigue damage, which can ultimately lead to cracking of the component. According to NUREG-1801, fatigue monitoring systems identify acceptable aging management programs, including programs for fatigue and cyclic operation. In a monitoring system, the rainflow counting method is mainly used as the stress cycle counting method. Before determining the stress cycles using rainflow counting method, stress extremum (or peak/valley) must be identified. Because real stress history contains large numbers of very small cycles, which may be a result of digitization noise, these cycles will slow down the analysis and distort the scaling of graphical displays. As a result, it is found that stress cycles smaller than a threshold value are discarded by using the proposed method. In this paper, an engineering methodology which extracts extremum from the real-time transient data, so-called SEE, has been developed. The proposed method is very simple and so fast because it only uses the difference between the input value and local peak/valley. The stress cycles counted by two methods are compared with those counted by only rainflow counting method and it is found that stress cycles smaller than a threshold value were eliminated

  1. Investigating real-time monitoring of fatigue indicators of New Zealand forestry workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Judy; Hinze, Annika; Griffiths, Christopher

    2017-12-27

    The New Zealand forestry industry has one of the highest fatality and injury rates of any industrial sector in the country. Worker fatigue has been identified as one of the main contributing factors. Currently no independent and objective large data source is available that might support an analysis of this, or provide the basis for ongoing monitoring to further investigate. In order to successfully manage fatigue in the forestry workplace, we must identify suitable ways of detecting it. Industry partners are increasingly looking at monitoring solutions (particularly lightweight, wearable technology) that aim to measure worker activities and physiological metrics in order to determine if they are fatigued. In this article we present the results of studies which investigate whether or not such technology can capture meaningful data in a reliable way that is both practical and usable within the forestry domain. Two series of studies were undertaken with in-situ forestry workers using reaction and decision-making times as a measure of potential impairment, while considering activity levels (via step count and heart rate) and job-roles. We present the results of these studies and further provide a comparison of results across different ambient temperatures (winter vs. summer periods). The results of our studies suggest that it may not be possible to identify correlations between workloads (based on both physical and cognitive stresses) and fatigue measures using in-situ measurements as results are highly personalised to individual workers and can be misleading if the wider context is not also taken into consideration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Implementation of automated, on-line fatigue monitoring in a boiling water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, Takeshi; Tokunaga, Katsumi; Stevens, G.L.; Ranganath, S.

    1993-01-01

    A workstation-based, on-line fatigue monitoring system for tracking fatigue usage applied to a Japanese operating boiling water reactor (BWR), Tsuruga Unit 1, is described. The system uses the influence function approach and rainflow cycle counting methodology, operates on a workstation computer, and determines component stresses using temperature, pressure, and flow rate data that are made available via signal taps from previously existing plant sensors. Using plant-unique influence functions developed specifically for the feedwater nozzle location, the system calculates stresses as a function of time and computes the fatigue usage. The analysis method used to compute fatigue usage complies with MITI Code Notification number-sign 501. Fatigue values are saved automatically on files at times defined by the user for use at a later time. Of particular note, this paper describes some of the details involved with implementing such a system from the utility perspective. Utility installation details, as well as why such a system was chosen for implementation are presented. Fatigue results for an entire fuel cycle are presented and compared to assumed design basis events to confirm that actual plant thermal duty is significantly less severe than originally estimated in the design basis stress report. Although the system is specifically set up to address fatigue duty for the feedwater nozzle location, a generic shell structure was implemented so that any other components could be added at a future time without software modifications. As a result, the system provides the technical basis to more accurately evaluate actual reactor conditions as well as the justification for plant life extension

  3. Fatigue life assessment of free spanning pipelines containing corrosion defects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopes, Rita de Kassia D.; Campello, Georga C.; Matt, Cyntia G. da Costa; Benjamin, Adilson C.; Franciss, Ricardo [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES)

    2009-12-19

    The free spanning pipelines assessment is a highlighted issue to be considered during the project and maintenance of the submarine pipelines. It is required to evaluate the fatigue life and the maximum stress due to VIV (Vortex Induced Vibration) as well as wave forces when applicable in case of shallow water. The code DNV-RP-F105 (2006) presents a methodology to calculate the fatigue life for free spanning pipelines. Such methodology however considers the pipe with no kind of defects. Nevertheless, sometimes corrosion defects are detected in periodic inspections and therefore their effects need to be taken into account in the fatigue life evaluation. The purpose of this paper thus is to present a procedure to assess the influence of the corrosion defects in the fatigue life of free spanning pipelines. Some FE analyses were performed to determine the stress concentrate factor (SCF) of the corrosion defects, which were used as input in the methodology presented in the code DNV-RP-F105 (2006). Curves of damage and so lifetime have been generated as function of the span length and water depth. As a practical application, this methodology was applied to a sub sea pipeline with several corrosion defects, localized in shallow water offshore Brazil. (author)

  4. French experience in transient data collection and fatigue monitoring of PWR`s nuclear steam supply system; Experience francaise sur la comptabilisation des transitoires et la surveillance en fatigue des chaudieres REP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sabaton, M.; Morilhat, P.; Savoldelli, D.; Genette, P.

    1995-10-01

    Electricite de France (EDF), the french national electricity company, is operating 54 standardized pressurizer water reactors. This about 500 reactor-years experience in nuclear stations operation and maintenance area has allowed EDF to develop its own strategy for monitoring of age-related degradations of NPP systems and components relevant for plant safety and reliability. After more than fifteen years of experience in regulatory transient data collection and seven years of successful fatigue monitoring prototypes experimentation, EDF decided to design a new system called SYSFAC (acronym for SYsteme de Surveillance en FAtigue de la Chaudiere) devoted to transient logging and thermal fatigue monitoring of the reactor coolant pressure boundary. The system is fully automatic and directly connected to the on-site data acquisition network without any complementary instrumentation. A functional transient detection module and a mechanical transient detection module are in charge of the general transient data collection. A fatigue monitoring module is aimed towards a precise surveillance of five specific zones particularly sensible to thermal fatigue. After the first step of preliminary studies, the industrial phase of the SYSFAC project is currently going on, with hardware and software tests and implementation. The first SYSFAC system will be delivered to the pilot power plant by the beginning of 1996. The extension to all EDF`s nuclear 900 MW is planned after one more year of feedback experience. (authors). 12 refs., 3 figs.

  5. Monitoring of temperature fatigue failure mechanism for polyvinyl alcohol fiber concrete using acoustic emission sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dongsheng; Cao, Hai

    2012-01-01

    The applicability of acoustic emission (AE) techniques to monitor the mechanism of evolution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber concrete damage under temperature fatigue loading is investigated. Using the temperature fatigue test, real-time AE monitoring data of PVA fiber concrete is achieved. Based on the AE signal characteristics of the whole test process and comparison of AE signals of PVA fiber concretes with different fiber contents, the damage evolution process of PVA fiber concrete is analyzed. Finally, a qualitative evaluation of the damage degree is obtained using the kurtosis index and b-value of AE characteristic parameters. The results obtained using both methods are discussed.

  6. Comparative study of electromechanical impedance and Lamb wave techniques for fatigue crack detection and monitoring in metallic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Say Ian; Liu, Yu; Soh, Chee Kiong

    2012-04-01

    Fatigue cracks often initiate at the weld toes of welded steel connections. Usually, these cracks cannot be identified by the naked eyes. Existing identification methods like dye-penetration test and alternating current potential drop (ACPD) may be useful for detecting fatigue cracks at the weld toes. To apply these non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, the potential sites have to be accessible during inspection. Therefore, there is a need to explore other detection and monitoring techniques for fatigue cracks especially when their locations are inaccessible or cost of access is uneconomical. Electro-mechanical Impedance (EMI) and Lamb wave techniques are two fast growing techniques in the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) community. These techniques use piezoelectric ceramics (PZT) for actuation and sensing. Since the monitoring site is only needed to be accessed once for the instrumentation of the transducers, remote monitoring is made possible. The permanent locations of these transducers also translate to having consistent measurement for monitoring. The main focus of this study is to conduct a comparative investigation on the effectiveness and efficiency of the EMI technique and the Lamb wave technique for successful fatigue crack identification and monitoring of welded steel connections using piezoelectric transducers. A laboratory-sized non-load carrying fillet weld specimen is used in this study. The specimen is subjected to cyclic tensile load and data for both techniques are acquired at stipulated intervals. It can be concluded that the EMI technique is sensitive to the crack initiation phase while the Lamb wave technique correlates well with the crack propagation phase.

  7. AE characteristic for monitoring of fatigue crack in steel bridge members

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Dong-Jin; Jung, Juong-Chae; Park, Philip; Lee, Seung-Seok

    2000-06-01

    Acoustic emission technique was employed for the monitoring of crack activity in both steel bridge members and laboratory specimen. Laboratory experiment was carried out to identify AE characteristics of fatigue cracks for compact tension specimen. The relationship between a stress intensity factor and AE signals activity as well as conventional AE parameter analysis was discussed. A field test was also conducted on a railway bridge, which contain several fatigue cracks. Crack activities were investigated while in service with strain measurement. From the results, in the laboratory tests, the features of three parameters such as the length of crack growth, the AE energy, and the cumulative AE events, showed the almost same trend in their increase as the number of fatigue cycle increased. From the comparisons of peak amplitude and AE energy with stress intensity factor, it was verified that the higher stress intensity factors generated AE signals with higher peak amplitude and a large number of AE counts. In the field test, real crack propagation signals were captured and the crack activity was verified in two cases.

  8. Monitoring driver fatigue using a single-channel electroencephalographic device: A validation study by gaze-based, driving performance, and subjective data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, José M; Díaz-Piedra, Carolina; Rieiro, Héctor; Roca-González, Joaquín; Romero, Samuel; Catena, Andrés; Fuentes, Luis J; Di Stasi, Leandro L

    2017-12-01

    Driver fatigue can impair performance as much as alcohol does. It is the most important road safety concern, causing thousands of accidents and fatalities every year. Thanks to technological developments, wearable, single-channel EEG devices are now getting considerable attention as fatigue monitors, as they could help drivers to assess their own levels of fatigue and, therefore, prevent the deterioration of performance. However, the few studies that have used single-channel EEG devices to investigate the physiological effects of driver fatigue have had inconsistent results, and the question of whether we can monitor driver fatigue reliably with these EEG devices remains open. Here, we assessed the validity of a single-channel EEG device (TGAM-based chip) to monitor changes in mental state (from alertness to fatigue). Fifteen drivers performed a 2-h simulated driving task while we recorded, simultaneously, their prefrontal brain activity and saccadic velocity. We used saccadic velocity as the reference index of fatigue. We also collected subjective ratings of alertness and fatigue, as well as driving performance. We found that the power spectra of the delta EEG band showed an inverted U-shaped quadratic trend (EEG power spectra increased for the first hour and half, and decreased during the last thirty minutes), while the power spectra of the beta band linearly increased as the driving session progressed. Coherently, saccadic velocity linearly decreased and speeding time increased, suggesting a clear effect of fatigue. Subjective data corroborated these conclusions. Overall, our results suggest that the TGAM-based chip EEG device is able to detect changes in mental state while performing a complex and dynamic everyday task as driving. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Quantification of the Value of Structural Health Monitoring Information for Fatigue Deteriorating Structural Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thöns, Sebastian; Schneider, Ronald; Faber, Michael Havbro

    2015-01-01

    This paper addresses the quantification of the value of structural health monitoring (SHM) before its implementation for structural systems on the basis of its Value of Information (VoI). The value of SHM is calculated utilizing the Bayesian pre-posterior decision analysis modelling the structural...... life cycle performance, the integrity management and the structural risks. The relevance and precision of SHM information for the reduction of the structural system risks and the expected cost of the structural integrity management throughout the life cycle constitutes the value of SHM...... and is quantified with this framework. The approach is focused on fatigue deteriorating structural steel systems for which a continuous resistance deterioration formulation is introduced. In a case study, the value of SHM for load monitoring is calculated for a Daniels system subjected to fatigue deterioration...

  10. Fatigue monitoring desktop guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woods, K.; Thomas, K.

    2012-01-01

    The development of a program for managing material aging (MMG) in the nuclear industry requires a new and different perspective. The classical method for MMG is cycle counting, which has been shown to have limited success. The classical method has been successful in satisfying the ductile condition per the America Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) design criteria. However, the defined material failure mechanism has transformed from through-wall cracking and leakage (ASME) to crack initiation (NUREG-6909). This transformation is based on current industry experience with material degradation early in plant life and can be attributed to fabrication issues and environment concerns where cycle counting has been unsuccessful. This new perspective provides a different approach to cycle counting that incorporates all of the information about the material conditions. This approach goes beyond the consideration of a static analysis and includes a dynamic assessment of component health, which is required for operating plants. This health definition should consider fabrication, inspections, transient conditions and industry operating experience. In addition, this collection of information can be transparent to a broader audience that may not have a full understanding of the system design or the potential causes of early material degradation. This paper will present the key points that are needed for a successful fatigue monitoring desktop guide. (authors)

  11. Monitoring training load to understand fatigue in athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halson, Shona L

    2014-11-01

    Many athletes, coaches, and support staff are taking an increasingly scientific approach to both designing and monitoring training programs. Appropriate load monitoring can aid in determining whether an athlete is adapting to a training program and in minimizing the risk of developing non-functional overreaching, illness, and/or injury. In order to gain an understanding of the training load and its effect on the athlete, a number of potential markers are available for use. However, very few of these markers have strong scientific evidence supporting their use, and there is yet to be a single, definitive marker described in the literature. Research has investigated a number of external load quantifying and monitoring tools, such as power output measuring devices, time-motion analysis, as well as internal load unit measures, including perception of effort, heart rate, blood lactate, and training impulse. Dissociation between external and internal load units may reveal the state of fatigue of an athlete. Other monitoring tools used by high-performance programs include heart rate recovery, neuromuscular function, biochemical/hormonal/immunological assessments, questionnaires and diaries, psychomotor speed, and sleep quality and quantity. The monitoring approach taken with athletes may depend on whether the athlete is engaging in individual or team sport activity; however, the importance of individualization of load monitoring cannot be over emphasized. Detecting meaningful changes with scientific and statistical approaches can provide confidence and certainty when implementing change. Appropriate monitoring of training load can provide important information to athletes and coaches; however, monitoring systems should be intuitive, provide efficient data analysis and interpretation, and enable efficient reporting of simple, yet scientifically valid, feedback.

  12. Numerical simulations of the dynamic of steel catenary riser under the influence of VIV-Vortex-Induced Vibration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsukada, Raphael I.; Morooka, Celso K. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica; Franciss, Ricardo; Matt, Cyntia G.C. [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES)

    2009-07-01

    Hydrocarbon discoveries in ultra deep waters and the recent pre-salt deep carbonate reservoirs along the Brazilian coast demand further technological development in order to exploit these resources. These developments usually require new concepts for offshore sea surface structures and subsea systems for the petroleum and gas production, which means cost effective solutions that provides higher operational safety on drilling and production operations. In this scenario, the effect of the natural phenomenon of Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) on risers is one of the concerns for its design due to the tendency of VIV to increase levels of stresses in the riser structure. Therefore the correct prediction of stresses and displacements due to VIV is of great importance for designing riser systems. The present work presents new developments based on previous results for VIV in vertical risers extended to curved risers such as steel catenary risers (SCR). Numerical simulations have been performed in time domain, and experimental results from model tests with a scaled SCR in a towing tank have been used to evaluate the proposed developments. Finally, the conclusions from the analysis of the results bring very promising results. (author)

  13. On-line fatigue monitoring and margins probabilistic assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fournier, I.; Morilhat, P.

    1993-01-01

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

  14. Monitoring of surface-fatigue crack propagation in a welded steel angle structure using guided waves and principal component analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Mingyu; Qu, Yongwei; Lu, Ye; Ye, Lin; Zhou, Limin; Su, Zhongqing

    2012-04-01

    An experimental study is reported in this paper demonstrating monitoring of surface-fatigue crack propagation in a welded steel angle structure using Lamb waves generated by an active piezoceramic transducer (PZT) network which was freely surface-mounted for each PZT transducer to serve as either actuator or sensor. The fatigue crack was initiated and propagated in welding zone of a steel angle structure by three-point bending fatigue tests. Instead of directly comparing changes between a series of specific signal segments such as S0 and A0 wave modes scattered from fatigue crack tips, a variety of signal statistical parameters representing five different structural status obtained from marginal spectrum in Hilbert-huang transform (HHT), indicating energy progressive distribution along time period in the frequency domain including all wave modes of one wave signal were employed to classify and distinguish different structural conditions due to fatigue crack initiation and propagation with the combination of using principal component analysis (PCA). Results show that PCA based on marginal spectrum is effective and sensitive for monitoring the growth of fatigue crack although the received signals are extremely complicated due to wave scattered from weld, multi-boundaries, notch and fatigue crack. More importantly, this method indicates good potential for identification of integrity status of complicated structures which cause uncertain wave patterns and ambiguous sensor network arrangement.

  15. Monitoring and Failure Analysis of Corroded Bridge Cables under Fatigue Loading Using Acoustic Emission Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Li

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Cables play an important role in cable-stayed systems, but are vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue damage. There is a dearth of studies on the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cable. In the present study, the acoustic emission (AE technology is adopted to monitor the fatigue damage evolution process. First, the relationship between stress and strain is determined through a tensile test for corroded and non-corroded steel wires. Results show that the mechanical performance of corroded cables is changed considerably. The AE characteristic parameters for fatigue damage are then established. AE energy cumulative parameters can accurately describe the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cables. The failure modes in each phase as well as the type of acoustic emission source are determined based on the results of scanning electron microscopy. The waveform characteristics, damage types, and frequency distribution of the corroded cable at different damage phases are collected. Finally, the number of broken wires and breakage time of the cables are determined according to the variation in the margin index.

  16. Monitoring and Failure Analysis of Corroded Bridge Cables under Fatigue Loading Using Acoustic Emission Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dongsheng; Ou, Jinping; Lan, Chengming; Li, Hui

    2012-01-01

    Cables play an important role in cable-stayed systems, but are vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue damage. There is a dearth of studies on the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cable. In the present study, the acoustic emission (AE) technology is adopted to monitor the fatigue damage evolution process. First, the relationship between stress and strain is determined through a tensile test for corroded and non-corroded steel wires. Results show that the mechanical performance of corroded cables is changed considerably. The AE characteristic parameters for fatigue damage are then established. AE energy cumulative parameters can accurately describe the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cables. The failure modes in each phase as well as the type of acoustic emission source are determined based on the results of scanning electron microscopy. The waveform characteristics, damage types, and frequency distribution of the corroded cable at different damage phases are collected. Finally, the number of broken wires and breakage time of the cables are determined according to the variation in the margin index. PMID:22666009

  17. Health Monitoring of a Composite Actuator with a PZT Ceramic during Electromechanical Fatigue Loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woo, Sung Choong; Goo, Nam Seo

    2007-01-01

    This work describes an investigation into the feasibility of using an acoustic emission (AE) technique to evaluate the integrity of a composite actuator with a PZT ceramic under electromechanical cyclic loading. AE characteristics have been analyzed in terms of the behavior of the AE count rate and signal waveform in association with the performance degradation of the composite actuator during the cyclic tests. The results showed that the fatigue cracking of the composite actuator with a PZT ceramic occurred only in the PZT ceramic layer, and that the performance degradation caused by the fatigue damage varied immensely depending on the existence of a protecting composite bottom layer. We confirmed the correlations between the fatigue damage mechanisms and AE signal types for the actuators that exhibited multiple modes of fatigue damage; transgranular micro damage, intergranular fatigue cracking, and breakdown by a short circuiting were related to a burst type signal showing a shortly rising and slowly decaying waveform with a comparably low voltage, a continuous type signal showing a gradual rising and slowly decaying waveform with a very high voltage and a burst and continuous type signal with a high voltage, respectively. Results from the present work showed that the evolution of fatigue damage in the composite actuator with a PZT ceramic can be nondestructively identified via in situ AE monitoring and microscopic observations

  18. Fatigue monitoring desktop guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woods, K. [InnoTech Engineering Solutions, LLC (United States); Thomas, K. [Nebraska Public Power District (United States)

    2012-07-01

    The development of a program for managing material aging (MMG) in the nuclear industry requires a new and different perspective. The classical method for MMG is cycle counting, which has been shown to have limited success. The classical method has been successful in satisfying the ductile condition per the America Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) design criteria. However, the defined material failure mechanism has transformed from through-wall cracking and leakage (ASME) to crack initiation (NUREG-6909). This transformation is based on current industry experience with material degradation early in plant life and can be attributed to fabrication issues and environment concerns where cycle counting has been unsuccessful. This new perspective provides a different approach to cycle counting that incorporates all of the information about the material conditions. This approach goes beyond the consideration of a static analysis and includes a dynamic assessment of component health, which is required for operating plants. This health definition should consider fabrication, inspections, transient conditions and industry operating experience. In addition, this collection of information can be transparent to a broader audience that may not have a full understanding of the system design or the potential causes of early material degradation. This paper will present the key points that are needed for a successful fatigue monitoring desktop guide. (authors)

  19. Creep-fatigue monitoring system for header ligaments of fossil power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, K.L.; Deardorf, A.F.; Copeland, J.F.; Pflasterer, R.; Beckerdite, G.

    1993-01-01

    The cracking of headers (primary and secondary superheater outlet, and reheater outlet headers) at ligament locations is an important issue for fossil power plants. A model for crack initiation and growth has been developed, based on creep-fatigue damage mechanisms. This cracking model is included in a creep-fatigue monitoring system to assess header structural integrity under high temperature operating conditions. The following principal activities are required to achieve this goal: (1) the development of transfer functions and (2) the development of a ligament cracking model. The first task is to develop stress transfer functions to convert measured (monitored) temperatures, pressures and flow rates into stresses to be used to compute damage. Elastic three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to study transient thermal stress behavior. The sustained pressure stress redistribution due to high temperature creep was studied by nonlinear finite element analyses. The preceding results are used to derive Green's functions and pressure stress gradient transfer functions for monitoring at the juncture of the tube with the header inner surface, and for crack growth at the ligaments. The virtual crack closure method is applied to derive a stress intensity factor K solution for a corner crack at the tube/header juncture. Similarly, using the reference stress method, the steady state creep crack growth parameter C * is derived for a header corner crack. The C * solution for a small corner crack in a header can be inserted directed into the available C t solution, along with K to provide the complete transient creep solution

  20. Mulheres idosas: desvelando suas vivências e necessidades de cuidado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam Aparecida Barbosa Merighi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Estudo qualitativo com abordagem da fenomenologia social que objetivou a compreensão da vivência da mulher idosa, suas necessidades de cuidado e expectativas nesse período da vida. Participaram nove mulheres, cujos depoimentos foram obtidos de fevereiro a maio de 2011, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. A mulher idosa refere limitações de ordem física, mental e social, e valoriza a preservação de sua autonomia nas atividades diárias e no cuidado consigo mesma. Refere a família como suporte fundamental e tem expectativas e necessidades de se manter saudável, da busca pelo lazer e de ter melhor acesso aos serviços de saúde para receber informações e atendimento qualificado. Nessa fase, a ausência de perspectivas relaciona-se à perda de pessoas significativas e da saúde. Este estudo revelou facetas da vivência da mulher idosa, suscitando novas investigações e a adequação do ensino, prática e gestão às reais necessidades dessa mulher.

  1. Development of a crack monitoring technique for use in a corrosion fatigue study of SA533-B pressure vessel steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benson, J.M.; Tait, R.B.; Garrett, G.G.

    1981-10-01

    At present there does not exist a realistic crack growth law which will provide a good description of the relationship between the alternating stress intensity factor and the crack growth per cycle of stress. Such a law should be applicable to either the pressurized water reactor environment (PWR) or boiling water reactor environmnt (BWR). This project was formulated with the aim of examining the fatigue crack growth rate of SA533-B steel (a nuclear pressure vessel steel) in the threshold region in a simulated PWR environment. The aim of this report is to develop a crack monitoring technique for use in corrosion fatigue studies. Factors affecting fatigue crack propagation include: frequency, stress range, the effect of irradiation, ageing and environment. The mechanisms of crack propagation that are discussed include: slip dissolution, hydrogen assisted cracking, corrosion potential, and morphology studies. D.C. electrical potential, the compliance technique and the back-faced strain gauge method can be used for crack monitoring. Details are also given on the experimental equipment and programme. The results of the experiment has shown that the potential difference technique for monitoring crack length is a valuable one and is well suited for use in fatigue testing applications

  2. Fatigue Performance of Ti-6Al-4V Additively Manufactured Specimens with Integrated Capillaries of an Embedded Structural Health Monitoring System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinderdael, Michaël; Strantza, Maria; De Baere, Dieter; Devesse, Wim; De Graeve, Iris; Terryn, Herman; Guillaume, Patrick

    2017-08-25

    Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals offers new possibilities for the production of complex structures. Up to now, investigations on the mechanical response of AM metallic parts show a significant spread and unexpected failures cannot be excluded. In this work, we focus on the detection of fatigue cracks through the integration of a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system in Ti-6Al-4V specimens. The working principle of the presented system is based on the integration of small capillaries that are capable of detecting fatigue cracks. Four-point bending fatigue tests have been performed on Ti-6Al-4V specimens with integrated capillaries and compared to the reference specimenswithout capillaries. Specimens were produced by conventional subtractive manufacturing of wrought material and AM, using the laser based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process. In this study, we investigated the effect of the presence of the capillary on the fatigue strength and fatigue initiation location. Finite element (FEM) simulations were performed to validate the experimental test results. The presence of a drilled capillary in the specimens did not alter the fatigue initiation location. However, the laser based DED production process introduced roughness on the capillary surface that altered the fatigue initiation location to the capillary surface. The fatigue performance was greatly reduced when considering a printed capillary. It is concluded that the surface quality of the integrated capillary is of primary importance in order not to influence the structural integrity of the component to be monitored.

  3. Wireless sleep monitoring headband to identify sleep and track fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramasamy, Mouli; Oh, Sechang; Varadan, Vijay K.

    2014-04-01

    Detection of sleepiness and drowsiness in human beings has been a daunting task for both engineering and medical technologies. Accuracy, precision and promptness of detection have always been an issue that has to be dealt by technologists. Commonly, the rudimentary bio potential signals - ECG, EOG, EEG and EMG are used to classify and discriminate sleep from being awake. However, the potential drawbacks may be high false detections, low precision, obtrusiveness, aftermath analysis, etc. To overcome the disadvantages, this paper proposes the design of a wireless and a real time monitoring system to track sleep and detect fatigue. This concept involves the use of EOG and EEG to measure the blink rate and asses the person's condition. In this user friendly and intuitive approach, EOG and EEG signals are obtained by the dry gold wire nano-sensors fabricated on the inner side of a flexible headband. The acquired signals are then electrically transmitted to the data processing and transmission unit, which transmits the processed data to the receiver/monitoring module through WCDMA/GSM communication. This module is equipped with a software program to process, feature extract, analyze, display and store the information. Thereby, immediate detection of a person falling asleep is made feasible and, tracking the sleep cycle continuously provides an insight about the experienced fatigue level. The novel approach of using a wireless, real time, dry sensor on a flexible substrate reduces the obtrusiveness, and techniques adopted in the electronics and software facilitates and substantial increase in efficiency, accuracy and precision.

  4. Monitoring Fatigue Status with HRV Measures in Elite Athletes: An Avenue Beyond RMSSD?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitt, Laurent; Regnard, Jacques; Millet, Grégoire P.

    2015-01-01

    Among the tools proposed to assess the athlete's “fatigue,” the analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) provides an indirect evaluation of the settings of autonomic control of heart activity. HRV analysis is performed through assessment of time-domain indices, the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals (RMSSD) measured during short (5 min) recordings in supine position upon awakening in the morning and particularly the logarithm of RMSSD (LnRMSSD) has been proposed as the most useful resting HRV indicator. However, if RMSSD can help the practitioner to identify a global “fatigue” level, it does not allow discriminating different types of fatigue. Recent results using spectral HRV analysis highlighted firstly that HRV profiles assessed in supine and standing positions are independent and complementary; and secondly that using these postural profiles allows the clustering of distinct sub-categories of “fatigue.” Since, cardiovascular control settings are different in standing and lying posture, using the HRV figures of both postures to cluster fatigue state embeds information on the dynamics of control responses. Such, HRV spectral analysis appears more sensitive and enlightening than time-domain HRV indices. The wealthier information provided by this spectral analysis should improve the monitoring of the adaptive training-recovery process in athletes. PMID:26635629

  5. A structural health monitoring fastener for tracking fatigue crack growth in bolted metallic joints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakow, Alexi Schroder

    Fatigue cracks initiating at fastener hole locations in metallic components are among the most common form of airframe damage. The fastener hole site has been surveyed as the second leading initiation site for fatigue related accidents of fixed wing aircraft. Current methods for inspecting airframes for these cracks are manual, whereby inspectors rely on non-destructive inspection equipment or hand-held probes to scan over areas of a structure. Use of this equipment often demands disassembly of the vehicle to search appropriate hole locations for cracks, which elevates the complexity and cost of these maintenance inspections. Improved reliability, safety, and reduced cost of such maintenance can be realized by the permanent integration of sensors with a structure to detect this damage. Such an integrated system of sensors would form a structural health monitoring (SHM) system. In this study, an Additive, Interleaved, Multi-layer Electromagnetic (AIME) sensor was developed and integrated with the shank of a fastener to form a SHM Fastener, a new SHM technology targeted at detection of fastener hole cracks. The major advantages of the SHM Fastener are its installation, which does not require joint layer disassembly, its capability to detect inner layer cracks, and its capability to operate in a continuous autonomous mode. Two methods for fabricating the proposed SHM Fastener were studied. The first option consisted of a thin flexible printed circuit film that was bonded around a thin metallic sleeve placed around the fastener shank. The second option consisted of coating sensor materials directly to the shank of a part in an effort to increase the durability of the sensor under severe loading conditions. Both analytical and numerical models were developed to characterize the capability of the sensors and provide a design tool for the sensor layout. A diagnostic technique for crack growth monitoring was developed to complete the SHM system, which consists of the

  6. Fatigue Damage in Wood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clorius, Christian Odin; Pedersen, Martin Bo Uhre; Hoffmeyer, Preben

    1996-01-01

    An investigation of fatigue failure in wood subjected to load cycles in compression parallel to grain is presented. Fatigue failure is found to depend both on the total time under load and on the number of cycles.Recent accelerated fatigue research on wood is reviewed, and a discrepancy between...... to 10 Hz are used. The number of cycles to failure is found to be a poor measure of the fatigue performance of wood. Creep, maximum strain, stiffness and work are monitored throughout the fatigue tests. Accumulated creep is suggested identified with damage and a correlation between stiffness reduction...

  7. Automated modal tracking and fatigue assessment of a wind turbine based on continuous dynamic monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliveira Gustavo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the implementation of a dynamic monitoring system at a 2.0 MW onshore wind turbine. The system is composed by two components aiming at the structural integrity and fatigue assessment. The first component enables the continuous tracking of modal characteristics of the wind turbine (natural frequency values, modal damping ratios and mode shapes in order to detect abnormal deviations of these properties, which may be caused by the occurrence of structural damage. On the other hand, the second component allows the estimation of the remaining fatigue lifetime of the structure based on the analysis of the measured cycles of structural vibration.

  8. Vivências em espaços educativos: constituição de identidades homossexuais em homens adultos

    OpenAIRE

    Cechin, Andréa Forgiarini

    2006-01-01

    Esta pesquisa problematiza a relação entre a constituição das identidades homossexuais de homens adultos e suas vivências em espaços educativos formais, não formais e informais. Como ponto de partida para desenvolver o estudo, foram formuladas questões que focalizam percepções e sentimentos desses homens adultos em relação a si próprios e aos outros, tendo em vista suas vivências nesses espaços educativos e, especialmente, suas experiências de discriminação e resistência. Apoia-se teoricament...

  9. Representação Social das Vivências de Estudantes no Curso de Medicina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abrão Georges Restom

    Full Text Available RESUMO A medicina atua com a prevenção e a cura das doenças humanas num sentido amplo. Uma formação com enfoque em problemas permite ao estudante um poder de análise dos componentes das situações de saúde. O Programa de Integração em Saúde da Comunidade (Pisco prevê levar estudantes e professores para a vivência da prática voltada à integralidade das ações, valorizando a prevenção e a promoção à saúde. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar as vivências dos estudantes de Medicina no processo de avaliação das atividades do Pisco do primeiro ao quarto ano do curso e a sua relação com o projeto pedagógico do curso. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo quali-quantitativo. Foram produzidos registros escritos pelos estudantes ao final de cada encontro, de março de 2008 a dezembro de 2011, posteriormente analisados por meio do Discurso do Sujeito e pelo software QualiQuantiSoft®. Os resultados mostram diminuição do número de registros a partir da quinta etapa, pois a partir dela os alunos iniciam vivências em ambientes diferentes de prática médica e, assim, passam a desvalorizar as atividades no Programa de Saúde da Família.

  10. Multi-purpose fatigue sensor. Part 1. Uniaxial and multiaxial fatigue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.V. Karuskevich

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the key principles and results of preliminary experiments aimed at the development of new technique for the fatigue life prediction under conditions of biaxial cyclic tension. The foundations of the method were developed early by the numerous tests with monitoring the process of surface deformation relief formation, which is proved to be an indicator of accumulated fatigue damage under uniaxial fatigue. The employed phenomenon was early applied for the development of a family of uniaxial loading fatigue sensors. The formation of strain induced relief has been recently taken into consideration as a part of damage accumulation criteria under biaxial fatigue as well. The home-made testing machine has been designed to implement combined bending and torsion loading that simulates loads experienced by an aircraft wing skin. The experimental evidences on formation and evolution of the deformation relief revealed under conditions of combined loading, supports the proposed concept of biaxial fatigue sensor

  11. Mulheres com gravidez de maior risco: vivências e percepções de necessidades e cuidado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela do Carmo Oliveira

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: Compreender vivências e percepções de mulheres com gestação de maior risco, relativas aos problemas/necessidades de saúde e práticas de cuidado. Métodos: Estudo descritivo-qualitativo, realizado em Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, com 12 mulheres em acompanhamento pré-natal em um serviço público especializado, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e análise de conteúdo temática. Resultados: As participantes expressam a vivência de importantes eventos não médicos, que influem em sua saúde, como desinformação, medos, preocupações, desorganização da vida cotidiana e familiar, carências financeiras, e outras. Contudo, para o pré-natal, avalizam cuidados orientados pela perspectiva de risco, de controle dos problemas médicos. Reportam-se à necessidade de cuidados amplos, mas, para isso, buscam suporte na família e rede social comunitária de apoio. Conclusão: A compreensão das vivências e dos pontos de vista das mulheres grávidas é imprescindível à construção de ações pré-natais que respondam a necessidades de cuidados abrangentes.

  12. Monitoring mental fatigue in the ageing working population

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, Marlon; Jolij, Jacob; Lorist, Monicque

    2017-01-01

    Mental fatigue, during or after a period of prolonged mental workload, is a common phenomenon in our everyday lives. Mentally fatigued people generally respond more slowly and less accurately to stimuli in their environment, which potentially leads to dangerous situations. The aim of my research is

  13. Compressive Fatigue in Wood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clorius, Christian Odin; Pedersen, Martin Bo Uhre; Hoffmeyer, Preben

    1999-01-01

    An investigation of fatigue failure in wood subjected to load cycles in compression parallel to grain is presented. Small clear specimens of spruce are taken to failure in square wave formed fatigue loading at a stress excitation level corresponding to 80% of the short term strength. Four...... frequencies ranging from 0.01 Hz to 10 Hz are used. The number of cycles to failure is found to be a poor measure of the fatigue performance of wood. Creep, maximum strain, stiffness and work are monitored throughout the fatigue tests. Accumulated creep is suggested identified with damage and a correlation...

  14. Fatigue analysis through automated cycle counting using ThermAND

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burton, G.R.; Ding, Y.; Scovil, A.; Yetisir, M.

    2008-01-01

    The potential for fatigue damage due to thermal transients is one of the degradation mechanisms that needs to be managed for plant components. The original design of CANDU stations accounts for projected fatigue usage for specific components over a specified design lifetime. Fatigue design calculations were based on estimates of the number and severity of expected transients for 30 years operation at 80% power. Many CANDU plants are now approaching the end of their design lives and are being considered for extended operation. Industry practice is to have a comprehensive fatigue management program in place for extended operation beyond the original design life. A CANDU-specific framework for fatigue management has recently been developed to identify the options for implementation, and the critical components and locations requiring long-term fatigue monitoring. An essential element of fatigue monitoring is to identify, count and monitor the number of plant transients to ensure that the number assumed in the original design is not exceeded. The number and severity of actual CANDU station thermal transients at key locations in critical systems have been assessed using ThermAND, AECL's health monitor for systems and components, based on archived station operational data. The automated cycle counting has demonstrated that actual transients are generally less numerous than the quantity assumed in the design basis, and are almost always significantly less severe. This paper will discuss the methodology to adapt ThermAND for automated cycle counting of specific system transients, illustrate and test this capability for cycle-based fatigue monitoring using CANDU station data, report the results, and provide data for stress-based fatigue calculations. (author)

  15. The AREVA integrated and sustainable concept of fatigue design, monitoring and re-assessment; AREVA FATIGUE CONCEPT - ein geschlossenes Konzept zur Verfolgung und Optimierung der auf Ermuedung basierenden Schaedigungseffekte von thermisch und mechanisch beanspruchten Kraftwerksbauteilen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Begholz, Steffen; Rudolph, Juergen [AREVA NP GmbH, Erlangen (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Prevention of fatigue damage of components is an important topic with respect to safety and availability of a nuclear power plant. The issue of fatigue monitoring should be of primary interest throughout service life. Based on the changing general framework, i.e. planning of new plants with a projected lifetime of 60 years and the lifetime extension of existing plants AREVA is focussing R and D activities on improved detection methods. Primary objective is the realistic determination of the actual usage level of reactor components. The fatigue monitoring is supposed to enhance cost optimization and minimize inspection frequency. Fatigue monitoring should be implemented at the beginning of start-up period since the high loads during this phase introduce a significant contribution to the usage level. AREVA recommends the use of the FAMOS (fatigue monitoring system) for the assessment of the realistic transient loads and the data processing with respect to fatigue evaluation. Every 10 years the actual usage levels should be evaluated in detail according to the standards, based on measured load data. The fatigue evaluation is usually performed using finite element analyses taking into account the transient temperature loads at the component, dependent on the component demands based on elastic or elasto-plastic material behaviour. Potential problematic areas can be identified reliably. Direct measurement of fatigue damage, refined analysis concepts (short crack fracture mechanics, and ratcheting simulation) are supposed to support the concept. [German] Die Vermeidung von Ermuedungsschaeden an Komponenten der nuklearen Kraftwerkstechnik ist ein wichtiges Thema in Hinblick auf die Aufrechterhaltung der Anlagensicherheit sowie auf die Erhoehung der Verfuegbarkeit. Das Thema Ermuedungsueberwachung sollte somit waehrend der gesamten Laufzeit eines Kraftwerkes mit hoher Aufmerksamkeit verfolgt werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund und den sich aendernden Rahmenbedingungen, wie z

  16. Effects of mental fatigue on the development of physical fatigue: a neuroergonomic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Ranjana K; Parasuraman, Raja

    2014-06-01

    The present study used a neuroergonomic approach to examine the interaction of mental and physical fatigue by assessing prefrontal cortex activation during submaximal fatiguing handgrip exercises. Mental fatigue is known to influence muscle function and motor performance, but its contribution to the development of voluntary physical fatigue is not well understood. A total of 12 participants performed separate physical (control) and physical and mental fatigue (concurrent) conditions at 30% of their maximal handgrip strength until exhaustion. Functional near infrared spectroscopy was employed to measure prefrontal cortex activation, whereas electromyography and joint steadiness were used simultaneously to quantify muscular effort. Compared to the control condition, blood oxygenation in the bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly lower during submaximal fatiguing contractions associated with mental fatigue at exhaustion, despite comparable muscular responses. The findings suggest that interference in the prefrontal cortex may influence motor output during tasks that require both physical and cognitive processing. A neuroergonomic approach involving simultaneous monitoring of brain and body functions can provide critical information on fatigue development that may be overlooked during traditional fatigue assessments.

  17. Monitoring of fatigue damage in composite lap-joints using guided waves and FBG sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpenko, Oleksii; Khomenko, Anton; Koricho, Ermias; Haq, Mahmoodul; Udpa, Lalita

    2016-02-01

    Adhesive bonding is being increasingly employed in many applications as it offers possibility of light-weighting and efficient multi-material joining along with reduction in time and cost of manufacturing. However, failure initiation and progression in critical components like joints, specifically in fatigue loading is not well understood, which necessitates reliable NDE and SHM techniques to ensure structural integrity. In this work, concurrent guided wave (GW) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor measurements were used to monitor fatigue damage in adhesively bonded composite lap-joints. In the present set-up, one FBG sensor was strategically embedded in the adhesive bond-line of a lap-joint, while two other FBGs were bonded on the surface of the adherends. Full spectral responses of FBG sensors were collected and compared at specific intervals of fatigue loading. In parallel, guided waves were actuated and sensed using PZT wafers mounted on the composite adherends. Experimental results demonstrated that time-of-flight (ToF) of the fundamental modes transmitted through the bond-line and spectral response of FBG sensors were sensitive to fatigue loading and damage. Combination of guided wave and FBG measurements provided the desired redundancy and synergy in the data to evaluate the degradation in bond-line properties. Measurements taken in the presence of continuously applied load replicated the in-situ/service conditions. The approach shows promise in understanding the behavior of bonded joints subjected to complex loading.

  18. Effects of human fatigue on speech signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamoulis, Catherine

    2004-05-01

    Cognitive performance may be significantly affected by fatigue. In the case of critical personnel, such as pilots, monitoring human fatigue is essential to ensure safety and success of a given operation. One of the modalities that may be used for this purpose is speech, which is sensitive to respiratory changes and increased muscle tension of vocal cords, induced by fatigue. Age, gender, vocal tract length, physical and emotional state may significantly alter speech intensity, duration, rhythm, and spectral characteristics. In addition to changes in speech rhythm, fatigue may also affect the quality of speech, such as articulation. In a noisy environment, detecting fatigue-related changes in speech signals, particularly subtle changes at the onset of fatigue, may be difficult. Therefore, in a performance-monitoring system, speech parameters which are significantly affected by fatigue need to be identified and extracted from input signals. For this purpose, a series of experiments was performed under slowly varying cognitive load conditions and at different times of the day. The results of the data analysis are presented here.

  19. Vivências de familiares de crianças internadas em um Serviço de Pronto-Socorro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Ribeiro dos Santos

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available A infância apresenta-se como uma fase que exige bastante atenção da família e do serviço de saúde, uma vez que seus integrantes, além de dependerem de familiares, são vulneráveis ao ambiente. Objetivou-se descrever as vivências de familiares de crianças internadas em um serviço de pronto-socorro, discutir como essas vivências influenciam no cotidiano da família e relatar os aspectos que interferem no cuidado de enfermagem. Estudo descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido em um hospital de urgência da rede privada. Utilizou a técnica de entrevista com dez familiares para produzir os dados. Estes foram submetidos à análise temática, elaborando-se três categorias: vivências do familiar, alterações no cotidiano da família, a fé e a aproximação familiar atuando como agentes facilitadores. Concluiu-se que o ser acompanhante passa por adaptações, ao vivenciar a hospitalização, existindo alterações na rotina familiar. Porém, devido aos conflitos vivenciados pelo familiar, a enfermagem deve compreendê-lo como sujeito do cuidado ampliado.

  20. Monitoring and managing component fatigue at Point Lepreau Generating Station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, G.L.; Yetisir, M.; Scovil, A.; Slade, J.

    2008-01-01

    Many CANDU plants are now approaching the end of their design lives and are being considered for extended operation beyond their design life. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has asked utilities to address component fatigue issues in plant life extension (PLEX) applications. In particular, environmental effects on fatigue was identified as an issue that needs to be addressed, similar to being addressed for license renewal for U.S. nuclear power plants. To address CNSC concerns, the CANDU Owners Group (COG) has initiated a program to help utilities develop component fatigue management programs for PLEX operation. A summary of a pilot study that was conducted at the Point Lepreau Generating Station (PLGS) is provided below: A plant-specific Recommendation Study provided a comprehensive review of the existing plant-specific systems, cycle counting procedures, and other fatigue-related requirements, and made some general recommendations on how best to implement a fatigue management system for PLEX. The plant-specific study determined that only 10 to 15% of the design transients have been used after 25 effective full power years (EFPY) of operation. Hence, a significant amount of original design margin for fatigue usage margin remains available for PLEX operation. Environmental fatigue considerations in heavy water (D 2 O) were included in the plant-specific assessment. Only warm-up transients were assessed to have dissolved oxygen concentrations that can result in a significant environmental effect for the ferritic steels used in the CANDU primary systems. Due to the low accumulation of transients and the absence of known thermal stratification mechanisms, thermal fatigue is not as significant an issue in CANDU plants as in pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) plants. The needs for implementing a comprehensive Fatigue Management Program for PLGS to satisfy PLEX requirements were defined, and specific direction and strategy for

  1. Fatigue of Ti6Al4V Structural Health Monitoring Systems Produced by Selective Laser Melting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Strantza

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Selective laser melting (SLM is an additive manufacturing (AM process which is used for producing metallic components. Currently, the integrity of components produced by SLM is in need of improvement due to residual stresses and unknown fracture behavior. Titanium alloys produced by AM are capable candidates for applications in aerospace and industrial fields due to their fracture resistance, fatigue behavior and corrosion resistance. On the other hand, structural health monitoring (SHM system technologies are promising and requested from the industry. SHM systems can monitor the integrity of a structure and during the last decades the research has primarily been influenced by bionic engineering. In that aspect a new philosophy for SHM has been developed: the so-called effective structural health monitoring (eSHM system. The current system uses the design freedom provided by AM. The working principle of the system is based on crack detection by means of a network of capillaries that are integrated in a structure. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the functionality of Ti6Al4V produced by the SLM process in the novel SHM system and to confirm that the eSHM system can successfully detect cracks in SLM components. In this study four-point bending fatigue tests on Ti6Al4V SLM specimens with an integrated SHM system were conducted. Fractographic analysis was performed after the final failure, while finite element simulations were used in order to determine the stress distribution in the capillary region and on the component. It was proven that the SHM system does not influence the crack initiation behavior during fatigue. The results highlight the effectiveness of the eSHM on SLM components, which can potentially be used by industrial and aerospace applications.

  2. Fatigue analysis of aluminum drill pipes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Carlos Ribeiro Plácido

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available An experimental program was performed to investigate the fundamental fatigue mechanisms of aluminum drill pipes. Initially, the fatigue properties were determined through small-scale tests performed in an optic-mechanical fatigue apparatus. Additionally, full-scale fatigue tests were carried out with three aluminum drill pipe specimens under combined loading of cyclic bending and constant axial tension. Finally, a finite element model was developed to simulate the stress field along the aluminum drill pipe during the fatigue tests and to estimate the stress concentration factors inside the tool joints. By this way, it was possible to estimate the stress values in regions not monitored during the fatigue tests.

  3. Feasibility of using a biowatch to monitor GSR as a measure of radiologists' stress and fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; MacKinnon, Lea; Reiner, Bruce I.

    2015-03-01

    We have been investigating the impact of fatigue on diagnostic performance of radiologists interpreting medical images. In previous studies we found evidence that eye strain could be objectively measured and that it correlates highly with degradations in diagnostic accuracy as radiologists work long hours. Eye strain however can be difficult to measure in a non-invasive and continuous manner over the work day so we have been investigating other ways to measure physiological stress and fatigue. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of using a commercially available biowatch to measure galvanic skin response (GSR), a well known indicator of stress. 10 radiology residents wore the biowatch for about 8 hours during their normal work day and data were automatically collected at 10 Hz. They completed the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI) at the start and finish of the day. GSR values (microsiemens) ranged from 0.14 to 38.27 with an average of 0.50 (0.28 median). Overall GSR tended to be fairly constant as the day progressed, but there were definite spikes indicating higher levels of stress. SOFI scores indicated greater levels of fatigue and stress at the end of the work day. Although further work is needed, GSR measurements obtained via an easy to wear watch may provide a means to monitor stress/fatigue and alert radiologists when to take a break from interpreting images to avoid making errors.

  4. Mechanomyography-Based Wearable Monitor of Quasi-Isometric Muscle Fatigue for Motor Neural Prostheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krueger, Eddy; Popović-Maneski, Lana; Nohama, Percy

    2018-02-01

    A motor neural prosthesis based on surface functional electrical stimulation (sFES) can restore functional movement (e.g., standing, walking) in patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI). sFES generates muscle contractions in antigravity muscles and allows balance-assisted standing. This induced standing has several benefits, such as improved cardiovascular function, decreased incidence of urinary infections, reduced joint contractures, and muscle atrophy. The duration of sFES assisted standing is limited due to the quick onset of muscle fatigue. Currently, there is no method available to reliably estimate real-time muscle fatigue during sFES. Simply monitoring the M-wave changes is not suitable due to the high signal disturbances that arise during multi-channel electrical stimulation. Mechanomyography (MMG) is immune to electrical stimulation artifacts and can be used to detect subtle vibrations on the surface of the skin related to activation of the underlying muscle's motor units (MU). The aim of this study was to develop a method for detecting muscle fatigue brought on by sFES. The method was tested in three different heads of the quadriceps muscle in SCI patients during electrically elicited quasi-isometric contraction. Six spinal cord-injured male volunteers, with no voluntary control of the quadriceps muscle participated in the study. Electrical bursts of voltage-controlled monophasic square pulses at frequencies of 1 kHz (50% duty cycle) at 50 Hz (15% duty cycle) were used to generate thigh muscle contractions that controlled the knee joint in the sagittal plane. The pulse amplitudes were set to position the knee joint at a 5° angle from the horizontal plane and when the knee angle dropped to 20° (e.g., the quadriceps were unable to hold the lower leg in the desired position), the test was terminated. Two data segments lasting 10 s each, at the beginning and end of each test, were analyzed. The muscle contraction was assessed by MMG sensors positioned on

  5. [Research Progress on the Interaction Effects and Its Neural Mechanisms between Physical Fatigue and Mental Fatigue].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lixin; Zhang, Chuncui; He, Feng; Zhao, Xin; Qi, Hongzhi; Wan, Baikun; Ming, Dong

    2015-10-01

    Fatigue is an exhaustion state caused by prolonged physical work and mental work, which can reduce working efficiency and even cause industrial accidents. Fatigue is a complex concept involving both physiological and psychological factors. Fatigue can cause a decline of concentration and work performance and induce chronic diseases. Prolonged fatigue may endanger life safety. In most of the scenarios, physical and mental workloads co-lead operator into fatigue state. Thus, it is very important to study the interaction influence and its neural mechanisms between physical and mental fatigues. This paper introduces recent progresses on the interaction effects and discusses some research challenges and future development directions. It is believed that mutual influence between physical fatigue and mental fatigue may occur in the central nervous system. Revealing the basal ganglia function and dopamine release may be important to explore the neural mechanisms between physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Future effort is to optimize fatigue models, to evaluate parameters and to explore the neural mechanisms so as to provide scientific basis and theoretical guidance for complex task designs and fatigue monitoring.

  6. Thermography detection on the fatigue damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bing

    It has always been a great temptation in finding new methods to in-situ "watch" the material fatigue-damage processes so that in-time reparations will be possible, and failures or losses can be minimized to the maximum extent. Realizing that temperature patterns may serve as fingerprints for stress-strain behaviors of materials, a state-of-art infrared (IR) thermography camera has been used to "watch" the temperature evolutions of both crystalline and amorphous materials "cycle by cycle" during fatigue experiments in the current research. The two-dimensional (2D) thermography technique records the surface-temperature evolutions of materials. Since all plastic deformations are related to heat dissipations, thermography provides an innovative method to in-situ monitor the heat-evolution processes, including plastic-deformation, mechanical-damage, and phase-transformation characteristics. With the understanding of the temperature evolutions during fatigue, thermography could provide the direct information and evidence of the stress-strain distribution, crack initiation and propagation, shear-band growth, and plastic-zone evolution, which will open up wide applications in studying the structural integrity of engineering components in service. In the current research, theoretical models combining thermodynamics and heat-conduction theory have been developed. Key issues in fatigue, such as in-situ stress-strain states, cyclic softening and hardening observations, and fatigue-life predictions, have been resolved by simply monitoring the specimen-temperature variation during fatigue. Furthermore, in-situ visulizations as well as qualitative and quantitative analyses of fatigue-damage processes, such as Luders-band evolutions, crack propagation, plastic zones, and final fracture, have been performed by thermography. As a method requiring no special sample preparation or surface contact by sensors, thermography provides an innovative and convenient method to in-situ monitor

  7. Contribution to the evaluation of vortex-induced vibrations analysis using 'wake oscillators' and 'vortex-tracking' models; Contribuicao a avaliacao dos modelos 'wake oscillator' e 'vortex tracking' para analise de vibracoes induzidas por vortices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carneiro, Daniel L. [Bureau Veritas do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Ellwanger, Gilberto B. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE); Galgoul, Nelson S. [SUPORTE Consultoria e Projetos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    Fatigue due to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) is one of the major uncertainties today in the design of slender offshore structures, such as risers, pipelines, umbilicals, tendons and mooring lines, required for oil and gas production in deep waters. The absence of reliable tools for quantitative analyses of this phenomenon is a technological barrier, which is being faced by several research groups, generating tens of thesis and articles every year. This paper presents VIV results achieved by the author, using 'wake oscillator' and 'vortex tracking' models, when researching for his M. Sc. dissertation. Time domain analyses were performed using a commercial software. First results describe the response of the evaluated models for two degrees-of-freedom rigid cylinders, which were compared to values prescribed in recognized recommended practices. Afterwards, VIV analyses results for a steel catenary 10-inch diameter riser in three dimensional current profiles were compared to measured values. The considered riser, installed in 910 m water depth offshore Brazil, is possibly the only monitored SCR with no VIV suppression devices in the world today. The results were considered satisfactory, despite some discrepancies. The authors expect the presented results to contribute in further studies on these models. (author)

  8. Development of an in situ fatigue sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    A prototype in situ fatigue sensor has been designed, constructed and evaluated experimentally for its ability to monitor the accumulation of fatigue damage in a cyclically loaded steel structure, e.g., highway bridge. The sensor consists of multiple...

  9. Reduced Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold after Performing a Cognitive Fatiguing Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferris, Justine R; Tomlinson, Mary A; Ward, Tayler N; Pepin, Marie E; Malek, Moh H

    2018-02-22

    Cognitive fatigue tasks performed prior to exercise may reduce exercise capacity. The electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT) is the highest exercise intensity that can be maintained without significant increase in the EMG amplitude versus time relationship. To date, no studies have examined the effect of cognitive fatigue on the estimation of the EMGFT. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine whether or not cognitive fatigue prior to performing exercise reduces the estimated EMGFT. Eight healthy college-aged men were recruited from a university student population and visited the laboratory on multiple occasions. In a randomized order, subjects performed either the cognitive fatigue task (AX Continuous Performance Test; AX-CPT) for 60 min on one visit (experimental condition) or watched a video on trains for 60 min on the other visit (control condition). After each condition, subjects performed the incremental single-leg knee-extensor ergometry test while the EMG amplitude was recorded from the rectus femoris muscle and heart rate was monitored throughout. Thereafter, the EMGFT was calculated for each participant for each visit and compared using paired samples t-test. For exercise outcomes, there were no significant mean differences for maximal power output between the two conditions (control: 51 ± 5 vs. fatigue: 50 ± 3 W), but a significant decrease in EMGFT between the two conditions (control: 31 ± 3 vs. fatigue: 24 ± 2 W; p = 0.013). Moreover, maximal heart rate was significantly different between the two conditions (control: 151 ± 5 vs. fatigue: 132 ± 6; p = 0.027). These results suggest that performing the cognitive fatiguing task reduces the EMGFT with a corresponding reduction in maximal heart rate response.

  10. Maternal fatigue and its relationship to the caregiving environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Carmel Parker; White, Mark B; Fox, Melissa A

    2009-12-01

    For women with an autoimmune illness, fatigue can be a debilitating symptom that impacts many aspects of their life. There is scant research on maternal fatigue and its impact on the caregiving environment for either well women or women with chronic illnesses. The objective of this study was to examine the role maternal fatigue played in the caregiving environment, specifically in the mother's experience of the daily hassles of parenting, the discipline style she employed, and how she monitored her child's whereabouts. Two-hundred sixty-two mothers participated in this study: 103 mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS), 68 mothers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and a comparison group of 91 well mothers. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing their self-reported levels of fatigue, depression, quality and quantity of sleep, parenting daily hassles, discipline styles, and monitoring. After sleep, depression, and number of children were controlled for, fatigue explained additional variance in predicting monitoring for all three groups of mothers. Fatigue was also a significant predictor of parenting daily hassles for both well mothers and mothers with RA, but not for mothers with MS. For mothers with MS, it was the covariates (i.e., the number of children in the family and sleep quality and quantity) that were predictive of parenting daily hassles. Several explanations for mothers with MS not being as influenced by fatigue are discussed.

  11. Vivências culturais paulistas da Ilustração Luso-brasileira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Saenz Leme

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo do presente trabalho é o de recuperar as vivências que, entre a religiosidade tradicional e o laicismo, os paulistas tiveram da ilustração luso-brasileira, nos seus aspectos de cultura erudita. Entre as manifestações musicais, as realizações arquitetônicas e de artes plásticas, e as produções literárias e historiográficas, procura-se avaliar o significado do iluminismo em uma área da Colônia Brasil ainda pouco estudada nessa dimensão.

  12. Fatigue-free PZT-based nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, H J; Sando, M [Nat. Ind. Res. Inst., Nagoya (Japan); Tajima, K [Synergy Ceramics Lab., Fine Ceramics Research Association, Nagoya (Japan); Niihara, K [ISIR, Osaka Univ., Mihogaoka, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1999-03-01

    The goal of this study is to fabricate fatigue-free piezoelectrics-based nanocomposites. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and metallic platinum (Pt) were selected as a matrix and secondary phase dispersoid. Fine Pt particles were homogeneously dispersed in the PZT matrix. Fatigue properties of the unpoled PZT-based nanocomposite under electrical cyclic loading were investigated. The electrical-field-induced crack growth was monitored by an optical microscope, and it depended on the number of cycles the sample was subjected to. Resistance to fatigue was significantly enhanced in the nanocomposite. The excellent fatigue behavior of the PZT/Pt nanocomposites may result from the grain boundary strenghtening due to the interaction between the matrix and Pt particles. (orig.) 8 refs.

  13. Adolescentes em tratamento psiquiátrico: um estudo fenomenológico das vivências em seus relacionamentos sócio-afetivos-sexuais

    OpenAIRE

    Fernanda Tomé Marleta Iezzi

    2013-01-01

    RESUMO Marleta-Iezzi, F. T. (2013) Adolescentes em tratamento psiquiátrico: um estudo fenomenológico das vivências em seus relacionamentos sócio-afetivo-sexuais. Dissertação de Mestrado Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto. Na presente dissertação buscamos situar e (re)conhecer o fenômeno das vivências dos relacionamentos sócio-afetivo-sexuais de adolescentes submetidos a tratamento psiquiátrico, por compreender que a adol...

  14. Prediction of Fatigue Crack Growth in Gas Turbine Engine Blades Using Acoustic Emission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhiheng; Yang, Guoan; Hu, Kun

    2018-04-25

    Fatigue failure is the main type of failure that occurs in gas turbine engine blades and an online monitoring method for detecting fatigue cracks in blades is urgently needed. Therefore, in this present study, we propose the use of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring for the online identification of the blade status. Experiments on fatigue crack propagation based on the AE monitoring of gas turbine engine blades and TC11 titanium alloy plates were conducted. The relationship between the cumulative AE hits and the fatigue crack length was established, before a method of using the AE parameters to determine the crack propagation stage was proposed. A method for predicting the degree of crack propagation and residual fatigue life based on the AE energy was obtained. The results provide a new method for the online monitoring of cracks in the gas turbine engine blade.

  15. A Wireless Sensor Network with Enhanced Power Efficiency and Embedded Strain Cycle Identification for Fatigue Monitoring of Railway Bridges

    OpenAIRE

    Feltrin, Glauco; Popovic, Nemanja; Flouri, Kallirroi; Pietrzak, Piotr

    2016-01-01

    Wireless sensor networks have been shown to be a cost-effective monitoring tool for many applications on civil structures. Strain cycle monitoring for fatigue life assessment of railway bridges, however, is still a challenge since it is data intensive and requires a reliable operation for several weeks or months. In addition, sensing with electrical resistance strain gauges is expensive in terms of energy consumption. The induced reduction of battery lifetime of sensor nodes increases the mai...

  16. A vivência do cuidado familiar em casas transitórias de apoio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaqueline Dias do Nascimento

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available RESUMO Objetivo: apresentar modelo teórico representativo da vivência do cuidado em casas transitórias de apoio a familiares de crianças em pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoiéticas. Método: Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados, realizada com 18 participantes de três grupos amostrais. Para análise, utilizou-se o software QSR Nvivo10. Resultados: elaboraram-se quatro categorias: residindo em casa transitória de apoio; vivenciando o cuidado à criança em pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoiéticas; cuidando do cuidador familiar; e retornando a uma nova vida no lar, as quais se inter-relacionam conforme o código teórico da família interativa. Conclusão: esta pesquisa contribui para compreensão da vivência do cuidado em casas transitórias de apoio a familiares de crianças em pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoiéticas e subsidia as ações de enfermagem e saúde prestadas a esta população; contribui ainda para a elaboração de orientação de alta hospitalar e cuidado direcionado a essa clientela.

  17. Estimation of fatigue life using electromechanical impedance technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Yee Yan; Soh, Chee Kiong

    2010-04-01

    Fatigue induced damage is often progressive and gradual in nature. Structures subjected to large number of fatigue load cycles will encounter the process of progressive crack initiation, propagation and finally fracture. Monitoring of structural health, especially for the critical components, is therefore essential for early detection of potential harmful crack. Recent advent of smart materials such as piezo-impedance transducer adopting the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique and wave propagation technique are well proven to be effective in incipient damage detection and characterization. Exceptional advantages such as autonomous, real-time and online, remote monitoring may provide a cost-effective alternative to the conventional structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques. In this study, the main focus is to investigate the feasibility of characterizing a propagating fatigue crack in a structure using the EMI technique as well as estimating its remaining fatigue life using the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) approach. Uniaxial cyclic tensile load is applied on a lab-sized aluminum beam up to failure. Progressive shift in admittance signatures measured by the piezo-impedance transducer (PZT patch) corresponding to increase of loading cycles reflects effectiveness of the EMI technique in tracing the process of fatigue damage progression. With the use of LEFM, prediction of the remaining life of the structure at different cycles of loading is possible.

  18. Adaptação, rendimento, evasão e vivências acadêmicas no ensino superior: revisão da literatura

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Maria Barra da Matta

    Full Text Available Resumo O início da vida acadêmica é um período de grandes mudanças para o estudante, que muitas vezes é tratado de forma infantilizada no ensino médio e se depara com as responsabilidades e exigências da universidade. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo revisar artigos, publicados entre 2005 e 2015, referentes à adaptação universitária relacionada às vivências acadêmicas, rendimento e evasão, no curso de Engenharia. Para tanto, foram realizadas pesquisas nas seguintes bases de dados eletrônicos: Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS, Scielo Brasil e Portal de Periódicos Eletrônicos de Psicologia (PePSIC.Utilizaram-se os descritores: adaptação acadêmica, vivências acadêmicas, rendimento acadêmico, evasão e engenharia. Foram encontrados 55 artigos, porém somente 16 atenderam os critérios de inclusão. A maioria dos artigos empíricos relacionados (66,7% utiliza o instrumento Questionário de Vivências Acadêmicas (QVA ou Questionário de Vivências Acadêmicas - versão reduzida (QVA-r. Dois deles (13,3% utilizaram esse instrumento conjuntamente com o Inventário de Habilidades Sociais e outros três (20,0% com o Questionário de caracterização dos estudantes. Conclui-se que os relacionamentos interpessoais podem favorecer o rendimento acadêmico e adiar a evasão, assim como os serviços de apoio aos estudantes; e constatou-se a escassez do tema em questão nos cursos de engenharia.

  19. Green's function method with consideration of temperature dependent material properties for fatigue monitoring of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koo, Gyeong-Hoi; Kwon, Jong-Jooh; Kim, Wanjae

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a method to consider temperature dependent material properties when using the Green's function method is proposed by using a numerical weight function approach. This is verified by using detailed finite element analyses for a pressurizer spray nozzle with various assumed thermal transient load cases. From the results, it is found that the temperature dependent material properties can significantly affect the maximum peak stresses and the proposed method can resolve this problem with the weight function approach. Finally, it is concluded that the temperature dependency of the material properties affects the maximum stress ranges for a fatigue evaluation. Therefore, it is necessary to consider this effect to monitor fatigue damage when using a Green's function method for the real operating conditions in a nuclear power plant

  20. The use of low-radius circular-cross-section helical strakes for the reduction of VIV of tapered cylinders at high Reynolds numbers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Jens; Christensen, Silas Sverre

    2018-01-01

    % for strakes of circular cross section. The present paper argues that this height can be reduced for structures where the critical wind velocity for vortex shedding is in the Supercritical Reynolds number regime. The investigations are aimed for suppressing VIV on offshore wind turbine towers during......^5, i.e. in the Supercritical Reynolds number regime. Results indicate that circular strakes with a diameter corresponding to 3% of the mean diameter of the structure can be used to efficiently reduce VIV at Supercritical Reynolds numbers. This suggests that e.g. robes may be used as temporary helical...

  1. Lamb Wave Response of Fatigued Composite Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seale, Michael; Smith, Barry T.; Prosser, William H.; Masters, John E.

    1994-01-01

    Composite materials are being more widely used today by aerospace, automotive, sports equipment, and a number of other commercial industries because of their advantages over conventional metals. Composites have a high strength-to-weight ratio and can be constructed to meet specific design needs. Composite structures are already in use in secondary parts of the Douglas MD-11 and are planned to be used in the new MD-12X. Plans also exist for their use in primary and secondary structures on the Boeing 777. Douglas proposed MD-XX may also incorporate composite materials into primary structures such as the wings and tail. Use of composites in these structures offers weight savings, corrosion resistance, and improved aerodynamics. Additionally, composites have been used to repair cracks in many B-1Bs where traditional repair techniques were not very effective. Plans have also been made to reinforce all of the remaining B-1s with composite materials. Verification of the structural integrity of composite components is needed to insure safe operation of these aerospace vehicles. One aspect of the use of these composites is their response to fatigue. To track this progression of fatigue in aerospace structures, a convenient method to nondestructively monitor this damage needs to be developed. Traditional NDE techniques used on metals are not easily adaptable to composites due to the inhomogeneous and anisotropic nature of these materials. Finding an effective means of nondestructively monitoring fatigue damage is extremely important to the safety and reliability of such structures. Lamb waves offer one method of evaluating these composite materials. As a material is fatigued, the modulus degrades. Since the Lamb wave velocity can be related to the modulus of the material, an effective tool can be developed to monitor fatigue damage in composites by measuring the velocity of these waves. In this work, preliminary studies have been conducted which monitor fatigue damage in

  2. Assessment of skeletal muscle fatigue of road maintenance workers based on heart rate monitoring and myotonometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalkis Henrijs

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective This research work is dedicated to occupational health problems caused by ergonomic risks. The research object was road building industry, where workers have to work very intensively, have long work hours, are working in forced/constrained work postures and overstrain during the work specific parts of their bodies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the work heaviness degree and to estimate the muscle fatigue of workers after one week work cycle. The study group consisted of 10 road construction and maintenance workers and 10 pavers aged between 20 and 60 years. Methods Physical load were analyzed by measuring heart rate (HR, work postures (OWAS and perceived exertion (RPE. Assessments of the muscles strain and functional state (tone were carried out using myotonometric (MYO measurements. The reliability of the statistical processing of heart rate monitoring and myotonometry data was determined using correlating analysis. Results This study showed that that road construction and repairing works should be considered as a hard work according to average metabolic energy consumption 8.1 ± 1.5 kcal/min; paving, in its turn, was a moderately hard work according to 7.2 ± 1.1 kcal/min. Several muscle tone levels were identified allowing subdivision of workers into three conditional categories basing on muscle tone and fatigue: I – absolute muscle relaxation and ability to relax; II – a state of equilibrium, when muscles are able to adapt to the work load and are partly able to relax; and III – muscle fatigue and increased tone. It was also found out that the increase of muscle tone and fatigue mainly depend on workers physical preparedness and length of service, and less – on their age. Conclusion We have concluded that a complex ergonomic analysis consisting of heart rate monitoring, assessment of compulsive working postures and myotonometry is appropriate to assess the work heaviness degree and can provide prognosis of

  3. A wireless body measurement system to study fatigue in multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yu, Fei; Rabotti, Chiara; Bilberg, Arne

    2012-01-01

    Fatigue is reported as the most common symptom by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The physiological and functional parameters related to fatigue in MS patients are currently not well established. A new wearable wireless body measurement system, named Fatigue Monitoring System (FAMOS......), was developed to study fatigue in MS. It can continuously measure electrocardiogram, body-skin temperature, electromyogram and motions of feet. The goal of this study is to test the ability of distinguishing fatigued MS patients from healthy subjects by the use of FAMOS. This paper presents the realization...... of the measurement system including the design of both hardware and dedicated signal processing algorithms. Twenty-six participants including 17 MS patients with fatigue and 9 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included in the study for continuous 24 h monitoring. The preliminary results show significant...

  4. Monitoring of need for recovery and prolonged fatigue within the working population: Evaluation of reliability and agreement over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoofs, H; Jansen, N W H; Jansen, M W J; Kant, I J

    2017-01-01

    Need for recovery (NFR) and prolonged fatigue are two important concepts for monitoring short- and long-term outcomes of psychological job demands within employees. For effective monitoring it is, however, important to gain insight in the reproducibility of the instruments that are used. The objective was to assess reproducibility of the NFR scale and Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), measuring NFR and prolonged fatigue respectively, in the working population. Longitudinal data from the Maastricht Cohort Study (MCS) study was used, capturing 12,140 employees from 45 different companies at baseline. A 'working' and 'returning to work' sample was conceived for different intervals; 4-month, 1-year, and 2-year. Reliability, assessed with the interclass correlation, was high within employees with a stable work environment for the NFR scale (0.78) and CIS (0.75). The smallest detectable change, assessing the agreement, was 41.20 for the NFR scale and 31.10 for the CIS. Reliability was satisfactory for both the NFR scale and CIS. The agreement of both scales to detect a changes within employees was, however, less optimal. It is, therefore, suggested that, ideally, both instruments are placed within a broader range of instruments to effectively monitor the outcomes of psychological job demands.

  5. Monitoring of railway bridges in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Makoto; Komon, Kazuki; Narumoto, Asao; Sugidate, Masao; Mori, Takeshi; Miki, Chitoshi

    2000-06-01

    In Japan, some monitoring systems have been introduced to evaluate conditions of the railway structures. In this work, we introduce the monitoring systems of railway bridges. Here, for example, we show the abstraction of fatigue damage monitoring system. The crack propagation properties of a side notched SUS304 thin sheet, which is affixed to a fatigue test specimen, is studied to develop a fatigue damage monitoring sensor. When cyclic loads are applied to the fatigue specimen, the side notched thin sheet behaves as a displacement controlled condition. The stress intensity factor (Delta) K is expressed by the following equation; (Delta) K equals (Delta) (sigma) (root)GL/2 where GL is the gauge length of the thin sheet. The thin sheet is fatigue pre-cracked, stress- relieved and affixed to a specimen. The results of fatigue crack propagation tests show that the crack propagation rate is dependent on stress range and gauge length, but not on crack length. Under sufficient mean stress conditions, the fatigue crack propagation rate is well expressed by a power low of (Delta) K even at such a low stress range as 20 MPa. Fatigue damage accumulated during a monitoring period can be estimated from crack propagation during the period. The sensitivity of the sensor is controlled through the gauge length of the sensor.

  6. Vivências de mães de crianças diabéticas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Déa Silvia Moura da Cruz

    Full Text Available Resumo Objetivo: Compreender a vivência de mães de crianças com diabetes mellitus tipo 1. Métodos: Pesquisa qualitativa, realizada com cinco mães de crianças diabéticas atendidas no ambulatório de um hospital público em outubro de 2014. Os dados foram analisados à luz da Teoria Humanística de Enfermagem. Resultados: Emergiram as seguintes temáticas: As mães diante do diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus tipo 1; O cuidado materno como relação de doação (a relação EU-TU; Dificuldades enfrentadas pelas mães ao cuidarem da criança diabética; Convivência conflituosa entre as crianças diabéticas e suas mães; As mães recebem o apoio da família e da equipe multiprofissional (a relação NÓS; As mães diante do medo da morte. Conclusão: Na vivência da relação EU-TU estabelecida entre a pesquisadora e as mães, é possível perceber que o cuidado que elas dispensam aos seus filhos é repleto de envolvimento, de amor, de sensibilidade e de responsabilização com o outro, apesar das dificuldades e dos conflitos vivenciados diuturnamente.

  7. A wireless body measurement system to study fatigue in multiple sclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yu, F.; Bilberg, A.; Stenager, E.; Rabotti, C.; Zhang, B.; Mischi, M.

    2012-01-01

    Fatigue is reported as the most common symptom by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The physiological and functional parameters related to fatigue in MS patients are currently not well established. A new wearable wireless body measurement system, named Fatigue Monitoring System (FAMOS), was

  8. Reliability analysis of offshore structures using OMA based fatigue stresses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Silva Nabuco, Bruna; Aissani, Amina; Glindtvad Tarpø, Marius

    2017-01-01

    focus is on the uncertainty observed on the different stresses used to predict the damage. This uncertainty can be reduced by Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring which is a technique based on continuously measuring of the accelerations in few points of the structure with the use of accelerometers known...... points of the structure, the stress history can be calculated in any arbitrary point of the structure. The accuracy of the estimated actual stress is analyzed by experimental tests on a scale model where the obtained stresses are compared to strain gauges measurements. After evaluating the fatigue...... stresses directly from the operational response of the structure, a reliability analysis is performed in order to estimate the reliability of using Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring for long term fatigue studies....

  9. Mental Fatigue Monitoring Using a Wearable Transparent Eye Detection System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kota Sampei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose mental fatigue measurement using a wearable eye detection system. The system is capable of acquiring movement of the pupil and blinking from the light reflected from the eye. The reflection is detected by dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells. Since these cells are patterned onto the eyeglass and do not require external input power, the system is notable for its lightweight and low power consumption and can be combined with other wearable devices, such as a head mounted display. We performed experiments to correlate information obtained by the eye detection system with the mental fatigue of the user. Since it is quite difficult to evaluate mental fatigue objectively and quantitatively, we assumed that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX had a strong correlation with te mental fatigue. While a subject was requested to conduct calculation tasks, the eye detection system collected his/her information that included position, velocity and total movement of the eye, and amount and frequency of blinking. Multiple regression analyses revealed the correlation between NASA-TLX and the information obtained for 3 out of 5 subjects.

  10. Thermal fatigue evaluation of piping system Tee-connections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metzner, K.J.; Braillard, O.; Faidy, C.; Marcelles, I.; Solin, J.; Stumpfrock, L.

    2004-01-01

    Thermal fatigue is one significant long-term degradation mechanism nuclear power plants (NPP), in particular, as operating plants become older and life time extension activities have been initiated. In general, the common thermal fatigue issues are understood and controlled by plant instrumentation systems. However, incidents in some plants indicate that certain piping system Tees are susceptible to turbulent temperature mixing effects that cannot be adequately monitored by common thermocouple instrumentation. The THERFAT project has been initiated to advance the accuracy and reliability of thermal fatigue load determination in engineering tools and research oriented approaches to outline a science based practical methodology for managing thermal fatigue risks in Tee-connections susceptible to high cyclic thermal fatigue. (orig.)

  11. Assessment of muscle fatigue using electromygraphm sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmi, Muhammad Hazimin Bin; Ping, Chew Sue; Ishak, Nur Elliza Binti; Saad, Mohd Alimi Bin Mohd; Mokhtar, Anis Shahida Niza Binti

    2017-08-01

    Muscle fatigue is condition of muscle decline in ability after undergoing any physical activity. Observation of the muscle condition of an athlete during training is crucial to prevent or minimize injury and able to achieve optimum performance in actual competition. The aim of this project is to develop a muscle monitoring system to detect muscle fatigue in swimming athlete. This device is capable to measure muscle stress level of the swimmer and at the same time provide indication of muscle fatigue level to trainer. Electromyography signal was recorded from the muscle movement while practicing the front crawl stroke repetitively. The time domain data was processed to frequency spectra in order to study the effect of muscle fatigue. The results show that the recorded EMG signal is able to sense muscle fatigue.

  12. Recasamento: percepções e vivências dos filhos do primeiro casamento

    OpenAIRE

    Valentim de Sousa, Daniela Heitzmann Amaral; Dias, Cristina Maria de Souza Brito

    2014-01-01

    Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo compreender as percepções e as vivências de filhos diante das mudanças ocorridas em suas vidas, no âmbito da convivência familiar, devido ao recasamento de um ou de ambos os pais. É uma pesquisa qualitativa cujos participantes são quatro adultos jovens. Eles responderam a uma entrevista analisada de acordo com a Análise de Conteúdo Temática. Pode-se concluir que, apesar das dificuldades iniciais devido às alterações na estrutura física, na rotina e na dinâmica...

  13. Violência: conceito e vivência entre acadêmicos da área da saúde

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosiléia Rosa

    Full Text Available Trata-se de uma investigação sobre conceitos e vivências sobre violência de acadêmicos do último ano dos cursos de graduação em Enfermagem, Medicina e Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Caracterizada como uma pesquisa descritiva exploratória com abordagem qualiquantitativa com 175 acadêmicos, a proposta foi compreender qual a definição de violência para os acadêmicos, quais suas vivências sobre o tema e qual a inserção que o tema violência teve durante a formação acadêmica. As definições sobre violência estiveram fortemente relacionadas a uma visão técnica e priorizaram os danos físicos sofridos pelas pessoas agredidas. Diante de uma situação de violência os acadêmicos reproduziram sentimentos de medo, impotência, raiva e indignação e não reagiram ao presenciar tais atos; evidenciaram que o profissional de saúde não identifica situações de violência quando presta assistência de forma superficial às vítimas; e que a formação acadêmica não discute o tema suficientemente.

  14. Impaired cognitive control and reduced cingulate activity during mental fatigue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lorist, M.M.; Boksem, M.A.S.; Ridderinkhof, K.R.

    2005-01-01

    Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mental fatigue are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether error-related brain activity, indexing performance monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and strategic behavioural adjustments were modulated by mental fatigue, as induced

  15. Impaired cognitive control and reduced cingulate activity during mental fatigue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lorist, MM; Boksem, MAS; Ridderinkhof, KR

    Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mental fatigue are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether error-related brain activity, indexing performance monitoring by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and strategic behavioural adjustments were modulated by mental fatigue, as induced

  16. A novel noncontact electromagnetic field-based sensor for the monitoring of resonant fatigue tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nam, Si-Byung; Yun, Gun Jin; Binienda, Wieslaw; Carletta, Joan; Kim, Dong-Han

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a prototype of an electromagnetic field-based (EFB) vibration sensor that uses a novel sensing technique to monitor the resonant fatigue testing of a conductive and/or ferromagnetic target specimen is presented. The distance from the target to a coil within the sensor affects the impedance of the coil. The electronic circuitry for the sensor consists of a relaxation oscillator, an embedded microprocessor module and a high-speed digital-to-analog converter. The impedance of the coil determines the frequency of oscillation of the relaxation oscillator's output, so that vibration of the target causes changes in the oscillation frequency. A timer in the embedded microprocessor module is used to count the oscillations, producing a digital signal that indicates the coil-to-target distance. The digital signal is instantaneously converted to an analog signal to produce the sensor's output. The key technologies proposed include: (1) a novel timer counting method using the input capture functionality and timer of the embedded microprocessor module and (2) significant simplification of the analog electronic circuitry. The performance of the proposed sensor has been verified using AISI 1095 carbon steel and Al6061–T6 aluminum alloy specimens during resonant fatigue tests. The sensor shows a good linearity between displacement amplitudes and output voltages

  17. “... Essa coisa começou a pegar!” – vivências cotidianas de homens obesos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carminda Maria Goersch Fontenele Lamboglia

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: Conhecer as vivências cotidianas de homens com obesidade mórbida. Métodos: Pesquisa com abordagem qualitativa. Foram entrevistados nove homens com diagnóstico de obesidade mórbida que estavam em seguimento no pré-operatório para cirurgia bariátrica, com idade de 27 a 50 anos, casados, com renda familiar de dois a três salários mínimos, caso de obesidade na família e hipertensão como comorbidade. A investigação ocorreu no período de maio a setembro de 2012 em um hospital de referência no tratamento à obesidade e realização de cirurgia bariátrica em Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com análise, através da Análise de Conteúdo, do tipo análise temática. Eis as categorias de análise definidas: tornar-se obeso, vivências cotidianas do homem obeso e cirurgia bariátrica – um caminho possível para um cotidiano com saúde. Resultados: Os principais achados relacionaram-se a uma rotina diária fixa, com reduzido espaço para atividade física e de lazer. A obesidade, para 90% dos entrevistados, existe desde a infância e trouxe dificuldade na realização das ocupações no dia a dia. Esses homens optaram pela cirurgia por não perderem peso com dieta, exercício e medicamento, em razão da permanência de problemas de saúde, bem como dificuldades nas relações afetivas e no trabalho. Conclusão: Identificou-se a demanda de uma reorganização das vivências cotidianas dos homens para que haja uma efetiva ação da cirurgia bariátrica, a fim de que os usuários sejam protagonistas dessa modificação, inserindo atividades saudáveis e contínuas no seu cotidiano.

  18. Simulated laparoscopy using a head-mounted display vs traditional video monitor: an assessment of performance and muscle fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maithel, S K; Villegas, L; Stylopoulos, N; Dawson, S; Jones, D B

    2005-03-01

    The direction of visual gaze may be an important ergonomic factor that affects operative performance. We designed a study to determine whether a head-mounted display (HMD) worn by the surgeon would improve task performance and/or reduce muscle fatigue during a laparoscopic task when compared to the use of a traditional video monitor display (VMD). Surgical residents (n = 30) were enrolled in the study. A junior group, consisting of 15 postgraduate year (PGY) = 1 subjects with no previous laparoscopic experience, and a senior group, consisting of 15 PGY 4 and PGY 5 subjects with experience, completed a laparoscopic task that was repeated four times using the Computer Enhanced Laparoscopic Training System (CELTS). Groups alternated between using the HMD with the task placed in a downward frontal position and the VMD with the task at a 30 degrees lateral angle. The CELTS module assessed task completion time, depth perception, path length of instruments, response orientation, motion smoothness; the system then generated an overall score. Electromyography (EMG) was used to record sternocleidomastoid muscle activity. Display preference was surveyed. The senior residents performed better than the junior residents overall on all parameters (p < 0.05) except for motion smoothness, where there was no difference. In both groups, the HMD significantly improved motion smoothness when compared to the VMD (p < 0.05). All other parameters were equal. There was less muscle fatigue when using the VMD (p < 0.05). We found that 66% of the junior residents but only 20% of the senior residents preferred the HMD. The CELTS module demonstrated evidence of construct validity by differentiating the performances of junior and senior residents. By aligning the surgeon's visual gaze with the instruments, HMD improved smoothness of motion. Experienced residents preferred the traditional monitor display. Although the VMD produced less muscle fatigue, inexperienced residents preferred the HMD

  19. Transcatheter heart valve in valve implantation with Edwards SAPIEN bioprosthetic valve for different degenerated bioprosthetic valve positions (First Iranian ViV report with mid-term follow up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Mohammad Haji Zeinali

    2017-09-01

    Conclusion: As the first Iranian all-comers case series with midterm follow up for ViV implantation, we had no mortality. Interestingly none of our patients had neurologic sequelae after the procedure. Midterm follow up for our patients was acceptable with good functional class and appropriate echocardiographic findings. Due to high surgical risk of the redo procedure after failing of a bioprosthetic valve especially in elderly patients with comorbidities, ViV implantation would be a good alternative to surgery for this high risk group.

  20. Breast cancer and fatigue: issues for the workplace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mock, V

    1998-09-01

    1. Women with breast cancer are at high risk for fatigue as a side effect of treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The risk is compounded by the multiple roles of women who return to work during treatment. 2. The fatigue experience includes a physical component of decreased functional status, an affective component of emotional distress, and a cognitive component of difficulty concentrating. These characteristics of fatigue may present significant challenges for employees. 3. The Family Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave to receive medical treatment and/or recover from treatment for breast cancer. 4. The nurse in the workplace can assess and monitor the effects of fatigue and teach employees to manage fatigue through energy conservation, effective use of energy, and health promotion activities to restore energy levels.

  1. Amamentação e sexualidade: uma interface na vivência do puerpério Breastfeeding and sexuality: an interface in the experience of puerperium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liese Klimeck Brauner Pissolato Pissolato

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: compreender a influência da amamentação na vivência da sexualidade, sob a ótica de um grupo de puérperas. Método: pesquisa qualitativa descritiva, realizada com mulheres que estavam vivenciando o puerpério. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista individual semiestruturada e submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática da proposta operativa. Resultados: a vivência da sexualidade durante a amamentação foi marcada por desconfortos relacionados às mudanças no relacionamento sexual, alterações corporais, tempo restrito da mulher com o parceiro, além de alguns comportamentos negativos do companheiro. Em outros casos, a amamentação não trouxe mudanças significativas na vivência da sexualidade, contribuindo para o companheirismo e parceria entre o casal. Conclusões: é preciso ampliar o olhar sobre a temática da sexualidade durante a amamentação, percebendo-a como uma necessidade humana básica, que precisa ser discutida entre mulheres, casais e profissionais de saúde.

  2. Hot-Spot Fatigue and Impact Damage Detection on a Helicopter Tailboom

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    other 14 PZT disks were used as sensors. Among the 28 PZT disks, 16 PZT disks were placed in the two fatigue hot-spot areas to detect cracks initiated...more efficient and effective airframe maintenance, fatigue cracking and impact damage detection technologies were developed and demonstrated on a...SHM system in successfully monitoring fatigue cracks initiated from cyclical loading conditions; detecting, locating and quantifying ballistic

  3. Fatigue damage monitoring of structural aluminum alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    С.Р. Ігнатович

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available  Results of the experiments directed on creation of a new tool method of fatigue damage diagnostics and an estimation of a residual life of aviation designs are presented. It is shown, that the defo rmation relief formed on a surface of cladding  layer of sheets of constructional alloys Д-16АТ, 2024-Т3, 7075-Т6  can be considered as the metal damage indicator  under cyclically repeating loadings.

  4. Monitoring of Fatigue Degradation in Austenitic Stainless Steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalkhof, D.; Niffenegger, M.; Leber, H.J.

    2004-01-01

    During cyclic loading of austenitic stainless steel, it was observed that microstructural changes occurred; these affect both the mechanical and physical properties of the material. For certain steels, a strain-induced martensite phase transformation was seen. The investigations showed that, for the given material and loading conditions, the volume fraction of martensite depends on the cycle number, temperature and initial material state. It was also found that the martensite content continuously increased with the cycle number. Therefore, the volume fraction of martensite was used as an indication of fatigue usage. It was noted that the temperature dependence of the martensite formation could be described by a Boltzmann function, and that the martensite content decreased with increasing temperature. Two different heats of the austenitic stainless steel X6CrNiTi18-10 (AISI 321, DIN 1.4541) were investigated. It was found that the martensite formation rate was much higher for the cold-worked than for the solution-annealed material. All applied techniques - neutron diffraction and advanced magnetic methods - were successful in detecting the presence of martensite in the differently fatigued specimens. (author)

  5. Fatigue, Work Schedules, and Perceived Performance in Bedside Care Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagherian, Knar; Clinton, Michael E; Abu-Saad Huijer, Huda; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne

    2017-07-01

    Hospital nurses are expected to maintain optimal work performance; yet, fatigue can threaten safe practice and result in unfavorable patient outcomes. This descriptive cross-sectional study explored the association between fatigue, work schedules, and perceived work performance among nurses. The study sample included 77 bedside nurses who were mostly female, single, and between 20 and 29 years of age. The majority worked 8-hour shifts and overtime. Nurses who worked during off days reported significantly higher chronic fatigue compared with those nurses who took time off. Nurses who reported feeling refreshed after sleep had significantly less chronic and acute fatigue and more intershift recovery. Nurses with acute and chronic fatigue perceived poorer physical performance. Also, nurses who reported chronic fatigue perceived they were less alert and less able to concentrate when providing patient care. Less effective communication was also associated with acute and chronic fatigue. In conclusion, fatigue has safety implications for nurses' practice that should be monitored by nursing management.

  6. Analysis of thermal fatigue events in light water reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okuda, Yasunori [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Seika, Kyoto (Japan)

    2000-09-01

    Thermal fatigue events, which may cause shutdown of nuclear power stations by wall-through-crack of pipes of RCRB (Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary), are reported by licensees in foreign countries as well as in Japan. In this paper, thermal fatigue events reported in anomalies reports of light water reactors inside and outside of Japan are investigated. As a result, it is clarified that the thermal fatigue events can be classified in seven patterns by their characteristics, and the trend of the occurrence of the events in PWRs (Pressurized Water Reactors) has stronger co-relation to operation hours than that in BWRs (Boiling Water Reactors). Also, it is concluded that precise identification of locations where thermal fatigue occurs and its monitoring are important to prevent the thermal fatigue events by aging or miss modification. (author)

  7. Fatigue Testing of Maglev-Hybrid Box Beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-02

    04142009 3. DATES COVERED: (From - To) 23052006-14092008 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Fatigue Testing of Maglev -Hybrid Box Beam 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER NA...was previously built under collaboration between Maglev Inc. and Lehigh University. The girder was instrumented with strain gages and LVDT’s to monitor...report March 2,2009 Contract N00014-06-1-0872 Project: Fatigue Testing of Maglev -Hybrid Box Beam Prepared by Dr. J.L. Grenestedt and Dr. R. Sause

  8. Fatigue of extracted lead zirconate titanate multilayer actuators under unipolar high field electric cycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Hong; Lee, Sung-Min; Wang, James L.; Lin, Hua-Tay

    2014-01-01

    Testing of large prototype lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks presents substantial technical challenges to electronic testing systems, so an alternative approach that uses subunits extracted from prototypes has been pursued. Extracted 10-layer and 20-layer plate specimens were subjected to an electric cycle test under an electric field of 3.0/0.0 kV/mm, 100 Hz to 10 8 cycles. The effects of measurement field level and stack size (number of PZT layers) on the fatigue responses of piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients were observed. On-line monitoring permitted examination of the fatigue response of the PZT stacks. The fatigue rate (based on on-line monitoring) and the fatigue index (based on the conductance spectrum from impedance measurement or small signal measurement) were developed to quantify the fatigue status of the PZT stacks. The controlling fatigue mechanism was analyzed against the fatigue observations. The data presented can serve as input to design optimization of PZT stacks and to operation optimization in critical applications, such as piezoelectric fuel injectors in heavy-duty diesel engines

  9. Fatigue of extracted lead zirconate titanate multilayer actuators under unipolar high field electric cycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hong; Lee, Sung-Min; Wang, James L.; Lin, Hua-Tay

    2014-12-01

    Testing of large prototype lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks presents substantial technical challenges to electronic testing systems, so an alternative approach that uses subunits extracted from prototypes has been pursued. Extracted 10-layer and 20-layer plate specimens were subjected to an electric cycle test under an electric field of 3.0/0.0 kV/mm, 100 Hz to 108 cycles. The effects of measurement field level and stack size (number of PZT layers) on the fatigue responses of piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients were observed. On-line monitoring permitted examination of the fatigue response of the PZT stacks. The fatigue rate (based on on-line monitoring) and the fatigue index (based on the conductance spectrum from impedance measurement or small signal measurement) were developed to quantify the fatigue status of the PZT stacks. The controlling fatigue mechanism was analyzed against the fatigue observations. The data presented can serve as input to design optimization of PZT stacks and to operation optimization in critical applications, such as piezoelectric fuel injectors in heavy-duty diesel engines.

  10. Fatigue of extracted lead zirconate titanate multilayer actuators under unipolar high field electric cycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hong, E-mail: wangh@ornl.gov; Lee, Sung-Min; Wang, James L. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Lin, Hua-Tay [School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006 (China)

    2014-12-21

    Testing of large prototype lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks presents substantial technical challenges to electronic testing systems, so an alternative approach that uses subunits extracted from prototypes has been pursued. Extracted 10-layer and 20-layer plate specimens were subjected to an electric cycle test under an electric field of 3.0/0.0 kV/mm, 100 Hz to 10{sup 8} cycles. The effects of measurement field level and stack size (number of PZT layers) on the fatigue responses of piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients were observed. On-line monitoring permitted examination of the fatigue response of the PZT stacks. The fatigue rate (based on on-line monitoring) and the fatigue index (based on the conductance spectrum from impedance measurement or small signal measurement) were developed to quantify the fatigue status of the PZT stacks. The controlling fatigue mechanism was analyzed against the fatigue observations. The data presented can serve as input to design optimization of PZT stacks and to operation optimization in critical applications, such as piezoelectric fuel injectors in heavy-duty diesel engines.

  11. Vivências de mães de crianças diabéticas

    OpenAIRE

    Cruz, Déa Silvia Moura da; Collet, Neusa; Andrade, Edineide Maria Costa de; Nóbrega, Vanessa Medeiros da; Nóbrega, Maria Miriam Lima da

    2017-01-01

    Resumo Objetivo: Compreender a vivência de mães de crianças com diabetes mellitus tipo 1. Métodos: Pesquisa qualitativa, realizada com cinco mães de crianças diabéticas atendidas no ambulatório de um hospital público em outubro de 2014. Os dados foram analisados à luz da Teoria Humanística de Enfermagem. Resultados: Emergiram as seguintes temáticas: As mães diante do diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus tipo 1; O cuidado materno como relação de doação (a relação EU-TU); Dificuldades enfrentada...

  12. Generation of data base for on-line fatigue life monitoring of Indian nuclear power plant components: Part I - Generation of Green's functions for end fitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhopadhyay, N.K.; Dutta, B.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.

    1994-01-01

    Green's function technique is the heart of the on- line fatigue monitoring methodology. The plant transients are converted to stress and temperature response using this technique. To implement this methodology in a nuclear power plant, Green's functions are to be generated in advance. For structures of complex geometries, Green's functions are to be stored in a data base to convert on-line, the plant data to temperature/stress response, using a personal computer. End fitting, end shield, pressurizer, steam generator tube sheet are few such components of PHWR where fatigue monitoring is needed. In the present paper, Green's functions are generated for end fitting of a 235 MWe Indian PHWR using finite element method. End fitting has been analysed using both 3-D and 2-D (axisymmetric) finite element models. Temperature and stress Green's functions are generated at few critical locations using the code ABAQUS. (author). 10 refs., 11 figs

  13. Speed limiter integrated fatigue analyzer (SLIFA) for speed and fatigue control on diesel engine truck and bus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahyudi, Haris; Pranoto, Hadi; Leman, A. M.; Sebayang, Darwin; Baba, I.

    2017-09-01

    Every second, the number of road traffic deaths is increased globally with millions more sustaining severe injuries and living with long-term adverse health consequences. Jakarta alone in year 2015 had recorded 556 people died due to road accidents, approximately reached 6.231 road accident cases. The identified major contributory factors of such unfortunate events are both driver fatigue and over speeding habit especially related to the driving of truck and bus. This paper presents the idea on how to control the electronic system from input fuel system of injection pump and the combustion chamber engine will control the valve solenoid in injection pump which can lock and fuel will stop for moment, and speed limit can be success, by using sensor heart rate we can input reduce speed limit when fatigue detection driver. Integration process this tool can be relevant when Speed Limiter Integrated Fatigue Analyser (SLIFA) trial in the diesel engine for truck and bus, the result of this research Speed Limiter Integrated Fatigue Analyser (SLIFA) able to control speed of diesel engine for truck and bus almost 30km/h, 60km/h, and until 70 km/h. The installation of the sensor heart rate as the input speed limit SLIFA would work when the driver is detected to be in the fatigue condition. We make Speed Limiter Integrated Fatigue Analyser (SLIFA) for control and monitoring system for diesel engine in truck and bus. Speed Limiter Integrated Fatigue Analyser (SLIFA) system can save the historical of the speed record, fatigue, rpm, and body temperature of the driver.

  14. High Sensitive Methods for Health Monitoring of Compressor Blades and Fatigue Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witoś, Mirosław

    2013-01-01

    The diagnostic and research aspects of compressor blade fatigue detection have been elaborated in the paper. The real maintenance and overhaul problems and characteristic of different modes of metal blade fatigue (LCF, HCF, and VHCF) have been presented. The polycrystalline defects and impurities influencing the fatigue, along with their related surface finish techniques, are taken into account. The three experimental methods of structural health assessment are considered. The metal magnetic memory (MMM), experimental modal analysis (EMA) and tip timing (TTM) methods provide information on the damage of diagnosed objects, for example, compressor blades. Early damage symptoms, that is, magnetic and modal properties of material strengthening and weakening phases (change of local dislocation density and grain diameter, increase of structural and magnetic anisotropy), have been described. It has been proven that the shape of resonance characteristic gives abilities to determine if fatigue or a blade crack is concerned. The capabilities of the methods for steel and titanium alloy blades have been illustrated in examples from active and passive experiments. In the conclusion, the MMM, EMA, and TTM have been verified, and the potential for reliable diagnosis of the compressor blades using this method has been confirmed. PMID:24191135

  15. High Sensitive Methods for Health Monitoring of Compressor Blades and Fatigue Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirosław Witoś

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The diagnostic and research aspects of compressor blade fatigue detection have been elaborated in the paper. The real maintenance and overhaul problems and characteristic of different modes of metal blade fatigue (LCF, HCF, and VHCF have been presented. The polycrystalline defects and impurities influencing the fatigue, along with their related surface finish techniques, are taken into account. The three experimental methods of structural health assessment are considered. The metal magnetic memory (MMM, experimental modal analysis (EMA and tip timing (TTM methods provide information on the damage of diagnosed objects, for example, compressor blades. Early damage symptoms, that is, magnetic and modal properties of material strengthening and weakening phases (change of local dislocation density and grain diameter, increase of structural and magnetic anisotropy, have been described. It has been proven that the shape of resonance characteristic gives abilities to determine if fatigue or a blade crack is concerned. The capabilities of the methods for steel and titanium alloy blades have been illustrated in examples from active and passive experiments. In the conclusion, the MMM, EMA, and TTM have been verified, and the potential for reliable diagnosis of the compressor blades using this method has been confirmed.

  16. Aspectos éticos considerados na relação médico-paciente: vivências de anestesiologistas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fátima Oliveira dos Santos

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Os princípios da ética orientam a forma de ser e agir do profissional, particularmente no estabelecimento da relação médico-paciente, e por isso, demandam constante reflexão. Nesse sentido, o propósito deste estudo é analisar vivências éticas de anestesiologistas em sua interação com o paciente sob seus cuidados. MÉTODO: Estudo exploratório, que envolveu 16 médicos anestesiologistas com exercício profissional em um hospital universitário de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e analisados qualitativamente com o uso da técnica de análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: Os achados do estudo evidenciam que as vivências éticas dos participantes do estudo na relação médico-paciente foram classificadas em cinco categorias temáticas: respeito ao paciente, tratamento humanizado, tratamento igualitário, sigilo profissional e respeito à autonomia do paciente. CONCLUSÕES: Conclui-se que os entrevistados reconhecem a ética e os valores humanísticos que devem pautar a relação com seus pacientes.

  17. Rituais de cuidado realizados pelas famílias na preparação para a vivência do parto domiciliar planejado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iara Simoni Silveira Feyer

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Esta pesquisa etnográfica objetivou compreender os rituais de cuidado realizados por famílias, durante a preparação para a vivência de parto domiciliar planejado. Participaram 25 famílias, no período de setembro de 2010 a abril de 2011. As técnicas de coleta de dados foram a observação participante e a entrevista. Mediante processos de apreensão, síntese, teorização e recontextualização, emergiram duas categorias: A casa para nascer e Preparando a chegada do bebê. O parto domiciliar é uma experiência construída no âmbito do casal grávido. A casa é concebida pelas famílias como um local sagrado para a vivência de uma experiência que agregue valores existenciais ao ato fisiológico do nascimento. Compreender esses rituais contribui para o oferecimento de cuidado de enfermagem culturalmente congruente.

  18. Reflexão sobre vivência de cuidados paliativos: óscar e a senhora cor-de-rosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernestina Maria Batoca Silva

    2016-02-01

    É nosso objectivo reflectir sobre os desafios dos cuidados paliativos pediátricos, contribuir para a construção de um pensamento ético coerente no zelar pelo respeito da dignidade humana, e também contribuir para a compreensão da vivência da criança doente no hospital e seu confronto com a morte, através do sentido e do vivido por uma criança com leucemia.

  19. Cognitive and Physical Fatigue Tasks Enhance Pain, Cognitive Fatigue and Physical Fatigue in People with Fibromyalgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dailey, Dana L; Keffala, Valerie J; Sluka, Kathleen A

    2014-01-01

    Objective Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic widespread muscle pain and fatigue. The primary objective of this study was to determine if pain, perceived cognitive fatigue, and perceived physical fatigue were enhanced in participants with fibromyalgia compared to healthy controls during a cognitive fatigue task, a physical fatigue task and a dual fatigue task. Methods Twenty four people with fibromyalgia and 33 healthy controls completed pain, fatigue and function measures. A cognitive fatigue task (Controlled Oral Word Association Test) and physical fatigue task (Valpar peg test) were done individually and combined for a dual fatigue task. Resting pain, perceived cognitive fatigue and perceived physical fatigue were assessed during each task using visual analogue scales. Function was assessed with shoulder range of motion and grip. Results People with fibromyalgia had significantly higher increases in pain, cognitive fatigue and physical fatigue when compared to healthy controls after completion of a cognitive fatigue task, a physical fatigue task, or a dual fatigue task (pfatigue tasks, respectively. Conclusions These data show that people with fibromyalgia show larger increases in pain, perceived cognitive fatigue and perceived physical fatigue to both cognitive and physical fatigue tasks compared to healthy controls. The increases in pain and fatigue during cognitive and physical fatigue tasks could influence subject participation in daily activities and rehabilitation. PMID:25074583

  20. High-cycle fatigue properties of small-bore socket-welded pipe joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, Akira; Noda, Michiyasu; Suzuki, Michiaki

    2009-01-01

    Piping and equipment in nuclear power plants are structures including many welded joints. Reliability of welded joints is one of high-priority issues to improve the safety of nuclear power plants. However, occurrence of fatigue failures in small-bore socket-welded pipe joints by high-cycle vibrations is still reported. In this study, fatigue experiments on a socket-welded joint of austenitic stainless steel pipe was conducted under excitation conditions similar to those in actual plants to investigate vibration characteristics and fatigue strength. It was found that the natural frequency of pipe with socket-welded joint gradually decreased as fatigue damage developed, according to the Miner rule for fatigue life evaluation. The results indicate that the fatigue life of the welded pipe joint could be estimated by monitoring the decreasing ratio of the natural frequency of the pipe. The evaluation of decreasing ratio of the natural frequency in addition to fatigue damage evaluation by the Miner rule could enhance the accuracy of fatigue life evaluation. (author)

  1. The Effects of Group Monitoring on Fatigue-Related Einstellung during Mathematical Problem Solving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frings, Daniel

    2011-01-01

    Fatigue resulting from sleep deficit can lead to decreased performance in a variety of cognitive domains and can result in potentially serious accidents. The present study aimed to test whether fatigue leads to increased Einstellung (low levels of cognitive flexibility) in a series of mathematical problem-solving tasks. Many situations involving…

  2. Fatigue crack behaviour in mine excavator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yin, Y.; Grondin, G.Y.; Elwi, A.E. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    2006-05-15

    Fatigue cracking in excavation equipment represents a significant operating cost for oil sands operators. It is caused by high impact loads, the high frequency of load cycles, and large component sizes found in oil sands processing facilities. Monitoring and repair strategies for fatigue cracks are typically based on vendor specifications and the experience of maintenance personnel. This paper provided details of an optimized crack management program applied to a BE 395B shovel boom. The proposed crack management tool uses a chart to predict the remaining life of a corner crack in the shovel boom. Predictions are based on limited field measurements of operating loads as well as on data obtained from fatigue testing of boom material, and a finite element analysis of the shovel boom. Field and laboratory data are used along with fracture mechanics and finite element modelling to predict crack life. It was concluded that the tool will allow inspectors and planners to schedule repairs based on safe service life. The tool is applicable for any components subjected to fatigue loading. 3 refs., 21 tabs., 64 figs.

  3. A Wireless Sensor Network with Enhanced Power Efficiency and Embedded Strain Cycle Identification for Fatigue Monitoring of Railway Bridges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glauco Feltrin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks have been shown to be a cost-effective monitoring tool for many applications on civil structures. Strain cycle monitoring for fatigue life assessment of railway bridges, however, is still a challenge since it is data intensive and requires a reliable operation for several weeks or months. In addition, sensing with electrical resistance strain gauges is expensive in terms of energy consumption. The induced reduction of battery lifetime of sensor nodes increases the maintenance costs and reduces the competitiveness of wireless sensor networks. To overcome this drawback, a signal conditioning hardware was designed that is able to significantly reduce the energy consumption. Furthermore, the communication overhead is reduced to a sustainable level by using an embedded data processing algorithm that extracts the strain cycles from the raw data. Finally, a simple software triggering mechanism that identifies events enabled the discrimination of useful measurements from idle data, thus increasing the efficiency of data processing. The wireless monitoring system was tested on a railway bridge for two weeks. The monitoring system demonstrated a good reliability and provided high quality data.

  4. The relative importance of real-time in-cab and external feedback in managing fatigue in real-world commercial transport operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzharris, Michael; Liu, Sara; Stephens, Amanda N; Lenné, Michael G

    2017-05-29

    Real-time driver monitoring systems represent a solution to address key behavioral risks as they occur, particularly distraction and fatigue. The efficacy of these systems in real-world settings is largely unknown. This article has three objectives: (1) to document the incidence and duration of fatigue in real-world commercial truck-driving operations, (2) to determine the reduction, if any, in the incidence of fatigue episodes associated with providing feedback, and (3) to tease apart the relative contribution of in-cab warnings from 24/7 monitoring and feedback to employers. Data collected from a commercially available in-vehicle camera-based driver monitoring system installed in a commercial truck fleet operating in Australia were analyzed. The real-time driver monitoring system makes continuous assessments of driver drowsiness based on eyelid position and other factors. Data were collected in a baseline period where no feedback was provided to drivers. Real-time feedback to drivers then occurred via in-cab auditory and haptic warnings, which were further enhanced by direct feedback by company management when fatigue events were detected by external 24/7 monitors. Fatigue incidence rates and their timing of occurrence across the three time periods were compared. Relative to no feedback being provided to drivers when fatigue events were detected, in-cab warnings resulted in a 66% reduction in fatigue events, with a 95% reduction achieved by the real-time provision of direct feedback in addition to in-cab warnings (p safety culture of the company in terms of how the information is used. Data were analysed on a per-truck trip basis, and the findings are indicative of fatigue events in a large-scale commercial transport fleet. Future research ought to account for individual driver performance, which was not possible with the available data in this retrospective analysis. Evidence that real-time driver monitoring feedback is effective in reducing fatigue events is

  5. Fatigue life estimation of a 1D aluminum beam under mode-I loading using the electromechanical impedance technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Yee Yan; Soh, Chee Kiong

    2011-01-01

    Structures in service are often subjected to fatigue loads. Cracks would develop and lead to failure if left unnoticed after a large number of cyclic loadings. Monitoring the process of fatigue crack propagation as well as estimating the remaining useful life of a structure is thus essential to prevent catastrophe while minimizing earlier-than-required replacement. The advent of smart materials such as piezo-impedance transducers (lead zirconate titanate, PZT) has ushered in a new era of structural health monitoring (SHM) based on non-destructive evaluation (NDE). This paper presents a series of investigative studies to evaluate the feasibility of fatigue crack monitoring and estimation of remaining useful life using the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique employing a PZT transducer. Experimental tests were conducted to study the ability of the EMI technique in monitoring fatigue crack in 1D lab-sized aluminum beams. The experimental results prove that the EMI technique is very sensitive to fatigue crack propagation. A proof-of-concept semi-analytical damage model for fatigue life estimation has been developed by incorporating the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) theory into the finite element (FE) model. The prediction of the model matches closely with the experiment, suggesting the possibility of replacing costly experiments in future

  6. Fatigue life estimation of a 1D aluminum beam under mode-I loading using the electromechanical impedance technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Yee Yan; Kiong Soh, Chee

    2011-12-01

    Structures in service are often subjected to fatigue loads. Cracks would develop and lead to failure if left unnoticed after a large number of cyclic loadings. Monitoring the process of fatigue crack propagation as well as estimating the remaining useful life of a structure is thus essential to prevent catastrophe while minimizing earlier-than-required replacement. The advent of smart materials such as piezo-impedance transducers (lead zirconate titanate, PZT) has ushered in a new era of structural health monitoring (SHM) based on non-destructive evaluation (NDE). This paper presents a series of investigative studies to evaluate the feasibility of fatigue crack monitoring and estimation of remaining useful life using the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique employing a PZT transducer. Experimental tests were conducted to study the ability of the EMI technique in monitoring fatigue crack in 1D lab-sized aluminum beams. The experimental results prove that the EMI technique is very sensitive to fatigue crack propagation. A proof-of-concept semi-analytical damage model for fatigue life estimation has been developed by incorporating the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) theory into the finite element (FE) model. The prediction of the model matches closely with the experiment, suggesting the possibility of replacing costly experiments in future.

  7. Vivências de mulheres cuidadoras de pessoas idosas dependentes: orientação de gênero para o cuidado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edmeia Campos Meira

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Resumo Objetivo: Apreender nas lembranças da mulher cuidadora o sentido e o significado das vivências de relação de cuidado na unidade familial com a pessoa idosa dependente em contexto de construção social da identidade de gênero orientado para o cuidado. Métodos: Estudo fundamentado na História Oral de Vida com seis mulheres cuidadoras de famílias com pessoas idosas dependentes, no interior da Bahia, Brasil. As lembranças, captadas por entrevista gravada e transcrita, compuseram o corpus de análise. Resultados: O papel social de identidade de gênero direciona a mulher na responsabilização de seus membros familiares dependentes de cuidado, com sentimentos e valores de obrigação humana e forte influência religiosa. Esse cuidado favorece ainda as vivências intergeracionais no espaço das relações familiares com aprendizagens significativas. Conclusão: Urge uma compreensão crítica do papel feminino do cuidado, com incentivo à educação intergeracional e de gênero que propiciem novas perspectivas para o cuidado ao idoso dependente.

  8. Areva fatigue concept. Fast fatigue evaluation, a new method for fatigue analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinz, Benedikt; Bergholz, Steffen; Rudolph, Juergen

    2011-01-01

    Within the discussions on the long term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants the ageing management is on the focus of that analysis. The knowledge of the operational thermal cyclic load data on components of the power plants and their evaluation in the fatigue analysis is a central concern. The changes in fatigue requirements (e.g. the consideration of environmentally assisted fatigue - EAF) recently discussed and LTO efforts are a strong motivation for the identification of margins in the existing fatigue analysis approaches. These margins should be considered within new approaches in order to obtain realistic (or more accurate) analysis results. Of course, these new analysis approaches have to be manageable and efficient. The Areva Fatigue Concept (AFC) offers the comprehensive conceptual basis for the consideration of fatigue on different levels and depths. The combination of data logging and automated fatigue evaluation are important modules of the AFC. Besides the established simplified stress based fatigue estimation Areva develops a further automated fatigue analysis method called Fast Fatigue Evaluation (FFE). This method comprises highly automated stress analyses at the fatigue relevant locations of the component. Hence, a component specific course of stress as a function of time is determined based on FAMOS or similar temperature measurement systems. The subsequent application of the rain flow cycle counting algorithm allows for the determination of the usage factor following the rules of the design code requirements. The new FFE approach constitutes a cycle counting method based on the real stresses in the component, and determined as result a rule-conformity cumulative usage factor. (orig.)

  9. Corrosion strength monitoring of NPP component residual lifetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denisov, V.G.; Belous, V.N.; Arzhaev, A.I.; Shuvalov, V.A.

    1994-01-01

    Importance of corrosion and fatigue monitoring; types of corrosion determine the NPP equipment life; why automated on-line corrosion and fatigue monitoring is preferable; major stages of lifetime monitoring system development; major groups of sensors for corrosion and strength monitoring system; high temperature on-line monitoring of water chemistry and corrosion; the RBMK-1000 NPP unit automatic water chemistry and corrosion monitoring scheme; examples of pitting, crevice and general corrosion forecast calculations on the basis of corrosion monitoring data; scheme of an experimental facility for water chemistry and corrosion monitoring sensor testing. 2 figs., 4 tabs

  10. Fatigue crack propagation: Probabilistic models and experimental evidence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucia, A.C.; Jovanovic, A.

    1987-01-01

    The central aim of the LWR Primary Circuit Component Life Prediction Project, going on at JRC-Ispra, is to develop and check a 'procedure' (encompassing monitoring and inspection, data collection and analysis, prediction) allowing the quantitatives estimation of the accumulation of structural damage and of the residual lifetime. The ongoing activity matches theoretical development and experimentation, the latter being at present essentially based on a test-rig for room-temperature fatigue cycling of 1:5 scaled models of pressure vessels. During Phase I of fatigue testing of vessel R2, different pieces of information coming from material characterization, non-destructive inspection, continuous monitoring, stress analysis, have been merged and used to infere the future behaviour of the structure. The prediction of residual lifetime (cycles to failure), based on the outcomes of the ultrasonic continuous monitoring and made by means of the COVASTOL code, was in quite good agreement with experimental evidence. (orig./HP)

  11. Enhancing nuclear power plant safety via on-site mental fatigue management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsai Ming-Kuan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nuclear incidents and accidents have occurred at various nuclear power plants. Since some of these incidents and accidents caused by human errors might be preventable, numerous researchers argue that fatigue management for on-site workers is the key, especially for mental fatigue. Thus, this study proposes an approach consisting of two mechanisms. A fatigue monitor could identify the mentally fatigued workers by detecting their brain wave rhythms through a brain-computer interface. For such workers, a fatigue alert would awaken them. If the status of the mentally fatigued workers becomes worse, based on a positioning technique (i.e., wireless networks, this mechanism would alert the nearby workers and managers to deal with this condition. The test results indicate that the proposed approach enhanced the capacity to examine the mentally fatigued workers, ensured the accuracy in locating these workers, and avoided possible nuclear incidents. This study is a useful reference for similar applications in the nuclear industry.

  12. Identification of a Critical Time with Acoustic Emission Monitoring during Static Fatigue Tests on Ceramic Matrix Composites: Towards Lifetime Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathalie Godin

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Non-oxide fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites are promising candidates for some aeronautic applications that require good thermomechanical behavior over long periods of time. This study focuses on the behavior of a SiCf/[Si-B-C] composite with a self-healing matrix at intermediate temperature under air. Static fatigue experiments were performed below 600 °C and a lifetime diagram is presented. Damage is monitored both by strain measurement and acoustic emission during the static fatigue experiments. Two methods of real-time analysis of associated energy release have been developed. They allow for the identification of a characteristic time that was found to be close to 55% of the measured rupture time. This critical time reflects a critical local energy release assessed by the applicability of the Benioff law. This critical aspect is linked to a damage phase where slow crack growth in fibers is prevailing leading to ultimate fracture of the composite.

  13. Very high cycle fatigue testing of concrete using ultrasonic cycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karr, Ulrike; Schuller, Reinhard; Fitzka, Michael; Mayer, Herwig [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria). Inst. of Physics and Materials Science; Denk, Andreas; Strauss, Alfred [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria)

    2017-06-01

    The ultrasonic fatigue testing method has been further developed to perform cyclic compression tests with concrete. Cylindrical specimens vibrate in resonance at a frequency of approximately 20 kHz with superimposed compressive static loads. The high testing frequency allows time-saving investigations in the very high cycle fatigue regime. Fatigue tests were carried out on ''Concrete 1'' (compressive strength f{sub c} = 80 MPa) and ''Concrete 2'' (f{sub c} = 107 MPa) under purely compressive loading conditions. Experiments at maximum compressive stresses of 0.44 f{sub c} (Concrete 1) and 0.38 f{sub c} (Concrete 2) delivered specimen failures above 109 cycles, indicating that no fatigue limit exists for concrete below one billion load cycles. Resonance frequency, power required to resonate the specimen and second order harmonics of the vibration are used to monitor fatigue damage in situ. Specimens were scanned by X-ray computed tomography prior to and after testing. Fatigue cracks were produced by ultrasonic cycling in the very high cycle fatigue regime at interfaces of grains as well as in cement. The possibilities as well as limitations of ultrasonic fatigue testing of concrete are discussed.

  14. O papel do enfermeiro perante as vivências dos pais de crianças hospitalizadas

    OpenAIRE

    Pinheiro, Joana Filipa Cardoso

    2013-01-01

    Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em Enfermagem A hospitalização da criança provoca efeitos secundários em toda a dinâmica e estrutura familiar, em especial nos pais que vão vivenciar sentimentos que até então não conheciam. O objectivo deste trabalho foi identificar as vivências dos pais de crianças hospitalizadas e descrever o papel do enfermeiro perante estes pais para os ajudar a enfrentar es...

  15. Experimental study on visual detection for fatigue of fixed-position staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Baisheng; Huang, Xin; Chen, Yang; Li, Anjin; Zhang, Ruming; Huang, Jinxin

    2017-11-01

    Fatigue can lead to decreased work performance and poorer safety and health condition. Fatigue is ubiquitous in production and in life, while the research on it is mainly concentrated in the automotive driving, aircraft piloting and other fields, and it is insufficient to study on the fatigue of fixed-position staff. This paper puts forward a non-contact visual image method, which can monitor the extent of fatigue of fixed-position staff. Fatigue threshold used in judgment is obtained by processing the recorded data of visual images of the experimental subjects when fatiguing and by analyzing eye closure time, percentage of eyelid closure (PERCLOS) value, frequency and number of blinks. The results show that there is significant difference among the four indicators before and after experiment subjects undergo fatigue. The fatigue of experimental subjects is obvious when eye closure time is 3.5 s/min, PERCLOS value 6%, and blink frequency 0.4 times/s. This provides a reference for a wider range of detection of fatigue and a method for avoiding mistakes and accidents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring of Steel Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graugaard-Jensen, J.; Brincker, Rune; Hjelm, H. P.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper it is shown how the accumulated fatigue in steel structures can be estimated with high accuracy by continuously measuring the accelerations in a few points of the structure. First step is to obtain a good estimate of the mode shapes by performing a natural input modal analysis. The so...... by applying the mode shapes of the calibrated Finite Element model and strains are obtained using the shape functions for the actual elements. The technique has been applied on a model frame structure in the laboratory and on a wind loaded lattice pylon structure. In both cases the estimated stresses has been...

  17. Structural health monitoring of power plant components based on a local temperature measurement concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudolph, Juergen; Bergholz, S.; Hilpert, R.; Jouan, B.; Goetz, A.

    2012-01-01

    The fatigue assessment of power plant components based on fatigue monitoring approaches is an essential part of the integrity concept and modern lifetime management. It is comparable to structural health monitoring approaches in other engineering fields. The methods of fatigue evaluation of nuclear power plant components based on realistic thermal load data measured on the plant are addressed. In this context the Fast Fatigue Evaluation (FFE) and Detailed Fatigue Calculation (DFC) of nuclear power plant components are parts of the three staged approach to lifetime assessment and lifetime management of the AREVA Fatigue Concept (AFC). The three stages Simplified Fatigue Estimation (SFE), Fast Fatigue Evaluation (FFE) and Detailed Fatigue Calculation (DFC) are characterized by increasing calculation effort and decreasing degree of conservatism. Their application is case dependent. The quality of the fatigue lifetime assessment essentially depends on one hand on the fatigue model assumptions and on the other hand on the load data as the basic input. In the case of nuclear power plant components thermal transient loading is most fatigue relevant. Usual global fatigue monitoring approaches rely on measured data from plant instrumentation. As an extension, the application of a local fatigue monitoring strategy (to be described in detail within the scope of this paper) paves the way of delivering continuously (nowadays at a frequency of 1 Hz) realistic load data at the fatigue relevant locations. Methods of qualified processing of these data are discussed in detail. Particularly, the processing of arbitrary operational load sequences and the derivation of representative model transients is discussed. This approach related to realistic load-time histories is principally applicable for all fatigue relevant components and ensures a realistic fatigue evaluation. (orig.)

  18. An Integrated Health Monitoring Method for Structural Fatigue Life Evaluation Using Limited Sensor Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingjing He

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A general framework for structural fatigue life evaluation under fatigue cyclic loading using limited sensor data is proposed in this paper. First, limited sensor data are measured from various sensors which are preset on the complex structure. Then the strain data at remote spots are used to obtain the strain responses at critical spots by the strain/stress reconstruction method based on empirical mode decomposition (REMD method. All the computations in this paper are directly performed in the time domain. After the local stress responses at critical spots are determined, fatigue life evaluation can be performed for structural health management and risk assessment. Fatigue life evaluation using the reconstructed stresses from remote strain gauge measurement data is also demonstrated with detailed error analysis. Following this, the proposed methodology is demonstrated using a three-dimensional frame structure and a simplified airfoil structure. Finally, several conclusions and future work are drawn based on the proposed study.

  19. Influence of grain orientation on evolution of surface features in fatigued polycrystalline copper: A comparison of thermal and uniaxial mechanical fatigue results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aicheler, Markus

    2010-01-01

    Surface state plays a major role in the crack nucleation process of pure metals in the High-Cycle-Fatigue (HCF) as well as in the Ultra-High-Cycle-Fatigue (UHCF) regime. Therefore, in studies dealing with HCF or UHCF, special attention is paid to the evolution of surface degradation during fatigue life. The accelerating structures of the future Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) under study at CERN will be submitted to a high number of thermal-mechanical fatigue cycles, arising from Radio Frequency (RF) induced eddy currents, causing local superficial cyclic heating. The number of cycles during the foreseen lifetime of CLIC reaches 2x10 11 . Fatigue may limit the lifetime of CLIC structures. In order to assess the effects of superficial fatigue, specific tests are defined and performed on polycrystalline Oxygen Free Electronic (OFE) grade Copper, a candidate material for the structures. Surface degradation depends on the orientation of near-surface grains. Copper samples thermally fatigued in two different fatigue experiments, pulsed laser and pulsed RF-heating, underwent postmortem Electron Backscattered Diffraction measurements. Samples fatigued by pulsed laser show the same trend in the orientation-fatigue damage behavior as samples fatigued by pulsed RF-heating. It is clearly observed that surface grains, oriented [1 1 1] with respect to the surface, show significantly more damage than surface grains oriented [1 0 0]. Results arising from a third fatigue experiment, the ultrasound (US) swinger, are compared to the results of the mentioned experiments. The US swinger is an uniaxial mechanical fatigue test enabling to apply within several days a total number of cycles representative of the life of the CLIC structures, thanks to a high repetition rate of 24 kHz. For comparison, laser fatigue experiments have much lower repetition rates. The dependence of surface degradation on grain orientation of samples tested by the US swinger was monitored during the fatigue life

  20. Mean stress and the exhaustion of fatigue-damage resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkovits, Avraham

    1989-01-01

    Mean-stress effects on fatigue life are critical in isothermal and thermomechanically loaded materials and composites. Unfortunately, existing mean-stress life-prediction methods do not incorporate physical fatigue damage mechanisms. An objective is to examine the relation between mean-stress induced damage (as measured by acoustic emission) and existing life-prediction methods. Acoustic emission instrumentation has indicated that, as with static yielding, fatigue damage results from dislocation buildup and motion until dislocation saturation is reached, after which void formation and coalescence predominate. Correlation of damage processes with similar mechanisms under monotonic loading led to a reinterpretation of Goodman diagrams for 40 alloys and a modification of Morrow's formulation for life prediction under mean stresses. Further testing, using acoustic emission to monitor dislocation dynamics, can generate data for developing a more general model for fatigue under mean stress.

  1. Lamb Wave Assessment of Fatigue and Thermal Damage in Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seale, Michael D.; Smith, Barry T.; Prosser, W. H.

    2004-01-01

    Among the various techniques available, ultrasonic Lamb waves offer a convenient method of evaluating composite materials. Since the Lamb wave velocity depends on the elastic properties of a structure, an effective tool exists to monitor damage in composites by measuring the velocity of these waves. Lamb wave measurements can propagate over long distances and are sensitive to the desired in-plane elastic properties of the material. This paper describes two studies which monitor fatigue damage and two studies which monitor thermal damage in composites using Lamb waves. In the fatigue studies, the Lamb wave velocity is compared to modulus measurements obtained using strain gage measurements in the first experiment and the velocity is monitored along with the crack density in the second. In the thermal damage studies, one examines samples which were exposed to varying temperatures for a three minute duration and the second includes rapid thermal damage in composites by intense laser beams. In all studies, the Lamb wave velocity is demonstrated to be an excellent method to monitor damage in composites.

  2. Monitoring and modeling stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue damage in nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andresen, P.L.; Ford, F.P.; Solomon, H.D.; Taylor, D.F.

    1990-01-01

    Stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue are significant problems in many industries, causing economic penalties from decreased plant availability and component repair or replacement. In nuclear power reactors, environmental cracking occurs in a wide variety of components, including reactor piping and steam generator tubing, bolting materials and pressure vessels. Life assessment for these components is complicated by the belief that cracking is quite irreproducible. Indeed, for conditions which were once viewed as nominally similar, orders of magnitude variability in crack growth rates are observed for stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue of stainless steels and low-alloy steels in 288 degrees C water. This paper shows that design and life prediction approaches are destined to be overly conservative or to risk environmental failure if life is predicted by quantifying only the effects of mechanical parameters and/or simply ignoring or aggregating environmental and material variabilities. Examples include the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) disposition line for stress-corrosion cracking of stainless steel in boiling water reactor (BWR) water and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Section XI lines for corrosion fatigue

  3. Advances in fatigue lifetime predictive techniques; Proceedings of the Symposium, San Francisco, CA, Apr. 24, 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, M.R.; Landgraf, R.W.

    1992-01-01

    Recent progress in the development of methods to predict fatigue performance of materials and structures is reviewed. Attention is given to general approaches to fatigue mechanics, elevated temperature phenomena, spectrum loading, the multiaxial behavior, and applications. Particular attention is given to a fracture-mechanics-based model for cumulative damage assessment, thermo-mechanical fatigue life prediction methods, a probabilistic fracture mechanics approach for structural reliability assessment of space flight systems, a multiaxial fatigue life estimation technique, plasticity and fatigue damage modeling of severely loaded tubing, damage evaluation in composite materials using thermographic stress analysis, and fatigue lifetime monitoring in power plants

  4. Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... to help you find out what's causing your fatigue and recommend ways to relieve it. Fatigue itself is not a disease. Medical problems, treatments, and personal habits can add to fatigue. These include Taking certain medicines, such as antidepressants, ...

  5. Fatigue crack growth studies on a tee junction using ultrasonic non-destructive methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, C.V.; Thavasimuthu, M.; Ramesh, A.S.; Jayakumar, T.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Baldev Raj

    1996-01-01

    Fatigue cracks need to be detected and sized to maintain structural integrity. The significance of cracks detected in service must also be assessed. This paper describes the on-line ultrasonic testing carried out on a Tee joint subjected to fatigue loading. The initiation and growth of the cracks were monitored for every 5,000 cycles up to 40,000 cycles. The study demonstrated the use of ultrasonic testing for fatigue crack growth detection and sizing. (author)

  6. Fatigue and thermal fatigue of Pb-Sn solder joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frear, D.; Grivas, D.; McCormack, M.; Tribula, D.; Morris, J.W. Jr.

    1987-01-01

    This paper presents a fundamental investigation of the fatigue and thermal fatigue characteristics, with an emphasis on the microstructural development during fatigue, of Sn-Pb solder joints. Fatigue tests were performed in simple shear on both 60Sn-40Pb and 5Sn-95Pb solder joints. Isothermal fatigue tests show increasing fatigue life of 60Sn-40Pb solder joints with decreasing strain and temperature. In contrast, such behavior was not observed in the isothermal fatigue of 5Sn-95Pb solder joints. Thermal fatigue results on 60Sn-40Pb solder cycled between -55 0 C and 125 0 C show that a coarsened region develops in the center of the joint. Both Pb-rich and Sn-rich phases coarsen, and cracks form within these coarsened regions. The failure mode 60Sn-40Pb solder joints in thermal and isothermal fatigue is similar: cracks form intergranularly through the Sn-rich phase or along Sn/Pb interphase boundaries. Extensive cracking is found throughout the 5Sn-95Pb joint for both thermal and isothermal fatigue. In thermal fatigue the 5Sn-95Pb solder joints failed after fewer cycles than 60Sn-40Pb

  7. The effects of moderate fatigue on dynamic balance control and attentional demands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teasdale Normand

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background During daily activities, the active control of balance often is a task per se (for example, when standing in a moving bus. Other constraints like fatigue can add to the complexity of this balance task. In the present experiment, we examined how moderate fatigue induced by fast walking on a treadmill challenged dynamic balance control. We also examined if the attentional demands for performing the balance task varied with fatigue. Methods Subjects (n = 10 performed simultaneously a dynamic balance control task and a probe reaction time task (RT (serving as an indicator of attentional demands before and after three periods of moderate fatigue (fast walking on a treadmill. For the balance control task, the real-time displacement of the centre of pressure (CP was provided on a monitor placed in front of the subject, at eye level. Subjects were asked to keep their CP within a target (moving box moving upward and downward on the monitor. The tracking performance was measured (time spent outside the moving box and the CP behavior analyzed (mean CP speed and mean frequency of the CP velocity. Results Moderate fatigue led to an immediate decrement of the performance on the balance control task; increase of the percentage of time spent outside the box and increase of the mean CP speed. Across the three fatigue periods, subjects improved their tracking performance and reduced their mean CP speed. This was achieved by increasing their frequency of actions; mean frequency of the CP velocity were higher for the fatigue periods than for the no fatigue periods. Fatigue also induced an increase in the attentional demands suggesting that more cognitive resources had to be allocated to the balance task with than without fatigue. Conclusion Fatigue induced by fast walking had an initial negative impact on the control of balance. Nonetheless, subjects were able to compensate the effect of the moderate fatigue by increasing the frequency of

  8. A short summary on finite element modelling of fatigue crack closure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Konjengbam Darunkumar [Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (India); Parry, Matthew Roger [Airbus Operations Ltd, Bristol(United Kingdom); Sinclair, Ian [University of Southampton, Southampton (United Kingdom)

    2011-12-15

    This paper presents a short summary pertaining to the finite element modelling of fatigue crack closure. Several key issues related to finite element modelling of fatigue crack closure are highlighted: element type, mesh refinement, stabilization of crack closure, crack-tip node release scheme, constitutive model, specimen geometry, stress-states (i.e., plane stress, plane strain), crack closure monitoring. Reviews are presented for both straight and deflected cracks.

  9. Shed a light in fatigue detection with near-infrared spectroscopy during long-lasting driving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yuan; Pan, Boan; Li, Kai; Li, Ting

    2016-03-01

    Fatigue driving is one of the leading roles to induce traffic accident and injury, which urgently desires a novel technique to monitor the fatigue level at driving. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is capable of noninvasive monitoring brain-activities-related hemodynamic responses. Here, we developed a fINRS imager and setup a classic psychological experiment to trigger visual divided attention which varied responding to driving fatigue, and attempted to record the drive-fatigue-level correlated hemodynamic response in the prefrontal cortex. 7 volunteers were recruited to take 7 hours driving and the experimental test was repeated every 1 hour and 8 times in total. The hemodynamic response were extracted and graphed with pseudo image. The analysis on the relationship between the fNIRS-measured hemodynamic response and fatigue level finally displayed that the oxyhemoglobin concentration in one channel of left prefrontal lobe increased with driving duration in significant correlation. And the spatial pattern of hemodynamic response in the prefrontal lobe varied with driving duration as well. The findings indicated the potential of fNIRSmeasured hemodynamic index in some sensitive spot of prefrontal lobe as a driving fatigue indicator and the promising use of fNIRS in traffic safety field.

  10. [Evaluating fatigue resistance effect of health food by near-infrared tissue oximeter].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jian; Ding, Hai-shu; Ye, Da-tian

    2009-09-01

    Currently, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) seriously affects people's normal living and work. In the present paper, the physiological parameters, such as tissue oxygenation saturation and heart rate, were used to evaluate the subjects' fatigue degree, and the fatigue resistance capsule and coffee were taken as a measure to adjust the fatigue. Human tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) can be monitored noninvasively and in real time by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) based on spatially-resolved spectroscopy. Aiming at those brainworkers who need to work in an office for a long time; two static experiments were designed to evaluate the fatigue degree of the subjects who either take the fatigue resistance capsules/coffee or not. The rSO2 and heart rate (HR) of the subjects in the experiment group and contrast group were measured respectively for fatigue evaluation. This work particularly analyzed the changes in rSO2 in these two groups. The results show that the rSO2 of subjects in the experiment group evidently increased compared to that in the contrast group when the subjects took the fatigue resistance capsule or coffee, thereby show that the health food can reduce the fatigue to a certain extent.

  11. Preparing Safety Cases for Operating Outside Prescriptive Fatigue Risk Management Regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gander, Philippa; Mangie, Jim; Wu, Lora; van den Berg, Margo; Signal, Leigh; Phillips, Adrienne

    2017-07-01

    Transport operators seeking to operate outside prescriptive fatigue management regulations are typically required to present a safety case justifying how they will manage the associated risk. This paper details a method for constructing a successful safety case. The method includes four elements: 1) scope (prescriptive rules and operations affected); 2) risk assessment; 3) risk mitigation strategies; and 4) monitoring ongoing risk. A successful safety case illustrates this method. It enables landing pilots in 3-pilot crews to choose the second or third in-flight rest break, rather than the regulatory requirement to take the third break. Scope was defined using a month of scheduled flights that would be covered (N = 4151). These were analyzed in the risk assessment using existing literature on factors affecting fatigue to estimate the maximum time awake at top of descent and sleep opportunities in each break. Additionally, limited data collected before the new regulations showed that pilots flying at landing chose the third break on only 6% of flights. A prospective survey comparing subjective reports (N = 280) of sleep in the second vs. third break and fatigue and sleepiness ratings at top of descent confirmed that the third break is not consistently superior. The safety case also summarized established systems for fatigue monitoring, risk assessment and hazard identification, and multiple fatigue mitigation strategies that are in place. Other successful safety cases have used this method. The evidence required depends on the expected level of risk and should evolve as experience with fatigue risk management systems builds.Gander P, Mangie J, Wu L, van den Berg M, Signal L, Phillips A. Preparing safety cases for operating outside prescriptive fatigue risk management regulations. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):688-696.

  12. Fatigue crack growth in welded joints in seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lambert, S.B.

    1988-01-01

    A pipe-to-plate specimen has been developed to study the influence of seawater on the fatigue behaviour of welded tubular joints. DC potential drop techniques have been used to detect fatigue crack initiation, and to monitor the subsequent growth of fatigue cracks. Results for three specimens, tested in air are compared with similar data for tubular and T-plate joints. These comparisons indicate that the pipe/plate is a reasonable model of a tubular joint. Testing was performed on a further six specimens in artificial seawater; two each with free corrosion, optimum cathodic protection, and cathodic overprotection. Fatigue life reduction factors compared with corresponding tests in air were 1.8 and 2.8 for free corrosion, 1.7 and 1.1 with cathodic protection, and 4.2 and 3.3 with cathodic over-protection. These fatigue life reduction factors were comparable to results on T-plate specimens, and were strongly dependent on crack shape development. Linear elastic fracture mechanics techniques appear suitable for the calculation of fatigue crack propagation life. Three approximate solution techniques for crack tip stress intensity factors show reasonable agreement with experimentally derived values. It is recommended that forcing functions be used to model crack aspect ratio development in welded joints. Such forcing functions are influenced by the initial stress distribution and the environment. 207 refs., 192 figs., 22 tabs.

  13. Designing Fatigue Warning Systems: The perspective of professional drivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Fanxing; Li, Shuling; Cao, Lingzhi; Peng, Qijia; Li, Musen; Wang, Chunhui; Zhang, Wei

    2016-03-01

    Professional drivers have been characterized as experiencing heavy fatigue resulting from long driving time in their daily work. This study aimed to explore the potential demand of Fatigue Warning Systems (FWSs) among professional drivers as a means of reducing the danger of fatigue driving and to examine their opinions regarding the design of FWSs. Six focus groups with 35 participants and a questionnaire survey with 600 respondents were conducted among Chinese truck and taxi drivers to collect qualitative and quantitative data concerning the current situation of fatigue driving and opinions regarding the design of FWSs. The results revealed that both truck and taxi drivers had a positive attitude toward FWSs, and they hoped this system could not only monitor and warn them regarding their fatigue but also somewhat relieve their fatigue before they could stop and rest. As for warning signals, participants preferred auditory warnings, as opposed to visual, vibrotactile or electric stimuli. Interestingly, it was proposed that verbal warnings involving the information regarding consequences of fatigue driving or the wishes of drivers' family members would be more effective. Additionally, different warning patterns, including graded, single and continuous warnings, were discussed in the focus group. Finally, the participants proposed many other suggestions, as well as their concerns regarding FWSs, which will provide valuable information for companies who wish to develop FWSs for professional drivers. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. The Nature of Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, Karin; Zimka, Oksana; Stein, Eleanor

    2015-10-01

    In this article, we report the findings of our study on the nature of fatigue in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Using ethnoscience as a design, we conducted a series of unstructured interviews and card sorts to learn more about how people with chronic fatigue syndrome describe fatigue. Participants (N = 14) described three distinct domains: tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion. Most participants experienced tiredness prior to diagnosis, fatigue during daily life, and exhaustion after overexertion. We also discuss participants' ability to adapt to a variety of stressors and prevent shifts to exhaustion, and relate our findings to stress theory and other current research. Primary strategies that promoted adaptation to stressors included pacing and extended rest periods. These findings can aid health care professionals in detecting impending shifts between tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion and in improving adaptive strategies, thereby improving quality of life. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. Positron lifetime measurements as a non-destructive technique to monitor fatigue damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Byrne, J.G.

    1975-09-01

    In the fatigue cycling of initially hard copper, self consistent positron lifetime and x-ray particle size measurements followed the softening process and revealed a new feature which may be the final development of microvoids before fracture. In the cyclic fatigue of initially soft 4340 steel closely spaced concurrent measurements of these parameters are now in progress. For initially hard 4340 steel fatigue softening was revealed with a large positron lifetime decrease. In hydrogen embrittlement studies positron lifetime was found to be sensitive to hydrogen in an interesting way, i.e., if a specimen is already at its maximum defect density, hydrogen is trapped at some of the defects, reduce their attraction for positrons and hence cause a decrease in positron lifetime; conversely in a soft specimen, hydrogen generates more dislocation length than it can trap at (thus cancelling) hence a positron lifetime increase occurs. In electron irradiated and annealed single crystal copper 4 annealing peaks were seen at 125, 270, 400, and 650 0 K. A clear correlation between decreasing positron lifetime and increasing percent porosity in α alumina was established. This behavior is quite []he opposite to that in metals. (auth)

  16. Comparative study of a muscle stiffness sensor and electromyography and mechanomyography under fatigue conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Hyonyoung; Jo, Sungho; Kim, Jung

    2015-07-01

    This paper proposes the feasibility of a stiffness measurement for muscle contraction force estimation under muscle fatigue conditions. Bioelectric signals have been widely studied for the estimation of the contraction force for physical human-robot interactions, but the correlation between the biosignal and actual motion is decreased under fatigue conditions. Muscle stiffness could be a useful contraction force estimator under fatigue conditions because it measures the same physical quantity as the muscle contraction that generates the force. Electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG), and a piezoelectric resonance-based active muscle stiffness sensor were used to analyze the biceps brachii under isometric muscle fatigue conditions with reference force sensors at the end of the joint. Compared to EMG and MMG, the change in the stiffness signal was smaller (p fatigue condition changed fatigue conditions. This result indicates that the muscle stiffness signal is less sensitive to muscle fatigue than other biosignals. This investigation provides insights into methods of monitoring and compensating for muscle fatigue.

  17. Out-of-pile fatigue tests on Zircaloy CANDU sheaths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, Maria; Ciocanescu, Marin; Gheorghiu, Constantin; Pitigoi, Vasile; Ducu, Catalin; Malinovschi, Viorel

    2005-01-01

    The paper outlines the achievements in the nuclear research field of cooperation on Nuclear Fuel performed as part of the collaboration under the Memorandum of Understanding, settled between Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Institute for Nuclear Research (ICN), The sheath behavior was simulated using out-of-pile fatigue tests, in conditions identical with those met during the operation in power cycling of CANDU reactor, except for irradiation. A special test rig, designed and carried-out at ICN ensured the experimental requirements according to the Canadian testing procedure. The description of the experimental setup and monitoring of testing parameters were also done. The fatigue life time, expressed as number of cycles to rupture (N), was measured as a function of the total strain amplitude (e) induced in the Zircaloy-4 sheath samples. Strain-Life time fatigue dependence (e-N) under low cycle fatigue conditions was also verified using the Coffin-Manson correlation. (authors)

  18. Corrosion-fatigue studies of the Zr-based Vitreloy 105 bulk metallic glass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horton Jr, Joe A.; Morrison, M.L.; Buchanan, R.A.; Liaw, Peter K.; Green, B.A.; Wang, G.Y.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the stress-life behavior of the Vitreloy 105 BMG alloy in the four-point bending configuration in a 0.6 M. NaCl electrolyte. At high stress amplitudes, the corrosion-fatigue life was similar to the fatigue lives observed in air. The environment became increasingly detrimental with decreases in stress, and the corrosion-fatigue endurance limit decreased to about 50 MPa, an 88% decrease relative to testing in air. Similar to the tests conducted in air, oxide particles were found on the fracture surfaces but did not appear to significantly affect the corrosion-fatigue lives. However, wear and the resultant corrosion at the outer loading pins resulted in crack initiation in most of the samples. Thus, these results are considered conservative estimates of the corrosion-fatigue behavior of this BMG alloy. Monitoring of the samples and the open-circuit potentials revealed that the onset of significant crack growth occurred at an average of 92% of the total fatigue life. The mechanism of corrosion-fatigue degradation was found to be anodic dissolution

  19. A fatigue monitoring system based on time-domain and frequency-domain analysis of pulse data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jiaai

    2018-04-01

    Fatigue is almost a problem that everyone would face, and a psychosis that everyone hates. If we can test people's fatigue condition and remind them of the tiredness, dangers in life, for instance, traffic accidents and sudden death will be effectively reduced, people's fatigued operations will be avoided. And people can be assisted to have access to their own and others' physical condition in time to alternate work with rest. The article develops a wearable bracelet based on FFT Pulse Frequency Spectrum Analysis and IBI's standard deviation and range calculation, according to people's heart rate (BPM) and inter-beat interval (IBI) while being tired and conscious. The hardware part is based on Arduino, pulse rate sensor, and Bluetooth module, and the software part is relied on network micro database and APP. By doing sample experiment to get more accurate standard value to judge tiredness, we prove that we can judge people's fatigue condition based on heart rate (BPM) and inter-beat interval (IBI).

  20. Fatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients: Congruence Between Patients and Their Informal Caregivers About Patients' Fatigue Severity During Cancer Treatment With Palliative Intent and Predictors of Agreement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poort, Hanneke; Peters, Marlies E W J; Gielissen, Marieke F M; Verhagen, Constans A H H V M; Bleijenberg, Gijs; van der Graaf, Winette T A; Wearden, Alison J; Knoop, Hans

    2016-09-01

    Informal caregivers (ICs) are increasingly involved in the monitoring of symptoms during advanced cancer patients' treatment with palliative intent. A common but subjective symptom during this extended treatment phase is fatigue. This exploratory longitudinal study aimed to determine agreement between patients and ICs about patients' fatigue severity. In addition, predictors of agreement over time were studied. A sample of 107 patients with advanced cancer (life expectancy ≥ six months) and their ICs completed the subscale fatigue severity of the Checklist Individual Strength based on the patient's status at baseline and six months later. This eight-item subscale has a validated cutoff to determine the presence of clinically relevant levels of fatigue. ICs' own fatigue severity, strain, self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction were examined as predictors of agreement. A total of 107 dyads completed measures at baseline and 69 dyads six months later. At baseline, ICs' significantly overestimated patients' fatigue severity (P congruence about the presence or absence of severe fatigue. On a group level, congruence did not significantly change over time. On a dyad level, there was a tendency to either remain congruent or reach congruence. Next to baseline congruence, ICs' fatigue severity and strain predicted ICs' fatigue ratings (R(2) = 0.22). Most ICs accurately predict presence or absence of clinically relevant levels of patients' fatigue. ICs' own fatigue severity and strain should be taken into account as they influence agreement. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Sulfato Complex Formation of V(V) and V(IV) in Pyrosulfate Melts Investigated by Potentiometry and Spectroscopic Methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Søren Birk; Eriksen, Kim Michael; Fehrmann, Rasmus

    1999-01-01

    with the oxo sulfato vanadate equilibria VO(SO4)2,2- + SO4,2- = VO(SO4)3,4- for V(IV) and (VO)2O(SO4)4,4- + 2SO4,2- = 2VO2(SO4)2,3- + S2O7,2- for V(V), and 2VO2(SO4)2,3- + SO2 + SO4,2- 2VO(SO4)3,4- for the V(V)-V(IV) redox reaction in melts saturated with sulfate. Constants for these equilibria have also been...

  2. Influences of semiconductor morphology on the mechanical fatigue behavior of flexible organic electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young-Joo; Yeon, Han-Wool; Shin, Hae-A-Seul; Joo, Young-Chang, E-mail: ycjoo@snu.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, 151-744 Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Uk Lee, Yong; Evans, Louise A. [Center for Process Innovation Limited, Thomas Wright Way, NETPark, Sedgefield, TS21 3FG County Durham (United Kingdom)

    2013-12-09

    The influence of crystalline morphology on the mechanical fatigue of organic semiconductors (OSCs) was investigated using 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) as a crystalline OSC and poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) as an amorphous OSC. During cyclic bending, resistances of the OSCs were monitored using the transmission-line method on a metal-semiconductor-metal structure. The resistance of the TIPS-pentacene increased under fatigue damage in tensile-stress mode, but no such degradation was observed in the PTAA. Both OSCs were stable under compressive bending fatigue. The formation of intergranular cracks at the domain boundaries of the TIPS-pentacene was responsible for the degradation of its electrical properties under tensile bending fatigue.

  3. Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Daniel L; Antoni, Michael H; Lattie, Emily G; Jutagir, Devika R; Czaja, Sara J; Perdomo, Dolores; Lechner, Suzanne C; Stagl, Jamie M; Bouchard, Laura C; Gudenkauf, Lisa M; Traeger, Lara; Fletcher, MaryAnn; Klimas, Nancy G

    Persistent fatigue and depressive symptoms are both highly prevalent among patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) as well as breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess and directly compare perceptions of fatigue as highly interfering in one's daily functioning in both patient populations to better understand their relationships with depressed mood. Participants were 95 female CFS/ME patients and 67 females who were approximately 5 years post-treatment for stage 0-III breast cancer presenting with clinically elevated fatigue severity. Self-report measures were obtained on participants' fatigue-related interference in daily functioning and fatigue severity as well as depressed mood. Hierarchical regression was used to test effects controlling for relevant demographic, psychosocial, and medical covariates. CFS/ME patients endorsed greater depressed mood and fatigue interference than did fatigued breast cancer survivors, p's fatigued breast cancer survivors (β=.18, p =.19). CFS/ME patients reported elevated fatigue symptoms and depression relative to fatigued breast cancer survivors. In the former group, greater depressed mood was highly and significantly associated with greater fatigue-related inference in daily activities. Potential targets for cognitive behavioral interventions are discussed.

  4. The Identification of Fatigue Resistant and Fatigue Susceptible Individuals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Harrison, Richard; Chaiken, Scott; Harville, Donald; Fischer, Joseph; Fisher, Dion; Whitmore, Jeff

    2008-01-01

    The present study was designed to target two specific areas regarding fatigue. The primary purpose was to begin investigations into possible genetic markers linked to fatigue resistance and fatigue susceptibility...

  5. Monitoring microstructural evolution of alloy 617 with non-linear acoustics for remaining useful life prediction; multiaxial creep-fatigue and creep-ratcheting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lissenden, Cliff; Hassan, Tasnin; Rangari, Vijaya

    2014-01-01

    The research built upon a prior investigation to develop a unified constitutive model for design-@by-@analysis of the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) for a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) design of next generation nuclear plants (NGNPs). Model development requires a set of failure data from complex mechanical experiments to characterize the material behavior. Therefore uniaxial and multiaxial creep-@fatigue and creep-@ratcheting tests were conducted on the nickel base Alloy 617 at 850 and 950°C. The time dependence of material behavior, and the interaction of time dependent behavior (e.g., creep) with ratcheting, which is an increase in the cyclic mean strain under load-@controlled cycling, are major concerns for NGNP design. This research project aimed at characterizing the microstructure evolution mechanisms activated in Alloy 617 by mechanical loading and dwell times at elevated temperature. The acoustic harmonic generation method was researched for microstructural characterization. It is a nonlinear acoustics method with excellent potential for nondestructive evaluation, and even online continuous monitoring once high temperature sensors become available. It is unique because it has the ability to quantitatively characterize microstructural features well before macroscale defects (e.g., cracks) form. The nonlinear acoustics beta parameter was shown to correlate with microstructural evolution using a systematic approach to handle the complexity of multiaxial creep-@fatigue and creep-@ratcheting deformation. Mechanical testing was conducted to provide a full spectrum of data for: thermal aging, tensile creep, uniaxial fatigue, uniaxial creep-@fatigue, uniaxial creep-ratcheting, multiaxial creep-fatigue, and multiaxial creep-@ratcheting. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Optical Microscopy were conducted to correlate the beta parameter with individual microstructure mechanisms. We researched application of the

  6. Contact fatigue of human enamel: Experiments, mechanisms and modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, S S; An, B B; Yahyazadehfar, M; Zhang, D; Arola, D D

    2016-07-01

    Cyclic contact between natural tooth structure and engineered ceramics is increasingly common. Fatigue of the enamel due to cyclic contact is rarely considered. The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the fatigue behavior of human enamel by cyclic contact, and to assess the extent of damage over clinically relevant conditions. Cyclic contact experiments were conducted using the crowns of caries-free molars obtained from young donors. The cuspal locations were polished flat and subjected to cyclic contact with a spherical indenter of alumina at 2Hz. The progression of damage was monitored through the evolution in contact displacement, changes in the contact hysteresis and characteristics of the fracture pattern. The contact fatigue life diagram exhibited a decrease in cycles to failure with increasing cyclic load magnitude. Two distinct trends were identified, which corresponded to the development and propagation of a combination of cylindrical and radial cracks. Under contact loads of less than 400N, enamel rod decussation resisted the growth of subsurface cracks. However, at greater loads the damage progressed rapidly and accelerated fatigue failure. Overall, cyclic contact between ceramic appliances and natural tooth structure causes fatigue of the enamel. The extent of damage is dependent on the magnitude of cyclic stress and the ability of the decussation to arrest the fatigue damage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Proceeding of 26th domestic symposium on present and future of integrity monitoring technology in nuclear power generation facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-06-01

    As the 26th domestic symposium of Atomic Energy Research Committee, the Japan Welding Engineering Society, the symposium was held titled as 'Current status and future of integrity monitoring techniques in nuclear power facilities'. Six speakers gave lectures titled as 'Maintenance and integrity monitoring in nuclear power plants', 'Present status of fatigue and creep-fatigue monitoring techniques in the US', 'Fatigue monitoring system in Tsuruga-1 nuclear power station', 'Vibration monitoring technique of rotational machine', 'SCC monitoring with electrochemical noise analysis' and Monitoring technique for corrosive environments and crack shape'. (T. Tanaka)

  8. Fatigue testing of wood composites for aerogenerator blades. Pt. 11: Assessment of fatigue damage accumulation using a fatigue modulus approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hacker, C L; Ansell, M P [Bath Univ. (United Kingdom)

    1996-12-31

    Stress-strain hysteresis loops have been captured during fatigue tests performed at R=10 (compression-compression) and R=0.1 (tension-tension) on Khaya epoxy wood composites. A fatigue modulus approach, proposed by Hwang and Han in 1989, has been applied to the data and a relationship established between the initial change in fatigue modulus and fatigue life. By following changes in fatigue modulus during the first 100 test cycles it is possible to predict the life of the sample allowing rapid evaluation of the fatigue performance of wood composites. Fatigue modulus values have also been calculated for hysteresis loops captured during complex load - time history tests. Similar trends in change in fatigue modulus suggest that this approach could be used in complex loading conditions to evaluate fatigue damage accumulation and predict fatigue life. (Author)

  9. Perilaku kekuatan fatigue paduan aluminium seri 2014 akibat proses termomekanikal aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujita -

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Aluminium alloy seri 2014 is material which is often used in industry. Because excellence of mechanic properties. But also have the weakness at properties of strength fatigue. Though fatigue strength is important parameter in desain, especially if application at condition of dinamic loading, so that need the treatment to improve it. Fatigue strength go together the micro structure and mode of failure of failure of effect of stress concentration. Aging treatment ordinary done not yet given the influence which even on the contrary. Inconsistence of fatigue strength alluminium alloy show the phenomenon which must be research instructing at repair of fatigue strength , so that need the advanced treatment in the form of termomechanical aging. The research conducted by using alluminium alloy series 2014 formed by specimen fatigue test of the size diameter 8 mm and long 87 mm relate at standart (ASTM E 513, continued treatment of termomechanical aging, tested the fatigue, and monitoring microstructure of change. By structure micro, the treatmentTMA have the effect which sicnificant to improvement of Alluminium alloy series 2104 fatigue strength. Generally entire process TMA improve of limit fatigue from specimen at condition early of limit fatigue 48.3 N / mm2 (48.3 MPA, mounting to become 50 until MPA, or mount 3.4 % until 44.9%. With the process of termomechanical aging TMA I, happened the increasing of cycle number equal to, 26.3 %, at treatment of TMA II go up equal to 62 % and 89.8% at process of TMA III, at maximal loading (180 Mpa.

  10. Piezoelectric Bolt Breakers and Bolt Fatigue Testers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Barengoltz, Jack; Heckman, Vanessa

    2008-01-01

    catastrophic misfire. In fatigue-testing applications, devices of the proposed type would offer advantages of compactness and low cost, relative to conventional fatigue- testing apparatuses. In both structural- separation and fatigue-testing applications, bolts to be broken or tested could be instrumented with additional ultrasonic transducers for monitoring of pertinent physical properties and of fatigue failure processes.

  11. Development and Application of a Clinical Microsystem Simulation Methodology for Human Factors-Based Research of Alarm Fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Leo; Gosbee, John W; Merck, Derek L

    2017-07-01

    (1) To develop a clinical microsystem simulation methodology for alarm fatigue research with a human factors engineering (HFE) assessment framework and (2) to explore its application to the comparative examination of different approaches to patient monitoring and provider notification. Problems with the design, implementation, and real-world use of patient monitoring systems result in alarm fatigue. A multidisciplinary team is developing an open-source tool kit to promote bedside informatics research and mitigate alarm fatigue. Simulation, HFE, and computer science experts created a novel simulation methodology to study alarm fatigue. Featuring multiple interconnected simulated patient scenarios with scripted timeline, "distractor" patient care tasks, and triggered true and false alarms, the methodology incorporated objective metrics to assess provider and system performance. Developed materials were implemented during institutional review board-approved study sessions that assessed and compared an experimental multiparametric alerting system with a standard monitor telemetry system for subject response, use characteristics, and end-user feedback. A four-patient simulation setup featuring objective metrics for participant task-related performance and response to alarms was developed along with accompanying structured HFE assessment (questionnaire and interview) for monitor systems use testing. Two pilot and four study sessions with individual nurse subjects elicited true alarm and false alarm responses (including diversion from assigned tasks) as well as nonresponses to true alarms. In-simulation observation and subject questionnaires were used to test the experimental system's approach to suppressing false alarms and alerting providers. A novel investigative methodology applied simulation and HFE techniques to replicate and study alarm fatigue in controlled settings for systems assessment and experimental research purposes.

  12. Proof of fatigue strength of nuclear components part II: Numerical fatigue analysis for transient stratification loading considering environmental effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krätschmer, D.; Roos, E.; Schuler, X.; Herter, K.-H.

    2012-01-01

    For the construction, design and operation of nuclear components and systems the appropriate technical codes and standards provide detailed analysis procedures which guarantee a reliable behaviour of the structural components throughout the specified lifetime. Especially for cyclic stress evaluation the different codes and standards provide different fatigue analyses procedures to be performed considering the various mechanical and thermal loading histories and geometric complexities of the components. To consider effects of light water reactor coolant environments, new design curves included in report NUREG/CR-6909 for austenitic stainless steels and for low alloy steels have been presented. For the usage of these new design curves an environmental fatigue correction factor for incorporating environmental effects has to be calculated and used. The application of this environmental correction factor to a fatigue analysis of a nozzle with transient stratification loads, derived by in-service monitoring, has been performed. The results are used to compare with calculated usage factors, based on design curves without taking environmental effects particularly into account. - Highlights: ► We model an nozzle for fatigue analysis und mechanical and thermal loading conditions. ► A simplified as well as a general elastic–plastic fatigue analysis considering environmental effects is performed. ► The influence of different factors calculating the environmental factor F en are shown. ► The presented numerical evaluation methodology allows the consideration of all relevant parameters to assess lifetime.

  13. Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Daniel L.; Antoni, Michael H.; Lattie, Emily G.; Jutagir, Devika R.; Czaja, Sara J.; Perdomo, Dolores; Lechner, Suzanne C.; Stagl, Jamie M.; Bouchard, Laura C.; Gudenkauf, Lisa M.; Traeger, Lara; Fletcher, MaryAnn; Klimas, Nancy G.

    2015-01-01

    Objective Persistent fatigue and depressive symptoms are both highly prevalent among patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) as well as breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess and directly compare perceptions of fatigue as highly interfering in one’s daily functioning in both patient populations to better understand their relationships with depressed mood. Methods Participants were 95 female CFS/ME patients and 67 females who were approximately 5 years post-treatment for stage 0-III breast cancer presenting with clinically elevated fatigue severity. Self-report measures were obtained on participants’ fatigue-related interference in daily functioning and fatigue severity as well as depressed mood. Hierarchical regression was used to test effects controlling for relevant demographic, psychosocial, and medical covariates. Results CFS/ME patients endorsed greater depressed mood and fatigue interference than did fatigued breast cancer survivors, p’sfatigued breast cancer survivors (β=.18, p=.19). Conclusions CFS/ME patients reported elevated fatigue symptoms and depression relative to fatigued breast cancer survivors. In the former group, greater depressed mood was highly and significantly associated with greater fatigue-related inference in daily activities. Potential targets for cognitive behavioral interventions are discussed. PMID:26180660

  14. Fatigue of wind turbines in the frequency domain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bishop, N W.M. [Univ. College London (United Kingdom)

    1996-09-01

    Fatigue damage is traditionally determined from time signals of loading, usually in the form of stress or strain. However, there are three design scenarios when a spectral form of loading is more appropriate. In this case the loading is defined in terms of its magnitude at different frequencies in the form of a Power Spectral Density (PSD) plot. First, the measurement engineer recording responses from in-service components or structures may be interested in PSD`s because they are a efficient way of defining a random stress or strain time history. Secondly, the test engineer assessing the reliability of prototypes may be interested in spectral tools because such an approach allows the structural condition of the component to be monitored by continuous inspection of the system transfer function. However, the most important benefit of working with PSD`s is relevant to the structural analysis or designer because of the more sophisticated analysis options with which they can be use. For all three of these design scenarios the fatigue designer is presented with a PSD of stress or strain with which to perform his fatigue calculation. There is therefore a requirement for a reliable, accurate and robust spectral fatigue design tool. Such a tool allows the designer to estimate the rainflow range content and hence content and hence fatigue damage from the PSD. (EG)

  15. Towards a Mobile Assistive Technology for Monitoring and Assessing Cognitive Fatigue in Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury

    OpenAIRE

    Price, Edward; Moore, George; Galway, Leo; Linden, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Those living with an acquired brain injury often have issues with fatigue due to factors resulting from the injury. Cognitive impairments such as lack of memory, concentration and planning have a great impact on an individual’s ability to carry out general everyday tasks, which subsequently has the effect of inducing cognitive fatigue. Moreover, there is difficulty in assessing cognitive fatigue, as there are no real biological markers that can be measured. Rather, it is a very subjective eff...

  16. Fatigue data compilation and evaluation of fatigue on design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nyilas, A.

    1985-05-01

    The aim of this report is a review of the available fatigue data of various materials necessary for the design of large superconducting magnets for fusion. One of the primary objectives of this work is to present a broad outline of the low temperature fatigue data of relevant materials within the scope of available data. Besides the classical fatigue data of materials the fatigue crack propagation measurements are outlined widely. The existing recommendations for the design of cryogenic structures are described. A brief introduction of fracture mechanics as well as a historical background of the development of our present day understanding of fatigue has been done. (orig.) [de

  17. [Analysis of the Muscle Fatigue Based on Band Spectrum Entropy of Multi-channel Surface Electromyography].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jian; Zou, Renling; Zhang, Dongheng; Xu, Xiulin; Hu, Xiufang

    2016-06-01

    Exercise-induced muscle fatigue is a phenomenon that the maximum voluntary contraction force or power output of muscle is temporarily reduced due to muscular movement.If the fatigue is not treated properly,it will bring about a severe injury to the human body.With multi-channel collection of lower limb surface electromyography signals,this article analyzes the muscle fatigue by adoption of band spectrum entropy method which combined electromyographic signal spectral analysis and nonlinear dynamics.The experimental result indicated that with the increase of muscle fatigue,muscle signal spectrum began to move to low frequency,the energy concentrated,the system complexity came down,and the band spectrum entropy which reflected the complexity was also reduced.By monitoring the entropy,we can measure the degree of muscle fatigue,and provide an indicator to judge fatigue degree for the sports training and clinical rehabilitation training.

  18. Hull Girder Fatigue Damage Estimations of a Large Container Vessel by Spectral Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ingrid Marie Vincent; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with fatigue damage estimation from the analysis of full-scale stress measurements in the hull of a large container vessel (9,400 TEU) covering several months of operation. For onboard decision support and hull monitoring sys-tems, there is a need for a fast reliable method...... for esti-mation of fatigue damage in the ship hull. The objective of the study is to investigate whether the higher frequency contributions from the hydroelastic responses (springing and whipping) can satisfactory be included in the fatigue damage estimation by only a few parameters derived from the stress...

  19. Stress-based fatigue assessment of major component in NPP using modified Green's function approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ko, Han Ok; Jhung, Myung Jo; Choi, Jae Boong

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the modified GFA which can consider temperature-dependent material properties is proposed by using a neural network (NN) and weight factor. To verify the modified GFA, thermal stresses by the proposed method are compared with those by FEM. Finally, pros and cons of the new method as well as technical findings from the assessment are discussed to show applicability of them. In this paper, the modified GFA considering temperature-dependent material properties is proposed by using NN and weight factor. To verify the proposed method, thermal stresses by the modified Green's function are compared with those by FEM and the results between two methods show a good agreement. Finally, it is anticipated that more precise fatigue evaluation is performed by using the proposed method. Recently, 434 nuclear reactors are being operated in the world. Among them, about 40% reactors are being operated beyond their design life or will be approaching their life. During the long term operation, various degradation mechanisms are occurred. Fatigue damage caused by alternating operational stresses in terms of temperature or pressure change is the one of important damage mechanisms in the nuclear power plants (NPPs). Although components important to safety were designed to withstand the fatigue damage, cumulative usage factor (CUF) at some locations can exceed the design limit beyond the design life. So, it is necessary to monitor the fatigue damage of major components during the long term operation. Researches on fatigue monitoring system (FMS) have been widely performed. In USA, the FatiguePro was developed by EPRI and was applied to the CE, WEC, B and W and GE type reactors. In Korea, the Kori unit 1 which started commercial operation in 1978 is being operated beyond its design life. At the stage of the license renewal, various plans for degradation mechanisms were established and reviewed. And, in case of fatigue damage, to monitor the fatigue damage of major components

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hongchul

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

  1. Fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilhelm, Paul; Rudolph, Juergen [AREVA GmbH, Erlangen (Germany); Steinmann, Paul [Erlangen-Nuremberg Univ., erlangen (Germany). Chair of Applied Mechanics

    2015-04-15

    Laboratory tests consider simple trapezoidal, triangle, and sinusoidal signals. However, actual plant components are characterized by complex loading patterns and periods of holds. Fatigue tests in water environment show, that the damage from a realistic strain variation or the presence of hold-times within cyclic loading results in an environmental reduction factor (Fen) only half that of a simple waveform. This study proposes a new fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation for class 1 boiler and pressure vessel reactor components. The currently accepted method of fatigue assessment has been used as a base model and all cycles, which have been comparable with realistic fatigue tests, have been excluded from the code-based fatigue calculation and evaluated directly with the test data. The results presented show that the engineering approach can successfully be integrated in the code-based fatigue assessment. The cumulative usage factor can be reduced considerably.

  2. Fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilhelm, Paul; Rudolph, Juergen; Steinmann, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Laboratory tests consider simple trapezoidal, triangle, and sinusoidal signals. However, actual plant components are characterized by complex loading patterns and periods of holds. Fatigue tests in water environment show, that the damage from a realistic strain variation or the presence of hold-times within cyclic loading results in an environmental reduction factor (Fen) only half that of a simple waveform. This study proposes a new fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation for class 1 boiler and pressure vessel reactor components. The currently accepted method of fatigue assessment has been used as a base model and all cycles, which have been comparable with realistic fatigue tests, have been excluded from the code-based fatigue calculation and evaluated directly with the test data. The results presented show that the engineering approach can successfully be integrated in the code-based fatigue assessment. The cumulative usage factor can be reduced considerably.

  3. Predictors and Trajectories of Morning Fatigue Are Distinct from Evening Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Fay; Melkus, Gail D’Eramo; Hammer, Marilyn; Schmidt, Brian L.; Knobf, M. Tish; Paul, Steven M.; Cartwright, Frances; Mastick, Judy; Cooper, Bruce A.; Chen, Lee-May; Melisko, Michelle; Levine, Jon D.; Kober, Kord; Aouizerat, Bradley E.; Miaskowski, Christine

    2015-01-01

    Context Fatigue is the most common symptom in oncology patients during chemotherapy (CTX). Little is known about the predictors of interindividual variability in initial levels and trajectories of morning fatigue severity in these patients. Objectives An evaluation was done to determine which demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics were associated with initial levels as well as the trajectories of morning fatigue and to compare findings with our companion paper on evening fatigue. Methods A sample of outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, and lung cancer (N=586) completed demographic and symptom questionnaires a total of six times over two cycles of CTX. Fatigue severity was evaluated using the Lee Fatigue Scale. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to answer the study objectives. Results A large amount of interindividual variability was found in the morning fatigue trajectories. A piecewise model fit the data best. Patients with higher body mass index (BMI), who did not exercise regularly, with a lower functional status, and who had higher levels of state anxiety, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms, reported higher levels of morning fatigue at enrollment. Variations in the trajectories of morning fatigue were predicted by the patients’ ethnicity and younger age. Conclusion The modifiable risk factors that were associated with only morning fatigue were BMI, exercise, and state anxiety. Modifiable risk factors that were associated with both morning and evening fatigue included functional status, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance. Using this information, clinicians can identify patients at higher risk for more severe morning fatigue and evening fatigue, provide individualized patient education, and tailor interventions to address the modifiable risk factors. PMID:25828559

  4. Fatigue and rupture codified rules comparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faidy, C.

    2004-01-01

    The European Directive on Pressure Equipment requests risk studies and in particular to assure no risk of fatigue and rupture in operation. The answers to these questions are different in the different existing design codes (EN Standards, ASME III and VIII or RCC-M or CODAP-CODETI codes) and corresponding in operation codes (ASME or RSE-M). Design safety factors, material properties, fabrication, refinement in the analysis methods, monitoring in operation, hydro-proof test level... Around these Codes, different rules are under development. A16 in France, R6 in UK or FITNET at the EC level. This paper is concerned by a comparison between 2 different Codes to analyze the risk of fatigue or rupture of pressure equipments and mainly a comparison between RCC-M Code and EN 13445 standard for pressure vessel. Recommendations for future work will be proposed. (authors)

  5. Multi-cracking in uniaxial and biaxial fatigue of 304L stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rupil, J.

    2012-01-01

    When a mechanical part is subjected to a repeated mechanical stress, it may be damaged after a number of cycles by several cracks initiation and propagation of a main crack. This is the phenomenon of fatigue damage. The thesis deals specifically with possible damage to some components of nuclear plants due to thermal fatigue. Unlike conventional mechanical fatigue damage where a main crack breaks the part, the thermal fatigue damage usually results in the appearance of a surface crack network. Two aspects are discussed in the thesis. The first is the experimental study of fatigue multiple cracking stage also called multi-cracking. Two mechanical test campaigns with multi-cracking detection by digital image correlation were conducted. These campaigns involve uniaxial and equi-biaxial mechanical loads in tension/compression without mean stress. This work allows to monitor and to observe the evolution of different networks of cracks through mechanical solicitations. The second is the numerical simulation of the phenomenon of fatigue damage. Several types of model are used (stochastic, probabilistic, cohesive finite elements). The experimental results have led to identify a multiple crack initiation law in fatigue which is faced with the numerical results. This comparison shows the relevance of the use of an analytical probabilistic model to find statistical results on the density of cracks that can be initiated with thermal and mechanical fatigue loadings. (author) [fr

  6. Operating data monitoring and fatigue evaluation systems and findings for boiling water reactors in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, O.; Kanazawa, Y.; Takahashi, Y.; Tani, M.

    1995-01-01

    The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is one of the most critical components of a boiling water reactor (BWR) when utilities think about plant life extension (PLEX). Design stress analysis sometimes reports very high fatigue usage factors for such portions of RPVs as stud bolt, feedwater nozzle and support skirt.In order to evaluate design margin and to eliminate excessive conservatism in this design analysis to pave the way for PLEX, Japanese BWR utilities jointly with BWR manufacturers in Japan established a programme (1) to acquire plant operational data on line for specific parameters used in stress analysis, (2) to evaluate margin in the design using measured plant data best estimate boundary conditions for stress analysis, and (3) to establish a simplified fatigue analysis method for BWR RPV.A plant data acquisition system, named OPEDAS, has been developed and installed in Tokyo Electric Power Company's 1100MWe BWR at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Best estimate stress analysis using measured in-plant data has been carried out and the results show considerable margin in fatigue usage factor over the design. A simplified fatigue analysis method using in-plant data has been developed with the Green's function, although some limitations have been identified for its use. ((orig.))

  7. Are nurses able to assess fatigue, exertion fatigue and types of fatigue in residential home patients?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tiesinga, L.J.; Dijkstra, Ate; Dassen, T.W.N.; Halfens, R.J.G.; van den Heuvel, W.J.A.

    Although fatigue is recognized as a subjective, generalized, extensive and disabling health care problem with a relatively high prevalence among the chronically ill, there have been no studies to show whether nurses caring for fatigued subjects are able to accurately assess the level of fatigue that

  8. Positron lifetime measurements as a non-destructive technique to monitor fatigue damage. Final report, January 1, 1971--June 30, 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Byrne, J.G.

    1978-06-01

    Positron studies were applied successfully to cyclic fatigue in steel and copper and have shown a capability to nondestructively detect fatigue softening and fatigue hardening. In the case of elastic high cycle fatigue in initially soft steel the fatigue hardening is identified with point defects. For cyclic plastic range, high cycle fatigue cyclic hardening and softening are correlated with changes in dislocation substructure. Positron measurements during the pulse annealing of copper single crystals following electron irradiation at 77 0 K have revealed the formation of multi-vacancy complexes which constitute the precursors of radiation induced voids. Positron studies have been applied to hydrogen embrittlement in 4340 steel and more recently in nickel. The technique can non-destructively detect hydrogen embrittlement and gage its extent. U.S. Patent No. 4064438 was issued on this basis

  9. Monitoring microstructural evolution of alloy 617 with non-linear acoustics for remaining useful life prediction; multiaxial creep-fatigue and creep-ratcheting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lissenden, Cliff [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States); Hassan, Tasnin [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Rangari, Vijaya [Tuskegee Univ., Tuskegee, AL (United States)

    2014-10-30

    The research built upon a prior investigation to develop a unified constitutive model for design-­by-­analysis of the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) for a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) design of next generation nuclear plants (NGNPs). Model development requires a set of failure data from complex mechanical experiments to characterize the material behavior. Therefore uniaxial and multiaxial creep-­fatigue and creep-­ratcheting tests were conducted on the nickel-­base Alloy 617 at 850 and 950°C. The time dependence of material behavior, and the interaction of time dependent behavior (e.g., creep) with ratcheting, which is an increase in the cyclic mean strain under load-­controlled cycling, are major concerns for NGNP design. This research project aimed at characterizing the microstructure evolution mechanisms activated in Alloy 617 by mechanical loading and dwell times at elevated temperature. The acoustic harmonic generation method was researched for microstructural characterization. It is a nonlinear acoustics method with excellent potential for nondestructive evaluation, and even online continuous monitoring once high temperature sensors become available. It is unique because it has the ability to quantitatively characterize microstructural features well before macroscale defects (e.g., cracks) form. The nonlinear acoustics beta parameter was shown to correlate with microstructural evolution using a systematic approach to handle the complexity of multiaxial creep-­fatigue and creep-­ratcheting deformation. Mechanical testing was conducted to provide a full spectrum of data for: thermal aging, tensile creep, uniaxial fatigue, uniaxial creep-­fatigue, uniaxial creep-ratcheting, multiaxial creep-fatigue, and multiaxial creep-­ratcheting. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Optical Microscopy were conducted to correlate the beta parameter with individual microstructure mechanisms. We researched

  10. Novel Damage Detection Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring Using a Hybrid Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dengjiang Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a technique for detecting fatigue cracks based on a hybrid sensor monitoring system consisting of a combination of intelligent coating monitoring (ICM and piezoelectric transducer (PZT sensors. An experimental procedure using this hybrid sensor system was designed to monitor the cracks generated by fatigue testing in plate structures. A probability of detection (POD model that quantifies the reliability of damage detection for a specific sensor or the nondestructive testing (NDT method was used to evaluate the weight factor for the ICM and PZT sensors. To estimate the uncertainty of model parameters in this study, the Bayesian method was employed. Realistic data from fatigue testing was used to validate the overall method, and the results show that the novel damage detection technique using a hybrid sensor can quantify fatigue cracks more accurately than results obtained by conventional sensor methods.

  11. Fatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients: Congruence Between Patients and Their Informal Caregivers About Patients' Fatigue Severity During Cancer Treatment With Palliative Intent and Predictors of Agreement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poort, Hanneke; Peters, Marlies E. W. J.; Gielissen, Marieke F. M.; Verhagen, Constans A. H. H. V. M.; Bleijenberg, Gijs; van der Graaf, Winette T. A.; Wearden, Alison J.; Knoop, Hans

    2016-01-01

    Informal caregivers (ICs) are increasingly involved in the monitoring of symptoms during advanced cancer patients' treatment with palliative intent. A common but subjective symptom during this extended treatment phase is fatigue. This exploratory longitudinal study aimed to determine agreement

  12. Fatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients: Congruence Between Patients and Their Informal Caregivers About Patients' Fatigue Severity During Cancer Treatment With Palliative Intent and Predictors of Agreement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poort, H.; Peters, M.E.W.J.; Gielissen, M.F.M.; Verhagen, C.A.H.H.V.M.; Bleijenberg, G.; Graaf, W.T.A. van der; Wearden, A.J.; Knoop, H.

    2016-01-01

    CONTEXT: Informal caregivers (ICs) are increasingly involved in the monitoring of symptoms during advanced cancer patients' treatment with palliative intent. A common but subjective symptom during this extended treatment phase is fatigue. OBJECTIVES: This exploratory longitudinal study aimed to

  13. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF): two "fatigue" syndromes with overlapping symptoms and possibly related aetiologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovigatti, Ugo

    2012-12-01

    In July 2010, at the Muscle Fatigue Meeting, I presented an overview of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Cancer Related Fatigue, emphasizing a critical interpretation of the potential association between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Cancer Related Fatigue and a newly discovered retrovirus: Xenotropic Murine Related Virus. Since this association was hotly debated at that time, I suggested at the Meeting that it was wrong and most likely due to the identification of the wrong virus culprit. Today, 20 months after the Meeting, the first part of our prediction has turned out to be correct, as Xenotropic Murine Related Virus was shown to be a laboratory-created artefact. Still, the potential association of fatigue-syndromes with an infection (most likely viral) is sustained by a plethora of evidence and this overview will initially summarize data suggesting prior viral infection(s). The principal hypothesized mechanisms for both peripheral and central Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Cancer Related Fatigue will be then summarized, also indicating plausible associations and triggering factors. All evidence accrued so far suggests that further research work should be performed in this interesting area and in order to identify an infectious agent for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Cancer Related Fatigue. One candidate RNA virus, Micro-Foci inducing Virus, will be described in this overview. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Fatigue in adults with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative content analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stormorken, Eva; Jason, Leonard A; Kirkevold, Marit

    2015-01-01

    Fatigue is a major problem among individuals with post-infectious fatigue syndrome (PIFS), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis. It is a complex phenomenon that varies across illnesses. From a nursing perspective, knowledge and understanding of fatigue in this illness is limited. Nurses lack confidence in caring for these patients and devalue their professional role. The aim of this study was to explore in-depth the experiences of fatigue among individuals with PIFS. A detailed description of the phenomenon of fatigue is presented. Increased knowledge would likely contribute to more confident nurses and improved nursing care. A qualitative study with open interviews was employed. In-depth interviews with patients were fully transcribed and underwent a qualitative content analysis. A maximum variation sample of 26 affected adults between 26-59 years old was recruited from a population diagnosed at a fatigue outpatient clinic. The fatigue was a post-exertional, multidimensional, fluctuating phenomenon with varying degrees of severity and several distinct characteristics and was accompanied by concomitant symptoms. Fatigue was perceived to be an all-pervasive complex experience that substantially reduced the ability to function personally or professionally. A range of trigger mechanisms evoked or worsened the fatigue, but the affected were not always aware of what triggered it. There was an excessive increase in fatigue in response to even minor activities. An increase in fatigue resulted in the exacerbation of other concomitant symptoms. The term fatigue does not capture the participants' experiences, which are accompanied by a considerable symptom burden that contributes to the illness experience and the severe disability. Although some aspects of the fatigue experience have been reported previously, more were added in our study, such as the dimension of awakening fatigue and the characteristic beyond time, when time passes unnoticed

  15. Study on the effect of prior fatigue and creep-fatigue damage on the fatigue and creep characteristics of 316 FR stainless steel. 2nd report. The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and fatigue characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamauchi, Masafumi; Chuman, Yasuharu; Otani, Tomomi; Takahashi, Yukio

    2001-01-01

    The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and the fatigue characteristics was studied to investigate the creep-fatigue life evaluation procedure of 316FR stainless steel. Creep and fatigue tests were conducted at 550degC by using the specimen exposed to prior creep-fatigue cycles at the same temperature and interrupted at 1/4 Nf, 1/2 Nf and 3/4 Nf cycle. The creep and fatigue strength of the pre-damaged material showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage compared with the virgin material. The creep ductility also showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage. These results were evaluated by the stress-based Time Fraction Rule and the strain-based Ductility Exhaustion Method. The result showed that the application of the Ductility Exhaustion Method to the creep-fatigue damage evaluation is more promising than the Time Fraction Rule. (author)

  16. Seafarer fatigue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jepsen, Jørgen Riis; Zhao, Zhiwei; van Leeuwen, Wessel M. A.

    2015-01-01

    Background: The consequences of fatigue for the health and safety of seafarers has caused concern in the industry and among academics, and indicates the importance of further research into risk factors and preventive interventions at sea. This review gives an overview of the key issues relating...... to seafarer fatigue. Materials and methods: A literature study was conducted aiming to collect publications that address risk factors for fatigue, short-term and long-term consequences for health and safety, and options for fatigue mitigation at sea. Due to the limited number of publications that deals...... with seafarers, experiences from other populations sharing the same exposures (e.g. shift work) were also included when appropriate. Results: Work at sea involves multiple risk factors for fatigue, which in addition to acute effects (e.g., impaired cognition, accidents) contributes through autonomic, immunologic...

  17. Fatigue processes in thermoplastic fibres; Les mecanismes de fatigue dans les fibres thermoplastiques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrera Ramirez, J.M.

    2004-09-15

    The present study examines and compares the behaviour of the two types of PA66 fibres and two types of PET fibres under fatigue loading up to failure, and the correlation between the fibres (nano)structures and their structural heterogeneities, with fatigue lifetimes. Several techniques have been used to analyze the materials, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microanalysis (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. A meticulous analysis by scanning electron microscopy of the fracture morphology of fibres broken in tension and in fatigue, as well as a study of the fatigue life, were undertaken. The fatigue process occurs when the cyclic load amplitude is sufficiently large, however a condition for fatigue failure is that the minimum load each cycle must be lower than a threshold stress level. Failure under fatigue conditions leads to distinctive fracture morphologies which are very different from those seen after tensile or creep failure and this allows easy identification of the fatigue process. The fibres have been analyzed in the as received state and after fatigue failure in order to observe the microstructural changes resulting from the fatigue loading. The results will be compared with those obtained for fibres loaded under conditions where the fatigue process was hindered. The role of the microstructure of the fibres in determining fatigue will be discussed in this work and the possibility of improving their resistance to fatigue or eliminating the fatigue process will be discussed. (author)

  18. In pile AISI 316L. Low cycle fatigue. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Nieuwenhove, R.; Moons, F.

    1994-12-01

    In pile testing of the effect of neutron irradiation on the fatigue life of the reference material AISI 316L was performed in the framework of the European fusion technology program. The overall programme, carried out at SCK CEN (Mol,Belgium), exists of two instrumented rigs for low cycle fatigue testing, which were consecutively loaded in the BR-2 reactor during periods Jan (94) June (94) and Aug (94)-Dec(94). In each experiment, two identical samples were loaded by means of a pneumatically driven system. The samples were instrumented with thermocouples, strain gages, linear variable displacement transducers, and activation monitors. The experimental conditions are given. Type of fatigue test: load controlled, symmetric, uniaxial, triangular wave shape; stress range: about 580 MPa; sample shape: hourglass, diameter 3.2 mm, radius 12.5 mm; environment: NaK (peritectic); temperature: 250 C; maximum dpa value up to fracture: 1.7. Two of four samples were broken (one in each experiment) after having experienced 17 419 respectively 11 870 stress cycles. These new data points confirm earlier results from pile fatigue tests: irradiation causes no degradation of fatigue life of AISI 316L steel, at least for the parameters corresponding to these experiments

  19. The role of central and peripheral muscle fatigue in postcancer fatigue: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prinsen, Hetty; van Dijk, Johannes P; Zwarts, Machiel J; Leer, Jan Willem H; Bleijenberg, Gijs; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W M

    2015-02-01

    Postcancer fatigue is a frequently occurring problem, impairing quality of life. Little is known about (neuro)physiological factors determining postcancer fatigue. It may be hypothesized that postcancer fatigue is characterized by low peripheral muscle fatigue and high central muscle fatigue. The aims of this study were to examine whether central and peripheral muscle fatigue differ between fatigued and non-fatigued cancer survivors and to examine the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on peripheral and central muscle fatigue of fatigued cancer survivors in a randomized controlled trial. Sixteen fatigued patients in the intervention group (CBT) and eight fatigued patients in the waiting list group were successfully assessed at baseline and six months later. Baseline measurements of 20 fatigued patients were compared with 20 non-fatigued patients. A twitch interpolation technique and surface electromyography were applied, respectively, during sustained contraction of the biceps brachii muscle. Muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) and central activation failure (CAF) were not significantly different between fatigued and non-fatigued patients. Change scores of MFCV and CAF were not significantly different between patients in the CBT and waiting list groups. Patients in the CBT group reported a significantly larger decrease in fatigue scores than patients in the waiting list group. Postcancer fatigue is neither characterized by abnormally high central muscle fatigue nor by low peripheral muscle fatigue. These findings suggest a difference in the underlying physiological mechanism of postcancer fatigue vs. other fatigue syndromes. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. The Change of the Seebeck Coefficient Due to Neutron Irradiation and Thermal Fatigue of Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessel Steel and its Application to the Monitoring of Material Degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niffenegger, M.; Reichlin, K.; Kalkhof, D.

    2002-05-01

    The monitoring of material degradation, that might be caused by neutron irradiation and thermal fatigue, is an important topic in lifetime extension of nuclear power plants. We therefore investigated the application of the Seebeck effect for determining material degradation of common reactor pressure vessel steel. The Seebeck coefficient (SC) of several irradiated Charpy specimens made from Japanese JRQ-steel were measured. The specimens suffered a fluence from 0 up to 4.5 x 10 19 neutrons per cm 2 with energies higher than 1 MeV. The measured changes of the SC within this range were about 500 nV, increasing continuously in the range under investigation. Some indications of saturation appeared at fluencies larger than 4.55 x 10 19 neutrons per cm 2 . We obtained a linear dependency between the SC and the temperature shift ΔT 41 of the Charpy-Energy- Temperature curve which is widely used to characterize material embrittlement. Similar measurements were performed on specimens made from the widely used austenitic steel X6CrNiTi18-10 (according to DIN 1.4541) that were fatigued by applying a cyclic strain amplitude of 0.28%. For this kind of fatigue the observed change of SC was somewhat smaller than for the irradiated specimens. Further investigations were made to quantify the size of the gage volume in which the thermoelectric power is generated. It appeared that the information gathered from a Thermo Electric Power (TEP) measurement is very local. To overcome this problem we propose a novel TEP-method using a Thermoelectric Scanning Microscope (TSM). We finally conclude that the change of the SC has a potential for monitoring of material degradation due to neutron irradiation and thermal fatigue, but it has to be taken into account that several influencing parameters could contribute to the TEP in either an additional or extinguishing manner. A disadvantage of the method is the requirement of a clean surface without any oxide layer. A part of this disadvantage can

  1. Side Effects: Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatigue is a common side effect of many cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. Anemia and pain can also cause fatigue. Learn about symptoms and way to manage fatigue.

  2. Hubungan antara Fatigue, Jumlah CD4, dan Kadar Hemoglobin pada Pasien yang Terinfeksi Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kusman Ibrahim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Keberadaan Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV di dalam tubuh secara terus menerus menyebabkan gangguan pada hampir semua sistem tubuh yang berdampak pada munculnya gejala kelelahan (fatigue. Fatigue banyak dilaporkan pada penderita HIV/AIDS dengan prevalensi berkisar antara 20% sampai 60%. Penelitian ini bertujuan menguji hubungan antara fatigue dengan jumlah CD4 dan kadar Hb pada pasien HIV/AIDS. Sebanyak 77 responden direkrut secara purposif di sebuah Klinik Rawat Jalan Rumah Sakit di Kota Bandung. Fatigue diukur menggunakan kuesioner HIV Related Fatigue Score (HRFS. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis menggunakan uji pearson correlation. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara fatigue dengan jumlah CD4 dalam darah (r = -.289, p< 0.05 dan kadar Hb (r = -.349, p< 0.05. Selain itu, kadar Hb memiliki hubungan yang bermakna dengan jumlah CD4 pada pasien HIV/AIDS (r = .360, p < .01. Hasil penelitian ini mengindikasikan perlunya monitoring kadar CD4 dan Hb secara berkala dan melakukan intervensi untuk mengatasi penurunan Hb dan CD4 sesegera mungkin sehingga dapat mencegah agar fatigue tidak berkelanjutan. Kata kunci: CD4, fatigue, hemoglobin, HIV/AIDS.   The Correlation of Between Fatigue, CD4 Cell Count, and Hemoglobin Level among HIV/AIDS Patients Abstract The existence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV in the body continuously causes disruption in almost all body systems that impact on the emergence of symptoms of fatigue. Fatigue was widely reported in HIV/AIDS patients with prevalence ranging from 20% to 60%. This study examined the relationship between fatigue and CD4 cell count and hemoglobin levels in HIV/AIDS patients. A total of 77 respondents were recruited purposively in Outpatient Clinic, General Hospital Bandung City. Fatigue was measured using the HIV Related Fatigue Score (HRFS questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using pearson correlation product moment. The results showed there were significant

  3. Myoelectrical manifestation of fatigue less prominent in patients with cancer related fatigue.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Kisiel-Sajewicz

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: A lack of fatigue-related muscle contractile property changes at time of perceived physical exhaustion and greater central than peripheral fatigue detected by twitch interpolation technique have recently been reported in cancer survivors with fatigue symptoms. Based on these observations, it was hypothesized that compared to healthy people, myoelectrical manifestation of fatigue in the performing muscles would be less significant in these individuals while sustaining a prolonged motor task to self-perceived exhaustion (SPE since their central fatigue was more prominent. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis by examining electromyographic (EMG signal changes during fatiguing muscle performance. METHODS: Twelve individuals who had advanced solid cancer and cancer-related fatigue (CRF, and 12 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed a sustained elbow flexion at 30% maximal voluntary contraction till SPE. Amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF of EMG signals of the biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and triceps brachii muscles were evaluated when the individuals experienced minimal, moderate, and severe fatigue. RESULTS: CRF patients perceived physical "exhaustion" significantly sooner than the controls. The myoelectrical manifestation of muscular fatigue assessed by EMG amplitude and MPF was less significant in CRF than controls. The lower MPF even at minimal fatigue stage in CRF may indicate pathophysiologic condition of the muscle. CONCLUSIONS: CRF patients experience less myoelectrical manifestation of muscle fatigue than healthy individuals near the time of SPE. The data suggest that central nervous system fatigue plays a more important role in limiting endurance-type of motor performance in patients with CRF.

  4. A numerical simulation of VIV on a flexible circular cylinder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Fangfang; Deng Jian; Zheng Yao; Xiao Qing

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, numerical simulations of a flexible circular cylinder subjected to a vortex-induced vibration (VIV) are conducted. The Reynolds number for simulations is fixed at 1000. The finite volume method is applied for modeling fluid flow with the moving meshes feature. The dynamic response of a flexible cylinder fixed at both ends is modeled by the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. The comparison between two-dimensional (2D) simulations and 3D simulations for the flexible cylinder shows that the maximum response amplitude of the cross-flow oscillation is about 0.57D for 2D rigid cylinders (modeled by a spring–damper–mass model) and 1.03D for flexible cylinders, respectively. The results from 3D simulations are closer to previous experimental results. Furthermore, the results obtained with various frequency ratios show that different wake patterns exist according to the frequency ratio, such as 2S mode, 2P mode and some more complicated modes. The wake pattern is different at various sections along the cylinder length, due to the fact that the two ends of the beam are fixed. The vibration of the flexible cylinder can also greatly alter the three dimensionality in the wake, which is our research in future work, especially in the transition region for Reynolds number ranging from 170 to 300. (paper)

  5. A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Rainbow T H; Chan, Jessie S M; Wang, Chong-Wen; Lau, Benson W M; So, Kwok Fai; Yuen, Li Ping; Sham, Jonathan S T; Chan, Cecilia L W

    2012-10-01

    Chronic fatigue is common in the general population. Complementary therapies are often used by patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome to manage their symptoms. This study aimed to assess the effect of a 4-month qigong intervention program among patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome. Sixty-four participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a wait list control group. Outcome measures included fatigue symptoms, physical functioning, mental functioning, and telomerase activity. Fatigue symptoms and mental functioning were significantly improved in the qigong group compared to controls. Telomerase activity increased in the qigong group from 0.102 to 0.178 arbitrary units (p chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

  6. Random non-proportional fatigue tests with planar tri-axial fatigue testing machine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Inoue

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Complex stresses, which occur on the mechanical surfaces of transport machinery in service, bring a drastic degradation in fatigue life. However, it is hard to reproduce such complex stress states for evaluating the fatigue life with conventional multiaxial fatigue machines. We have developed a fatigue testing machine that enables reproduction of such complex stresses. The testing machine can reproduce arbitrary in-plane stress states by applying three independent loads to the test specimen using actuators which apply loads in the 0, 45, and 90 degree directions. The reproduction was tested with complex stress data obtained from the actual operation of transport machinery. As a result, it was found that the reproduced stress corresponded to the measured stress with an error range of less than 10 %. Then, we made a comparison between measured fatigue lives under random non-proportional loading conditions and predicted fatigue lives. It was found that predicted fatigue lives with cr, stress on critical plane, were over a factor of 10 against measured fatigue lives. On the other hand, predicted fatigue lives with ma, stress in consideration of a non-proportional level evaluated by using amplitude and direction of principal stress, were within a factor of 3 against measured fatigue lives

  7. An overview of fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mc Evily, A.J.

    1987-01-01

    Four topics are briefly discussed in this paper: fatigue crack initiation and growth in a nickel-base superalloy single crystal, the environment effect on near-threshold fatigue crack growth behaviour, the role of crack closure in load-interaction effects in fatigue crack growth, and the nature of creep-fatigue interactions, if any, during fatigue crack growth. (Author)

  8. Muscle fatigue evaluation of astronaut upper limb based on sEMG and subjective assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zu, Xiaoqi; Zhou, Qianxiang; Li, Yun

    2012-07-01

    All movements are driven by muscle contraction, and it is easy to cause muscle fatigue. Evaluation of muscle fatigue is a hot topic in the area of astronaut life support training and rehabilitation. If muscle gets into fatigue condition, it may reduce work efficiency and has an impact on psychological performance. Therefore it is necessary to develop an accurate and usable method on muscle fatigue evaluation of astronaut upper limb. In this study, we developed a method based on surface electromyography (sEMG) and subjective assessment (Borg scale) to evaluate local muscle fatigue. Fifteen healthy young male subjects participated in the experiment. They performed isometric muscle contractions of the upper limb. sEMG of the biceps brachii were recorded during the entire process of isotonic muscle contraction and Borg scales of muscle fatigue were collected in certain times. sEMG were divided into several parts, and then mean energy of each parts were calculated by the one-twelfth band octave method. Equations were derived based on the relationship between the mean energy of sEMG and Borg scale. The results showed that cubic curve could describe the degree of local muscle fatigue, and could be used to evaluate and monitor local muscle fatigue during the entire process.

  9. Fatigue with HIV/AIDS

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... 21, 2014 Select a Language: Fact Sheet 551 Fatigue WHAT IS FATIGUE? IS FATIGUE IMPORTANT? HOW DO ... It can be physical or psychological. With physical fatigue , your muscles cannot do things as easily as ...

  10. Study of fatigue, depression, and associated factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus in industrial workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akhilesh Jain

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a significant health problem and imposes great physical, financial and psychological burden among the affected population. Among people with diabetes, fatigue is a pervasive and distressing complaint, which is further accentuated by presence of depression. Objective: To assess the prevalence of fatigue and depression and associated clinical and socio demographic correlates in type 2diabetes. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study included 100 patients of diabetes type 2 and equal number of healthy controls between the ages of 18 to 70 years . A detailed evaluation of socio demographic and clinical parameters was made. Participants were also assessed for presence of depression and fatigue using PHQ-9 and Fatigue Severity Scale(FSSrespectively. Results: Fatigue and depression was found in 68 % and 53 % of diabetic participants. Diabetic patients were 10.37 times and 4.80 times more likely to suffer from fatigue and depression respectively. Both fatigue and depression were found to be significantly associated with duration of illness, fasting and post prandial blood glucose level ,diabetic complications and Body Mass Index (BMI. Fatigue was also strongly correlated with depression in study sample. Conclusions: Fatigue and depression are reasonably correlated with type 2 diabetes. Various clinical parameters of diabetes are strongly associated with both fatigue and depression. Fatigue itself has significant correlation with depression in type 2 diabetes. Regular monitoring of biochemical parameters are paramount to predict the development of fatigue and depression in type 2 diabetes.

  11. Evidence for sensitized fatigue pathways in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staud, Roland; Mokthech, Meriem; Price, Donald D; Robinson, Michael E

    2015-04-01

    Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) frequently demonstrate intolerance to physical exertion that is often reported as increased and long-lasting fatigue. Because no specific metabolic alterations have been identified in CFS patients, we hypothesized that sensitized fatigue pathways become activated during exercise corresponding with increased fatigue. After exhausting handgrip exercise, muscle metabolites were trapped in the forearm tissues of 39 CFS patients and 29 normal control (NC) by sudden occlusion for up to 5 minutes. A nonocclusive condition of similar duration was used as control. Repeated fatigue and pain ratings were obtained before and after exercise. Mechanical and heat hyperalgesia were assessed by quantitative sensory testing. All subjects fulfilled the 1994 Fukuda Criteria for CFS. Normal control and CFS subjects exercised for 6.6 (2.4) and 7.0 (2.7) minutes (P > 0.05). Forearm occlusion lasted for 4.7 (1.3) and 4.9 (1.8) minutes in NC and CFS subjects, respectively (P > 0.05). Although fatigue ratings of CFS subjects increased from 4.8 (2.0) to 5.6 (2.1) visual analogue scale (VAS) units during forearm occlusion, they decreased from 5.0 (1.8) to 4.8 (2.0) VAS units during the control condition without occlusion (P = 0.04). A similar time course of fatigue ratings was observed in NC (P > 0.05), although their ratings were significantly lower than those of CFS subjects (P fatigue in CFS patients consistent with sensitization of fatigue pathways. Future interventions that reduce sensitization of fatigue pathways in CFS patients may be of therapeutic benefit.

  12. The monitoring and fatigue behavior of CFCCs at ambient temperature and 1000 degrees C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miriyala, N.; Liaw, P.K.; McHargue, C.J.

    1997-01-01

    Metallographically polished flexure bars of Nicalon/SiC and Nicalon/alumina composites were subjected to monotonic and cycle-fatigue loadings, with loading either parallel or normal to the fabric plies. The fabric orientation did not significantly affect the mechanical behavior of the Nicalon/SiC composite at ambient temperature. However, the mechanical behavior of the Nicalon/alumina composite was significantly affected by the fabric orientation at ambient temperature in air and at 1000 degrees C in argon atmosphere. In addition, there was a significant degradation in the fatigue performance of the alumina matrix composite at the elevated temperature, owing to creep in the material and degradation in the fiber strength

  13. The monitoring and fatigue behavior of CFCCs at ambient temperature and 1000{degrees}C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miriyala, N.; Liaw, P.K.; McHargue, C.J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)] [and others

    1997-04-01

    Metallographically polished flexure bars of Nicalon/SiC and Nicalon/alumina composites were subjected to monotonic and cycle-fatigue loadings, with loading either parallel or normal to the fabric plies. The fabric orientation did not significantly affect the mechanical behavior of the Nicalon/SiC composite at ambient temperature. However, the mechanical behavior of the Nicalon/alumina composite was significantly affected by the fabric orientation at ambient temperature in air and at 1000{degrees}C in argon atmosphere. In addition, there was a significant degradation in the fatigue performance of the alumina matrix composite at the elevated temperature, owing to creep in the material and degradation in the fiber strength.

  14. Clinical neurophysiology of fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwarts, M J; Bleijenberg, G; van Engelen, B G M

    2008-01-01

    Fatigue is a multidimensional concept covering both physiological and psychological aspects. Chronic fatigue is a typical symptom of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and cerebrovascular disorders but is also presented by people in whom no defined somatic disease has been established. If certain criteria are met, chronic fatigue syndrome can be diagnosed. The 4-item Abbreviated Fatigue Questionnaire allows the extent of the experienced fatigue to be assessed with a high degree of reliability and validity. Physiological fatigue has been well defined and originates in both the peripheral and central nervous system. The condition can be assessed by combining force and surface-EMG measurements (including frequency analyses and muscle-fibre conduction estimations), twitch interpolation, magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex and analysis of changes in the readiness potential. Fatigue is a well-known phenomenon in both central and peripheral neurological disorders. Examples of the former conditions are multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke. Although it seems to be a universal symptom of many brain disorders, the unique characteristics of the concomitant fatigue also point to a specific relationship with several of these syndromes. As regards neuromuscular disorders, fatigue has been reported in patients with post-polio syndrome, myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy and hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type-I. More than 60% of all neuromuscular patients suffer from severe fatigue, a prevalence resembling that of patients with MS. Except for several rare myopathies with specific metabolic derangements leading to exercise-induced muscle fatigue, most studies have not identified a prominent peripheral cause for the fatigue in this population. In contrast, the central activation of the diseased neuromuscular system is generally found to be suboptimal. The

  15. Assessment of muscle fatigue during biking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knaflitz, Marco; Molinari, Filippo

    2003-03-01

    a double threshold statistical detector to identify the time intervals during which the observed muscles were active. This demonstrated that the subjective feeling of fatigue each subject reported during the exercise did not cause a change of the activation strategy of the observed muscles. It is concluded that the experimental protocol herein described and the signal processing procedures adopted are appropriate for monitoring different effects of muscle fatigue during biking. Moreover, data obtained from our sample population can be considered as a reference for studying the manifestations of muscle fatigue in pathological subjects asked to follow a similar experimental protocol.

  16. Finite element modelling for fatigue stress analysis of large suspension bridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Tommy H. T.; Guo, L.; Li, Z. X.

    2003-03-01

    Fatigue is an important failure mode for large suspension bridges under traffic loadings. However, large suspension bridges have so many attributes that it is difficult to analyze their fatigue damage using experimental measurement methods. Numerical simulation is a feasible method of studying such fatigue damage. In British standards, the finite element method is recommended as a rigorous method for steel bridge fatigue analysis. This paper aims at developing a finite element (FE) model of a large suspension steel bridge for fatigue stress analysis. As a case study, a FE model of the Tsing Ma Bridge is presented. The verification of the model is carried out with the help of the measured bridge modal characteristics and the online data measured by the structural health monitoring system installed on the bridge. The results show that the constructed FE model is efficient for bridge dynamic analysis. Global structural analyses using the developed FE model are presented to determine the components of the nominal stress generated by railway loadings and some typical highway loadings. The critical locations in the bridge main span are also identified with the numerical results of the global FE stress analysis. Local stress analysis of a typical weld connection is carried out to obtain the hot-spot stresses in the region. These results provide a basis for evaluating fatigue damage and predicting the remaining life of the bridge.

  17. Effects of the curing pressure on the torsional fatigue characteristics of adhesively bonded joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Hui Yun; Kim, Byung Jung; Lee, Dai Gil

    2004-01-01

    Adhesive joints have been widely used for fastening thin adherends because they can distribute the load over a larger area than mechanical joints, require no hole, add very little weight to the structure and have superior fatigue resistance. However, the fatigue characteristics of adhesive joints are much affected by applied pressure during curing operation because actual curing temperature is changed by applied pressure and the adhesion characteristics of adhesives are very sensitive to manufacturing conditions. In this study, cure monitoring and torsional fatigue tests of adhesive joints with an epoxy adhesive were performed in order to investigate the effects of the applied pressure during curing operation. From the experiments, it was found that the actual curing temperature increased as the applied pressure increased, which increased residual thermal stress in the adhesive layer. Therefore, the fatigue life decreased as the applied pressure increased because the mean stress during fatigue tests increased due to the residual thermal stress

  18. Comparison on driving fatigue related hemodynamics activated by auditory and visual stimulus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Zishan; Gao, Yuan; Li, Ting

    2018-02-01

    As one of the main causes of traffic accidents, driving fatigue deserves researchers' attention and its detection and monitoring during long-term driving require a new technique to realize. Since functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be applied to detect cerebral hemodynamic responses, we can promisingly expect its application in fatigue level detection. Here, we performed three different kinds of experiments on a driver and recorded his cerebral hemodynamic responses when driving for long hours utilizing our device based on fNIRS. Each experiment lasted for 7 hours and one of the three specific experimental tests, detecting the driver's response to sounds, traffic lights and direction signs respectively, was done every hour. The results showed that visual stimulus was easier to cause fatigue compared with auditory stimulus and visual stimulus induced by traffic lights scenes was easier to cause fatigue compared with visual stimulus induced by direction signs in the first few hours. We also found that fatigue related hemodynamics caused by auditory stimulus increased fastest, then traffic lights scenes, and direction signs scenes slowest. Our study successfully compared audio, visual color, and visual character stimulus in sensitivity to cause driving fatigue, which is meaningful for driving safety management.

  19. The Nature of Self-Regulatory Fatigue and "Ego Depletion": Lessons From Physical Fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Daniel R; Boggero, Ian A; Segerstrom, Suzanne C

    2015-07-30

    Self-regulation requires overriding a dominant response and leads to temporary self-regulatory fatigue. Existing theories of the nature and causes of self-regulatory fatigue highlight physiological substrates such as glucose, or psychological processes such as motivation, but these explanations are incomplete on their own. Historically, theories of physical fatigue demonstrate a similar pattern of useful but incomplete explanations, as recent views of physical fatigue emphasize the roles of both physiological and psychological factors. In addition to accounting for multiple inputs, these newer views also explain how fatigue can occur even in the presence of sufficient resources. Examining these newer theories of physical fatigue can serve as a foundation on which to build a more comprehensive understanding of self-regulatory fatigue that integrates possible neurobiological underpinnings of physical and self-regulatory fatigue, and suggests the possible function of self-regulatory fatigue. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  20. Experimental verification of different parameters influencing the fatigue S/N-curve

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roos, E.; Maile, K.; Herter, K.-H.; Schuler, X.

    2005-01-01

    For the construction, design and operation of nuclear components the appropriate technical codes and standards provide detailed stress analysis procedures, material data and a design philosophy which guarantees a reliable behavior throughout the specified lifetime. Especially for cyclic stress evaluation the different codes and standards provide different fatigue analyses procedures to be performed considering the various (specified or measured) loading histories which are of mechanical and/or thermal origin and the geometric complexities of the components. In order to fully understand the background of the fatigue analysis included in the codes and standards as well as of the fatigue design curves used as a limiting criteria (to determine the fatigue life usage factor), it is important to understand the history, background as well as the methodologies which are important for the design engineers to get reliable results. The design rules according to the technical codes and standards provide for explicit consideration of cyclic operation, using design fatigue curves of allowable alternating loads (allowable stress or strain amplitudes) vs. number of loading cycles (S/N-curves), specific rules for assessing the cumulative fatigue damage (cumulative fatigue life usage factor) caused by different specified or monitored load cycles. The influence of different factors like welds, environment, surface finish, temperature, mean stress and size must be taken into consideration. In the paper parameters influencing the S/N-curves used within a fatigue analysis, like different type of material, the surface finish, the temperature, the difference between unwelded and welded areas, the strain rate as well as the influences of notches are verified on the basis of experimental results obtained by specimens testing in the LCF regime for high strain amplitudes. Thus safety margins relevant for the assessment of fatigue life depending on the different influencing parameters are

  1. Boiling water reactor life extension monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stancavage, P.

    1991-01-01

    In 1991 the average age of GE-supplied Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) reached 15 years. The distribution of BWR ages range from three years to 31 years. Several of these plants have active life extension programmes, the most notable of which is the Monticello plant in Minnesota which is the leading BWR plant for license renewal in the United States. The reactor pressure vessel and its internals form the heart of the boiling water reactor (BWR) power plant. Monitoring the condition of the vessel as it operates provides a continuous report on the structural integrity of the vessel and internals. Monitors for fatigue, stress corrosion and neutron effects can confirm safety margins and predict residual life. Every BWR already incorporates facilities to track the key aging mechanisms of fatigue, stress corrosion and neutron embrittlement. Fatigue is measured by counting the cycles experienced by the pressure vessel. Stress corrosion is gauged by periodic measurements of primary water conductivity and neutron embrittlement is tracked by testing surveillance samples. The drawbacks of these historical procedures are that they are time consuming, they lag the current operation, and they give no overall picture of structural integrity. GE has developed an integrated vessel fitness monitoring system to fill the gaps in the historical, piecemetal monitoring of the BWR vessel and internals and to support plant life extension. (author)

  2. Fatigue Perceived by Multiple Sclerosis Patients Is Associated With Muscle Fatigue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steens, Anneke; de Vries, Astrid; Hemmen, Jolien; Heersema, Thea; Heerings, Marco; Maurits, Natasha; Zijdewind, Inge

    Background. Fatigue is a debilitating symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous studies showed no association between fatigue as perceived by the patient and physiological measures of fatigability. Objective. The authors investigated associations between perceived fatigue and measures of

  3. Cumulative fatigue and creep-fatigue damage at 3500C on recrystallized zircaloy 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brun, G.; Pelchat, J.; Floze, J.C.; Galimberti, M.

    1985-06-01

    An experimental programme undertaken by C.E.A., E.D.F. and FRAGEMA with the aim of characterizing the fatigue and creep fatigue behaviour of zircaloy-4 following annealing treatments (recrystallized, stress-delived) is in progress. The results given below concern only recrystallized material. Cyclic properties, low-cycle fatigue curves and creep behaviour laws under stresses have been established. Sequential tests of pure fatigue and creep-fatigue were performed. The cumulative life fractions at fracture depend on the sequence of leading, stress history and number of cycles of prestressing. The MINER's rule appears to be conservative with regard to a low-high loading sequence whereas it is not for the reverse high-low loading sequences. Fatigue and creep damage are not interchangeable. Pre-creep improves the fatigue resistance. Pre-fatigue improves the creep strength as long as the beneficial effect of cyclic hardening overcomes the damaging effect of surface cracking. The introduction of a tension hold time into the fatigue cycle slightly increases cyclic hardening and reduces the number of cycles to failure. For hold times of less than one hour, the sum of fatigue and creep life fractions is closed to one

  4. Fatigue and creep-fatigue in sodium of 316 L stainless-steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ardellier, A.

    1981-03-01

    The present paper describes test-facility developed to perform low-cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction in sodium on stainless steel - 316 L . Fatigue life in sodium and in air are compared. A beneficial effect in sodium is noted

  5. A Wireless sEMG Recording System and Its Application to Muscle Fatigue Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Kang-Ming; Liu, Shin-Hong; Wu, Xuan-Han

    2012-01-01

    Surface electromyography (sEMG) is an important measurement for monitoring exercise and fitness. Because if its high sampling frequency requirement, wireless transmission of sEMG data is a challenge. In this article a wireless sEMG measurement system with a sampling frequency of 2 KHz is developed based upon a MSP 430 microcontroller and Bluetooth transmission. Standard isotonic and isometric muscle contraction are clearly represented in the receiving user interface. Muscle fatigue detection is an important application of sEMG. Traditional muscle fatigue is detected from the median frequency of the sEMG power spectrum. The regression slope of the linear regression of median frequency is an important muscle fatigue index. A more negative slope value represents a higher muscle fatigue condition. To test the system performance, muscle fatigue detection was examined by having subjects run on a pedaled-multifunctional elliptical trainer for approximately 30 minutes at three loading levels. Ten subjects underwent a total of 60 exercise sessions to provide the experimental data. Results showed that the regression slope gradually decreases as expected, and there is a significant gender difference. PMID:22368481

  6. C-terminal agrin fragment is inversely related to neuromuscular fatigue in older men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stout, Jeffrey R; Fragala, Maren S; Hoffman, Jay R; Robinson, Edward H; Mccormack, William P; Townsend, Jeremy R; Jatjner, Adam R; Emerson, Nadia S; Oliveira, Leonardo P; Fukuda, David H

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between serum C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) concentrations and neuromuscular fatigue in older adults. Twenty-two healthy older men and women volunteered for this study. Resting fasted blood samples were collected and prepared for measurement of serum CAF concentration by a commercially available ELISA kit. The onset of neuromuscular fatigue was measured by monitoring electromyographic fatigue curves from the vastus lateralis muscle using the physical working capacity at fatigue threshold (PWCFT ) test. A significant inverse correlation for men was observed between CAF and PWCFT (r = -0.602; P = 0.05), but not for women (r = 0.208; P = 0.54). After controlling for age and body mass index, significant correlations (r = -0.69; P = 0.042) remained for men, but not for women (r = 0.12; P = 0.76). These data suggest that serum CAF concentrations were significantly related to the onset of neuromuscular fatigue independent of age and BMI in men only. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Taltirelin alleviates fatigue-like behavior in mouse models of cancer-related fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dougherty, John P; Wolff, Brian S; Cullen, Mary J; Saligan, Leorey N; Gershengorn, Marvin C

    2017-10-01

    Fatigue affects most cancer patients and has numerous potential causes, including cancer itself and cancer treatment. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is not relieved by rest, can decrease quality of life, and has no FDA-approved therapy. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has been proposed as a potential novel treatment for CRF, but its efficacy against CRF remains largely untested. Thus, we tested the TRH analog, taltirelin (TAL), in mouse models of CRF. To model fatigue, we used a mouse model of chemotherapy, a mouse model of radiation therapy, and mice bearing colon 26 carcinoma tumors. We used the treadmill fatigue test to assess fatigue-like behavior after treatment with TAL. Additionally, we used wild-type and TRH receptor knockout mice to determine which TRH receptor was necessary for the actions of TAL. Tumor-bearing mice displayed muscle wasting and all models caused fatigue-like behavior, with mice running a shorter distance in the treadmill fatigue test than controls. TAL reversed fatigue-like behavior in all three models and the mouse TRH 1 receptor was necessary for the effects of TAL. These data suggest that TAL may be useful in alleviating fatigue in all cancer patients and provide further support for evaluating TAL as a potential therapy for CRF in humans. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. CFD-FEM coupling for accurate prediction of thermal fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hannink, M.H.C.; Kuczaj, A.K.; Blom, F.J.; Church, J.M.; Komen, E.M.J.

    2009-01-01

    Thermal fatigue is a safety related issue in primary pipework systems of nuclear power plants. Life extension of current reactors and the design of a next generation of new reactors lead to growing importance of research in this direction. The thermal fatigue degradation mechanism is induced by temperature fluctuations in a fluid, which arise from mixing of hot and cold flows. Accompanied physical phenomena include thermal stratification, thermal striping, and turbulence [1]. Current plant instrumentation systems allow monitoring of possible causes as stratification and temperature gradients at fatigue susceptible locations [1]. However, high-cycle temperature fluctuations associated with turbulent mixing cannot be adequately detected by common thermocouple instrumentations. For a proper evaluation of thermal fatigue, therefore, numerical simulations are necessary that couple instantaneous fluid and solid interactions. In this work, a strategy for the numerical prediction of thermal fatigue is presented. The approach couples Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Finite Element Method (FEM). For the development of the computational approach, a classical test case for the investigation of thermal fatigue problems is studied, i.e. mixing in a T-junction. Due to turbulent mixing of hot and cold fluids in two perpendicularly connected pipes, temperature fluctuations arise in the mixing zone downstream in the flow. Subsequently, these temperature fluctuations are also induced in the pipes. The stresses that arise due to the fluctuations may eventually lead to thermal fatigue. In the first step of the applied procedure, the temperature fluctuations in both fluid and structure are calculated using the CFD method. Subsequently, the temperature fluctuations in the structure are imposed as thermal loads in a FEM model of the pipes. A mechanical analysis is then performed to determine the thermal stresses, which are used to predict the fatigue lifetime of the structure

  9. Fatigue status assessment for reactor pressure vessel based on actual operational transient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Guangqiang; Liao Changbin; Dai Bing; Gui Chun

    2013-01-01

    Background: Fatigue is an important aging mechanism in RPV and it must be contained to aging management working range. Purpose: In order to ensure the safety operation of nuclear power plants, as extension of RPV service time, it is necessary to assess the fatigue damage caused by actual operation transient. Methods: Based on monitoring data of actual operation during the past eleven years, refer to design transient, the statistic analysis for types and occurrence times of actual transient is carried out, at the same time, every transients are combined as different operation cycles and the temperature field and stress field of typical components are analyzed by FEM. Results: Based on these information, fatigue analysis and assessment are finished, if later-actual transients are similar with the previous transients, the calculation result shows that the ratio between maximum of cumulative usage factors and design calculation value is 0.4967 the design transients is conservative. Conclusions: Fatigue status of RPV could be assessed and traced quickly through fatigue status assessment method in this paper based on actual operational transient and assessment result would be a good reference for RPV aging management. (authors)

  10. Modelling fatigue and the use of fatigue models in work settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Drew; Ian Noy, Y; Härmä, Mikko; Akerstedt, Torbjorn; Belenky, Gregory

    2011-03-01

    In recent years, theoretical models of the sleep and circadian system developed in laboratory settings have been adapted to predict fatigue and, by inference, performance. This is typically done using the timing of prior sleep and waking or working hours as the primary input and the time course of the predicted variables as the primary output. The aim of these models is to provide employers, unions and regulators with quantitative information on the likely average level of fatigue, or risk, associated with a given pattern of work and sleep with the goal of better managing the risk of fatigue-related errors and accidents/incidents. The first part of this review summarises the variables known to influence workplace fatigue and draws attention to the considerable variability attributable to individual and task variables not included in current models. The second part reviews the current fatigue models described in the scientific and technical literature and classifies them according to whether they predict fatigue directly by using the timing of prior sleep and wake (one-step models) or indirectly by using work schedules to infer an average sleep-wake pattern that is then used to predict fatigue (two-step models). The third part of the review looks at the current use of fatigue models in field settings by organizations and regulators. Given their limitations it is suggested that the current generation of models may be appropriate for use as one element in a fatigue risk management system. The final section of the review looks at the future of these models and recommends a standardised approach for their use as an element of the 'defenses-in-depth' approach to fatigue risk management. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The nature of self-regulatory fatigue and “ego depletion”: Lessons from physical fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Daniel R.; Boggero, Ian A.; Segerstrom, Suzanne C.

    2016-01-01

    Self-regulation requires overriding a dominant response, and leads to temporary self-regulatory fatigue. Existing theories of the nature and causes of self-regulatory fatigue highlight physiological substrates such as glucose or psychological processes such as motivation, but these explanations are incomplete on their own. Historically, theories of physical fatigue demonstrate a similar pattern of useful but incomplete explanations, as recent views of physical fatigue emphasize the roles of both physiological and psychological factors. In addition to accounting for multiple inputs, these newer views also explain how fatigue can occur even in the presence of sufficient resources. Examining these newer theories of physical fatigue can serve as a foundation on which to build a more comprehensive understanding of self-regulatory fatigue that integrates possible neurobiological underpinnings of physical and self-regulatory fatigue, and suggests the possible function of self-regulatory fatigue. PMID:26228914

  12. Crack monitoring method based on Cu coating sensor and electrical potential technique for metal structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hou Bo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Advanced crack monitoring technique is the cornerstone of aircraft structural health monitoring. To achieve real-time crack monitoring of aircraft metal structures in the course of service, a new crack monitoring method is proposed based on Cu coating sensor and electrical potential difference principle. Firstly, insulation treatment process was used to prepare a dielectric layer on structural substrate, such as an anodizing layer on 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy substrate, and then a Cu coating crack monitoring sensor was deposited on the structure fatigue critical parts by pulsed bias arc ion plating technology. Secondly, the damage consistency of the Cu coating sensor and 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy substrate was investigated by static tensile experiment and fatigue test. The results show that strain values of the coating sensor and the 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy substrate measured by strain gauges are highly coincident in static tensile experiment and the sensor has excellent fatigue damage consistency with the substrate. Thirdly, the fatigue performance discrepancy between samples with the coating sensor and original samples was investigated. The result shows that there is no obvious negative influence on the fatigue performance of the 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy after preparing the Cu coating sensor on its surface. Finally, crack monitoring experiment was carried out with the Cu coating sensor. The experimental results indicate that the sensor is sensitive to crack, and crack origination and propagation can be monitored effectively through analyzing the change of electrical potential values of the coating sensor.

  13. The concept of fatigue fracture toughness in fatigue delamination growth behavior

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yao, L.; Alderliesten, R.C.; Benedictus, R.

    2015-01-01

    This paper provides a study on mode I fatigue delamination growth in composite laminates using energy principles. Experimental data has been obtained from fatigue tests conducted on Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens at various stress ratios. A concept of fatigue fracture toughness is proposed

  14. Experiences of Fatigue at Sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Zhiwei; Jepsen, Jørgen Riis; Chen, Zhonglong

    2016-01-01

    Fatigue has negative impacts on the general working population as well as on seafarers. In order to study seafarers’ fatigue, a questionnaire-base survey was conducted to gain information about potential risk factors for fatigue and construct indexes indicating fatigue. The study applies T-test t......-test to compare strata of seafarers to analyse work and sleep patterns in global seafaring. Qualitative analysis are also employed to explore the impacts of fatigue on seafarer’s occupational health and safety.......Fatigue has negative impacts on the general working population as well as on seafarers. In order to study seafarers’ fatigue, a questionnaire-base survey was conducted to gain information about potential risk factors for fatigue and construct indexes indicating fatigue. The study applies T...

  15. Adrenal Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Search Featured Resource New Mobile App DOWNLOAD Adrenal Fatigue October 2017 Download PDFs English Editors Irina Bancos, MD Additional Resources Mayo Clinic What is adrenal fatigue? The term “adrenal fatigue” has been used to ...

  16. Neuromuscular fatigue during exercise: Methodological considerations, etiology and potential role in chronic fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twomey, Rosie; Aboodarda, Saied Jalal; Kruger, Renata; Culos-Reed, Susan Nicole; Temesi, John; Millet, Guillaume Y

    2017-04-01

    The term fatigue is used to describe a distressing and persistent symptom of physical and/or mental tiredness in certain clinical populations, with distinct but ultimately complex, multifactorial and heterogenous pathophysiology. Chronic fatigue impacts on quality of life, reduces the capacity to perform activities of daily living, and is typically measured using subjective self-report tools. Fatigue also refers to an acute reduction in the ability to produce maximal force or power due to exercise. The classical measurement of exercise-induced fatigue involves neuromuscular assessments before and after a fatiguing task. The limitations and alternatives to this approach are reviewed in this paper in relation to the lower limb and whole-body exercise, given the functional relevance to locomotion, rehabilitation and activities of daily living. It is suggested that under some circumstances, alterations in the central and/or peripheral mechanisms of fatigue during exercise may be related to the sensations of chronic fatigue. As such, the neurophysiological correlates of exercise-induced fatigue are briefly examined in two clinical examples where chronic fatigue is common: cancer survivors and people with multiple sclerosis. This review highlights the relationship between objective measures of fatigability with whole-body exercise and perceptions of fatigue as a priority for future research, given the importance of exercise in relieving symptoms of chronic fatigue and/or overall disease management. As chronic fatigue is likely to be specific to the individual and unlikely to be due to a simple biological or psychosocial explanation, tailored exercise programmes are a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Optimal Fatigue Testing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faber, Michael Havbro; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Kroon, I. B.

    1993-01-01

    life experiments for the same purpose. The methodology is basedon modern probabilistic concepts amd classical decision theory. The special case where the fatigue life experiments are given in terms of SN curves is considered in Particular. The proposed techniques are illustrated by an example.......This paper considers the reassessment of the reliability of tubular joints subjected to fatigue load. The reassessment is considered in two parts namely the task of utilizing new experimental data on fatigue life to update the reliability of the tubular joint ant the task of planning new fatigue...

  18. Fatigue-Arrestor Bolts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onstott, Joseph W.; Gilster, Mark; Rodriguez, Sergio; Larson, John E.; Wickham, Mark D.; Schoonover, Kevin E.

    1995-01-01

    Bolts that arrest (or, more precisely, retard) onset of fatigue cracking caused by inelastic strains developed. Specifically developed to be installed in flange holes of unrestrained rocket engine nozzle. Fanges sometimes used to bolt nozzle to test stand; however, when rocket engine operated without this restraint, region around bolt holes experience severe inelastic strains causing fatigue cracking. Interference fits introduce compressive preloads that retard fatigue by reducing ranges of strains. Principle of these fatigue-arrestor bolts also applicable to holes in plates made of other materials and/or used for different purposes.

  19. Measurement of fatigue crack growth rate of reactor structural material in air based on DCPD method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Donghai; Chen Kai; Yu Lun; Zhang Lefu; Shi Xiuqiang; Xu Xuelian

    2014-01-01

    The principles and details of direct current potential drop (DCPD) in monitoring the crack growth of reactor structural materials was introduced in this paper. Based on this method, the fatigue crack growth rate (CGR) of typical structural materials in nuclear power systems was measured. The effects of applied load, load ratio and loading frequency on the fatigue crack growth rate of reactor structural materials were discussed. The result shows that the fatigue crack growth rate of reactor structural materials depends on the hardness of materials, and the harder the material is, the higher the rate of crack growth is. (authors)

  20. Evaluation of fatigue cracks using nonlinearities of acousto-ultrasonic waves acquired by an active sensor network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Chao; Hong, Ming; Su, Zhongqing; Wang, Qiang; Cheng, Li

    2013-01-01

    There has been increasing interest in using the nonlinear features of acousto-ultrasonic (AU) waves to detect damage onset (e.g., micro-fatigue cracks) due to their high sensitivity to damage with small dimensions. However, most existing approaches are able to infer the existence of fatigue damage qualitatively, but fail to further ascertain its location and severity. A damage characterization approach, in conjunction with the use of an active piezoelectric sensor network, was established, capable of evaluating fatigue cracks in a quantitative manner (including the co-presence of multiple fatigue cracks, and their individual locations and severities). Fundamental investigations, using both experiment and enhanced finite element analysis dedicated to the simulation of nonlinear AU waves, were carried out to link the accumulation of nonlinearities extracted from high-order AU waves to the characteristic parameters of a fatigue crack. A probability-based diagnostic imaging algorithm was developed, facilitating an intuitive presentation of identification results in images. The approach was verified experimentally by evaluating multi-fatigue cracks near rivet holes of a fatigued aluminum plate, showing satisfactory precision in characterizing real, barely visible fatigue cracks. Compared with existing methods, this approach innovatively (i) uses permanently integrated active sensor networks, conducive to automatic and online health monitoring; (ii) characterizes fatigue cracks at a quantitative level; (iii) allows detection of multiple fatigue cracks; and (iv) visualizes identification results in intuitive images. (paper)

  1. Multifrequency Eddy Current Inspection of Corrosion in Clad Aluminum Riveted Lap Joints and Its Effect on Fatigue Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okafor, A. C.; Natarajan, S.

    2007-03-01

    Aging aircraft are prone to corrosion damage and fatigue cracks in riveted lap joints of fuselage skin panels. This can cause catastrophic failure if not detected and repaired. Hence detection of corrosion damage and monitoring its effect on structural integrity are essential. This paper presents multifrequency eddy current (EC) inspection of corrosion damage and machined material loss defect in clad A1 2024-T3 riveted lap joints and its effect on fatigue life. Results of eddy current inspection, corrosion product removal and fatigue testing are presented.

  2. Multifrequency Eddy Current Inspection of Corrosion in Clad Aluminum Riveted Lap Joints and Its Effect on Fatigue Life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okafor, A. C.; Natarajan, S.

    2007-01-01

    Aging aircraft are prone to corrosion damage and fatigue cracks in riveted lap joints of fuselage skin panels. This can cause catastrophic failure if not detected and repaired. Hence detection of corrosion damage and monitoring its effect on structural integrity are essential. This paper presents multifrequency eddy current (EC) inspection of corrosion damage and machined material loss defect in clad A1 2024-T3 riveted lap joints and its effect on fatigue life. Results of eddy current inspection, corrosion product removal and fatigue testing are presented

  3. Acoustic Emission for on-line reactor pressure boundary monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1985-01-01

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

  4. Application of a unified fatigue modelling to some thermomechanical fatigue problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang, K. van; Maitournam, H.; Moumni, Z.

    2005-01-01

    Fatigue under thermomechanical loadings is an important topic for nuclear industries. For instance, thermal fatigue cracking is observed in the mixing zones of the nuclear reactor. Classical computations using existing methods based on strain amplitude or fracture mechanics are not sufficiently predictive. In this paper an alternative approach is proposed based on a multiscale modelling thanks to shakedown hypothesis. Examples of predictive results are presented. Finally an application to the RHR problem is discussed. Main ideas of the fatigue modelling: Following an idea of Professor D. Drucker who wrote in 1963 'when applied to the microstructure there is a hope that the concept of endurance limit and shakedown are related, and that fatigue failure can be related to energy dissipated in idealized material when shakedown does not occur.' we have developed a theory of fatigue based on this concept which is different from classical fatigue approaches. Many predictive applications have been already done particularly for the automotive industry. Fatigue resistance of structures undergoing thermomechanical loadings in the high cycle regime as well as in the low cycle regime are calculated using this modelling. However, this fatigue theory is until now rarely used in nuclear engineering. After recalling the main points of the theory, we shall present some relevant applications which were done in different industrial sectors. We shall apply this modelling to the prediction of thermal cracking observed in the mixing zones of RHR. (authors)

  5. Moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mikyung; Kim, Jung-Eun; Lee, Hye-Yoon; Kim, Ae-Ran; Park, Hyo-Ju; Kwon, O-Jin; Kim, Eun-Jung; Park, Yeon-Cheol; Seo, Byung-Kwan; Cho, Jung Hyo; Kim, Joo-Hee

    2017-07-05

    Questionnaire C-30 scores, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores between groups. Safety will be assessed by monitoring adverse events at each visit. The results of this study will provide evidence to confirm whether moxibustion can be used as a therapeutic option for treating cancer-related fatigue. Clinical Research Information Service KCT0002170 . Registered 16 December 2016.

  6. Fatigue Reliability and Calibration of Fatigue Design Factors for Offshore Wind Turbines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Márquez-Domínguez

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Consequences of failure of offshore wind turbines (OWTs is in general lower than consequences of failure of, e.g., oil & gas platforms. It is reasonable that lower fatigue design factors can be applied for fatigue design of OWTs when compared to other fixed offshore structures. Calibration of appropriate partial safety factors/Fatigue Design Factors (FDF for steel substructures for OWTs is the scope of this paper. A reliability-based approach is used and a probabilistic model has been developed, where design and limit state equations are established for fatigue failure. The strength and load uncertainties are described by stochastic variables. SN and fracture mechanics approaches are considered for to model the fatigue life. Further, both linear and bi-linear SN-curves are formulated and various approximations are investigated. The acceptable reliability level for fatigue failure of OWTs is discussed and results are presented for calibrated optimal fatigue design factors. Further, the influence of inspections is considered in order to extend and maintain a given target safety level.

  7. Low cycle fatigue and creep fatigue behavior of alloy 617 at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabet, Celine; Carroll, Laura; Wright, Richard

    2013-01-01

    Alloy 617 is the leading candidate material for an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) application of the very high temperature nuclear reactor (VHTR), expected to have an outlet temperature as high as 950 C. Acceptance of Alloy 617 in Section III of the ASME Code for nuclear construction requires a detailed understanding of the creep-fatigue behavior. Initial creep-fatigue work on Alloy 617 suggests a more dominant role of environment with increasing temperature and/or hold times evidenced through changes in creep-fatigue crack growth mechanisms and failure life. Continuous cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue testing of Alloy 617 was conducted at 950 C and 0.3% and 0.6% total strain in air to simulate damage modes expected in a VHTR application. Continuous cycle fatigue specimens exhibited transgranular cracking. Intergranular cracking was observed in the creep-fatigue specimens and the addition of a hold time at peak tensile strain degraded the cycle life. This suggests that creep-fatigue interaction occurs and that the environment may be partially responsible for accelerating failure. (authors)

  8. Analysis of acoustic emission signals of fatigue crack growth and corrosion processes. Investigation of the possibilities for continuous condition monitoring of transport containers by acoustic emission testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wachsmuth, Janne

    2016-01-01

    Fatigue crack growth and active corrosion processes are the main causes of structural failures of transport products like road tankers, railway tank cars and ships. To prevent those failures, preventive, time-based maintenance is performed. However, preventive inspections are costly and include the risk of not detecting a defect, which could lead to a failure within the next service period. An alternative is the idea of continuous monitoring of the whole structure by means of acoustic emission testing (AT). With AT, defects within the material shall be detected and repaired directly after their appearance. Acoustic emission testing is an online non-destructive testing method. Acoustic emission (AE) arises from changes within the material and is transported by elastic waves through the material. If the AE event generates enough energy, the elastic wave propagates to the boundaries of the component, produces a displacement in the picometre scale and can be detected by a piezoelectric sensor. The sensor produces an electrical signal. From this AE signal, AE features such as the maximum amplitude or the frequency can be extracted. Methods of signal analysis are used to investigate the time and frequency dependency of signal groups. The purpose of the signal analysis is to connect the AE signal with the originating AE source. If predefined damage mechanisms are identified, referencing the damage condition of the structure is possible. Acoustic emission from events of the actual crack propagation process can for example lead to the crack growth rate or the stress intensity factor, both specific values from fracture mechanics. A new development in the domain of acoustic emission testing is the pattern recognition of AE signals. Specific features are extracted from the AE signals to assign them to their damage mechanisms. In this thesis the AE signals from the damage mechanisms corrosion and fatigue crack growth are compared and analysed. The damage mechanisms were

  9. Random non-proportional fatigue tests with planar tri-axial fatigue testing machine

    OpenAIRE

    Inoue, T.; Nagao, R.; Takeda, N.

    2016-01-01

    Complex stresses, which occur on the mechanical surfaces of transport machinery in service, bring a drastic degradation in fatigue life. However, it is hard to reproduce such complex stress states for evaluating the fatigue life with conventional multiaxial fatigue machines. We have developed a fatigue testing machine that enables reproduction of such complex stresses. The testing machine can reproduce arbitrary in-plane stress states by applying three independent loads to the test specimen u...

  10. Vivência de mulheres que se submeteram à gastroplastia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glenda Agra

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A gastroplastia reduz as co-morbidades e melhora a qualidade de vida, resgatando a auto-estima e inclusão social doobeso mórbido. O estudo teve como objetivo investigar a vivência de mulheres que se submeteram à gastroplastia, apartir de seus discursos. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório com abordagem qualitativa, do qual participaram 16pacientes mulheres que se submeteram à cirurgia bariátrica. Os dados foram coletados nos meses de junho a julho de2007, por meio da técnica de entrevista semi-estruturada, com a utilização do sistema de gravação, as quais foramanalisadas qualitativamente, à luz da técnica do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. Emergiram as seguintes idéias centrais:elevação da auto-estima e bem-estar psicológico; promoção de bem-estar físico; mudança negativa no pós-operatórioimediato e mediato; mudança positiva após a fase de adaptação; possibilidade de maior socialização; satisfaçãofamiliar e pessoal enquanto mulher e maior disposição, segurança e melhor estado de humor. Conclui-se, portanto,que, a gastroplastia é um tratamento cirúrgico para obesos mórbidos, que remete à perda ponderal, melhora a autoestima,mas que traz conseqüências negativas. Daí a importância do cuidar destas pacientes desde a decisão de sesubmeter à cirurgia até a total reabilitação.

  11. A survey of the prevalence of fatigue, its precursors and individual coping mechanisms among U.S. manufacturing workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lin; Megahed, Fadel M; Sesek, Richard F; Cavuoto, Lora A

    2017-11-01

    Advanced manufacturing has resulted in significant changes on the shop-floor, influencing work demands and the working environment. The corresponding safety-related effects, including fatigue, have not been captured on an industry-wide scale. This paper presents results of a survey of U.S. manufacturing workers for the: prevalence of fatigue, its root causes and significant factors, and adopted individual fatigue coping methods. The responses from 451 manufacturing employees were analyzed using descriptive data analysis, bivariate analysis and Market Basket Analysis. 57.9% of respondents indicated that they were somewhat fatigued during the past week. They reported the ankles/feet, lower back and eyes were frequently affected body parts and a lack of sleep, work stress and shift schedule were top selected root causes for fatigue. In order to respond to fatigue when it is present, respondents reported coping by drinking caffeinated drinks, stretching/doing exercises and talking with coworkers. Frequent combinations of fatigue causes and individual coping methods were identified. These results may inform the design of fatigue monitoring and mitigation strategies and future research related to fatigue development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Fracture resistance and fatigue crack growth characteristics of two Al-Cu-Mg-Zr alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Bhaskar; Lisagor, W. B.

    1992-01-01

    The dependence of strength, fracture resistance, and fatigue crack growth rate on the aging conditions of two alloy compositions based on Al-3.7Cu-1.85Mg-0.2Mn is investigated. Mechanical properties were evaluated in two heat treatment conditions and in two orientations (longitudinal and transverse). Compact tension specimens were used to determine fatigue crack growth characteristics and fracture resistance. The aging response was monitored on coupons using hardness measurements determined with a standard Rockwell hardness tester. Fracture resistance is found to increase with increasing yield strength during artificial aging of age-hardenable 2124-Zr alloys processed by powder metallurgy techniques. Fatigue crack growth rate increases with increasing strength. It is argued that these changes are related to deformation modes of the alloys; a homogeneous deformation mode tends to increase fracture resistance and to decrease the resistance to the fatigue crack propagation rate.

  13. Mediators of the effects on fatigue of pragmatic rehabilitation for chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wearden, Alison J; Emsley, Richard

    2013-10-01

    To examine potential mediators of the effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on improvements in fatigue following a randomized controlled trial for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) in primary care (IRCTN 74156610). Patients fulfilled the Oxford criteria for CFS. Ninety-five patients were randomized to pragmatic rehabilitation and 100 to general practitioner (GP) treatment as usual. The outcome was the Chalder fatigue scale score (0123 scoring) at end of treatment (20 weeks) and 1-year follow up (70 weeks). First, the effect of treatment on potential mediators was assessed. Then fatigue was regressed on significant mediators, treatment allocation, and baseline measures of fatigue and significant mediators. Reduction in limiting activities at 20 weeks mediated the positive effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on fatigue at 70 weeks (mediated effect size = -2.64, SE = 0.81, p = .001, proportion of effect mediated = 82.0%). Reduction in catastrophizing at 20 weeks mediated the positive effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on fatigue at 70 weeks (mediated effect size = -1.39, SE = 0.61, p = .023, proportion of effect mediated = 43.2%). Reductions in 70-week measures of fear avoidance, embarrassment avoidance, limiting activities, and all-or-nothing behavior all mediated improvement in fatigue at 70 weeks, although the causal direction of these cross-sectional effects cannot be determined. There were no between-group differences on measures of exercise capacity (a timed step test). Improvements in fatigue following pragmatic rehabilitation are related to changes in behavioral responses to and beliefs about fatigue.

  14. MODELS OF FATIGUE LIFE CURVES IN FATIGUE LIFE CALCULATIONS OF MACHINE ELEMENTS – EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grzegorz SZALA

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In the paper there was attempted to analyse models of fatigue life curves possible to apply in calculations of fatigue life of machine elements. The analysis was limited to fatigue life curves in stress approach enabling cyclic stresses from the range of low cycle fatigue (LCF, high cycle fatigue (HCF, fatigue limit (FL and giga cycle fatigue (GCF appearing in the loading spectrum at the same time. Chosen models of the analysed fatigue live curves will be illustrated with test results of steel and aluminium alloys.

  15. Active-sensing based damage monitoring of airplane wings under low-temperature and continuous loading condition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeon, Jun Young; Jung, Hwee Kwon; Park, Gyu Hae [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Jae Seok; Park, Chan Yik [7th R and D Institute, Agency for Denfense Development, Yuseong (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    As aircrafts are being operated at high altitude, wing structures experience various fatigue loadings under cryogenic environments. As a result, fatigue damage such as a crack could be develop that could eventually lead to a catastrophic failure. For this reason, fatigue damage monitoring is an important process to ensure efficient maintenance and safety of structures. To implement damage detection in real-world flight environments, a special cooling chamber was built. Inside the chamber, the temperature was maintained at the cryogenic temperature, and harmonic fatigue loading was given to a wing structure. In this study, piezoelectric active-sensing based guided waves were used to detect the fatigue damage. In particular, a beam forming technique was applied to efficiently measure the scattering wave caused by the fatigue damage. The system was used for detection, growth monitoring, and localization of a fatigue crack. In addition, a sensor diagnostic process was also applied to ensure the proper operation of piezoelectric sensors. Several experiments were implemented and the results of the experiments demonstrated that this process could efficiently detect damage in such an extreme environment.

  16. Acoustic Emission Detection and Prediction of Fatigue Crack Propagation in Composite Patch Repairs Using Neural Networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okafor, A. Chukwujekwu; Singh, Navdeep; Singh, Navrag

    2007-01-01

    An aircraft is subjected to severe structural and aerodynamic loads during its service life. These loads can cause damage or weakening of the structure especially for aging military and civilian aircraft, thereby affecting its load carrying capabilities. Hence composite patch repairs are increasingly used to repair damaged aircraft metallic structures to restore its structural efficiency. This paper presents the results of Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring of crack propagation in 2024-T3 Clad aluminum panels repaired with adhesively bonded octagonal, single sided boron/epoxy composite patch under tension-tension fatigue loading. Crack propagation gages were used to monitor crack initiation. The identified AE sensor features were used to train neural networks for predicting crack length. The results show that AE events are correlated with crack propagation. AE system was able to detect crack propagation even at high noise condition of 10 Hz loading; that crack propagation signals can be differentiated from matrix cracking signals that take place due to fiber breakage in the composite patch. Three back-propagation cascade feed forward networks were trained to predict crack length based on the number of fatigue cycles, AE event number, and both the Fatigue Cycles and AE events, as inputs respectively. Network using both fatigue cycles and AE event number as inputs to predict crack length gave the best results, followed by Network with fatigue cycles as input, while network with just AE events as input had a greater error

  17. A Wireless sEMG Recording System and Its Application to Muscle Fatigue Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuan-Han Wu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Surface electromyography (sEMG is an important measurement for monitoring exercise and fitness. Because if its high sampling frequency requirement, wireless transmission of sEMG data is a challenge. In this article a wireless sEMG measurement system with a sampling frequency of 2 KHz is developed based upon a MSP 430 microcontroller and Bluetooth transmission. Standard isotonic and isometric muscle contraction are clearly represented in the receiving user interface. Muscle fatigue detection is an important application of sEMG. Traditional muscle fatigue is detected from the median frequency of the sEMG power spectrum. The regression slope of the linear regression of median frequency is an important muscle fatigue index. A more negative slope value represents a higher muscle fatigue condition. To test the system performance, muscle fatigue detection was examined by having subjects run on a pedaled-multifunctional elliptical trainer for approximately 30 minutes at three loading levels. Ten subjects underwent a total of 60 exercise sessions to provide the experimental data. Results showed that the regression slope gradually decreases as expected, and there is a significant gender difference.

  18. Perda e luto: vivências de mulheres que interromperam a gestação por malformação fetal letal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elenice Bertanha Consonni

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available O presente estudo teve por objetivo conhecer as vivências de luto de mulheres que interromperam a gestação sob autorização judicial, devido à malformação fetal incompatível com a vida. Participaram do estudo dez mulheres atendidas no Setor de Medicina Fetal do Hospital das Clínicas de Botucatu. Para coleta dos dados foi realizada entrevista semiestruturada quarenta dias após a interrupção. As entrevistas foram audiogravadas, transcritas na íntegra e tiveram os dados analisados na perspectiva da análise temática de conteúdo. Os resultados revelaram que as mães buscaram explicações e significados para a perda, sendo muito frequentes respostas religiosas e autoculpabilizantes. Os relatos marcaram sentimentos de tristeza, saudade e sensação de vazio pela perda do filho, revelando também a necessidade das mães de manterem-se ligadas a ele. As mães estavam e continuaram vinculadas aos seus filhos e a interrupção da gestação, embora tenha sido uma escolha para minimizar a dor de uma perda inevitável, não as poupou de vivências de grande sofrimento. O estudo traz subsídios para a discussão e planejamento de abordagens e cuidados com a saúde de mulheres que interrompem a gestação por malformação fetal letal, mediante autorização judicial.

  19. Chemotherapy-Induced Fatigue Correlates With Higher Fatigue Scores Before Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, José Klerton Luz; Giglio, Adriana Del; Munhoz, Bruna Antenusse; Fonseca, Fernando Luiz Affonso; Cruz, Felipe Melo; Giglio, Auro Del

    2017-06-01

    Cancer chemotherapy can induce fatigue in about 20% to 30% of patients. So far, there is very little information as to the predictors of chemotherapy-induced fatigue (CIF). We evaluated potential predictors of CIF in a sample of patients with cancer with several types of solid tumors scheduled to receive chemotherapy according to institutional protocols. Before their first and second chemotherapy cycles, patients answered to the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Chalder, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Stress thermometer, and HADS questionnaires as well as provided blood samples for inflammatory markers. We evaluated 52 patients, 37 (71%) were female and mean age was 53 years. The most common tumors were breast cancer 21 (40%) and gastrointestinal tumors 12 (23%). Although 14 (25.2%) patients had an increase in their fatigue BFI scores equal or above 3 points from baseline, we observed no significant overall differences between BFI scores before and after chemotherapy. The only 2 factors associated with an increase of 3 points in the BFI scores after chemotherapy were race and higher baseline BFI levels. By multivariate analysis, overall BFI and Chalder scores after chemotherapy also correlated significantly with their respective baseline scores before treatment. HADS scores before treatment correlated with overall BFI scores postchemotherapy, whereas MNA scores before chemotherapy and female sex correlated with higher Chalder scores after treatment. We conclude that fatigue induced by chemotherapy is common and consistently associated with higher fatigue scores before treatment. Screening for fatigue before chemotherapy may help to identify patients who are prone to develop CIF.

  20. Modafinil May Alleviate Poststroke Fatigue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Mai Bang; Damgaard, Bodil; Zerahn, Bo

    2015-01-01

    was randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled. Patients were treated with 400-mg modafinil or placebo for 90 days. Assessments were done at inclusion, 30, 90, and 180 days. The primary end point was fatigue at 90 days measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 general fatigue domain......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Poststroke fatigue is common and reduces quality of life. Current evidence for intervention is limited, and this is the first placebo-controlled trial to investigate treatment of poststroke fatigue with the wakefulness promoting drug modafinil. METHODS: The trial....... Secondary end points included the Fatigue Severity Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the modified Rankin Scale and the Stroke-specific quality of Life questionnaire. Adult patients with a recent stroke achieving a score of ≥12 on the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 general fatigue domain were...

  1. Optical Structural Health Monitoring Device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckner, Benjamin D.; Markov, Vladimir; Earthman, James C.

    2010-01-01

    This non-destructive, optical fatigue detection and monitoring system relies on a small and unobtrusive light-scattering sensor that is installed on a component at the beginning of its life in order to periodically scan the component in situ. The method involves using a laser beam to scan the surface of the monitored component. The device scans a laser spot over a metal surface to which it is attached. As the laser beam scans the surface, disruptions in the surface cause increases in scattered light intensity. As the disruptions in the surface grow, they will cause the light to scatter more. Over time, the scattering intensities over the scanned line can be compared to detect changes in the metal surface to find cracks, crack precursors, or corrosion. This periodic monitoring of the surface can be used to indicate the degree of fatigue damage on a component and allow one to predict the remaining life and/or incipient mechanical failure of the monitored component. This wireless, compact device can operate for long periods under its own battery power and could one day use harvested power. The prototype device uses the popular open-source TinyOS operating system on an off-the-shelf Mica2 sensor mote, which allows wireless command and control through dynamically reconfigurable multi-node sensor networks. The small size and long life of this device could make it possible for the nodes to be installed and left in place over the course of years, and with wireless communication, data can be extracted from the nodes by operators without physical access to the devices. While a prototype has been demonstrated at the time of this reporting, further work is required in the system s development to take this technology into the field, especially to improve its power management and ruggedness. It should be possible to reduce the size and sensitivity as well. Establishment of better prognostic methods based on these data is also needed. The increase of surface roughness with

  2. The effect of creep cavitation on the fatigue life under creep-fatigue interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nam, S.W.

    1995-01-01

    Low cycle fatigue tests have been carried out with three different materials (1Cr-Mo-V steel, 12Cr-Mo-V steel and 304 stainless steel) for the investigation of the effect of surface roughness on the fatigue life. To see the effect systematically, we have chosen those materials which may or may not form grain boundary cavities.Test results show that the continuous fatigue life of 1Cr-Mo-V steel and aged 304 stainless steel with a rough surface is decreased compared with that of the specimens with a smooth surface. These two alloys are found to have no grain boundary cavities formed under creep-fatigue test conditions. On the contrary, the fatigue life of 12Cr-Mo-V steel and solutionized 304 stainless steel in which grain boundary cavities are formed under creep-fatigue test conditions is not influenced by the states of surface roughness.The characteristic test results strongly confirm that the fatigue life of the specimen under creep-fatigue interaction, during which creep cavities are forming, may be controlled by the cavity nucleation and growth processes rather than the process of surface crack initiation. ((orig.))

  3. Monitoring method for steam generator operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamaoki, Tetsuo

    1991-01-01

    In an LMFBR plant having an once-through steam generator, reduction of life of a heat transfer pipe caused by heat cycle fatigue is monitored by early finding for the occurrence of abnormality in the inside of the steam generator and by continuous monitoring for the position of departure from nucleate boiling (DNB), which are difficult with existent static characteristic analysis codes. That is, RMS values of fluctuations in temperature signals sent from thermocouples for measuring the fluid temperature in the vicinity of heat transfer pipe disposed along a primary channel of the once-through type steam generator. The abnormality in heat transfer performance is monitored by the distribution change of the RMS values. Subsequently, DNB point on the side of water and steam is determined by the distribution of the RMS value. Then, accumulated values of the product between the time in which the starting point stays in the DNB region and a life consumption amount per unit time given in accordance with the operation condition are monitored. Accordingly, thermal fatigue failure of the heat transfer pipe due to temperature fluctuation in the DNB region is monitored. (I.S.)

  4. Predicting fatigue and psychophysiological test performance from speech for safety critical environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khan Richard Baykaner

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Automatic systems for estimating operator fatigue have application in safety-critical environments. A system which could estimate level of fatigue from speech would have application in domains where operators engage in regular verbal communication as part of their duties. Previous studies on the prediction of fatigue from speech have been limited because of their reliance on subjective ratings and because they lack comparison to other methods for assessing fatigue. In this paper we present an analysis of voice recordings and psychophysiological test scores collected from seven aerospace personnel during a training task in which they remained awake for 60 hours. We show that voice features and test scores are affected by both the total time spent awake and the time position within each subject’s circadian cycle. However, we show that time spent awake and time of day information are poor predictors of the test results; while voice features can give good predictions of the psychophysiological test scores and sleep latency. Mean absolute errors of prediction are possible within about 17.5% for sleep latency and 5-12% for test scores. We discuss the implications for the use of voice as a means to monitor the effects of fatigue on cognitive performance in practical applications.

  5. Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louwerens, Marloes; Appelhof, Bente C; Verloop, Herman; Medici, Marco; Peeters, Robin P; Visser, Theo J; Boelen, Anita; Fliers, Eric; Smit, Johannes W A; Dekkers, Olaf M

    2012-12-01

    Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms. Furthermore, the relationship between fatigue and the TSH receptor (TSHR)-Asp727Glu polymorphism, a common genetic variant of the TSHR, was analyzed. A cross-sectional study was performed in 278 patients (140 patients treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and 138 with autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIH)) genotyped for the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism. The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) was used to assess fatigue, with higher MFI-20 scores indicating more fatigue-related complaints. MFI-20 scores were related to disease status and Asp727Glu polymorphism status. AIH patients scored significantly higher than DTC patients on all five MFI-20 subscales (P<0.001), independent of clinical and thyroid hormone parameters. The frequency of the TSHR-Glu727 allele was 7.2%. Heterozygous DTC patients had more favorable MFI-20 scores than wild-type DTC patients on four of five subscales. The modest effect of the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism on fatigue was found in DTC patients only. AIH patients had significantly higher levels of fatigue compared with DTC patients, which could not be attributed to clinical or thyroid hormone parameters. The modest effect of the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism on fatigue in DTC patients should be confirmed in other cohorts.

  6. (InVisibilidade da Vivência Homoparental Feminina: entre Preconceitos e Superações

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Nogueira de Lira

    Full Text Available Resumo Este artigo teve como objetivo investigar a ambiguidade quanto à (invisibilidade das vivências homoparentais femininas no cenário brasileiro: situações em que o preconceito se revela com crueldade; e, por outro lado, situações em que as mulheres superam esta discriminação e assumem as suas orientações afetivo-sexuais, bem como o projeto de ser mãe. Foram entrevistadas quatro mulheres que se assumem como lésbicas e têm filhos e a entrevista aberta foi o instrumento utilizado para colher os dados. A análise de conteúdo das entrevistas evidenciou que as famílias homoparentais chefiadas por lésbicas vivem um momento paradoxal em relação aos direitos humanos da população LGBT. Por um lado, verificam-se diversas expressões de preconceito e violência homofóbica na vida dessas mulheres; mas, por outro, também são relatadas circunstâncias em que as mulheres superaram esta discriminação e assumem as suas orientações afetivo-sexuais, bem como o projeto de ser mãe.

  7. Service life monitoring of the main components at the Temelin nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahn, J.; Vincour, D.

    2007-01-01

    Knowledge and experience gained from the introduction and periodical implementation of life assessment of the major components of the Temelin nuclear power plant is summarized. The initial Soviet technical design of the plant did not incorporate lifetime monitoring and evaluation, therefore it was completed with demonstrative strength and lifetime calculations from Czech companies. Moreover, a Westinghouse primary circuit diagnosis and monitoring system, including the monitoring of temperature and pressure cycles for low-cycle fatigue evaluation, was installed at the plant. The DIALIFE code for the calculation of mainly the low-cycle fatigue of the key pressure components, was developed and installed subsequently as a superstructure to the monitoring system. (author)

  8. Performance Demands in Softball Pitching: A Comprehensive Muscle Fatigue Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corben, Jeffrey S; Cerrone, Sara A; Soviero, Julie E; Kwiecien, Susan Y; Nicholas, Stephen J; McHugh, Malachy P

    2015-08-01

    Monitoring pitch count is standard practice in minor league baseball but not in softball because of the perception that fast-pitch softball pitching is a less stressful motion. To examine muscle fatigue after fast-pitch softball performances to provide an assessment of performance demand. Descriptive laboratory study. Bilateral strength measurements (handheld dynamometer) were made on 19 female softball pitchers (mean age [±SD], 15.2 ± 1.2 years) before and after pitching a game (mean number of pitches, 99 ± 21; mean innings pitched, 5 ± 1). A total of 20 tests were performed on the dominant and nondominant sides: forearm (grip, wrist flexion/extension, pronation/supination, elbow flexion/extension), shoulder (flexion, abduction/adduction, external/internal rotation, empty can test), scapula (middle/lower trapezius, rhomboid), and hip (hip flexion/extension, abduction/adduction). Fatigue (percentage strength loss) was categorized based on bilateral versus unilateral presentation using paired t tests: bilateral symmetric (significant on dominant and nondominant and not different between sides), bilateral asymmetric (significant on dominant and nondominant but significantly greater on dominant), unilateral asymmetric (significant on dominant only and significantly greater than nondominant), or unilateral equivocal (significant on dominant only but not different from nondominant). Bilateral symmetric fatigue was evident for all hip (dominant, 19.3%; nondominant, 15.2%) and scapular tests (dominant, 19.2%; nondominant, 19.3%). In general, shoulder tests exhibited bilateral asymmetric fatigue (dominant, 16.9%; nondominant, 11.6%). Forearm tests were more variable, with bilateral symmetric fatigue in the elbow flexors (dominant, 22.5%; nondominant, 19.2%), and wrist flexors (dominant, 21.6%; nondominant, 19.0%), bilateral asymmetric fatigue in the supinators (dominant, 21.8%; nondominant, 15.5%), unilateral asymmetric fatigue in the elbow extensors (dominant, 22

  9. Comparison of Fatigue Properties and Fatigue Crack Growth Rates of Various Implantable Metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okazaki, Yoshimitsu

    2012-01-01

    The fatigue strength, effects of a notch on the fatigue strength, and fatigue crack growth rate of Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta alloy were compared with those of other implantable metals. Zr, Nb, and Ta are important alloying elements for Ti alloys for attaining superior long-term corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. The highly biocompatible Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta alloy exhibited an excellent balance between strength and ductility. Its notched tensile strength was much higher than that of a smooth specimen. The strength of 20% cold-worked commercially pure (C.P.) grade 4 Ti was close to that of Ti alloy. The tension-to-tension fatigue strength of an annealed Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta rod at 107 cycles was approximately 740 MPa. The fatigue strength of this alloy was much improved by aging treatment after solution treatment. The fatigue strengths of C.P. grade 4 Ti and stainless steel were markedly improved by 20% cold working. The fatigue strength of Co-Cr-Mo alloy was markedly increased by hot forging. The notch fatigue strengths of 20% cold-worked C.P. grade 4 Ti, and annealed and aged Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta, and annealed Ti-6Al-4V alloys were less than those of the smooth specimens. The fatigue crack growth rate of Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta was the same as that of Ti-6Al-4V. The fatigue crack growth rate in 0.9% NaCl was the same as that in air. Stainless steel and Co-Cr-Mo-Ni-Fe alloy had a larger stress-intensity factor range (ΔK) than Ti alloy.

  10. Fatigue Assessment of Nickel-Titanium Peripheral Stents: Comparison of Multi-Axial Fatigue Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allegretti, Dario; Berti, Francesca; Migliavacca, Francesco; Pennati, Giancarlo; Petrini, Lorenza

    2018-02-01

    Peripheral Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) stents exploit super-elasticity to treat femoropopliteal artery atherosclerosis. The stent is subject to cyclic loads, which may lead to fatigue fracture and treatment failure. The complexity of the loading conditions and device geometry, coupled with the nonlinear material behavior, may induce multi-axial and non-proportional deformation. Finite element analysis can assess the fatigue risk, by comparing the device state of stress with the material fatigue limit. The most suitable fatigue model is not fully understood for NiTi devices, due to its complex thermo-mechanical behavior. This paper assesses the fatigue behavior of NiTi stents through computational models and experimental validation. Four different strain-based models are considered: the von Mises criterion and three critical plane models (Fatemi-Socie, Brown-Miller, and Smith-Watson-Topper models). Two stents, made of the same material with different cell geometries are manufactured, and their fatigue behavior is experimentally characterized. The comparison between experimental and numerical results highlights an overestimation of the failure risk by the von Mises criterion. On the contrary, the selected critical plane models, even if based on different damage mechanisms, give a better fatigue life estimation. Further investigations on crack propagation mechanisms of NiTi stents are required to properly select the most reliable fatigue model.

  11. Fatigue Assessment of Nickel-Titanium Peripheral Stents: Comparison of Multi-Axial Fatigue Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allegretti, Dario; Berti, Francesca; Migliavacca, Francesco; Pennati, Giancarlo; Petrini, Lorenza

    2018-03-01

    Peripheral Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) stents exploit super-elasticity to treat femoropopliteal artery atherosclerosis. The stent is subject to cyclic loads, which may lead to fatigue fracture and treatment failure. The complexity of the loading conditions and device geometry, coupled with the nonlinear material behavior, may induce multi-axial and non-proportional deformation. Finite element analysis can assess the fatigue risk, by comparing the device state of stress with the material fatigue limit. The most suitable fatigue model is not fully understood for NiTi devices, due to its complex thermo-mechanical behavior. This paper assesses the fatigue behavior of NiTi stents through computational models and experimental validation. Four different strain-based models are considered: the von Mises criterion and three critical plane models (Fatemi-Socie, Brown-Miller, and Smith-Watson-Topper models). Two stents, made of the same material with different cell geometries are manufactured, and their fatigue behavior is experimentally characterized. The comparison between experimental and numerical results highlights an overestimation of the failure risk by the von Mises criterion. On the contrary, the selected critical plane models, even if based on different damage mechanisms, give a better fatigue life estimation. Further investigations on crack propagation mechanisms of NiTi stents are required to properly select the most reliable fatigue model.

  12. [Epidemiology of fatigue in general practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuhrer, R

    1994-11-01

    The epidemiology of fatigue is not well known in France, and this study reports on factors associated with fatigue in a sample of 3,784 general practice patients. Prevalence rates according to several definitions of fatigue are presented and factors are examined that have been reported to be associated with fatigue. Although 41.2% of the sample report having experienced symptoms of fatigue for at least three days, only 7.6% declare fatigue as a reason for consulting a doctor. Women report more symptoms of fatigue, but they do not consult more often than men for this reason. Age is strongly correlated with fatigue, but this is found only for men. Socioprofessional category bears no relationship to fatigue as a reason for consultation, however, the diagnosis of fatigue is more often attributed to professionals and upper management than it is to office staff or skilled and unskilled workers. We do find a strong relationship between depressive symptomatology as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies (CES-D) and fatigue; nonetheless, fatigue is neither sensitive nor specific to the diagnosis of depression.

  13. Espacialidades tecnológicas e vivências urbanas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Duarte

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Neste ensaio, discutiremos como os meios tecnológicos de comunicação contemporâneos vêm propiciando a construção de novas vivências espaciais. A análise é pautada por quatro das principais manifestações contemporâneas de construção de espacialidades tecnológicas no meio urbano: a inserção de dispositivos de recorte imagético, que visam sobretudo ao controle de determinados fragmentos espaciais, como as câmeras de vigilância; a visão externa, permanente e total, que alimenta um simulacro extremamente codificado do espaço observado, como os mapas georreferenciados de imagens de satélite; a construção de espaços virtuais, com base nos códigos computacionais, que, mesmo ao tomarem a cidade como referência por similaridade imagética, são alheios às suas propriedades constitutivas e organizativas e a infiltração de meios tecnológicos na cidade, formando, mais do que nichos de realidade virtual, portas e pontes onde se expõem a influências múltiplas e constitutivas os ambientes urbanos e os informacionais. Palavras-chave cidade, meios de comunicação, tecnologias de informação, espaços virtuais Abstract In this essay, I propose to discuss how contemporary communication and information technologies can construct new kinds of spatial experiences. The analysis is based on four main types of urban espatialities built upon technological innovations: media inserted in the cities to control the urban life, such as surveillance cameras; maps based on satellite images which intend to show a total representation of reality; the construction of virtual spaces, based on digital codes which, even when they look like the cities, do not share their intrinsic properties; and the infiltration of the city by technological media which, more then spots of virtual reality, transform the urban environment into a hybrid city. Key words cities, media, information technologies, virtual spaces

  14. Strength and fatigue life evaluation of composite laminate with embedded sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathod, Vivek T.; Hiremath, S. R.; Roy Mahapatra, D.

    2014-04-01

    Prognosis regarding durability of composite structures using various Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) techniques is an important and challenging topic of research. Ultrasonic SHM systems with embedded transducers have potential application here due to their instant monitoring capability, compact packaging potential toward unobtrusiveness and noninvasiveness as compared to non-contact ultrasonic and eddy current techniques which require disassembly of the structure. However, embedded sensors pose a risk to the structure by acting as a flaw thereby reducing life. The present paper focuses on the determination of strength and fatigue life of the composite laminate with embedded film sensors like CNT nanocomposite, PVDF thin films and piezoceramic films. First, the techniques of embedding these sensors in composite laminates is described followed by the determination of static strength and fatigue life at coupon level testing in Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Failure mechanisms of the composite laminate with embedded sensors are studied for static and dynamic loading cases. The coupons are monitored for loading and failure using the embedded sensors. A comparison of the performance of these three types of embedded sensors is made to study their suitability in various applications. These three types of embedded sensors cover a wide variety of applications, and prove to be viable in embedded sensor based SHM of composite structures.

  15. EMG Processing Based Measures of Fatigue Assessment during Manual Lifting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. F. Shair

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Manual lifting is one of the common practices used in the industries to transport or move objects to a desired place. Nowadays, even though mechanized equipment is widely available, manual lifting is still considered as an essential way to perform material handling task. Improper lifting strategies may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs, where overexertion contributes as the highest factor. To overcome this problem, electromyography (EMG signal is used to monitor the workers’ muscle condition and to find maximum lifting load, lifting height and number of repetitions that the workers are able to handle before experiencing fatigue to avoid overexertion. Past researchers have introduced several EMG processing techniques and different EMG features that represent fatigue indices in time, frequency, and time-frequency domain. The impact of EMG processing based measures in fatigue assessment during manual lifting are reviewed in this paper. It is believed that this paper will greatly benefit researchers who need a bird’s eye view of the biosignal processing which are currently available, thus determining the best possible techniques for lifting applications.

  16. EMG Processing Based Measures of Fatigue Assessment during Manual Lifting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marhaban, M. H.; Abdullah, A. R.

    2017-01-01

    Manual lifting is one of the common practices used in the industries to transport or move objects to a desired place. Nowadays, even though mechanized equipment is widely available, manual lifting is still considered as an essential way to perform material handling task. Improper lifting strategies may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), where overexertion contributes as the highest factor. To overcome this problem, electromyography (EMG) signal is used to monitor the workers' muscle condition and to find maximum lifting load, lifting height and number of repetitions that the workers are able to handle before experiencing fatigue to avoid overexertion. Past researchers have introduced several EMG processing techniques and different EMG features that represent fatigue indices in time, frequency, and time-frequency domain. The impact of EMG processing based measures in fatigue assessment during manual lifting are reviewed in this paper. It is believed that this paper will greatly benefit researchers who need a bird's eye view of the biosignal processing which are currently available, thus determining the best possible techniques for lifting applications. PMID:28303251

  17. Prolonged unexplained fatigue in paediatrics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, R.J.

    2010-01-01

    Prolonged Unexplained Fatigue in Paediatrics. Fatigue, as the result of mental or physical exertion, will disappear after rest, drinks and food. Fatigue as a symptom of illness will recover with the recovering of the illness. But when fatigue is ongoing for a long time, and not the result of

  18. Assessment of early onset of driver fatigue using multimodal fatigue measures in a static simulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagannath, M; Balasubramanian, Venkatesh

    2014-07-01

    Driver fatigue is an important contributor to road accidents. This paper reports a study that evaluated driver fatigue using multimodal fatigue measures, i.e., surface electromyography (sEMG), electroencephalography (EEG), seat interface pressure, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation level. Twenty male participants volunteered in this study by performing 60 min of driving on a static simulator. Results from sEMG showed significant physical fatiguefatigue. This will help us understand the influence of physical and mental fatigue on driver during monotonous driving. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  19. Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Louwerens, M.; Appelhof, B.C.; Verloop, H.; Medici, M.; Peeters, R.P.; Visser, T.J.; Boelen, A.; Fliers, E.; Smit, J.W.A.; Dekkers, O.M.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related

  20. Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Louwerens, Marloes; Appelhof, Bente C.; Verloop, Herman; Medici, Marco; Peeters, Robin P.; Visser, Theo J.; Boelen, Anita; Fliers, Eric; Smit, Johannes W. A.; Dekkers, Olaf M.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related

  1. Hyperthermia and fatigue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nybo, Lars

    2008-01-01

    The present review addresses mechanisms of importance for hyperthermia-induced fatigue during short intense activities and prolonged exercise in the heat. Inferior performance during physical activities with intensities that elicit maximal oxygen uptake is to a large extent related to perturbation...... of the cardiovascular function, which eventually reduces arterial oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles. Accordingly, aerobic energy turnover is impaired and anaerobic metabolism provokes peripheral fatigue. In contrast, metabolic disturbances of muscle homeostasis are less important during prolonged exercise...... in the heat, because increased oxygen extraction compensates for the reduction in systemic blood flow. The decrease in endurance seems to involve changes in the function of the central nervous system (CNS) that lead to fatigue. The CNS fatigue appears to be influenced by neurotransmitter activity...

  2. Fatigue Experiences Among OCD Outpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasquini, Massimo; Piacentino, Daria; Berardelli, Isabella; Roselli, Valentina; Maraone, Annalisa; Tarsitani, Lorenzo; Biondi, Massimo

    2015-12-01

    Patients with OCD are impaired in multiple domains of functioning and quality of life. While associated psychopathology complaints and neuropsychological deficits were reported, the subjective experience of general fatigue and mental fatigue was scarcely investigated. In this single-center case-control study we compared 50 non-depressed OCD outpatients consecutively recruited and 50 panic disorder (PD) outpatients, to determine whether they experienced fatigue differently. Assessment consisted of structured clinical interview for DSM-IV criteria by using the SCID-I and the SCID-II. Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impressions Scale, severity and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Fatigue was assessed by using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). Regarding MFI physical fatigue, an OR of 0.196 (95 % CI 0.080-0.478) was found, suggesting that its presence is associated with lower odds of OCD compared to PD. The same can be said for MFI mental fatigue, as an OR of 0.138 (95 % CI 0.049-0.326) was found, suggesting that its presence is associated with lower odds of OCD. Notably, OCD patients with OCDP co-morbidity reported higher scores of mental fatigue. In this study fatigue, including mental fatigue, seems not to be a prominent experience among adult non-depressed OCD patients.

  3. Individual Patterns in Blood-Borne Indicators of Fatigue-Trait or Chance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julian, Ross; Meyer, Tim; Fullagar, Hugh H K; Skorski, Sabrina; Pfeiffer, Mark; Kellmann, Michael; Ferrauti, Alexander; Hecksteden, Anne

    2017-03-01

    Julian, R, Meyer, T, Fullagar, HHK, Skorski, S, Pfeiffer, M, Kellmann, M, Ferrauti, A, and Hecksteden, A. Individual patterns in blood-borne indicators of fatigue-trait or chance. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 608-619, 2017-Blood-borne markers of fatigue such as creatine kinase (CK) and urea (U) are widely used to fine-tune training recommendations. However, predictive accuracy is low. A possible explanation for this dissatisfactory characteristic is the propensity of athletes to react to different patterns of fatigue indicators (e.g., predominantly muscular [CK] or metabolic [U]). The aim of the present trial was to explore this hypothesis by using repetitive fatigue-recovery cycles. A total of 22 elite junior swimmers and triathletes (18 ± 3 years) were monitored for 9 weeks throughout 2 training phases (low-intensity, high-volume [LIHV] and high-intensity, low-volume [HILV] phases). Blood samples were collected each Monday (recovered) and Friday (fatigued) morning. From measured values of CK, U, free-testosterone (FT), and cortisol (C) as determined in the rested and fatigued state, respectively, Monday-Friday differences (Δ) were calculated and classified by magnitude before calculation of ratios (ΔCK/ΔU and ΔFT/ΔC). Coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated as group-based estimates of reproducibility. Linear mixed modeling was used to differentiate inter- and intraindividual variability. Consistency of patterns was analyzed by comparing with threshold values (1.1 for all weeks). Reproducibility was very low for fatigue-induced changes (CV ≥ 100%) with interindividual variation accounting for 45-60% of overall variability. Case-wise analysis indicated consistent ΔCK/ΔU patterns for 7 individuals in LIHV and 7 in HILV; 5 responded consistently throughout. For ΔFT/ΔC the number of consistent patterns was 2 in LIHV and 3 in HILV. These findings highlight the potential value of an individualized and multivariate approach in the assessment of fatigue.

  4. Fatigue Crack Topography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    alloys (2). [--I Fig. 6. Fatigue fracture in Nitrile- butadien rubber ( NBR ). Fig. 7. The characteristic features of fatigue fracture in press moulded...in plastics and even in rubber . It follows therefore, that fatigue fractures must also occur in the mineral layers of our earth or in the rock on...effective until the weakest point yields and forms a crack. To get a feeling for this process, you can imagine that the stressed article is made of rubber

  5. O significado e a vivência do abandono familiar para presidiárias = The meaning and the experience of abandonment to family prisoners

    OpenAIRE

    Jesus, Amanda Costa Freitas de; Oliveira, Lannuzya Veríssimo e; Oliveira, Eloide André; Brandão, Gisetti Corina Gomes; Costa, Gabriela Maria Cavalcanti

    2015-01-01

    Objetivo: Compreender o significado e a vivência do abandono familiar para presidiárias. Materiais e Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo descritivo e exploratório realizado em duas penitenciárias femininas da Paraíba, no período de julho a outubro de 2013. Para coleta de dados foram utilizados um questionário sociodemográfico e uma entrevista semiestruturada realizada com 13 presidiárias. Os dados foram analisados conforme técnica da Análise de Conteúdo. Resultados: Duas categorias for...

  6. Vivências académicas dos estudantes do curso de Licenciatura em Enfermagem: contributos para a intervenção comunitária

    OpenAIRE

    Costa, Hugo Manuel Ventura

    2015-01-01

    Dissertação de Mestrado em Enfermagem Comunitária Introdução: O número de estudantes no sistema de ensino superior em Portugal tem aumentado consideravelmente nos últimos anos, refletindo uma progressiva tomada de consciência da importância de se investigar as circunstâncias e os acontecimentos que os estudantes vivenciam e que influenciam o seu percurso académico. Neste contexto, o estudo centrou-se na análise das vivências académicas dos estudantes do curso de licenciatura em enfermagem ...

  7. Fatigue in Residency Education: Understanding the Influence of Work Hours Regulations in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Taryn S; Teunissen, Pim W; Dornan, Tim; Lingard, Lorelei

    2017-12-01

    Although one proposed solution to the problem of fatigued medical trainees is the implementation of work hours regulations, concerns about the effectiveness of these regulations are growing. Canada remains one of the few Western jurisdictions without legislated regulation. Recent research suggests that fatigue is a complex social construct, rather than simply a lack of sleep; thus, the authors explored how regulations and fatigue are understood in countries with established work hours frameworks to better inform other jurisdictions looking to address trainee fatigue. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, the authors conducted individual, semistructured interviews in 2015-2016 with 13 postgraduate medical trainees from four European countries with established work hours regulations. Data collection and analysis proceeded iteratively, and the authors used a constant comparative approach to analysis. Trainees reported that they were commonly fatigued and that they violated the work hours restrictions for various reasons, including educational pursuits. Although they understood the regulations were legislated specifically to ensure safe patient care and optimize trainee well-being, they also described implicit meanings (e.g., monitoring for trainee efficiency) and unintended consequences (e.g., losing a sense of vocation). Work hours regulations carry multiple, conflicting meanings for trainees that are captured by three predominant rhetorics: the rhetoric of patient safety, of well-being, and of efficiency. Tensions within each of those rhetorics reveal that managing fatigue within clinical training environments is complex. These findings suggest that straightforward solutions are unlikely to solve the problem of fatigue, assure patient safety, and improve trainee well-being.

  8. Stress management skills, neuroimmune processes and fatigue levels in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lattie, Emily G; Antoni, Michael H; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Penedo, Frank; Czaja, Sara; Lopez, Corina; Perdomo, Dolores; Sala, Andreina; Nair, Sankaran; Fu, Shih Hua; Klimas, Nancy

    2012-08-01

    Stressors and emotional distress responses impact chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) symptoms, including fatigue. Having better stress management skills might mitigate fatigue by decreasing emotional distress. Because CFS patients comprise a heterogeneous population, we hypothesized that the role of stress management skills in decreasing fatigue may be most pronounced in the subgroup manifesting the greatest neuroimmune dysfunction. In total, 117 individuals with CFS provided blood and saliva samples, and self-report measures of emotional distress, perceived stress management skills (PSMS), and fatigue. Plasma interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and diurnal salivary cortisol were analyzed. We examined relations among PSMS, emotional distress, and fatigue in CFS patients who did and did not evidence neuroimmune abnormalities. Having greater PSMS related to less fatigue (p=.019) and emotional distress (pfatigue levels most strongly in CFS patients in the top tercile of IL-6, and emotional distress mediated the relationship between PSMS and fatigue most strongly in patients with the greatest circulating levels of IL-6 and a greater inflammatory (IL-6):anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine ratio. CFS patients having greater PSMS show less emotional distress and fatigue, and the influence of stress management skills on distress and fatigue appear greatest among patients who have elevated IL-6 levels. These findings support the need for research examining the impact of stress management interventions in subgroups of CFS patients showing neuroimmune dysfunction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Fatigue crack detection and identification by the elastic wave propagation method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stawiarski, Adam; Barski, Marek; Pająk, Piotr

    2017-05-01

    In this paper the elastic wave propagation phenomenon was used to detect the initiation of the fatigue damage in isotropic plate with a circular hole. The safety and reliability of structures mostly depend on the effectiveness of the monitoring methods. The Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system based on the active pitch-catch measurement technique was proposed. The piezoelectric (PZT) elements was used as an actuators and sensors in the multipoint measuring system. The comparison of the intact and defected structures has been used by damage detection algorithm. One part of the SHM system has been responsible for detection of the fatigue crack initiation. The second part observed the evolution of the damage growth and assess the size of the defect. The numerical results of the wave propagation phenomenon has been used to present the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. The preliminary experimental analysis has been carried out during the tension test of the aluminum plate with a circular hole to determine the efficiency of the measurement technique.

  10. Thermal fatigue appears to be more damaging than uniaxial isothermal fatigue for the austentic stainless steels, and application of multiaxial fatigue criteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fissolo, Antoine; Gourdin, Cedric [DM2S/SEMT/LISN, Gif sur Yvette (France); Vincent, Ludovic [DMN/SRMA/LCD, Gif sur Yvette (France)

    2009-07-01

    For nuclear reactor components, uniaxial isothermal fatigue curves are used to estimate the crack initiation under thermal fatigue. However, such approach would be not sufficient in some cases where cracking was observed. To investigate differences between uniaxial and thermal fatigue damage, tests have been carried out at CEA using the thermal fatigue devices SPLASH and FAT3D: a bi-dimensional (2-D) loading status is obtained in SPLASH, whereas a tri-dimensional (3-D) loading status is obtained in FAT3D. All the analysed tests clearly show that crack initiation in thermal fatigue is faster than in uniaxial isothermal fatigue conditions: for identical levels of strain, the number of cycles required to achieve crack initiation is significantly lower. The enhanced damaging effect probably results from a pure mechanical origin: a nearly perfect biaxial state corresponds to an increased hydrostatic stress. Consequently, multiaxial fatigue criteria must be applied. The Zamrik's strain criterion and the energy criterion proposed by Ecole Polytechnique provide the best estimations. In that framework, the proposed new method coupling both RCC-MR strain estimations and Zamrik's criterion appears to be more promising for the designer. (orig.)

  11. Thermal fatigue appears to be more damaging than uniaxial isothermal fatigue for the austentic stainless steels, and application of multiaxial fatigue criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fissolo, Antoine; Gourdin, Cedric; Vincent, Ludovic

    2009-01-01

    For nuclear reactor components, uniaxial isothermal fatigue curves are used to estimate the crack initiation under thermal fatigue. However, such approach would be not sufficient in some cases where cracking was observed. To investigate differences between uniaxial and thermal fatigue damage, tests have been carried out at CEA using the thermal fatigue devices SPLASH and FAT3D: a bi-dimensional (2-D) loading status is obtained in SPLASH, whereas a tri-dimensional (3-D) loading status is obtained in FAT3D. All the analysed tests clearly show that crack initiation in thermal fatigue is faster than in uniaxial isothermal fatigue conditions: for identical levels of strain, the number of cycles required to achieve crack initiation is significantly lower. The enhanced damaging effect probably results from a pure mechanical origin: a nearly perfect biaxial state corresponds to an increased hydrostatic stress. Consequently, multiaxial fatigue criteria must be applied. The Zamrik's strain criterion and the energy criterion proposed by Ecole Polytechnique provide the best estimations. In that framework, the proposed new method coupling both RCC-MR strain estimations and Zamrik's criterion appears to be more promising for the designer. (orig.)

  12. Fatigue evaluation algorithms: Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Passipoularidis, V.A.; Broendsted, P.

    2009-11-15

    A progressive damage fatigue simulator for variable amplitude loads named FADAS is discussed in this work. FADAS (Fatigue Damage Simulator) performs ply by ply stress analysis using classical lamination theory and implements adequate stiffness discount tactics based on the failure criterion of Puck, to model the degradation caused by failure events in ply level. Residual strength is incorporated as fatigue damage accumulation metric. Once the typical fatigue and static properties of the constitutive ply are determined,the performance of an arbitrary lay-up under uniaxial and/or multiaxial load time series can be simulated. The predictions are validated against fatigue life data both from repeated block tests at a single stress ratio as well as against spectral fatigue using the WISPER, WISPERX and NEW WISPER load sequences on a Glass/Epoxy multidirectional laminate typical of a wind turbine rotor blade construction. Two versions of the algorithm, the one using single-step and the other using incremental application of each load cycle (in case of ply failure) are implemented and compared. Simulation results confirm the ability of the algorithm to take into account load sequence effects. In general, FADAS performs well in predicting life under both spectral and block loading fatigue. (author)

  13. Managing post-therapy fatigue for cancer survivors using energy conservation training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuen, Hon Keung; Mitcham, Maralynne; Morgan, Larissa

    2006-01-01

    This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of energy conservation training to help post-therapy cancer survivors manage their fatigue. Twelve post-therapy cancer survivors were randomly assigned to an energy conservation training or usual care control (6 in each group). Participants in the intervention group received 1 to 2 hours of individual, face-to-face energy conservation training from an occupational therapist followed by once-a-week telephone monitoring sessions in the subsequent three weeks. Participants in the control group received standard care from their oncologist. Analysis of pre- and post-training data from the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) revealed significant reduction only in the sensory subscale of the PFS (Z = 2.21; p = 0.027) for the intervention group; but no significant reduction in the four subscale or total scores of the PFS for the control group. Findings demonstrate partial support for the effectiveness of energy conservation training in helping post-therapy cancer survivors manage their fatigue. Energy conservation training seems to be a viable strategy for managing cancer-related fatigue, though its efficacy is modest. Incorporating specific energy restoration strategies such as relaxation and meditation for future research may help advance the growing body of knowledge in symptom management for post-therapy cancer survivors.

  14. Examining fatigue in COPD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Al-Shair, Khaled; Muellerova, Hana; Yorke, Janelle

    2012-01-01

    ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Fatigue is a disruptive symptom that inhibits normal functional performance of COPD patients in daily activities. The availability of a short, simple, reliable and valid scale would improve assessment of the characteristics and influence of fatigue in COPD. METHODS......: At baseline, 2107 COPD patients from the ECLIPSE cohort completed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale. We used well-structured classic method, the principal components analysis (PCA) and Rasch analysis for structurally examining the 13-item FACIT-F. RESULTS: Four items...... were less able to capture fatigue characteristics in COPD and were deleted. PCA was applied to the remaining 9 items of the modified FACIT-F and resulted in three interpretable dimensions: i) general (5 items); ii) functional ability (2 items); and iii) psychosocial fatigue (2 items). The modified...

  15. High temperature creep-fatigue design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavassoli, A. A. F.; Fournier, B.; Sauzay, M.

    2010-01-01

    Generation IV fission and future fusion reactors envisage development of more efficient high temperature concepts where materials performances are key to their success. This paper examines different types of high temperature creep-fatigue interactions and their implications on design rules for the structural materials retained in both programmes. More precisely, the paper examines current status of design rules for the stainless steel type 316L(N), the conventional Modified 9Cr-1Mo martensitic steel and the low activation Eurofer steel. Results obtained from extensive high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue tests performed on these materials and their welded joints are presented. These include sequential creep-fatigue and relaxation creep-fatigue tests with hold times in tension, in compression or in both. Effects of larger plastic deformations on fatigue properties are studied through cyclic creep tests or fatigue tests with extended hold time in creep. In most cases, mechanical test results are accompanied with microstructural and fractographic observations. In the case of martensitic steels, the effect of oxidation is examined by performing creep-fatigue tests on identical specimens in vacuum. Results obtained are analyzed and their implications on design allowable and creep-fatigue interaction diagrams are presented. While reasonable confidence is found in predicting creep-fatigue damage through existing code procedures for austenitic stainless steels, effects of cyclic softening and coarsening of microstructure of martensitic steels throughout the fatigue life on materials properties need to be taken into account for more precise damage calculations. In the long-term, development of ferritic/martensitic steels with stable microstructure, such as ODS steels, is proposed. (authors)

  16. High temperature creep-fatigue design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tavassoli, A. A. F.; Fournier, B.; Sauzay, M. [CEA Saclay, DEN DMN, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette (France)

    2010-07-01

    Generation IV fission and future fusion reactors envisage development of more efficient high temperature concepts where materials performances are key to their success. This paper examines different types of high temperature creep-fatigue interactions and their implications on design rules for the structural materials retained in both programmes. More precisely, the paper examines current status of design rules for the stainless steel type 316L(N), the conventional Modified 9Cr-1Mo martensitic steel and the low activation Eurofer steel. Results obtained from extensive high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue tests performed on these materials and their welded joints are presented. These include sequential creep-fatigue and relaxation creep-fatigue tests with hold times in tension, in compression or in both. Effects of larger plastic deformations on fatigue properties are studied through cyclic creep tests or fatigue tests with extended hold time in creep. In most cases, mechanical test results are accompanied with microstructural and fractographic observations. In the case of martensitic steels, the effect of oxidation is examined by performing creep-fatigue tests on identical specimens in vacuum. Results obtained are analyzed and their implications on design allowable and creep-fatigue interaction diagrams are presented. While reasonable confidence is found in predicting creep-fatigue damage through existing code procedures for austenitic stainless steels, effects of cyclic softening and coarsening of microstructure of martensitic steels throughout the fatigue life on materials properties need to be taken into account for more precise damage calculations. In the long-term, development of ferritic/martensitic steels with stable microstructure, such as ODS steels, is proposed. (authors)

  17. Translating Fatigue to Human Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enoka, Roger M.; Duchateau, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    Despite flourishing interest in the topic of fatigue—as indicated by the many presentations on fatigue at the 2015 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine—surprisingly little is known about its impact on human performance. There are two main reasons for this dilemma: (1) the inability of current terminology to accommodate the scope of the conditions ascribed to fatigue, and (2) a paucity of validated experimental models. In contrast to current practice, a case is made for a unified definition of fatigue to facilitate its management in health and disease. Based on the classic two-domain concept of Mosso, fatigue is defined as a disabling symptom in which physical and cognitive function is limited by interactions between performance fatigability and perceived fatigability. As a symptom, fatigue can only be measured by self-report, quantified as either a trait characteristic or a state variable. One consequence of such a definition is that the word fatigue should not be preceded by an adjective (e.g., central, mental, muscle, peripheral, and supraspinal) to suggest the locus of the changes responsible for an observed level of fatigue. Rather, mechanistic studies should be performed with validated experimental models to identify the changes responsible for the reported fatigue. As indicated by three examples (walking endurance in old adults, time trials by endurance athletes, and fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis) discussed in the review, however, it has proven challenging to develop valid experimental models of fatigue. The proposed framework provides a foundation to address the many gaps in knowledge of how laboratory measures of fatigue and fatigability impact real-world performance. PMID:27015386

  18. Determinants of seafarers’ fatigue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøggild Dohrmann, Solveig; Leppin, Anja

    2017-01-01

    in the review. The main reason for exclusion was fatigue not being the outcome variable. Results: Most evidence was available for work time-related factors suggesting that working nights was most fatiguing, that fatigue levels were higher toward the end of watch or shift, and that the 6-h on–6-h off watch...

  19. Evoked EMG-based torque prediction under muscle fatigue in implanted neural stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashibe, Mitsuhiro; Zhang, Qin; Guiraud, David; Fattal, Charles

    2011-10-01

    In patients with complete spinal cord injury, fatigue occurs rapidly and there is no proprioceptive feedback regarding the current muscle condition. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the muscle state and assess the expected muscle response to improve the current FES system toward adaptive force/torque control in the presence of muscle fatigue. Our team implanted neural and epimysial electrodes in a complete paraplegic patient in 1999. We carried out a case study, in the specific case of implanted stimulation, in order to verify the corresponding torque prediction based on stimulus evoked EMG (eEMG) when muscle fatigue is occurring during electrical stimulation. Indeed, in implanted stimulation, the relationship between stimulation parameters and output torques is more stable than external stimulation in which the electrode location strongly affects the quality of the recruitment. Thus, the assumption that changes in the stimulation-torque relationship would be mainly due to muscle fatigue can be made reasonably. The eEMG was proved to be correlated to the generated torque during the continuous stimulation while the frequency of eEMG also decreased during fatigue. The median frequency showed a similar variation trend to the mean absolute value of eEMG. Torque prediction during fatigue-inducing tests was performed based on eEMG in model cross-validation where the model was identified using recruitment test data. The torque prediction, apart from the potentiation period, showed acceptable tracking performances that would enable us to perform adaptive closed-loop control through implanted neural stimulation in the future.

  20. Mental fatigue and impaired response processes: event-related brain potentials in a Go/NoGo task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Yuichiro; Endo, Hiroshi; Kizuka, Tomohiro

    2009-05-01

    The effects of mental fatigue on the availability of cognitive resources and associated response-related processes were examined using event-related brain potentials. Subjects performed a Go/NoGo task for 60 min. Reaction time, number of errors, and mental fatigue scores all significantly increased with time spent on the task. The NoGo-P3 amplitude significantly decreased with time on task, but the Go-P3 amplitude was not modulated. The amplitude of error-related negativity (Ne/ERN) also decreased with time on task. These results indicate that mental fatigue attenuates resource allocation and error monitoring for NoGo stimuli. The Go- and NoGo-P3 latencies both increased with time on task, indicative of a delay in stimulus evaluation time due to mental fatigue. NoGo-N2 latency increased with time on task, but NoGo-N2 amplitude was not modulated. The amplitude of response-locked lateralized readiness potential (LRP) significantly decreased with time on task. Mental fatigue appears to slows down the time course of response inhibition, and impairs the intensity of response execution.

  1. Are There Any Natural Remedies That Reduce Chronic Fatigue Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... natural remedies that reduce chronic fatigue associated with chronic fatigue syndrome? Answers from Brent A. Bauer, M.D. Researchers ... a variety of natural products for effectiveness against chronic fatigue syndrome. Most results have been disappointing. A few remedies — ...

  2. Validation of Indonesian Version of FACIT Fatigue Scale Questionnaire in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD Patients with Routine Hemodialysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhonson P. Sihombing

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Anemia is common in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD. One of anemia consequences is fatigue which can lead to decrease in quality of life. Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT Fatigue Scale is an instrument to measure patient’s score of fatigue. This questionnaire is not validated yet in Indonesia. The aim of this study is to validate Indonesian version of Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT Fatigue Scale as an instrument for patient’s quality of life. FACIT Fatigue Scale was translated into Indonesian and administrated to CKD patients with routine homodialysis in an academic hospital in Yogyakarta on May until October 2015. The validity was evaluated by Pearson correlation test and the reliability was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha test. Validity test showed that all of the questions were valid because r count was bigger than r table=0,279 and reliable because r11=0,646>0,6. In conclusion, Indonesian version of FACIT Fatigue Scale was a brief and valid to monitor important symptom and its effect on CKD patients with routine hemodialysis.

  3. Myoelectric manifestations of jaw elevator muscle fatigue and recovery in healthy and TMD subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castroflorio, T; Falla, D; Tartaglia, G M; Sforza, C; Deregibus, A

    2012-09-01

    The effects of muscle pain and fatigue on the control of jaw elevator muscles are not well known. Furthermore, the myoelectric manifestations of fatigue and recovery from fatigue in the masticatory muscles are not reported in literature. The main aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the possible use of surface electromyography (sEMG) as an objective measure of fatigue of the jaw elevator muscles, (ii) to compare the myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in the temporalis anterior and masseter muscles bilaterally, (iii) to assess recovery of the investigated muscles after an endurance test and (iv) to compare fatigue and recovery of the jaw elevator muscles in healthy subjects and patients with muscle-related temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The study was performed on twenty healthy volunteers and eighteen patients with muscle-related TMD. An intra-oral compressive-force sensor was used to measure the voluntary contraction forces close to the intercuspal position and to provide visual feedback of submaximal forces to the subject. Surface EMG signals were recorded with linear electrode arrays during isometric contractions at 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the maximum voluntary contraction force, during an endurance test and during the recovery phase. The results showed that (i) the slope of the mean power spectral frequency (MNF) and the initial average rectified value (ARV) could be used to monitor fatigue of the jaw elevators, (ii) the temporalis anterior and masseter muscle show the same myoelectric manifestations of fatigue and recovery and (iii) the initial values of MNF and ARV were lower in patients with muscle-related TMD. The assessment of myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in the masticatory muscles may assist in the clinical assessment of TMDs. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  4. Vivência tecnológica na educação básica: uma estratégia para o ensino e aprendizagem de professores e alunos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giseli S Lucas

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste artigo é discutir se as aulas de Vivência Tecnológica, ministradas aos alunos do Ensino Fundamental I, da rede do Serviço Social da Indústria de São Paulo SESI/SP, é uma estratégia pedagógica que auxilia os docentes no processo de ensino e aprendizagem e os alunos na autonomia digital. É notória a tendência do uso cada vez mais frequente de computadores e outras tecnologias na educação escolar; por este motivo, a Vivência Tecnológica foi implantada na rede para potencializar os aspectos didáticos e metodológicos para o ensino e aprendizagem. Por essa razão, esta pesquisa objetiva analisar a dinâmica deste momento de “Vivência Tecnológica”, que recebe o subsídio da teoria construtivista e contribuições de duas profissionais, e verificar se as aulas no Laboratório de Informática e as montagens e programações no Laboratório de Ciências e Tecnologias, com os recursos de blocos de montagem, contribuem para uma abordagem metodológica de ensino relacionada ao desenvolvimento do pensar, do raciocinar, da resolução de problemas, das práticas de leitura e escrita. E ainda, verificar se esta estratégia pode ser referenciada como estratégia pedagógica significativa. A pesquisa buscou o entendimento das relações entre as duas profissionais, identificando a articulação entre o material de ensino, as aulas de informática e as aulas regulares na sala de aula do primeiro ano. Este trabalho possibilitou o aprofundamento das características utilizadas, avaliando a qualidade da relação e socialização entre estas duas esferas formativas para o aluno do primeiro ano do ensino fundamental, identificando os procedimentos metodológicos, e, ainda, investigando a profissionalização dos agentes educacionais, assim como sua formação.

  5. Monitoring crack growth using thermography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Djedjiga, Ait Aouita; Abdeldjalil, Ouahabi

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to present a novel strategy for real-time monitoring crack growth of materials. The process is based on the use of thermal data extracted along the horizontal axis of symmetry of single edge notch tension (SENT) specimens, during fatigue tests. These data are exploited using an implemented program to detect in situ the growth of fatigue crack, with the critical size and propagation speed of the crack. This technique has the advantage to be applicable to a wide range of materials regardless of their electrical conductivity and their surface texture. (authors)

  6. Research progress of exercise-induced fatigue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng-yi DAI

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Exercise-induced fatigue is a comprehensive response to a variety of physiological and biochemical changes in the body, and can affect people's quality of life to different extents. If no timely recovery after occurrence of fatigue, accumulated gradually, it can lead to "burnout", a "overtraining syndrome", "chronic fatigue syndrome", etc., which will cause endocrine disturbance, immune suppression, even physical illness. Exercise-induced fatigue becomes an important factor endangering human health. In recent years, many experts and scholars at home and abroad are committed to the research of exercise-induced fatigue, and have put forward a variety of hypothesis to explain the cause of exercise-induced fatigue. They expect to find out the methods for preventing and eliminating exercise-induced fatigue. This article discusses mainly the pathogenesis, model building, elimination/ relief, etc. of exercise-induced fatigue to point out the research achievements of exercise-induced fatigue and its existing problems. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.11.14

  7. Fatigue after Stroke: The Patient's Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Louise Barbour

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Fatigue after stroke is common and distressing to patients. Aims. Our aims were to explore patients' perceptions of post-stroke fatigue, including the causes of fatigue and the factors that alleviate fatigue, in a mixed methods study. Results. We interviewed 15 patients who had had a stroke and were inpatients on stroke rehabilitation wards. A substantial proportion of patients reported that their fatigue started at the time of their stroke. Various different factors were reported to improve fatigue, including exercise, good sleep, rehabilitation and rest. Fatigue influences patients' sense of “control” after their stroke. Conclusion. Our results are consistent with the possibility that poststroke fatigue might be triggered by factors that occur at the time of the stroke (e.g., the stroke lesion itself, or admission to hospital and then exacerbated by poor sleep and boredom. These factors should be considered when developing complex interventions to improve post-stroke fatigue.

  8. The effect of notches and pits on corrosion fatigue strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatner, Ian

    An investigation has been undertaken to examine the fatigue behaviour of two martensitic steels in air and aggressive environments. The steels studied are, 18% Ni marageing steel and FV520B, the later being a stainless steel turbine blade material and the former being a marageing steel that suffers general corrosion in mild environments. Both steels were heat treated to give similar tensile strength.The design and manufacture of an autoclave allowed push-pull fatigue tests to be conducted in aggressive environments at elevated temperatures.Corrosion potential was monitored using a three electrode cell and was controlled during testing. Base-line fatigue tests were conducted with a range of constant corrosion potentials, using both notched and plain FV520B specimens. In addition fatigue tests with pulsed corrosion potential were performed to asses the effect of transient corrosion conditions on the corrosion fatigue strength. The pulsed tests were designed to simulate service transients in the oxygen content and general chemical hostility in the condensing steam environment during start-up and shut down of the steam turbine.Post test examination of fractured samples was performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and optical microscope techniques. The fractography results were used to quantify microstructural and fracture features of the steels.A model based on the size and geometry of the initial corrosion pitting has been proposed to asses the fatigue life of FV520B in an aggressive environment.The effect of pitting on the corrosion fatigue strength of FV520B has been modelled using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) type approach. The model has shown a good correlation between predicted fatigue lives with experimental results.The results suggest that the fatigue life is governed by the mechanical stress concentrating effect of the pits rather than the electrochemical damage caused by the environment.Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the notch allowed

  9. Fretting fatigue life estimation using fatigue damage gradient correction factor in various contact configurations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Dong Hyeon; Cho, Sung-San [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    A fretting fatigue life estimation method that takes into account the stress gradient effect was developed by the authors [Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 28 (2014) 2153-2159]. In the developed method, fatigue damage value at the cracking location is corrected with fatigue damage gradient and the corrected value is compared directly with the plain fatigue data for life estimation. In other words, the correction factor is the ratio of plain fatigue damage to fretting fatigue damage at the same life and a function of fatigue damage gradient. Since reliability of the method was verified only for cylinder-on-flat contact configuration in the previous study, the present study extends application of the method to flat-on-flat contact configurations by developing the correction factor for both the contact configuration. Fretting fatigue experiments were conducted to obtain fatigue life data for various fretting pads. Finite element analyses were conducted to evaluate the Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) fatigue damage parameter in the cracking region. It is revealed that the SWT parameter in fat-on-flat contact configuration decreases exponentially away from the surface as in cylinder-on-flat contact configuration, and thus the SWT gradient at the surface can be evaluated reliably. Moreover, it is found that decrease in the SWT parameter around the cracking location can be expressed by piecewise exponential curves. If the gradient of SWT at the surface is used as a representative value of SWT gradient, it is impossible to establish functional relationship between the SWT gradient and the correction factor for both the contact configurations although it was possible for cylinder-on-flat contact configuration. However, if weighted average of the SWT gradient values obtained from each exponential curve in the piecewise exponential curve is used as a representative value, the correction factor for both the contact configurations becomes a function of the SWT gradient

  10. Fatigue in soccer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mohr, Magni; Krustrup, Peter; Bangsbo, Jens

    2005-01-01

    This review describes when fatigue may develop during soccer games and the potential physiological mechanisms that cause fatigue in soccer. According to time?-?motion analyses and performance measures during match-play, fatigue or reduced performance seems to occur at three different stages......, acidity or the breakdown of creatine phosphate. Instead, it may be related to disturbances in muscle ion homeostasis and an impaired excitation of the sarcolemma. Soccer players' ability to perform maximally is inhibited in the initial phase of the second half, which may be due to lower muscle...... concentrations in a considerable number of individual muscle fibres. In a hot and humid environment, dehydration and a reduced cerebral function may also contribute to the deterioration in performance. In conclusion, fatigue or impaired performance in soccer occurs during various phases in a game, and different...

  11. Development of sacrificial specimen for fatigue damage prediction of structure (2nd report); Kozobutsu no hiro sonsho yochi no tameno giseishikenhen no kaihatsu ( 2 )

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimoto, Y.; Huang, F.; Hada, K.; Sato, A.; Hamada, K.; Iwata, M. [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan)

    1998-12-31

    The study aims at applying the sacrificial specimen developed by the authors of the paper on practical structures, the sacrificial specimens are secured to a smooth specimen and a boxing welded joint, and fatigue tests are performed under varying stress amplitude. The load is cyclic 8 stage block load that has load frequency distribution similar to exponential distribution. Then, a fatigue life prediction of structural element is studied based on monitoring results of the sacrificial specimen. The obtained results are as follows. The sacrificial specimen shows steady fatigue property without occurrence of peeling off or buckling even under varying stress amplitude. A limited accumulated damage value of the sacrificial specimen is obtained under the varying stress amplitude. While arranging the crack growth curve of the varying sacrificial specimen in N/Nf, they show almost the same shape not depending on the life. The prediction method of fatigue life of a structure is described based on monitoring results of the sacrificial specimen. 9 refs., 16 figs., 2 tabs.

  12. Rescuer fatigue under the 2010 ERC guidelines, and its effect on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Catherine H; Heggie, James; Jones, Christopher M; Thorne, Christopher J; Hulme, Jonathan

    2013-08-01

    Updated life-support guidelines were published by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) in 2010, increasing the required depth and rate of chest compression delivery. This study sought to determine the impact of these guidelines on rescuer fatigue and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performance. 62 Health science students performed 5 min of conventional CPR in accordance with the 2010 ERC guidelines. A SkillReporter manikin was used to objectively assess temporal change in determinants of CPR quality. Participants subjectively reported their end-fatigue levels, using a visual analogue scale, and the point at which they believed fatigue was affecting CPR delivery. 49 (79%) participants reported that fatigue affected their CPR performance, at an average of 167 s. End fatigue averaged 49.5/100 (range 0-95). The proportion of chest compressions delivered correctly decreased from 52% in min 1 to 39% in min 5, approaching significance (p=0.071). A significant decline in chest compressions reaching the recommended depth occurred between the first (53%) and fifth (38%) min (p=0.012). Almost half this decline (6%) was between the first and second minutes of CPR. Neither chest compression rate, nor rescue breath volume, were affected by rescuer fatigue. Fatigue affects chest compression delivery within the second minute of CPR under the 2010 ERC guidelines, and is poorly judged by rescuers. Rescuers should, therefore, be encouraged to interchange after 2 min of CPR delivery. Team leaders should be advised to not rely on rescuers to self-report fatigue, and should, instead, monitor for its effects.

  13. Low cycle fatigue: high cycle fatigue damage accumulation in a 304L austenitic stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lehericy, Y.

    2007-05-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of a Low Cycle Fatigue pre-damage on the subsequent fatigue limit of a 304L stainless steel. The effects of hardening and severe roughness (grinding) have also been investigated. In a first set of tests, the evolution of the surface damage induced by the different LCF pre-cycling was characterized. This has permitted to identify mechanisms and kinetics of damage in the plastic domain for different surface conditions. Then, pre-damaged samples were tested in the High Cycle Fatigue domain in order to establish the fatigue limits associated with each level of pre-damage. Results evidence that, in the case of polished samples, an important number of cycles is required to initiate surface cracks ant then to affect the fatigue limit of the material but, in the case of ground samples, a few number of cycles is sufficient to initiate cracks and to critically decrease the fatigue limit. The fatigue limit of pre-damaged samples can be estimated using the stress intensity factor threshold. Moreover, this detrimental effect of severe surface conditions is enhanced when fatigue tests are performed under a positive mean stress (author)

  14. THE EFFECT OF MODERATE AND HIGH-INTENSITY FATIGUE ON GROUNDSTROKE ACCURACY IN EXPERT AND NON-EXPERT TENNIS PLAYERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Lyons

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Exploring the effects of fatigue on skilled performance in tennis presents a significant challenge to the researcher with respect to ecological validity. This study examined the effects of moderate and high-intensity fatigue on groundstroke accuracy in expert and non-expert tennis players. The research also explored whether the effects of fatigue are the same regardless of gender and player's achievement motivation characteristics. 13 expert (7 male, 6 female and 17 non-expert (13 male, 4 female tennis players participated in the study. Groundstroke accuracy was assessed using the modified Loughborough Tennis Skills Test. Fatigue was induced using the Loughborough Intermittent Tennis Test with moderate (70% and high-intensities (90% set as a percentage of peak heart rate (attained during a tennis-specific maximal hitting sprint test. Ratings of perceived exertion were used as an adjunct to the monitoring of heart rate. Achievement goal indicators for each player were assessed using the 2 x 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport in an effort to examine if this personality characteristic provides insight into how players perform under moderate and high-intensity fatigue conditions. A series of mixed ANOVA's revealed significant fatigue effects on groundstroke accuracy regardless of expertise. The expert players however, maintained better groundstroke accuracy across all conditions compared to the novice players. Nevertheless, in both groups, performance following high-intensity fatigue deteriorated compared to performance at rest and performance while moderately fatigued. Groundstroke accuracy under moderate levels of fatigue was equivalent to that at rest. Fatigue effects were also similar regardless of gender. No fatigue by expertise, or fatigue by gender interactions were found. Fatigue effects were also equivalent regardless of player's achievement goal indicators. Future research is required to explore the effects of fatigue on

  15. Examining the impact of obesity on individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Samantha; Brown, Abigail; Adeoye, Samuel; Jason, Leonard A; Evans, Meredyth

    2013-07-01

    Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex disorder affecting multiple body systems. The most commonly used definition of CFS is 6 or more months of fatigue and the presence of at least four of eight minor symptoms. In addition, many health and psychological conditions, including severe obesity-body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m(2) or greater-exclude individuals from a diagnosis of CFS. Obesity has been correlated with fatigue, sleep problems, and less satisfaction with general health, functioning, and vitality. The current study investigated weight trends over time in a community-based sample of individuals with CFS and healthy controls. The study further investigated the impact of comorbid weight issues on several health and disability outcomes in a subset of overweight individuals. Overweight and obese individuals with CFS demonstrated poorer functioning than controls who were similarly weighted. One participant was excluded because she had gained weight at a monitoring visit and her BMI was greater than 40 kg/m(2). The implications of these findings for health care workers are discussed. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  16. Vivências de Discriminação e Resistência de uma Prostituta Negra

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel de Freitas Banuth

    Full Text Available Resumo Este estudo teve por objetivo compreender as vivências de exclusão, discriminação e resistência de uma profissional do sexo negra, que trabalhava em uma casa de prostituição do interior de São Paulo. Utilizou-se entrevista semiestruturada e observação participante com uma mulher negra, que trabalhava em uma casa onde todas as outras profissionais eram brancas. A análise de dados foi orientada pelo modelo proposto por Braun e Clarke e abordou as principais categorias temáticas que concernem ao desenvolvimento profissional no universo das profissionais do sexo. Os relatos mostraram que as colegas de trabalho e os clientes empreendiam um processo de marcada exclusão da entrevistada, baseado no fato de ela pertencer a um grupo racial diferente dos demais. Apesar de enfrentar a “exclusão dentro da exclusão”, a participante não legitimou o preconceito do qual era vítima e, para combatê-lo, lançou mão de estratégias para minimizar o impacto que a discriminação racial exercia sobre ela.

  17. Visual perception of fatigued lifting actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Steven L; Albert, Wayne J; McGarry, Tim

    2012-12-01

    Fatigue-related changes in lifting kinematics may expose workers to undue injury risks. Early detection of accumulating fatigue offers the prospect of intervention strategies to mitigate such fatigue-related risks. In a first step towards this objective, this study investigated whether fatigue detection was accessible to visual perception and, if so, what was the key visual information required for successful fatigue discrimination. Eighteen participants were tasked with identifying fatigued lifts when viewing 24 trials presented using both video and point-light representations. Each trial comprised a pair of lifting actions containing a fresh and a fatigued lift from the same individual presented in counter-balanced sequence. Confidence intervals demonstrated that the frequency of correct responses for both sexes exceeded chance expectations (50%) for both video (68%±12%) and point-light representations (67%±10%), demonstrating that fatigued lifting kinematics are open to visual perception. There were no significant differences between sexes or viewing condition, the latter result indicating kinematic dynamics as providing sufficient information for successful fatigue discrimination. Moreover, results from single viewer investigation reported fatigue detection (75%) from point-light information describing only the kinematics of the box lifted. These preliminary findings may have important workplace applications if fatigue discrimination rates can be improved upon through future research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Corrosion fatigue of steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spaehn, H.; Wagner, G.H.

    1976-01-01

    Corrosion fatigue phenomena can be classified into two main groups according to the electrochemical state of the metal surface in the presence of electrolytes: the active and the passive state with an important sub-group of corrosion fatigue in the unstable passive state. The allowable stress for structures exposed to the conjoint action of corrosion and fatigue is influenced by many factors: kind of media, number of cycles, frequency, mean stress, size, notches, loading mode, alloy composition and mechanical strength. A critical literature review shows contradictory results if a classification by the electrochemical surface state is not applied. Case histories and counter measures illustrate the practical importance of corrosion fatigue in many branches of industry as well as the urgent need for a better knowledge about the mutual influence of the phenomena to get rules by which the engineer can appraise the risk of corrosion fatigue. (orig.) [de

  19. Orthostatic intolerance and fatigue in the hypermobility type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Wandele, Inge; Rombaut, Lies; De Backer, Tine; Peersman, Wim; Da Silva, Hellen; De Mits, Sophie; De Paepe, Anne; Calders, Patrick; Malfait, Fransiska

    2016-08-01

    To investigate whether orthostatic intolerance (OI) is a significant predictor for fatigue in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, hypermobility type (EDS-HT). Eighty patients with EDS-HT and 52 controls participated in the first part of the study, which consisted of questionnaires. Fatigue was evaluated using the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). As possible fatigue determinants OI [Autonomic Symptom Profile (ASP)], habitual physical activity (Baecke), affective distress [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)], pain (SF36), medication use and generalized hypermobility (5-point score of Grahame and Hakim regarding generalized joint hypermobility) were studied. Next, a 20 min head-up tilt (70°) was performed in a subsample of 39 patients and 35 controls, while beat-to-beat heart rate and blood pressure were monitored (Holter, Finometer Pro). Before and after tilt, fatigue severity was assessed using a numeric rating scale. Patients scored significantly higher on the CIS [total score: EDS: 98.2 (18.63) vs controls: 45.8 (16.62), P < 0.001] and on the OI domain of the ASP [EDS: 22.78 (7.16) vs controls: 6.5 (7.78)]. OI was prevalent in EDS-HT (EDS: 74.4%, controls: 34.3%, P = 0.001), and frequently expressed as postural orthostatic tachycardia (41.0% of the EDS group). Patients responded to tilt with a higher heart rate and lower total peripheral resistance (p < 0.001; p = 0.032). This altered response correlated with fatigue in daily life (CIS). In the EDS-HT group, tilt provoked significantly more fatigue [numeric rating scale increase: EDS: +3.1 (1.90), controls: +0.5 (1.24), P < 0.001]. Furthermore, the factors OI, pain, affective distress, decreased physical activity and sedative use explained 47.7% of the variance in fatigue severity. OI is an important determinant of fatigue in EDS-HT. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Nitrogen implantation of type 303 stainless steel gears for improved wear and fatigue resistance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kustas, F.M.; Misra, M.S.; Tack, W.T.

    1987-01-01

    Fine-positioning mechanisms are responsible for accurate and reproducible control of aerospace system devices, i.e. filter grading wheels. Low wear and fatigue resistance of mechanism components, such as pinions and gears, can reduce system performance and reliability. Surface modification using ion implantation with nitrogen was used on type 303 stainless steel pinions and gears to increase tribological performance. Wear-life tests of untreated, nitrogen-implanted and nitrogen-implanted-and-annealed gears were performed in a fine-positioning mechanism under controlled environmental conditions. Wear and fatigue resistance were monitored at selected time intervals which were a percentage of the predicted failure life as determined by a numerical stress analysis. Surface analyses including scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy were performed to establish the wear and fatigue mechanisms and the nitrogen concentration-depth distributions respectively. Nitrogen implantation resulted in a significant improvement in both surface wear and fatigue spalling resistance over those of untreated gears. A 40% reduction in surface wear and a 44% reduction in dedendum spalling was observed. In contrast, the nitrogen-implanted-and-annealed gears showed a 46% increase in sliding wear area and an 11% increase in spall density compared with those of untreated gears, indicating that the post-implantation anneal was detrimental to wear and fatigue resistance. (orig.)

  1. Muscle Deoxygenation Causes Muscle Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murthy, G.; Hargens, A. R.; Lehman, S.; Rempel, D.

    1999-01-01

    Muscle fatigue is a common musculoskeletal disorder in the work place, and may be a harbinger for more disabling cumulative trauma disorders. Although the cause of fatigue is multifactorial, reduced blood flow and muscle oxygenation may be the primary factor in causing muscle fatigue during low intensity muscle exertion. Muscle fatigue is defined as a reduction in muscle force production, and also occurs among astronauts who are subjected to postural constraints while performing lengthy, repetitive tasks. The objectives of this research are to: 1) develop an objective tool to study the role of decreased muscle oxygenation on muscle force production, and 2) to evaluate muscle fatigue during prolonged glovebox work.

  2. Effect of ratchet strain on fatigue and creep–fatigue strength of Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ando, Masanori; Isobe, Nobuhiro; Kikuchi, Koichi; Enuma, Yasuhiro

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Uniaxial fatigue and creep–fatigue tests with superimposed strain were performed. ► Variety of superimposed strain were applied as ratchet strain in the tests. ► Effect of superimposed strain on fatigue and creep–fatigue life is negligible. ► A cyclic softening character reducing the effect of superimposed strain. - Abstract: The effect of ratcheting deformation on fatigue and creep–fatigue life in Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel was investigated. Uniaxial fatigue and creep–fatigue testing with superimposed strain were performed to evaluate the effect of ratcheting deformation on the failure cycle. In a series of tests, a specific amount of superimposed strain was accumulated in each cycle. The accumulated strain as ratcheting deformation, cycles to reach the accumulated strain, and test temperatures were varied in the tests. In the fatigue tests with superimposed strain at 550 °C, slight reductions of failure lives were observed. All of the numbers of cycles to failure in the fatigue tests with superimposed strain were within a factor of 1.5 of that of the fatigue test without superimposed strain at 550 °C. The apparent relationship between failure cycles and testing parameters was not observed. In fatigue tests with superimposed strain at 550 °C, maximum mean stress was insignificant and generated in early cycles because Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel exhibits cyclic softening characteristics. It was assumed that suppression of mean stress generation by cyclic softening reduces the effect of ratcheting strain. Conversely, failure lives were increased by accumulated strain in the test conducted at 450 °C because of stress–strain hysteresis loop shrinkage caused by cyclic softening induced by the accumulated strain. In the creep–fatigue tests with superimposed strain, test results indicated that the accumulated stain was negligible. It was concluded that the effect of ratcheting deformation on fatigue and creep–fatigue life is negligible as long

  3. All Fatigue is Not Created Equal: The Association of Fatigue and Its Subtypes on Pain Interference in Orofacial Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggero, Ian A; Rojas-Ramirez, Marcia V; Carlson, Charles R

    2017-03-01

    Fatigue is known to be a pathway through which depression, psychological distress, pain intensity, and sleep disturbance influence pain interference, but the independent effects of fatigue on pain interference after controlling for these variables remains unknown. In addition, no study to date has tested whether fatigue subtypes of general fatigue, mental fatigue, emotional fatigue, physical fatigue, or vigor differentially predict pain interference. The current study tested these associations using archival medical data of 2133 chronic orofacial pain patients, who completed a battery of psychological questionnaires at the time of their first appointment at an orofacial pain clinic. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that after controlling for depression, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, pain intensity, and demographic variables, fatigue predicted higher pain interference (B=0.70, SE=0.17, Ppain interference after controlling for the aforementioned variables. The findings suggest that fatigue is an important independent predictor of pain interference and not merely a mediator. These findings also suggest that not all fatigue is created equal. Interventions aimed at reducing pain interference should target specific fatigue symptoms of physical fatigue and vigor. Future research investigating the independent associations of fatigue subtypes on pain outcomes may help clarify the nature of the interrelationships between pain and fatigue.

  4. Thermal fatigue strength estimation of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel under creep-fatigue interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuwahara, Kazuo; Nitta, Akihito; Kitamura, Takayuki

    1980-01-01

    A 2-1/4Cr-1Mo steel is one of principal materials for high temperature equipments in nuclear and thermal power plants. The authors experimentally analyzed the high temperature fatigue strength and creep strength of a 2-1/4 Cr-1Mo steel main steam pipe which had been used in a thermal plant for operation up to 130,000 hours, and pointed out that the strain-range vs. life curves crossed each other due to the difference of temperature-strain phase in thermal fatigue. This suggests that it is difficult to estimate thermal fatigue life of steel materials having been subjected to different temperature-strain phase on the basis of isothermal low-cycle fatigue life at the upper limit temperature of thermal fatigue, and that it is urgently required to establish an appropriate method of evaluating thermal fatigue life. The authors attempted to prove that the strain range partitioning method used for the evaluation of thermal fatigue life in SUS 304 steels is applicable to this 2-1/4Cr-1Mo steel. Consequently, it was found that the thermal fatigue life could be estimated within a factor of 2.5 by the application of this method. (author)

  5. Fatigue and radiotherapy. A literature review; Fatigue et radiotherapie. Revue de la litterature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dilhuydy, J.M.; Ouhtatou, F.; Laporte, C.; Nguyen, T.V.F.; Vendrely, V. [Institut Bergonie Centre Regional de Lutte Contre le Cancer, 33 - Bordeaux (France); Dilhuydy, J.M. [Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer, FNCLCC, Groupe Rehabilitation, 75 - Paris (France); Dilhuydy, M.S. [Hopital Saint-Andre, Service de Medecine Interne, 33 - Bordeaux (France)

    2001-11-01

    Fatigue is a common complaint for the cancer patient during and after radiotherapy, according to the published studies. Fatigue is a subjective symptom mostly underestimated by oncologists and other care givers. Etiology is complex, poorly understood in spite of obvious causes like insomnia, nausea, pain, depression, psychological distress, anemia, hypothyroidism, menopause disturbances, treatment adverse effects. Fatigue presents multi-factorial and multidimensional aspects. To evaluate it, many tools can be used as single-item, unidimensional and multidimensional instruments. Practically, the open discussion with the patient throughout radiotherapy is essential to define it. Taking charge fatigue requires its acknowledgement by radiotherapist, treatment of associated symptoms with a multidisciplinary approach. (authors)

  6. Development and characterization of fatigue resistant aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue critical aircraft components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qaiser, M. H.; Umar, S.; Nauman, S.

    2013-01-01

    The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced Aluminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft. (author)

  7. Development and characterization of fatigue resistant Aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue Critical aircraft components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qaiser, M. H.; Umar, S.; Nauman, S.

    2014-06-01

    The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced ALuminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft.

  8. Development and characterization of fatigue resistant Aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue Critical aircraft components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qaiser, M H; Umar, S; Nauman, S

    2014-01-01

    The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced ALuminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft

  9. Inflammatory fatigue and sickness behaviour - lessons for the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnett, S V; Clark, I A

    2012-12-10

    Persistent and severe fatigue is a common part of the presentation of a diverse range of disease processes. There is a growing body of evidence indicating a common inflammatory pathophysiology underlying many conditions where fatigue is a primary patient concern, including chronic fatigue syndrome. This review explores current models of how inflammatory mediators act on the central nervous system to produce fatigue and sickness behaviour, and the commonality of these processes in conditions as diverse as surgical trauma, infection, various cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, connective tissue diseases and autoimmune diseases. We also discuss evidence indicating chronic fatigue syndrome may have important pathophysiological similarities with cytokine mediated sickness behaviour, and what lessons can be applied from sickness behaviour to chronic fatigue syndrome with regards to the diagnosis and management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Mental Fatigue Affects Visual Selective Attention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Faber, Leon G.; Maurits, Natasha M.; Lorist, Monicque M.

    2012-01-01

    Mental fatigue is a form of fatigue, induced by continuous task performance. Mentally fatigued people often report having a hard time keeping their attention focussed and being easily distracted. In this study, we examined the relation between mental fatigue, as induced by time on task, and

  11. Standard guide for fretting fatigue testing

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2010-01-01

    1.1 This guide defines terminology and covers general requirements for conducting fretting fatigue tests and reporting the results. It describes the general types of fretting fatigue tests and provides some suggestions on developing and conducting fretting fatigue test programs. 1.2 Fretting fatigue tests are designed to determine the effects of mechanical and environmental parameters on the fretting fatigue behavior of metallic materials. This guide is not intended to establish preference of one apparatus or specimen design over others, but will establish guidelines for adherence in the design, calibration, and use of fretting fatigue apparatus and recommend the means to collect, record, and reporting of the data. 1.3 The number of cycles to form a fretting fatigue crack is dependent on both the material of the fatigue specimen and fretting pad, the geometry of contact between the two, and the method by which the loading and displacement are imposed. Similar to wear behavior of materials, it is important t...

  12. Probabilistic Fatigue Damage Program (FATIG)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michalopoulos, Constantine

    2012-01-01

    FATIG computes fatigue damage/fatigue life using the stress rms (root mean square) value, the total number of cycles, and S-N curve parameters. The damage is computed by the following methods: (a) traditional method using Miner s rule with stress cycles determined from a Rayleigh distribution up to 3*sigma; and (b) classical fatigue damage formula involving the Gamma function, which is derived from the integral version of Miner's rule. The integration is carried out over all stress amplitudes. This software solves the problem of probabilistic fatigue damage using the integral form of the Palmgren-Miner rule. The software computes fatigue life using an approach involving all stress amplitudes, up to N*sigma, as specified by the user. It can be used in the design of structural components subjected to random dynamic loading, or by any stress analyst with minimal training for fatigue life estimates of structural components.

  13. Eddy-current testing of fatigue degradation upon contact fatigue loading of gas powder laser clad NiCrBSi-Cr3C2 composite coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savrai, R. A.; Makarov, A. V.; Gorkunov, E. S.; Soboleva, N. N.; Kogan, L. Kh.; Malygina, I. Yu.; Osintseva, A. L.; Davydova, N. A.

    2017-12-01

    The possibilities of the eddy-current method for testing the fatigue degradation under contact loading of gas powder laser clad NiCrBSi-Cr3C2 composite coating with 15 wt.% of Cr3C2 additive have been investigated. It is shown that the eddy-current testing of the fatigue degradation under contact loading of the NiCrBSi-15%Cr3C2 composite coating can be performed at high excitation frequencies 72-120 kHz of the eddy-current transducer. At that, the dependences of the eddy-current instrument readings on the number of loading cycles have both downward and upward branches, with the boundary between the branches being 3×105 cycles in the given loading conditions. This is caused, on the one hand, by cracking, and, on the other hand, by cohesive spalling and compaction of the composite coating, which affect oppositely the material resistivity and, correspondingly, the eddy-current instrument readings. The downward branch can be used to monitor the processes of crack formation and growth, the upward branch - to monitor the degree of cohesive spalling, while taking into account in the testing methodology an ambiguous character of the dependences of the eddy-current instrument readings on the number of loading cycles.

  14. Classifying post-stroke fatigue: Optimal cut-off on the Fatigue Assessment Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cumming, Toby B; Mead, Gillian

    2017-12-01

    Post-stroke fatigue is common and has debilitating effects on independence and quality of life. The Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) is a valid screening tool for fatigue after stroke, but there is no established cut-off. We sought to identify the optimal cut-off for classifying post-stroke fatigue on the FAS. In retrospective analysis of two independent datasets (the '2015' and '2007' studies), we evaluated the predictive validity of FAS score against a case definition of fatigue (the criterion standard). Area under the curve (AUC) and sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off were established in the larger 2015 dataset (n=126), and then independently validated in the 2007 dataset (n=52). In the 2015 dataset, AUC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.70-0.86), with the optimal ≥24 cut-off giving a sensitivity of 0.82 and specificity of 0.66. The 2007 dataset had an AUC of 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.94), and applying the ≥24 cut-off gave a sensitivity of 0.84 and specificity of 0.67. Post-hoc analysis of the 2015 dataset revealed that using only the 3 most predictive FAS items together ('FAS-3') also yielded good validity: AUC 0.81 (95% CI 0.73-0.89), with sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.75 at the optimal ≥8 cut-off. We propose ≥24 as a cut-off for classifying post-stroke fatigue on the FAS. While further validation work is needed, this is a positive step towards a coherent approach to reporting fatigue prevalence using the FAS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Fatigue Analysis of Large-scale Wind turbine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhu Yongli

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper does research on top flange fatigue damage of large-scale wind turbine generator. It establishes finite element model of top flange connection system with finite element analysis software MSC. Marc/Mentat, analyzes its fatigue strain, implements load simulation of flange fatigue working condition with Bladed software, acquires flange fatigue load spectrum with rain-flow counting method, finally, it realizes fatigue analysis of top flange with fatigue analysis software MSC. Fatigue and Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage theory. The analysis result indicates that its result provides new thinking for flange fatigue analysis of large-scale wind turbine generator, and possesses some practical engineering value.

  16. Neurophysiologic monitoring of mental workload and fatigue during operation of a flight simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Michael E.; Gevins, Alan

    2005-05-01

    In one experiment, EEG recordings were made during a daytime session while 16 well-rested participants performed versions of a PC flight simulator task that were either low, moderate, or high in difficulty. In another experiment, the same subjects repeatedly performed high difficulty versions of the same task during an all night session with total sleep deprivation. Multivariate EEG metrics of cortical activation were derived for frontal brain regions essential for working memory and executive control processes that are presumably important for maintaining situational awareness, central brain regions essential for sensorimotor control, and posterior parietal and occipital regions essential for visuoperceptual processing. During the daytime session each of these regional measures displayed greater activation during the high difficulty task than during the low difficulty task, and degree of cortical activation was positively correlated with subjective workload ratings in these well-rested subjects. During the overnight session, cortical activation declined with time-on-task, and the degree of this decline over frontal regions was negatively correlated with subjective workload ratings. Since participants were already highly skilled in the task, such changes likely reflect fatigue-related diminishment of frontal executive capability rather than practice effects. These findings suggest that the success of efforts to gauge mental workload via proxy cortical activation measures in the context of adaptive automation systems will likely depend on use of user models that take both task demands and the operator"s state of alertness into account. Further methodological development of the measurement approach outlined here would be required to achieve a practical, effective objective means for monitoring transient changes in cognitive brain function during performance of complex real-world tasks.

  17. Measuring the interactions between different locations in a muscle to monitor localized muscle fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bingham, Adrian; Arjunan, Sridhar P; Kumar, Dinesh K

    2017-07-01

    In this study we investigated a technique for estimating the progression of localized muscle fatigue. This technique measures the dependence between motor units using high density surface electromyogram (HD-sEMG) and is based on the Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) measure. The NMI between every pair combination of the electrode array is computed to measure the interactions between electrodes. Participants in the experiment had an array of 64 electrodes (16 by 4) placed over the TA of their dominate leg such that the columns of the array ran parallel with the muscle fibers. The HD-sEMG was recorded whilst the participants maintained an isometric dorsiflexion with their dominate foot until task failure at 40% and 80% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The interactions between different locations over the muscle were computed using the recorded HD-sEMG signals. The results show that the average interactions between various locations over the TA significantly increased during fatigue at both levels of contraction. This can be attributed to the dependence in the motor units.

  18. Scanning Electron Microscope Mapping System Developed for Detecting Surface Defects in Fatigue Specimens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonacuse, Peter J.; Kantzos, Peter T.

    2002-01-01

    An automated two-degree-of-freedom specimen positioning stage has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to map and monitor defects in fatigue specimens. This system expedites the examination of the entire gauge section of fatigue specimens so that defects can be found using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Translation and rotation stages are driven by microprocessor-based controllers that are, in turn, interfaced to a computer running custom-designed software. This system is currently being used to find and record the location of ceramic inclusions in powder metallurgy materials. The mapped inclusions are periodically examined during interrupted fatigue experiments. The number of cycles to initiate cracks from these inclusions and the rate of growth of initiated cracks can then be quantified. This information is necessary to quantify the effect of this type of defect on the durability of powder metallurgy materials. This system was developed with support of the Ultra Safe program.

  19. How to Train Safe Drivers: Setting Up and Evaluating a Fatigue Training Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adamos Giannis

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Fatigue is considered as a serious risk driving behavior, causing road accidents, which in many cases involve fatalities and severe injuries. According to CARE database statistics, professional drivers are indicated as a high-risk group to be involved in a fatigue-related accident. Acknowledging these statistics, a training program on driving fatigue was organized, aiming at raising awareness of professional drivers of a leading company in building materials, in Greece. Selected experimental methods were used for collecting data before and after the training program, which allowed monitoring and assessing the potential behavioural changes. A questionnaire survey was conducted before the program implementation to 162 drivers of the company, while two months after the program, the same drivers replied to a second questionnaire. Impact assessment of the program relied on statistical analysis of the responses. Results showed the degree of penetration of the training program in the professional drivers' behavior towards safe driving.

  20. Flexural fatigue life prediction of closed hat-section using materially nonlinear axial fatigue characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razzaq, Zia

    1989-01-01

    Straight or curved hat-section members are often used as structural stiffeners in aircraft. For instance, they are employed as stiffeners for the dorsal skin as well as in the aerial refueling adjacent area structure in F-106 aircraft. The flanges of the hat-section are connected to the aircraft skin. Thus, the portion of the skin closing the hat-section interacts with the section itself when resisting the stresses due to service loads. The flexural fatigue life of such a closed section is estimated using materially nonlinear axial fatigue characteristics. It should be recognized that when a structural shape is subjected to bending, the fatigue life at the neutral axis is infinity since the normal stresses are zero at that location. Conversely, the fatigue life at the extreme fibers where the normal bending stresses are maximum can be expected to be finite. Thus, different fatigue life estimates can be visualized at various distances from the neural axis. The problem becomes compounded further when significant portions away from the neutral axis are stressed into plastic range. A theoretical analysis of the closed hat-section subjected to flexural cyclic loading is first conducted. The axial fatigue characteristics together with the related axial fatigue life formula and its inverted form given by Manson and Muralidharan are adopted for an aluminum alloy used in aircraft construction. A closed-form expression for predicting the flexural fatigue life is then derived for the closed hat-section including materially nonlinear action. A computer program is written to conduct a study of the variables such as the thicknesses of the hat-section and the skin, and the type of alloy used. The study has provided a fundamental understanding of the flexural fatigue life characteristics of a practical structural component used in aircraft when materially nonlinear action is present.

  1. Fatigue of vanadium--hydrogen alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, K.S.; Stoloff, N.S.

    1975-01-01

    Hydrogen contents near and above the room temperature solubility limit increase the high cycle fatigue life but decrease low cycle life of polycrystalline vanadium. Changes in endurance limit with hydrides may be a consequence of decreased cyclic strain hardening coefficient, n'. 132 ppM hydrogen in solution has only a slightly beneficial effect on stress controlled fatigue life and essentially no effect on low cycle fatigue life. Unalloyed vanadium exhibits profuse striations, while hydrides produce cleavage cracks in fatigued samples. 10 fig

  2. Metal magnetic memory technique used to predict the fatigue crack propagation behavior of 0.45%C steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chongchong, Li [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130 (China); National Key Lab for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armored Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China); Lihong, Dong, E-mail: lihong.dong@126.com [National Key Lab for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armored Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China); Haidou, Wang [National Key Lab for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armored Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China); Guolu, Li [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130 (China); Binshi, Xu [National Key Lab for Remanufacturing, Academy of Armored Forces Engineering, Beijing 100072 (China)

    2016-05-01

    Monitoring fatigue crack propagation behavior of ferromagnetic components is very important. In this paper, the tension–tension fatigue tests of center cracked tension (CCT) specimens were carried out; the variation regularity of both tangential and normal components of magnetic signals during fatigue process were investigated. The results showed that the initial abnormal signals which appeared at the notch were reversed after cyclic loading. The abnormal magnetic signals became more significant with the increase of fatigue cycles and reversed again after failure. The characteristic parameters, i.e., the peak value of tangential component, B{sub tp}, and maximum gradient value of normal component, K{sub m}, showed similar variation trends during the fatigue process, which can be divided into three different stages. An approximate linear relationship was found between the characteristic parameters and fatigue crack length 2a. The feasibility of predicting the fatigue crack propagation using the abnormal magnetic signals was discussed. What's more, the variation and distribution of the magnetic signals were also analyzed based on the theory of magnetic charge. - Highlights: • A novel and passive NDT method, i.e. MMMT method, is proposed. • Both tangential and normal components of magnetic signals were investigated. • The prediction of crack propagation by abnormal magnetic signals was discussed. • A linear relationship was found between the parameters and fatigue crack length 2a. • The parameters can be potentially used to evaluate the crack propagation state.

  3. Evaluation of micro fatigue crack growth under equi-biaxial stress by membranous pressure fatigue test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iida, Satoshi; Abe, Shigeki; Nakamura, Takao; Kamaya, Masayuki

    2014-01-01

    For preventing nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents, NPPs are required to ensure system safety in long term safe operation under aging degradation. Now, fatigue accumulation is one of major ageing phenomena and are evaluated to ensure safety by design fatigue curve that are based on the results of uniaxial fatigue tests. On the other hand, thermal stress that occurs in piping of actual components is not uniaxial but equi-biaxial. For accurate evaluation, it is required to conform real circumstance. In this study, membranous pressure fatigue test was conducted to simulated equi-biaxial stress. Crack initiation and crack growth were examined by replica investigation. Calculation result of equivalent stress intensity factor shows crack growth under equi-biaxial stress is faster than under uniaxial stress. It is concluded that equi-biaxial fatigue behavior should be considered in the evaluation of fatigue crack initiation and crack growth. (author)

  4. Muscle injections with lidocaine improve resting fatigue and pain in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Staud R

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Roland Staud,1 Taylor Kizer,1 Michael E Robinson2 1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, 2Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Objective: Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS complain of long-lasting fatigue and pain which are not relieved by rest and worsened by physical exertion. Previous research has implicated metaboreceptors of muscles to play an important role for chronic fatigue and pain. Therefore, we hypothesized that blocking impulse input from deep tissues with intramuscular lidocaine injections would improve not only the pain but also fatigue of CFS patients. Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 58 CFS patients received 20 mL of 1% lidocaine (200 mg or normal saline once into both trapezius and gluteal muscles. Study outcomes included clinical fatigue and pain, depression, and anxiety. In addition, mechanical and heat hyperalgesia were assessed and serum levels of lidocaine were obtained after the injections. Results: Fatigue ratings of CFS patients decreased significantly more after lidocaine compared to saline injections (p = 0.03. In contrast, muscle injections reduced pain, depression, and anxiety (p < 0.001, but these changes were not statistically different between lidocaine and saline (p > 0.05. Lidocaine injections increased mechanical pain thresholds of CFS patients (p = 0.04 but did not affect their heat hyperalgesia. Importantly, mood changes or lidocaine serum levels did not significantly predict fatigue reductions. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that lidocaine injections reduce clinical fatigue of CFS patients significantly more than placebo, suggesting an important role of peripheral tissues for chronic fatigue. Future investigations will be necessary to evaluate the clinical benefits of such interventions. Keywords: muscle injections, lidocaine, metaboreceptor, chronic fatigue 

  5. Fatigue crack growth behavior and AE signal recognition from a composite patch repaired Ai thein plate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sung Jin; Kwon, Oh Yang

    2004-01-01

    The fatigue crack growth behavior of a fatigue-cracked and patch-repaired AA2024-T3 plate has been monitored. It was found that the overall crack growth rate was reduced and the crack propagation into the adjacent hole was also retarded. Signals due to crack growth after patch-repair and those due to debonding of the plate-patch interface were discriminated each other by using principal component analysis. The former showed higher center frequency and lower amplitude, whereas the latter showed longer rise time, lower frequency and higher amplitude.

  6. Fatigue Analysis of a Mono-Tower Platform

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

    In this paper, a fatigue reliability analysis of a Mono-tower platform is presented. The failure mode, fatigue failure in the butt welds, is investigated with two different models. The one with the fatigue strength expressed through SN relations, the other with the fatigue strength expressed thro...... of the natural period, damping ratio, current, stress Spectrum and parameters describing the fatigue strength. Further, soil damping is shown to be significant for the Mono-tower.......In this paper, a fatigue reliability analysis of a Mono-tower platform is presented. The failure mode, fatigue failure in the butt welds, is investigated with two different models. The one with the fatigue strength expressed through SN relations, the other with the fatigue strength expressed...... through linear-elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). In determining the cumulative fatigue damage, Palmgren-Miner's rule is applied. Element reliability as well as systems reliability is estimated using first-order reliability methods (FORM). The sensitivity of the systems reliability to various parameters...

  7. Asleep at the automated wheel-Sleepiness and fatigue during highly automated driving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogelpohl, Tobias; Kühn, Matthias; Hummel, Thomas; Vollrath, Mark

    2018-03-20

    pose a serious hazard in complex take-over situations where situation awareness is required to prepare for threats. Driver fatigue monitoring or controllable distraction through non-driving tasks could be necessary to ensure alertness and availability during highly automated driving. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparison of the effects of whole-body cooling during fatiguing exercise in males and females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solianik, Rima; Skurvydas, Albertas; Pukėnas, Kazimieras; Brazaitis, Marius

    2015-08-01

    The effects of cold stress on exercise performance and fatigue have been thoroughly investigated only in males, and thus the general understanding of these effects relates only to males. The aim of this study was to determine whether whole-body cooling has different effects on performance during fatiguing exercise in males and females. Thirty-two subjects (18 males and 14 females) were exposed to acute cold stress by intermittent immersion in 14°C water until their rectal temperature reached 35.5°C or for a maximum of 170 min. Thermal responses and motor performance were monitored before and after whole-body cooling. Whole-body cooling decreased rectal, muscle and mean skin temperatures in all subjects (pCold stress decreased the fatigue index (FI) of a sustained 2-min maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) only in males (pbody cooling-induced decrease in the FI of a sustained MVC in males but not in females) supports the view of sex effects on performance during fatiguing exercise after whole-body cooling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Biaxial fatigue of metals the present understanding

    CERN Document Server

    Schijve, Jaap

    2016-01-01

    Problems of fatigue under multiaxial fatigue loads have been addressed in a very large number of research publications. The present publication is primarily a survey of biaxial fatigue under constant amplitude loading on metal specimens. It starts with the physical understanding of the fatigue phenomenon under biaxial fatigue loads. Various types of proportional and non-proportional biaxial fatigue loads and biaxial stress distributions in a material are specified. Attention is paid to the fatigue limit, crack nucleation, initial micro crack growth and subsequent macro-crack in different modes of crack growth. The interference between the upper and lower surfaces of a fatigue crack is discussed. Possibilities for predictions of biaxial fatigue properties are analysed with reference to the similarity concept. The significance of the present understanding for structural design problems is considered. The book is completed with a summary of major observations.

  10. Fatigue Strength of Weathering Steel

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kunz, Ludvík; Lukáš, Petr; Klusák, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 1 (2012), s. 18-22 ISSN 1392-1320 Grant - others:GA MPO(CZ) FT/TA5/076 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : fatigue of weathering steel * corrosion pits * fatigue notch factor Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics Impact factor: 0.522, year: 2012

  11. O desenvolvimento de competências para a docência segundo a vivência de docentes de um curso de graduação em enfermagem.

    OpenAIRE

    Inahiá Pinhel

    2006-01-01

    Este estudo versa sobre o desenvolvimento de competências para a docência segundo a vivência de docentes de um curso de graduação em enfermagem. Busca conhecer quando e como docentes de um curso de graduação de Enfermagem desenvolvem competências para a docência; identificar os conhecimentos e as habilidades desenvolvidas pelos docentes na construção de competências para o ensino de Enfermagem e identificar como intervir nesse processo, por meio da reflexão sobre a profissão docente. Realizad...

  12. Importance of fatiguing, overtraining and chronic fatigue in athletes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Piesik

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Each training that requires achieving a higher heart rate limit and/or increased concentration in time may cause fatigue, considered to be a natural defence mechanism of a body. In the case of excessive fatigue and insufficient time designated for rest and regeneration, an overtraining syndrome (OTS may develop. The main symptom of overtraining is increased fatigue that fails to become reversed in normal conditions of regeneration. Although authors are familiar with the overtraining syndrome and associated symptoms, as of today no diagnostic tool has been developed that may form a basis for a final diagnosis, and the diagnosis itself is frequently based on a subjective assessment of the athlete. Possible causes of the band overtraining syndrome are disorders of sodium, inflammatory processes resulting from physical activity and / or disorders of the autonomic nervous system.

  13. Comparing Fatigue Life Estimations of Composite Wind Turbine Blades using different Fatigue Analysis Tools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ardila, Oscar Gerardo Castro; Lennie, Matthew; Branner, Kim

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, fatigue lifetime prediction of NREL 5MW reference wind turbine is presented. The fatigue response of materials used in selected blade cross sections was obtained by applying macroscopic fatigue approaches and assuming uniaxial stress states. Power production and parked load cases...... suggested by the IEC 61400-1 standard were studied employing different load time intervals and by using two novel fatigue tools called ALBdeS and BECAS+F. The aeroelastic loads were defined thought aeroelastic simulations performed with both FAST and HAWC2 tools. The stress spectra at each layer were...... calculated employing laminated composite theory and beam cross section methods. The Palmgren-Miner linear damage rule was used to calculate the accumulation damage. The theoretical results produced by both fatigue tools proved a prominent effect of analysed design load conditions on the estimated lifetime...

  14. Fatigue damage observed non-destructively in fibre composite coupon test specimens by X-ray CT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jespersen, Kristine Munk; Mikkelsen, Lars Pilgaard

    2016-01-01

    This study presents a method for monitoring the 3D fatigue damage progression on a micro-structural level in a glass fibre/polymer coupon test specimen by means of laboratory X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). A modified mount and holder made for the standard test samples to fit into the X-ray CT...... scanner along with a tension clamp solution is presented. Initially, the same location of the test specimen is inspected by ex-situ X-ray CT during the fatigue loading history, which shows the damage progression on a micro-structural level. The openings of individual uni-directional (UD) fibre fractures...

  15. Prevalence of fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in a primary care practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, D W; Schmitt, W; Buchwald, D; Ware, N C; Lee, J; Thoyer, E; Kornish, R J; Komaroff, A L

    1993-12-27

    Our goals were to determine the prevalence of unusual, debilitating fatigue and the frequency with which it was associated with the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or other physical or psychological illness in an outpatient clinic population. We prospectively evaluated a cohort of 1000 consecutive patients in a primary care clinic in an urban, hospital-based general medicine practice. The study protocol included a detailed history, physical examination, and laboratory and psychiatric testing. Five patients who came because of CFS studies were excluded. Of the remaining 995, 323 reported fatigue, and 271 (27%) complained of at least 6 months of unusual fatigue that interfered with their daily lives. Of the 271, self-report or record review revealed a medical or psychiatric condition that could have explained the fatigue in 186 (69%). Thus, 85 (8.5%) of 995 patients had a debilitating fatigue of at least 6 months' duration, without apparent cause. Of these patients, 48 refused further evaluation, and 11 were unavailable for follow-up; 26 completed the protocol. Three of the 26 were hypothyroid, and one had a major psychiatric disorder. Of the remaining 22 patients, three met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for CFS, four met British criteria, and 10 met the Australian case definition. The point prevalences of CFS were thus 0.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0% to 0.6%), 0.4% (95% CI, 0% to 0.8%), and 1.0% (95% CI, 0.4% to 1.6%) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, British, and Australian case definitions, respectively. These estimates were conservative, because they assumed that none of the patients who refused evaluation or were unavailable for follow-up would meet criteria for CFS. While chronic, debilitating fatigue is common in medical outpatients, CFS is relatively uncommon. Prevalence depends substantially on the case definition used.

  16. Work fatigue in urban bus drivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Bus drivers are a special group of professional drivers who are at a very high risk of fatigue. The aim of the study was to examine whether the driver’s subjective assessment of fatigue allows for the determination of its level and identification of its causes. Material and Methods: The study group comprised 45 randomly selected bus drivers (mean age – 43.7±7.9 years, period of employment as drivers – 14.7±8.6 years. Examinations were performed in all subjects four times – before and after work on the “easy” route (outside the city center, small traffic intensity and before and after work on the “difficult” route (city center, heavy traffic. The fatigue test questionnaire, based on the list of symptoms of fatigue prepared by the Japan Research Committee of Fatigue, was used in the study. Results: The rating of fatigue after the work was significantly higher than that before the work. The profile of fatigue after work was not influenced by the type of route, but the assessment of most symptoms of fatigue reached a higher level after the “difficult” routes and the differences were statistically significant for 7 symptoms. Only the ratings of leg fatigue, feeling of heaviness, and the necessity to squint eyes and gaze with effort reached the higher levels after driving the “easy” routes. It has been found that the level of fatigue was significantly correlated with the job characteristics (driving time, the length of the route, number of stops, etc. and with the abundance of food ingested and type of beverage (coffee vs. others drunk prior to driving. Conclusions: The questionnaire used in our study to assess the subjective feeling of fatigue has proved to be a sensitive and useful tool for indicating the level and causes of fatigue. The relationship between the symptoms of fatigue and the characteristics of job and lifestyle shows that actions must be taken by both the employers and employees to prevent fatigue

  17. Intravenous Vitamin C administration reduces fatigue in office workers: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suh Sang-Yeon

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies of the efficacy of vitamin C treatment for fatigue have yielded inconsistent results. One of the reasons for this inconsistency could be the difference in delivery routes. Therefore, we planned a clinical trial with intravenous vitamin C administration. Methods We evaluated the effect of intravenous vitamin C on fatigue in office workers. A group of 141 healthy volunteers, aged 20 to 49 years participated in this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. The trial group received 10 grams of vitamin C with normal saline intravenously, while the placebo group received normal saline only. Since vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant, oxidative stress was measured. Fatigue score, oxidative stress, and plasma vitamin C levels were measured before intervention, and again two hours and one day after intervention. Adverse events were monitored. Results The fatigue scores measured at two hours after intervention and one day after intervention were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.004; fatigue scores decreased in the vitamin C group after two hours and remained lower for one day. Trial also led to higher plasma vitamin C levels and lower oxidative stress compared to the placebo group (p Conclusion Thus, intravenous vitamin C reduced fatigue at two hours, and the effect persisted for one day. There were no significant differences in adverse events between two groups. High dose intravenous vitamin C proved to be safe and effective against fatigue in this study. Trial Registration The clinical trial registration of this trial is http://ClinicalTrials.govNCT00633581.

  18. Fatigue 󈨛. Volume 2,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-06-01

    ROLAND STICKLER Absolute Fatigue Thresholds in Metallic 801 Materials - J.A. LEWIS Thermometrical Investigations on the Near 809 Threshold Fatigue...impurities reported by Semi- Alloys Inc. totaled less than 0.1%. Specimens were cast in a flat open aluminum mold. Each specimen was 6 mm thick and 12...and 2024-T351 Aluminum Alloy", in "Fatigue Crack Growth Threshold Concepts", D.L. Davidson, S. Suresh, editors, TMS-AIME. 1984, pp. 63-82. (2) Bailon

  19. Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus (TAFA) is a progressive wave tube test facility that is used to test structures for dynamic response and sonic fatigue due to...

  20. Factors related to fatigue; priority of interventions to reduce or eliminate fatigue and the exploration of a multidisciplinary research model for further study of fatigue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tiesinga, LJ; Dassen, TWN; Halfens, RJG; van den Heuvel, WJA

    A growing interest in the health problem presented by fatigue, both in clinical practice and research, coupled with a decreasing number of reported studies on fatigue in the last decade, make an updated and systematic review of factors related to fatigue necessary. A search of the literature,

  1. Fatigue and creep-fatigue strength of 304 steel under biaxial strain conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asayama, Tai; Aoto, Kazumi; Wada, Yusaku

    1990-01-01

    A series of fatigue and creep-fatigue tests were conducted with 304 stainless steel at 550degC under a variety of biaxial strain conditions. Fatigue life under nonproportional loading conditions showed a significant life reduction compared with that of proportional loading, and this life reduction was reasonably estimated by taking into account the strain paths along which the strain history is imposed. Furthermore, a marked life reduction was shown to occur under nonproportional loading by imposing a strain hold period at a peak tensile strain. This life reduction was evaluated by the linear damage rule. It was shown to be possible to estimate the fatigue damage and the creep damage under nonproportional loading by a linear damage rule by estimating a stress relaxation behavior by Mises-type equivalent stress or Huddleston-type equivalent stress. (author)

  2. A comparison of patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome and patients with chronic fatigue syndrome with a focus on inflammatory markers and possible fatigue perpetuating cognitions and behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keijmel, Stephan P; Saxe, Johanna; van der Meer, Jos W M; Nikolaus, Stephanie; Netea, Mihai G; Bleijenberg, Gijs; Bleeker-Rovers, Chantal P; Knoop, Hans

    2015-10-01

    Comparison of Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients, with a focus on markers of inflammation and fatigue-related cognitive-behavioural variables. Data from two independent prospective studies on QFS (n=117) and CFS (n=173), respectively, were pooled and analyzed. QFS patients were less often female, had a higher BMI, and had less often received treatment for depression before the onset of symptoms. After controlling for symptom duration and correcting for differences in diagnostic criteria for QFS and CFS with respect to the level of impairment and the presence of additional symptoms, differences in the proportion of females and BMI remained significant. After correction, QFS patients were also significantly older. In all analyses QFS patients were as fatigued and distressed as CFS patients, but reported less additional symptoms. QFS patients had stronger somatic attributions, and higher levels of physical activity. No differences were found with regard to inflammatory markers and in other fatigue-related cognitive-behavioural variables. The relationship between cognitive-behavioural variables and fatigue, previously established in CFS, could not be confirmed in QFS patients with the exception of the negative relationship between physical activity and fatigue. Differences and similarities between QFS and CFS patients were found. Although the relationship between perpetuating factors and fatigue previously established in CFS could not be confirmed in QFS patients, the considerable overlap in fatigue-related cognitive-behavioural variables and the relationship found between physical activity and fatigue may suggest that behavioural interventions could reduce fatigue severity in QFS patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Hormone levels in radiotherapy treatment related fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biswal, B.M.; Mallik, G.S.

    2003-01-01

    Radiotherapy is known to cause debilitating treatment related fatigue. Fatigue in general is a conglomeration of psychological, physical, hematological and unknown factors influencing the internal milieu of the cancer patient. Radiotherapy can add stress at the cellular and somatic level to aggravate further fatigue in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Stress related hormones might be mediating in the development of fatigue. This is an ongoing prospective study to evaluate if the hormonal profile related to stress is influenced by radiotherapy treatment related fatigue. The study was conducted from September 2002 onwards in the division of Radiotherapy and Oncology of our Medical School. Previously untreated patients with histopathology proof of malignancy requiring external beam radiotherapy were considered for this study. Selection criteria were applied to exclude other causes of fatigue. Initial fatigue score was obtained using Pipers Fatigue Score questionnaire containing 23 questions, subsequently final fatigue score was obtained at the end of radiotherapy. Blood samples were obtained to estimate the levels of ACTH, TSH, HGH, and cortisol on the final assessment. The hormone levels were compared with resultant post radiotherapy fatigue score. At the time of reporting 50 patients were evaluable for the study. The total significant fatigue score was observed among 12 (24%) patients. The individual debilitating fatigue score were behavioral severity 14 (28%), affective meaning 14(28%), Sensory 13 (26%) and cognitive mood 10 (20%) respectively. From the analysis of hormonal profile, growth hormone level > 1 ng/mL and TSH <0.03 appears to be associated with high fatigue score (though statistically not significant); whereas there was no correlation with ACTH and serum cortisol level. In our prospective study severe radiotherapy treatment related fatigue was found among our patient population. Low levels of TSH and high levels of GH appear to be associated

  4. Thermal fatigue of beryllium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deksnis, E.; Ciric, D.; Falter, H.

    1995-01-01

    Thermal fatigue life of S65c beryllium castellated to a geometry 6 x 6 x (8-10)mm deep has been tested for steady heat fluxes of 3 MW/m 2 to 5 MW/m 2 and under pulsed heat fluxes (10-20 MW/m 2 ) for which the time averaged heat flux is 5 MW/m 2 . These tests were carried out in the JET neutral beam test facility A test sequence with peak surface temperatures ≤ 600 degrees C produced no visible fatigue cracks. In the second series of tests, with T max ≤ 750 degrees C evidence for fatigue appeared after a minimum of 1350 stress cycles. These fatigue data are discussed in view of the observed lack of thermal fatigue in JET plasma operations with beryllium PFC. JET experience with S65b and S65c is reviewed; recent operations with Φ = 25 MW/m 2 and sustained melting/resolidification are also presented. The need for a failure criterion for finite element analyses of Be PFC lifetimes is discussed

  5. Fatigue and workload among Danish fishermen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Remmen, Line Nørgaard; Herttua, Kimmo; Riss-Jepsen, Jørgen

    2017-01-01

    . Highest levels of fatigue were observed among fishermen at Danish seiners (mean 10.21), and fatigue scores decreased with more days at sea. However, none of these results were significant. Adjusted analyses showed that physical workload was significantly related to general fatigue (b = 0.20, 95% CI: 0...... was additionally significantly associated to the levels of physical and mental fatigue. Fishermen had a lower average score for all fatigue dimensions compared to those seen in general Danish working population. Prospective studies are required to assess whether the identified associations are causal....

  6. Fatigue: Is it all neurochemistry?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeusen, Romain; Roelands, Bart

    2018-02-01

    Fatigue during exercise can be approached from different angles. Peripheral fatigue is usually described as an impairment located in the muscle and characterized by a metabolic end point, while central fatigue is defined as a failure of the central nervous system to adequately drive the muscle. The aim of the present narrative review paper is to look at the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of fatigue during prolonged exercise, predominantly from a brain neurochemical point of view. From studies in rodents it is clear that exercise increases the release of several neurotransmitters in different brain regions, and that the onset of fatigue can be manipulated when dopaminergic influx in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamus is increased, interfering with thermoregulation. This is however not as straightforward in humans, in which most studies manipulating brain neurotransmission failed to change the onset of fatigue in normal ambient temperatures. When the ambient temperature was increased, dopaminergic and combined dopaminergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibition appeared to override a safety switch, allowing subjects to push harder and become much warmer, without changing their perception. In general, we can conclude that brain neurochemistry is clearly involved in the complex regulation of fatigue, but many other mediators also play a role.

  7. Damage assessment of low-cycle fatigue by crack growth prediction. Fatigue life under cyclic thermal stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamaya, Masayuki

    2013-01-01

    The number of cycles to failure of specimens in fatigue tests can be estimated by predicting crack growth. Under a cyclic thermal stress caused by fluctuation of fluid temperature, due to the stress gradient in the thickness direction, the estimated fatigue life differs from that estimated for mechanical fatigue tests. In this paper, the influence of crack growth under cyclic thermal loading on the fatigue life was investigated. First, the thermal stress was derived by superposing analytical solutions, and then, the stress intensity factor was obtained by the weight function method. It was shown that the thermal stress depended not on the rate of the fluid temperature change but on the rise time, and the magnitude of the stress was increased as the rise time was decreased. The stress intensity factor under the cyclic thermal stress was smaller than that under the uniform stress distribution. The change in the stress intensity factor with the crack depth was almost the same regardless of the rise time. The estimated fatigue life under the cyclic thermal loading could be 1.6 times longer than that under the uniform stress distribution. The critical size for the fatigue life determination was assumed to be 3 mm for fatigue test specimens of 10 mm diameter. By evaluating the critical size by structural integrity analyses, the fatigue life was increased and the effect of the critical size on the fatigue life was more pronounced for the cyclic thermal stress. (author)

  8. Fatigue, burnout, and chronic fatigue syndrome among employees on sick leave: do attributions make the difference?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huibers, M.J.H.; Beurskens, A.J.H.M.; Prins, J.B.; Kant, I.J.; Bazelmans, H.M.; Schayck, C.P. van; Knottnerus, J.A.; Bleijenberg, G.

    2003-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Persistent fatigue among employees, burnout, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are three fatigue conditions that share some characteristics in theory. However, these conditions have not been compared in empirical research, despite conceptual similarities. METHODS: This cross sectional

  9. Fatigue property and fatigue cracks of ultra-fine grained copper processed by equal-channel angular pressing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wang, Q.; Du, Z.; Liu, X.; Kunz, Ludvík

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 2011, č. 682 (2011), s. 231-237 ISSN 1013-9826 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : ultrafine-grained copper * equal channel angular pressing * fatigue * fatigue cracks Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics

  10. Exercise muscle fatigue detection system implementation via wireless surface electromyography and empirical mode decomposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Kang-Ming; Liu, Shing-Hong; Wang, Jia-Jung; Cheng, Da-Chuan

    2013-01-01

    Surface electromyography (sEMG) is an important measurement for monitoring exercise and fitness. A wireless Bluetooth transmission sEMG measurement system with a sampling frequency of 2 KHz is developed. Traditional muscle fatigue is detected from the median frequency of the sEMG power spectrum. The regression slope of the linear regression of median frequency is an important muscle fatigue index. As fatigue increases, the power spectrum of the sEMG shifts toward lower frequencies. The goal of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity of empirical mode decomposition (EMD) quantifying the electrical manifestations of the local muscle fatigue during exercising in health people. We also compared this method with the raw data and discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Five male and five female volunteers participated. Each subject was asked to run on a multifunctional pedaled elliptical trainer for about 30 minutes, twice a week, and there were a total of six recording times for each subject with a wireless EMG recording system. The results show that sensitivity of the highest frequency component of EMD is better than the highest frequency component of DWT, and raw data.

  11. Noncontact fatigue crack evaluation using thermoelastic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ji Min; An, Yun Kyu; Sohn, Hoon [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-12-15

    This paper proposes a noncontact thermography technique for fatigue crack evaluation under a cyclic tensile loading. The proposed technique identifies and localizes an invisible fatigue crack without scanning, thus making it possible to instantaneously evaluate an incipient fatigue crack. Based on a thermoelastic theory, a new fatigue crack evaluation algorithm is proposed for the fatigue crack tip localization. The performance of the proposed algorithm is experimentally validated. To achieve this, the cyclic tensile loading is applied to a dog bone shape aluminum specimen using a universal testing machine, and the corresponding thermal responses induced by thermoelastic effects are captured by an infrared camera. The test results confirm that the fatigue crack is well identified and localized by comparing with its microscopic images.

  12. Design fatigue curve for Hastelloy-X

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishiguchi, Isoharu; Muto, Yasushi; Tsuji, Hirokazu

    1983-12-01

    In the design of components intended for elevated temperature service as the experimental Very High-Temperature gas-cooled Reactor (VHTR), it is essential to prevent fatigue failure and creep-fatigue failure. The evaluation method which uses design fatigue curves is adopted in the design rules. This report discussed several aspects of these design fatigue curves for Hastelloy-X (-XR) which is considered for use as a heat-resistant alloy in the VHTR. Examination of fatigue data gathered by a literature search including unpublished data showed that Brinkman's equation is suitable for the design curve of Hastelloy-X (-XR), where total strain range Δ epsilon sub(t) is used as independent variable and fatigue life Nsub(f) is transformed into log(log Nsub(f)). (author)

  13. Diagnostic and monitoring systems in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wehling, H.J.; Jax, P.; Streicher, V.

    1987-01-01

    Monitoring systems are important for the availability of nuclear power plants. A survey is given about such systems designed and constructed by the Kraftwerk Union AG Erlangen (Federal Republic of Germany) in order to assure the mechanical integrity of reactor cooling systems. Three monitoring systems based on microprocessors are presented: KUES (acoustic detection of loose parts), SUES (vibration), and FAMOS (fatigue)

  14. Monitoring tensile fatigue of superelastic NiTi Wire in liquids by electrochemical potential

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Racek, Jan; Stora, M.; Šittner, Petr; Heller, Luděk; Kopeček, Jaromír; Petrenec, M.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 1, č. 2 (2015), s. 204-230 ISSN 2199-384X R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36566G; GA ČR GA14-15264S; GA ČR GAP107/12/0800; GA MŠk LO1409 Grant - others:FUNBIO(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21568 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : nitinol * shape memory alloy * corrosion * fatigue * tensile test * electrochemistry * hydrogen embrittlement Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism

  15. Fatigue sensation induced by the sounds associated with mental fatigue and its related neural activities: revealed by magnetoencephalography

    OpenAIRE

    Ishii, Akira; Tanaka, Masaaki; Iwamae, Masayoshi; Kim, Chongsoo; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2013-01-01

    Background It has been proposed that an inappropriately conditioned fatigue sensation could be one cause of chronic fatigue. Although classical conditioning of the fatigue sensation has been reported in rats, there have been no reports in humans. Our aim was to examine whether classical conditioning of the mental fatigue sensation can take place in humans and to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Methods Ten and 9 healthy volunteers particip...

  16. Vivência do sofrimento moral na enfermagem: percepção da enfermeira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edison Luiz Devos Barlem

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Objetivando conhecer a percepção do sofrimento moral vivenciado, relacionando frequência e intensidade, realizou-se pesquisa Survey, utilizando escala Likert variando de 0 a 6 pontos, com 124 enfermeiras em hospitais do sul do Brasil, no ano de 2008. Mediante questionário autoaplicável e análise fatorial, foram identificados e validados quatro constructos. Os resultados finais foram obtidos através de três diferentes análises: 1 estatística descritiva; 2 análises de variância 3 regressão múltipla. O constructo que apresentou maior intensidade de percepção de vivência do sofrimento moral foi a falta de competência na equipe de trabalho (4,55, seguido pela negação do papel da enfermeira como advogada do paciente (4,30, obstinação terapêutica (3,60 e desrespeito à autonomia do paciente (3,57. Em relação à percepção da frequência do sofrimento moral, destacou-se, novamente, o constructo falta de competência na equipe de trabalho (2,42, seguido da obstinação terapêutica (2,26, negação do papel da enfermeira como advogada do paciente (1,71 e desrespeito à autonomia do paciente (1,42.

  17. Adalimumab impact on fatigue measured by FACIT-F: a study of rheumatoid arthritis patients in Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janoudi N

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Nahed Janoudi,1 Narges Omran,2 Waleed Hussain,3 Hanan Al-osaimi,4 Matouqa Baamer,5 Muhammad Irfanullah Siddiqui,6 Omar Fathaldin,7 Hani Almoallim1,4,8 1Department of Medicine, Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, 2Department of Medicine, Alnoor General Hospital, 3Department of Medicine, Heraa General Hospital, 4Alzaidi Chair of Research in Rheumatic Diseases, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 5Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Hospital & Oncology Center, Jeddah, 6Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 7Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 8Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of adalimumab as a treatment for fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Methods: Fatigue was monitored in patients with RA who were already on an adalimumab treatment regimen. Fatigue, general well-being, comorbidities, and disease activity were measured at baseline and ~8, 16, and 24 weeks, thereafter. Results: Significant reductions in fatigue scores and disease activity were observed from baseline to 6 months after. A predictive regression model of fatigue severity was proposed and was found to be significant, with RA disease activity as the most significant predictor of fatigue severity. Conclusion: This quasi-experimental study is a good starting point for research on the efficacy of adalimumab in treating fatigue in RA patients. The results here suggest that a randomized controlled trial assessing adalimumab as a treatment option for RA patients suffering from fatigue is warranted. Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue, adalimumab, disease activity, Saudi Arabia, FACIT-F 

  18. Fatigue Life Analysis and Prediction of 316L Stainless Steel Under Low Cycle Fatigue Loading

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Hyeong; Myung, NohJun; Choi, Nak-Sam [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    In this study, a strain-controlled fatigue test of widely-used 316L stainless steel with excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties was conducted, in order to assess its fatigue life. Low cycle fatigue behaviors were analyzed at room temperature, as a function of the strain amplitude and strain ratio. The material was hardened during the initial few cycles, and then was softened during the long post period, until failure occurred. The fatigue life decreased with increasing strain amplitude. Masing behavior in the hysteresis loop was shown under the low strain amplitude, whereas the high strain amplitude caused non-Masing behavior and reduced the mean stress. Low cycle fatigue life prediction based on the cyclic plastic energy dissipation theory, considering Masing and non-Masing effects, showed a good correlation with the experimental results.

  19. Direct and indirect measurement of neuromuscular fatigue in Canadian football players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Nick; Farthing, Jonathan P; Lanovaz, Joel L; Krentz, Joel R

    2015-05-01

    This study assessed the effects of a fatiguing game simulation (G-Sim) on the balance of collegiate Canadian football players. The purpose of the study was to evaluate postural control as a potential tool for monitoring neuromuscular fatigue (NMF) in collision-based team sports. Fifteen male Canadian football players were recruited (mean±SD: age 21.8±1.6 years, weight 97.6±14.7 kg). Indirect NMF measures (postural sway and countermovement jump (CMJ)) were performed 24 h before (TBase), immediately before (TPre) and after (TPost), and 24 h (T24) and 48 h after (T48) a Canadian football G-Sim. Peak isometric knee extensor torque of a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and electrically evoked tetani at 20 Hz (P20) and 80 Hz (P80) were also recorded as direct NMF measures at TBase, TPre, TPost, and T48. At TPost, we observed significant declines in MVC, P20, and the MVC/P80 ratio (-15.3%, -15.7%, and -12.1%, respectively; n=12) along with reductions in CMJ takeoff velocity and peak power (-6.9% and -6.5%, respectively; n=12) and larger area of the center of pressure trajectory (95.2%; n=10) during a 60-s postural sway task. All variables were no longer different than baseline by T48. Acute neuromuscular impairment in this cohort is likely attributable to alterations in excitation-contraction coupling due to structural damage and central activation failure. Congruency between the direct and indirect measures of NMF suggests monitoring postural sway has the potential to identify both neuromuscular and somatosensory alterations induced by acute game-induced fatigue in collision-based team sports players.

  20. Exploring nurse leader fatigue: a mixed methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steege, Linsey M; Pinekenstein, Barbara J; Arsenault Knudsen, Élise; Rainbow, Jessica G

    2017-05-01

    To describe hospital nurse leaders' experiences of fatigue. Fatigue is a critical challenge in nursing. Existing literature focuses on staff nurse fatigue, yet nurse leaders are exposed to high demands that may contribute to fatigue and associated risks to patient, nurse and organisational outcomes. A mixed method approach comprising semi-structured interviews and the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery scale with 21 nurse administrators (10 nurse managers and 11 nurse executives) from hospitals in a Midwestern state. Most nurse leaders experience fatigue; nurse managers reported higher levels of chronic fatigue. Participants identified multiple sources of fatigue including 24 h accountability and intensity of role expectations, and used a combination of wellness, restorative, social support and boundary setting strategies to cope with fatigue. The consequences of nurse leader fatigue include an impact on decision-making, work-life balance and turnover intent. The high prevalence of nurse leader fatigue could impact the turnover intent of nurse administrators and quality of care. This study highlights the significance and consequences of nurse leader fatigue. As health care organisations continue to raise awareness and establish systems to reduce nurse fatigue, policies and programmes must be adapted to address nurse leader fatigue. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Variable amplitude fatigue, modelling and testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svensson, Thomas.

    1993-01-01

    Problems related to metal fatigue modelling and testing are here treated in four different papers. In the first paper different views of the subject are summarised in a literature survey. In the second paper a new model for fatigue life is investigated. Experimental results are established which are promising for further development of the mode. In the third paper a method is presented that generates a stochastic process, suitable to fatigue testing. The process is designed in order to resemble certain fatigue related features in service life processes. In the fourth paper fatigue problems in transport vibrations are treated

  2. Damage formation, fatigue behavior and strength properties of ZrO_2-based ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozulin, A. A.; Kulkov, S. S.; Narikovich, A. S.; Leitsin, V. N.; Kulkov, S. N.

    2016-01-01

    It is suggested that a non-destructive testing technique using a three-dimensional X-ray tomography be applied to detecting internal structural defects and monitoring damage formation in a ceramic composite structure subjected to a bending load. Three-point bending tests are used to investigate the fatigue behavior and mechanical and physical properties of medical-grade ZrO_2-based ceramics. The bending strength and flexural modulus are derived under static conditions at a loading rate of 2 mm/min. The fatigue strength and fatigue limit under dynamic loading are investigated at a frequency of 10 Hz in three stress ranges: 0.91–0.98, 0.8–0.83, and 0.73–0.77 MPa of the static bending strength. The average values of the bending strength and flexural modulus of sintered specimens are 43 MPa and 22 GPa, respectively. The mechanical properties of the ceramics are found to be similar to those of bone tissues. The testing results lead us to conclude that the fatigue limit obtained from 10"5 stress cycles is in the range 33–34 MPa, i.e. it accounts for about 75% of the static bending strength for the test material.

  3. Metabolomic markers of fatigue: Association between circulating metabolome and fatigue in women with chronic widespread pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freidin, Maxim B; Wells, Helena R R; Potter, Tilly; Livshits, Gregory; Menni, Cristina; Williams, Frances M K

    2018-02-01

    Fatigue is a sensation of unbearable tiredness that frequently accompanies chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP) and inflammatory joint disease. Its mechanisms are poorly understood and there is a lack of effective biomarkers for diagnosis and onset prediction. We studied the circulating metabolome in a population sample characterised for CWP to identify biomarkers showing specificity for fatigue. Untargeted metabolomic profiling was conducted on fasting plasma and serum samples of 1106 females with and without CWP from the TwinsUK cohort. Linear mixed-effects models accounting for covariates were used to determine relationships between fatigue and metabolites. Receiver operating curve (ROC)-analysis was used to determine predictive value of metabolites for fatigue. While no association between fatigue and metabolites was identified in twins without CWP (n=711), in participants with CWP (n=395), levels of eicosapentaenoate (EPA) ω-3 fatty acid were significantly reduced in those with fatigue (β=-0.452±0.116; p=1.2×10 -4 ). A significant association between fatigue and two other metabolites also emerged when BMI was excluded from the model: 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoate (CMPF), and C-glycosyltryptophan (p=1.5×10 -4 and p=3.1×10 -4 , respectively). ROC analysis has identified a combination of 15 circulating metabolites with good predictive potential for fatigue in CWP (AUC=75%; 95% CI 69-80%). The results of this agnostic metabolomics screening show that fatigue is metabolically distinct from CWP, and is associated with a decrease in circulating levels of EPA. Our panel of circulating metabolites provides the starting point for a diagnostic test for fatigue in CWP. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The association between patient's and partner's fatigue in couples coping with colorectal cancer : A longitudinal study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Traa, M J; De Vries, J; Roukema, J A; Den Oudsten, B L

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Couples coping with colorectal cancer were monitored during the first year after diagnosis to evaluate the following: (i) levels of patients' and partners' fatigue-hereby comparing their scores to each other and a normative population, (ii) association between patients' and partners'

  5. O custo da cura: vivências de conforto e desconforto de mulheres submetidas à braquiterapia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Míbsam Lysia Carvalho Alves Soares

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever as vivências de conforto e desconforto de mulheres que se submeteram à braquiterapia para tratamento de câncer do colo uterino. Métodos: Estudo qualitativo, desenvolvido em 2013, embasado na Teoria do Conforto de Kolcaba e realizado por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com oito mulheres que concluíram o tratamento há, no mínimo, seis meses. Resultados: Sobressaíram os seguintes desconfortos: dor do procedimento e dos efeitos pós-tratamento, no contexto físico; medo do desconhecido e do sofrimento, falta de acompanhante, estresse por sentir-se constrangida durante o tratamento, baixa autoestima e trauma psicológico pós-terapia, no contexto psicoespiritual. As medidas de conforto consistiram no diálogo com o profissional, administração de medicações e uso da fé e espiritualidade. Conclusão: Os resultados oferecem subsídios para a prática de profissionais de saúde em relação aos confortos e desconfortos que merecem ser alvo de intervenções na assistência à mulher com câncer.

  6. Vivência da obesidade e do emagrecimento em mulheres submetidas à cirurgia bariátrica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Alberto Domingues do Nascimento

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available O presente estudo objetivou investigar em mulheres submetidas à cirurgia bariátrica os aspectos psicológicos relacionados à sua condição de obesa e ao seu emagrecimento. O método utilizado foi o descritivoexploratório, de abordagem qualitativa. Os dados permitiram, inicialmente, constatar que a obesidade, além de comprometer a saúde física, restringe a vida afetiva e social, pois impõe um autoconceito negativo e inibidor dos vínculos interpessoais. Com o processo de emagrecimento após a cirurgia, observa-se uma acentuada melhora das condições físicas e emocionais, as quais influenciam e são influenciadas pela reformulação positiva do autoconceito. Todavia, o emagrecimento tanto pode acarretar demandas estéticas irrealizáveis como certas vivências de despersonalização, as quais favorecem a desadaptação emocional ou a ocorrência de transtornos psíquicos. Pelas mudanças identitárias que acarreta, a cirurgia exige, preventivamente, o acompanhamento e o apoio psicológico às mulheres que a realizam.

  7. Real-Time Assessment of Fatigue in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: How Does It Relate to Commonly Used Self-Report Fatigue Questionnaires?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heine, Martin; van den Akker, Lizanne Eva; Blikman, Lyan; Hoekstra, Trynke; van Munster, Erik; Verschuren, Olaf; Visser-Meily, Anne; Kwakkel, Gert

    2016-11-01

    (1) To assess real-time patterns of fatigue; (2) to assess the association between a real-time fatigue score and 3 commonly used questionnaires (Checklist Individual Strength [CIS] fatigue subscale, Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]); and (3) to establish factors that confound the association between the real-time fatigue score and the conventional fatigue questionnaires in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Cross-sectional study. MS-specialized outpatient facility. Ambulant patients with MS (N=165) experiencing severe self-reported fatigue. Not applicable. A real-time fatigue score was assessed by sending participants 4 text messages on a particular day (How fatigued do you feel at this moment?; score range, 0-10). Latent class growth mixed modeling was used to determine diurnal patterns of fatigue. Regression analyses were used to assess the association between the mean real-time fatigue score and the CIS fatigue subscale, MFIS, and FSS. Significant associations were tested for candidate confounders (eg, disease severity, work status, sleepiness). Four significantly different fatigue profiles were identified by the real-time fatigue score, namely a stable high (n=79), increasing (n=57), stable low (n=16), and decreasing (n=13). The conventional questionnaires correlated poorly (rquestionnaires, ranging from 15.4% to 35%. Perceived fatigue showed 4 different diurnal patterns in patients with MS. Severity of sleepiness is an important confounder to take into account in the assessment of fatigue. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Research on driver fatigue detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ting; Chen, Zhong; Ouyang, Chao

    2018-03-01

    Driver fatigue is one of the main causes of frequent traffic accidents. In this case, driver fatigue detection system has very important significance in avoiding traffic accidents. This paper presents a real-time method based on fusion of multiple facial features, including eye closure, yawn and head movement. The eye state is classified as being open or closed by a linear SVM classifier trained using HOG features of the detected eye. The mouth state is determined according to the width-height ratio of the mouth. The head movement is detected by head pitch angle calculated by facial landmark. The driver's fatigue state can be reasoned by the model trained by above features. According to experimental results, drive fatigue detection obtains an excellent performance. It indicates that the developed method is valuable for the application of avoiding traffic accidents caused by driver's fatigue.

  9. Damage assessment of low-cycle fatigue by crack growth prediction. Fatigue life under cyclic thermal stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamaya, Masayuki

    2013-01-01

    The number of cycles to failure of specimens in fatigue tests can be estimated by predicting crack growth. Under a cyclic thermal stress caused by fluctuation of fluid temperature, due to the stress gradient in the thickness direction, the estimated fatigue life differs from that estimated for mechanical fatigue tests. In this paper, the influence of crack growth under cyclic thermal loading on the fatigue life was investigated. First, the thermal stress was derived by superposing analytical solutions, and then, the stress intensity factor was obtained by the weight function method. It was shown that the thermal stress depended not on the rate of the fluid temperature change but on the rise time, and the magnitude of the stress was increased as the rise time was decreased. The stress intensity factor under the cyclic thermal stress was smaller than that under the uniform stress distribution. The change in the stress intensity factor with the crack depth did not depend on the heat transfer coefficient and only slightly depended on the rise time. The estimated fatigue life under the cyclic thermal loading could be 1.6 times longer than that under the uniform stress distribution. The critical size for the fatigue life determination was assumed to be 3 mm for fatigue test specimens of 10 mm diameter. By evaluating the critical size by structural integrity analyses, the fatigue life was increased and the effect of the critical size on the fatigue life was more pronounced for the cyclic thermal stress. (author)

  10. A Preliminary Review of Fatigue Among Rail Staff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jialin Fan

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Fatigue is a severe problem in the rail industry, which may jeopardize train crew's health and safety. Nonetheless, a preliminary review of all empirical evidence for train crew fatigue is still lacking. The aim of the present paper is, therefore, to provide a preliminary description of occupational fatigue in the rail industry. This paper reviews the literature with the research question examining the risk factors associated with train crew fatigue, covering both papers published in refereed journals and reports from trade organizations and regulators. It assesses the progress of research on railway fatigue, including research on the main risk factors for railway fatigue, the association between fatigue and railway incidents, and how to better manage fatigue in the railway industry.Methods: Systematic searches were performed in both science and industry databases. The searches considered studies published before August 2017. The main exclusion criterion was fatigue not being directly measured through subjective or objective methods.Results: A total of 31 studies were included in the main review. The causes of fatigue included long working hours, heavy workload, early morning or night shifts, and insufficient sleep. Poor working environment, particular job roles, and individual differences also contributed to fatigue.Conclusion: Fatigue in the rail industry includes most of the features of occupational fatigue, and it is also subject to industry-specific factors. The effect of fatigue on well-being and the fatigued population in the railway industry are still not clear. Future studies can consider associations between occupational risk factors and perceived fatigue by examining the prevalence of fatigue and identifying the potential risk factors in staff within the railway industry.

  11. Studies on fatigue life enhancement of pre-fatigued spring steel specimens using laser shock peening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganesh, P.; Sundar, R.; Kumar, H.; Kaul, R.; Ranganathan, K.; Hedaoo, P.; Raghavendra, G.; Anand Kumar, S.; Tiwari, P.; Nagpure, D.C.; Bindra, K.S.; Kukreja, L.M.; Oak, S.M.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Laser peening significantly extended fatigue life of pre-fatigued spring steel. • Increase in fatigue life of laser peened specimens was more than 15 times. • Black PVC tape is an effective coating for laser peening of ground surfaces. • Repeat peening repaired local surface melted regions on laser peened surface. • Technique is effective for life extension of in-service automobile parts. - Abstract: SAE 9260 spring steel specimens after enduring 50% of their mean fatigue life were subjected to laser shock peening using an in-house developed 2.5 J/7 ns pulsed Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for studying their fatigue life enhancement. In the investigated range of process parameters, laser shock peening resulted in the extension of fatigue life of these partly fatigue damaged specimens by more than 15 times. Contributing factors for the enhanced fatigue life of laser peened specimens are: about 400 μm thick compressed surface layer with magnitude of surface stress in the range of −600 to −700 MPa, about 20% increase in surface hardness and unaltered surface finish. For laser peening of ground steel surface, an adhesive-backed black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tape has been found to be a superior sacrificial coating than conventionally used black paint. The effect of repeated laser peening treatment was studied to repair locally surface melted regions and the treatment has been found to be effective in re-establishing desired compressive stress pattern on the erstwhile tensile-stressed surface

  12. Inspection Correlation Study of Ultrasonic-Based In Situ Structural Health Monitoring Monthly Report for December 2014-January 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-01

    fatigue an induced ultrasonic elastic vibration (via piezoelectric transducers [ PZTs ]) propagates through the dogbone specimen. A receiver PZT picks up...inspection of fatigue crack growth in aluminum 7075-T6 dogbone specimens. Acellent Technologies, Inc., is supporting this project through providing...January 2015. 15. SUBJECT TERMS structural health monitoring, probabilistics, fatigue damage, guided waves, Lamb waves 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF

  13. Fatigue associated with newly approved vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in cancer patients: an up-to-date meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing; Gu, Jian

    2017-10-01

    The fatigue associated with five newly approved vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) (regorafenib, vandetanib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, axitinib) is poorly understood. We conducted this systematic review to fully investigate the fatigue associated with these VEGFR-TKIs in cancer patients. Relevant studies of randomized controlled trials in cancer patients treated with the five VEGFR-TKIs were retrieved and a systematic evaluation was conducted. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed were searched for articles published until March 2017. Thirteen randomized controlled trials and 4395 patients were included. The current analysis suggested that the use of five newly approved VEGFR-TKIs increased the risk of all-grade fatigue (1.43; 95% CI 1.23-1.66; p fatigue (1.97; 95% CI1.44-2.70; p fatigue varied significantly within drug type, but high-grade fatigue did not. The RR of all-grade and high-grade fatigue did not vary significantly according to cancer type, treatment line, and treatment duration. The risk of high-grade fatigue may vary with treatment duration, whereas all-grade fatigue may not. The available data suggest that the use of the five newly approved VEGFR-TKIs is associated with a significantly increased risk of fatigue in cancer patients. Physicians should be aware of this adverse effect and should monitor cancer patients receiving these drugs.

  14. Fatigue Reliability of Offshore Wind Turbine Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marquez-Dominguez, Sergio; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2012-01-01

    of appropriate partial safety factors / fatigue design factors (FDF) for steel substructures of offshore wind turbines (OWTs). The fatigue life is modeled by the SN approach. Design and limit state equations are established based on the accumulated fatigue damage. The acceptable reliability level for optimal...... fatigue design of OWTs is discussed and results for reliability assessment of typical fatigue critical design of offshore steel support structures are presented....

  15. Fatigue Reliability and Calibration of Fatigue Design Factors for Offshore Wind Turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dominguez, Sergio Marquez; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2012-01-01

    Consequences of failure of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are in general lower than consequences of failure of, e.g., oil & gas platforms. It is reasonable that lower fatigue design factors can be applied for fatigue design of OWTs when compared to other fixed offshore structures. Calibration...

  16. Collect Available Creep-Fatigue Data and Study Existing Creep-Fatigue Evaluation Procedures for Grade 91 and Hastelloy XR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asayama, Tai; Tachibana, Yukio

    2007-01-01

    This report describes the results of investigation on Task 5 of DOE/ASME Materials Project based on a contract between ASME Standards Technology, LLC (ASME ST-LLC) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Task 5 is to collect available creep-fatigue data and study existing creep-fatigue evaluation procedures for Grade 91 steel and Hastelloy XR. Part I of this report is devoted to Grade 91 steel. Existing creep-fatigue data were collected (Appendix A) and analyzed from the viewpoints of establishing a creep-fatigue procedure for VHTR design. A fair amount of creep-fatigue data has been obtained and creep-fatigue phenomena have been clarified to develop design standards mainly for fast breeder reactors. Following this, existing creep-fatigue procedures were studied and it was clarified that the creep-fatigue evaluation procedure of the ASME-NH has a lot of conservatisms and they were analyzed in detail from the viewpoints of the evaluation of creep damage of material. Based on the above studies, suggestions to improve the ASME-NH procedure along with necessary research and development items were presented. Part II of this report is devoted to Hastelloy XR. Existing creep-fatigue data used for development of the high temperature structural design guideline for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) were collected. Creep-fatigue evaluation procedure in the design guideline and its application to design of the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) for High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) was described. Finally, some necessary research and development items in relation to creep-fatigue evaluation for Gen IV and VHTR reactors were presented.

  17. Guide to safe work : fatigue management : an employer's guide to designing and implementing a fatigue management program. 2 ed.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-02-15

    The impacts of fatigue on workplace safety are now commonly recognized. Many employers now wish to include fatigue management as part of their overall health and safety programs. This guide to fatigue management was written to help companies in the petroleum industry design and implement effective fatigue management programs that reduce incidents and injuries among employees. The guide provided information about workplace fatigue and discussed fatigue management issues and strategies. It was suggested that workplace culture can play a significant role in managing fatigue by allowing fatigue factors to be quickly recognized and managed. Employers who wish to build fatigue management programs should involve all levels of employees, and should consider all workplace practices and procedures. Consideration must also be given to the development of employee competency in managing fatigue. The guide included step-by-step recommendations for implementing a fatigue management program. It was concluded that the benefits of fatigue management include reduced worker absence and turnover, as well as avoiding the costs of safety incidents. 1 tab., 1 fig.

  18. Fatigue failure by in-line flow-induced vibration and fatigue life evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odahara, Satoru; Murakami, Yukitaka; Inoue, Masahiro; Sueoka, Atsuo

    2004-01-01

    The phenomenon of fatigue failure by the In-line flow-induced vibration was studied. A newly water-flow-induced vibration system was made and used to reproduce fatigue failure by flow-induced vibration. A medium carbon steel specimen was fixed to the experimental equipment. A small artificial hole was introduced onto the specimen surface. Fatigue crack initiated from the artificial hole. A small portable strain histogram recorder (Mini Rainflow Corder, MRC) developed in another project of the authors' team was used to acquire the service strain hisogram at a critical point of the specimen and to measure the variation of natural frequency. Cumulative fatigue damage D defined by the Modified Miner Rule was calculated by using the strain histogram at the initial stage of test. The value of D was almost unity in the case of In-line vibration, while the values of D in the case of the Cross-flow vibration ranged from 0.2 to 0.8. (author)

  19. Creep fatigue assessment for EUROFER components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Özkan, Furkan, E-mail: oezkan.furkan@partner.kit.edu; Aktaa, Jarir

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • Design rules for creep fatigue assessment are developed to EUROFER components. • Creep fatigue assessment tool is developed in FORTRAN code with coupling MAPDL. • Durability of the HCPB-TBM design is discussed under typical fusion reactor loads. - Abstract: Creep-fatigue of test blanket module (TBM) components built from EUROFER is evaluated based on the elastic analysis approach in ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). The required allowable number of cycles design fatigue curve and stress-to-rupture curve to estimate the creep-fatigue damage are used from the literature. Local stress, strain and temperature inputs for the analysis of creep-fatigue damage are delivered by the finite element code ANSYS utilizing the Mechanical ANSYS Parametric Design Language (MAPDL). A developed external FORTRAN code used as a post processor is coupled with MAPDL. Influences of different pulse durations (hold-times) and irradiation on creep-fatigue damage for the preliminary design of the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Test Blanket Module (HCPB-TBM) are discussed for the First Wall component of the TBM box.

  20. Fatigue design 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marquis, G.; Solin, J. [eds.] [VTT Manufacturing Technology, Espoo (Finland)

    1998-12-31

    These preprints contain the presentations to be delivered at the Fatigue Design 1998 symposium held on May 26-29, 1998 in Espoo. Fatigue Design 1998 is the tenth in a series of VTT symposia addressing the challenge of fatigue of materials, components and structures. Previous international events were in 1992 and 1995. The key theme of the current meeting is `RELIABILITY`. The two volumes (VTT symposium 181-182) represent 56 contributions by authors representing 26 countries. Emphasis has been given to application oriented research topics that report new technologies, new uses of existing methods and case studies. The objective of the symposium is to bring together researchers and engineers to share experiences and new innovations in designing reliable components to resist alternating loads. (orig.)

  1. IEA Joint Action. Wind turbine fatigue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maribo Pedersen, B [ed.

    1996-09-01

    Fatigue research on wind turbine blade material has been an important issue over the years in many countries and in the E.U. As a result of the effort the knowledge on fatigue properties of fibre reinforced materials has been expanded enormously. Practical fatigue design properties are available for constant amplitude tests at ambient temperatures. A lack of knowledge can be shown in several other fields, such as variable amplitude and multi-axial testing and the influence of the environment and carbon fibres. Fatigue is seen as dominant for the blade design, improvements in both the load prediction and material fatigue properties should be strove for. In discussions with blade manufacturers and subsidy agencies (E.U. DGXII, NOVEM, ETSU, etc.) on the importance of continuous materials fatigue research the improvement in reliability should be stressed. (au)

  2. Structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rumsey, Mark A.; Paquette, Joshua A.

    2008-03-01

    As electric utility wind turbines increase in size, and correspondingly, increase in initial capital investment cost, there is an increasing need to monitor the health of the structure. Acquiring an early indication of structural or mechanical problems allows operators to better plan for maintenance, possibly operate the machine in a de-rated condition rather than taking the unit off-line, or in the case of an emergency, shut the machine down to avoid further damage. This paper describes several promising structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques that were recently exercised during a fatigue test of a 9 meter glass-epoxy and carbon-epoxy wind turbine blade. The SHM systems were implemented by teams from NASA Kennedy Space Center, Purdue University and Virginia Tech. A commercial off-the-shelf acoustic emission (AE) NDT system gathered blade AE data throughout the test. At a fatigue load cycle rate around 1.2 Hertz, and after more than 4,000,000 fatigue cycles, the blade was diagnostically and visibly failing at the out-board blade spar-cap termination point at 4.5 meters. For safety reasons, the test was stopped just before the blade completely failed. This paper provides an overview of the SHM and NDT system setups and some current test results.

  3. Fatigue and damage tolerance scatter models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raikher, Veniamin L.

    1994-09-01

    Effective Total Fatigue Life and Crack Growth Scatter Models are proposed. The first of them is based on the power form of the Wohler curve, fatigue scatter dependence on mean life value, cycle stress ratio influence on fatigue scatter, and validated description of the mean stress influence on the mean fatigue life. The second uses in addition are fracture mechanics approach, assumption of initial damage existence, and Paris equation. Simple formulas are derived for configurations of models. A preliminary identification of the parameters of the models is fulfilled on the basis of experimental data. Some new and important results for fatigue and crack growth scatter characteristics are obtained.

  4. Measurement of fatigue in industries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, K

    1999-04-01

    Fatigue of workers is a complex phenomenon resulting from various factors in technically innovated modern industries, and it appears as a feeling of exhaustion, lowering of physiological functions, breakdown of autonomic nervous balance, and decrease in work efficiency. On the other hand industrial fatigue is caused by excessive workload, remarkable alteration in working posture and diurnal and nocturnal rhythms in daily life. Working modes in modern industries have changed from work with the whole body into that with the hands, arms, legs and/or eyes which are parts of the body, and from physical work to mental work. Visual display terminal (VDT) work is one of the most characteristic jobs in the various kinds of workplaces. A large number of fatigue tests have already been adopted, but it is still hard to draw a generalized conclusion as to the method of selecting the most appropriate test battery for a given work load. As apparatus for fatigue measurement of VDT work we have developed VRT (Visual Reaction Test) and the Portable Fatigue Meter. Furthermore, we have presented immune parameters of peripheral blood and splenic T cells for physical fatigue.

  5. Fatigue Strength of Titanium Risers - Defect Sensitivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Babalola, Olusegun Tunde

    2001-07-01

    This study is centred on assessment of the fatigue strength of titanium fusion welds for deep-water riser's applications. Deep-water risers are subjected to significant fatigue loading. Relevant fatigue data for titanium fusion welds are very scarce. Hence there is a need for fatigue data and life prediction models for such weldments. The study has covered three topics: Fatigue testing, Fractography and defect assessment, and Fracture Mechanics modelling of fatigue crack growth. Two series of welded grade of titanium consisting of 14 specimens in each series were fatigue tested under constant amplitude loading. Prior to fatigue testing, strain gauge measurements of some specimens was conducted to enable the definition of stress range in the fatigue assessment procedure. The results were compared with finite solid element analysis and related to fatigue stresses in a riser pipe wall. Distribution and geometry of internal and surface defects both in the as-welded and in the post-weld machined conditions were assessed using fractography. This served as a tool to determine the fatigue initiation point in the welds. Fracture mechanics was applied to model fatigue strength of titanium welds with initiation from weld defects. Two different stress intensity factor formulations for embedded eccentrically placed cracks were used for analysis of elliptical cracks with the major axis parallel and close to one of the free surfaces. The methods were combined to give a satisfactory model for crack growth analysis. The model analyses crack growth of elliptical and semi-elliptical cracks in two directions, with updating of the crack geometry. Fatigue strength assessment was conducted using two crack growth models, the Paris-Erdogan relation with no threshold and the Donahue et al. relation with an implied threshold. The model was validated against experimental data, with a discussion on the choice of crack growth model. (author)

  6. Fatigue in cancer: A review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijayakumar Narayanan

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Fatigue is a common symptom of advanced cancer limiting one′s activity and affecting the quality of life. It is a multidimensional symptom complex with subjective and objective components. Hence, its definition and assessment seems arbitrary, incomplete, and elusive. Components of fatigue often merge with other ′disease states′ as anemia, depression and so on, compounding difficulty to assess it separately. Fatigue has a high prevalence rate, and lasts longer in chronic diseases like cancer. Its association with treatment modalities like chemotherapy, radiotherapy alongside the primary disease process makes it seemingly ubiquitous in many cases. Systemic manifestation of cancer causes excess demand on body resources on cell repair, uncontrolled growth with metabolite accumulation causing fatigue. Co-morbid conditions of organic and psychological nature causes fatigue. There are many assessment tools for fatigue with different uses and objectives, simple and reproducible tools like Brief Fatigue Inventory, Edmonton Symptom assessment scale seem feasible in everyday practice. Management of fatigue is not straightforward and rewarding. Although treatment of cause appears to be an attractive option, it is not possible in all cases. Therapeutic agents targeting cytokine load is in early stages of study and available results are not favorable. Specific measures aimed at pain relief, prevention/treatment of sepsis, management of depression, avoidance of drugs causing fatigue, restoring the metabolic profile are important. Methyl phenidate, megestrol, and modafinil are some drugs with promising effect to treat fatigue, though confirmatory studies are yet to be established. Non-pharmacological methods are also helpful. Forewarning patients on upcoming fatigue, active regular exercise, and stress management are some of them. Fatigue being a multidimensional entity, single mode of therapy is insufficient. Combined modality tailored to individual

  7. Diagnostik der Fatigue bei Multipler Sklerose [Assessment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sander, C.; Voelter, H.U.; Schlake, H.P.; Eling, P.A.T.M.; Hildebrandt, H.

    2017-01-01

    Hintergrund: Fatigue ist eines der häufigsten Symptome bei Multipler Sklerose (MS) und hat deutliche Auswirkungen auf die Lebensqualität sowie die Berufstätigkeit. Die adäquate Messung der erlebten Fatigue ist aber auch heutzutage noch mit erheblicher Unsicherheit behaftet. Ziel der Arbeit: In dem

  8. Possible use of repeated cold stress for reducing fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a hypothesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shevchuk Nikolai A

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Physiological fatigue can be defined as a reduction in the force output and/or energy-generating capacity of skeletal muscle after exertion, which may manifest itself as an inability to continue exercise or usual activities at the same intensity. A typical example of a fatigue-related disorder is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, a disabling condition of unknown etiology and with uncertain therapeutic options. Recent advances in elucidating pathophysiology of this disorder revealed hypofunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and that fatigue in CFS patients appears to be associated with reduced motor neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS and to a smaller extent with increased fatigability of skeletal muscle. There is also some limited evidence that CFS patients may have excessive serotonergic activity in the brain and low opioid tone. Presentation of the hypothesis This work hypothesizes that repeated cold stress may reduce fatigue in CFS because brief exposure to cold may transiently reverse some physiological changes associated with this illness. For example, exposure to cold can activate components of the reticular activating system such as raphe nuclei and locus ceruleus, which can result in activation of behavior and increased capacity of the CNS to recruit motoneurons. Cold stress has also been shown to reduce the level of serotonin in most regions of the brain (except brainstem, which would be consistent with reduced fatigue according to animal models of exercise-related fatigue. Finally, exposure to cold increases metabolic rate and transiently activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as evidenced by a temporary increase in the plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, beta-endorphin and a modest increase in cortisol. The increased opioid tone and high metabolic rate could diminish fatigue by reducing muscle pain and accelerating recovery of fatigued muscle, respectively. Testing

  9. Clinical neurophysiology of fatigue.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwarts, M.J.; Bleijenberg, G.; Engelen, B.G.M. van

    2008-01-01

    Fatigue is a multidimensional concept covering both physiological and psychological aspects. Chronic fatigue is a typical symptom of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and cerebrovascular disorders but is also presented by people in whom no defined somatic

  10. Fatigue in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuo Abe

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Fatigue is a complaint frequently encountered among patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD, however, the pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Methods: We evaluated fatigue in 26 patients clinically diagnosed to have PD (16 men, 10 women and age- and sex- matched 26 controls (16 men, 10 women without neurological deficits by using a fatigue scale. In addition to neurological and neuropsychological examinations, all patients underwent MRI and SPECT using 99mTc-HMPAO. Results: Patients with PD had normal cognitive function as judged by the MMSE, but showed significantly high scores with the fatigue and depression scales in comparison to controls (p. There was no significant correlation between the depression scale and the fatigue scale, or between the degree of disability and the fatigue scale in patients with PD, although a significant correlation existed between the depression scale and the fatigue scale in controls. With SPECT, a significant correlation was found between the fatigue scale and the reduction of perfusion in the frontal lobe (p in patients with PD. Conclusions: The present study suggested that sense of fatigue in patients with PD might be associated with frontal lobe dysfunction.

  11. Fatigue damage of ultrafine-grain copper in very-high cycle fatigue region

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukáš, Petr; Kunz, Ludvík; Navrátilová, Lucie; Bokůvka, O.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 528, - (2011), s. 7036-7040 ISSN 0921-5093 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP108/10/2001 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : ultrafine-grained microstructure * ultrasonic fatigue * crack initiation * copper Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics Impact factor: 2.003, year: 2011

  12. Fatigue Reliability Analysis of a Mono-Tower Platform

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

    1991-01-01

    In this paper, a fatigue reliability analysis of a Mono-tower platform is presented. The failure mode, fatigue failure in the butt welds, is investigated with two different models. The one with the fatigue strength expressed through SN relations, the other with the fatigue strength expressed thro...... of the natural period, damping ratio, current, stress spectrum and parameters describing the fatigue strength. Further, soil damping is shown to be significant for the Mono-tower.......In this paper, a fatigue reliability analysis of a Mono-tower platform is presented. The failure mode, fatigue failure in the butt welds, is investigated with two different models. The one with the fatigue strength expressed through SN relations, the other with the fatigue strength expressed...... through linear-elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). In determining the cumulative fatigue damage, Palmgren-Miner's rule is applied. Element reliability, as well as systems reliability, is estimated using first-order reliability methods (FORM). The sensitivity of the systems reliability to various parameters...

  13. Risk factors of fatigue status among Chinese adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Yuelong; Peng, Baozhen; Li, Yijun; Song, Lei; He, Lianping; Fu, Rui; Wu, Qianqian; Fan, Qingxiu; Yao, Yingshui

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, fatigue is common among adolescents. The aim of this study is to evaluate fatigue status and find related factors of fatigue among students ranged from 13-26 years from Wuhu, China. This is a case-control, cross-sectional observational study. The students from six middle schools (high school? 26 years old?) in Wuhu city were recruited, Self-Rating Fatigue Scale (SFS) was used to measure the fatigue status among students ranged from 13-26 years, and some demographic characteristics of students also was determined. A total of 726 students are included in our study. A significant difference was observed between fatigue status and grade, a balanced diet, the partial eclipse, picky for food, lack of sleep, excessive fatigue, drinking (P sleep, drinking; grade while a balanced diet is the protective factor of fatigue. Therefore, the school should pay more attention to the fatigue among students in middle school in China, and take some properly measures to reduce the fatigue.

  14. Effect of fatigue testing on the properties of Glass-Epoxy composites using the acoustic tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Menail Younès

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the experimental results of the influence of mechanical fatigue on composite material. The plates of Glass fiber with SR 1500 epoxy resin with SD 2505 composite were realized by vacuum molding. Experimental tests were carried out on a standard hydraulic machine INSTRON 8516. The machine is interfaced with a dedicated computer for controlling and data acquisition. The fatigue tests were performed using sinusoidal type of waveform at a displacement control with frequency of 10 Hz. The evolution of Young’s modulus and strain based on fatigue gives us an idea about the resistance of the material. Degradation of mechanical properties was observed, and the results have showed that the Young’s modulus of plates undergo only minor changes. In fact, the residual stiffness and residual strength decrease when the cycle number of fatigue increase (100 to 50000 cycles, indicating that the studied composites have experienced some forms of mechanical damage.The mechanical tests were backed by Acoustic Emission Monitoring (AEM during the load cycle, in order to understand the nature of the failure process in the composites such as fiber breakage, matrix crazing, matrix debonding and delamination etc.

  15. Sleep complaints and fatigue of airline pilots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Cátia; Mestre, Catarina; Canhão, Helena; Gradwell, David; Paiva, Teresa

    2016-01-01

    This work aimed to determine daytime sleepiness and sleep complaints prevalence and the corresponding influence on perceived fatigue and to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic parameters and labour variables on sleep complaints, sleepiness and fatigue. A questionnaire was developed including socio-economic and labour issues and instruments, focused in sleep and fatigue. The response rate was 32% and the final sample had 435 pilots. The prevalence of sleep complaints was 34.9%, daytime sleepiness 59.3% and fatigue 90.6%. The high prevalence of sleep complaints, sleepiness and fatigue was disclosed in pilots, with those who fly short/medium having an added risk of fatigue.

  16. Online fatigue crack growth monitoring with clip gauge and direct current potential drop

    OpenAIRE

    De Tender, Steven; Micone, Nahuel; De Waele, Wim

    2016-01-01

    Fatigue is a well-known failure phenomenon which has been and still is extensively studied. Often structures are designed according to the safe-life principle so no crack initiation occurs. Nowadays there is a high emphasis on cost-efficiency, and one might rather opt for a fail-safe design. Therefore a certain amount of crack growth can be allowed in structures, but then a good knowledge of stresses and related crack growth rates is needed. To this end, extensive studies are done to obtain a...

  17. Vivências e Historicidades: tecendo o currículo na educação de jovens e adultos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denise de Melo Sotelo

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available O presente artigo pretende fazer uma análise histórica da Educação de Jovens e adultos, focando em seu contexto atual e considerando as especificidades dessa clientela, desde a heterogeneidade de faixa etária, diversidade cultural e motivação, bem como as suas necessidades em tempos de contemporaneidade. Faz também uma abordagem quanto à valorização das identidades, das vivências e histórias: de vida de cada indivíduo, como subsídios para a elaboração de um currículo diferenciado e para a praxis pedagógica, com vistas à inclusão e à inserção social. O artigo avalia ainda a importância do professor como mediador desse processo e o papel da formação continuada na construção de um perfil diferenciado do educador dessa modalidade de ensino.

  18. Roughness Effects on Fretting Fatigue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Tongyan; Abdel Wahab, Magd

    2017-05-01

    Fretting is a small oscillatory relative motion between two normal loaded contact surfaces. It may cause fretting fatigue, fretting wear and/or fretting corrosion damage depending on various fretting couples and working conditions. Fretting fatigue usually occurs at partial slip condition, and results in catastrophic failure at the stress levels below the fatigue limit of the material. Many parameters may affect fretting behaviour, including the applied normal load and displacement, material properties, roughness of the contact surfaces, frequency, etc. Since fretting damage is undesirable due to contacting, the effect of rough contact surfaces on fretting damage has been studied by many researchers. Experimental method on this topic is usually focusing on rough surface effects by finishing treatment and random rough surface effects in order to increase fretting fatigue life. However, most of numerical models on roughness are based on random surface. This paper reviewed both experimental and numerical methodology on the rough surface effects on fretting fatigue.

  19. Common Mathematical Model of Fatigue Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Maléř

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a new common mathematical model which is able to describe fatigue characteristics in the whole necessary range by one equation only:log N = A(R + B(R ∙ log Sawhere A(R = AR2 + BR + C and B(R = DR2 + AR + F.This model was verified by five sets of fatigue data taken from the literature and by our own three additional original fatigue sets. The fatigue data usually described the region of N 104 to 3 x 106 and stress ratio of R = -2 to 0.5. In all these cases the proposed model described fatigue results with small scatter. Studying this model, following knowledge was obtained:– the parameter ”stress ratio R” was a good physical characteristic– the proposed model provided a good description of the eight collections of fatigue test results by one equation only– the scatter of the results through the whole scope is only a little greater than that round the individual S/N curve– using this model while testing may reduce the number of test samples and shorten the test time– as the proposed model represents a common form of the S/N curve, it may be used for processing uniform objective fatigue life results, which may enable mutual comparison of fatigue characteristics.

  20. Vivências de sofrimento e prazer no trabalho de gerentes de banco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thaís Augusta Cunha de Oliveira Máximo

    Full Text Available Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir as vivências de sofrimento e prazer no trabalho de gerentes de bancos públicos e privados da cidade de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Para tanto, a psicodinâmica do trabalho foi utilizada como referência teórica principal, tendo em vista a articulação dos materiais produzidos em campo com o que a abordagem ensina sobre o sujeito no trabalho, especificamente no que diz respeito à relação complexa entre sofrimento, prazer e trabalho. Para as análises apresentadas, consideram-se as transformações no trabalho gerencial e nos modos de gestão e de funcionamento dos bancos ocorridos nas últimas décadas. Foram realizadas 16 entrevistas com pessoas que exerciam gerências gerais ou intermediárias, analisadas através da análise de conteúdo temática. Os resultados evidenciaram que os seguintes elementos se colocam como fonte de prazer ou de sofrimento: o trabalho com clientes e outros funcionários, o reconhecimento ou a ausência de reconhecimento desse trabalho, a estrutura organizacional, a carga de trabalho e a pressão por resultados, a autonomia ou a falta de autonomia para tomar decisões e a remuneração. Tais resultados demonstram que a relação entre a organização do trabalho e o sujeito está em contínuo movimento, em equilíbrio dinâmico.

  1. Prevalence of fatigue in general practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, W; Kearney, Y; Bury, G

    2002-01-01

    Fatigue is an important symptom in general practice due to its association with physical, psychological and social problems. To determine the prevalence of fatigue as an unsolicited symptom during general practice consultations. A random sample of GPs practising in Ireland was invited to provide data on consultations held over one day. Data were recorded on the presence of fatigue as a main or supporting symptom, social and demographic characteristics. Data were recorded by 89 GPs on 1,428 consultations. The prevalence of fatigue was 25%. It was the main reason for attending the doctor in 6.5% and a secondary reason in 19%. Sixty-two per cent of patients were female and 48% were eligible for free GP services. The mean age was 47.1 years. The presence of fatigue was associated with: attending a female GP, being female, attending a GP who had been qualified for fewer years and attending the GP frequently. The prevalence of fatigue reported in this study is over three times higher than that reported in earlier work. Doctor characteristics appear to be as important as patient characteristics in determining fatigue.

  2. Fatigue Lifetime of ADI from Ultimate Tensile Strength to Permanent Fatigue Limit

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zapletal, J.; Věchet, S.; Kohout, J.; Obrtlík, Karel

    -, č. 1 (2008), s. 40-43 ISSN 0556-171X. [MSMF /5./. Brno, 27.06.2007-29.06.2007] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA106/03/1265 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : austempered ductile iron * fatigue behaviour * S N curve Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue , Friction Mechanics

  3. Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.W.K. Louwerens; B.C. Appelhof (Bente); H. Verloop (Herman); M. Medici (Marco); R.P. Peeters (Robin); T.J. Visser (Theo); A. Boelen (Anita); E. Fliers (Eric); J.W.A. Smit (Jan); O.M. Dekkers (Olaf)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractObjective: Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and

  4. Fatigue proofing: The role of protective behaviours in mediating fatigue-related risk in a defence aviation environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Drew; Cleggett, Courtney; Thompson, Kirrilly; Thomas, Matthew J W

    2017-02-01

    In the military or emergency services, operational requirements and/or community expectations often preclude formal prescriptive working time arrangements as a practical means of reducing fatigue-related risk. In these environments, workers sometimes employ adaptive or protective behaviours informally to reduce the risk (i.e. likelihood or consequence) associated with a fatigue-related error. These informal behaviours enable employees to reduce risk while continuing to work while fatigued. In this study, we documented the use of informal protective behaviours in a group of defence aviation personnel including flight crews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine whether and which protective behaviours were used to mitigate fatigue-related error. The 18 participants were from aviation-specific trades and included aircrew (pilots and air-crewman) and aviation maintenance personnel (aeronautical engineers and maintenance personnel). Participants identified 147 ways in which they and/or others act to reduce the likelihood or consequence of a fatigue-related error. These formed seven categories of fatigue-reduction strategies. The two most novel categories are discussed in this paper: task-related and behaviour-based strategies. Broadly speaking, these results indicate that fatigued military flight and maintenance crews use protective 'fatigue-proofing' behaviours to reduce the likelihood and/or consequence of fatigue-related error and were aware of the potential benefits. It is also important to note that these behaviours are not typically part of the formal safety management system. Rather, they have evolved spontaneously as part of the culture around protecting team performance under adverse operating conditions. When compared with previous similar studies, aviation personnel were more readily able to understand the idea of fatigue proofing than those from a fire-fighting background. These differences were thought to reflect different cultural

  5. Differing leukocyte gene expression profiles associated with fatigue in patients with prostate cancer versus chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Light, Kathleen C; Agarwal, Neeraj; Iacob, Eli; White, Andrea T; Kinney, Anita Y; VanHaitsma, Timothy A; Aizad, Hannah; Hughen, Ronald W; Bateman, Lucinda; Light, Alan R

    2013-12-01

    Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) often worsens fatigue in patients with prostate cancer, producing symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Comparing expression (mRNA) of many fatigue-related genes in patients with ADT-treated prostate cancer versus with CFS versus healthy controls, and correlating mRNA with fatigue severity may clarify the differing pathways underlying fatigue in these conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed on leukocytes from 30 fatigued, ADT-treated prostate cancer patients (PCF), 39 patients with CFS and 22 controls aged 40-79, together with ratings of fatigue and pain severity. 46 genes from these pathways were included: (1) adrenergic/monoamine/neuropeptides, (2) immune, (3) metabolite-detecting, (4) mitochondrial/energy, (5) transcription factors. PCF patients showed higher expression than controls or CFS of 2 immune transcription genes (NR3C1 and TLR4), chemokine CXCR4, and mitochondrial gene SOD2. They showed lower expression of 2 vasodilation-related genes (ADRB2 and VIPR2), 2 cytokines (TNF and LTA), and 2 metabolite-detecting receptors (ASIC3 and P2RX7). CFS patients showed higher P2RX7 and lower HSPA2 versus controls and PCF. Correlations with fatigue severity were similar in PCF and CFS for only DBI, the GABA-A receptor modulator (r=-0.50, pfatigue and pain severity (r=+0.43 and +0.59, p=0.025 and p=0.001). PCF patients differed from controls and CFS in mean expression of 10 genes from all 5 pathways. Correlations with fatigue severity implicated DBI for both patient groups and P2RY1 for PCF only. These pathways may provide new targets for interventions to reduce fatigue. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of loading sequences and size of repeated stress block of loads on fatigue life calculated using fatigue functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schott, G.

    1989-01-01

    It is well-known that collective form, stress intensity and loading sequence of individual stresses as well as size of repeated stress blocks can influence fatigue life, significantly. The basic variant of the consecutive Woehler curve concept will permit these effects to be involved into fatigue life computation. The paper presented will demonstrate that fatigue life computations using fatigue functions reflect the loading sequence effect with multilevel loading precisely and provide reliable fatigue life data. Effects of size of repeated stress block and loading sequence on fatigue life as observed with block program tests can be reproduced using the new computation method. (orig.) [de

  7. Chronic fatigue in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rucinska, M.; Wojtukiewicz, M.Z.; Tokajuk, P.

    2004-01-01

    Fatigue is one of the most prevalent and profound symptoms related to both malignancy and anti-neoplastic treatment. It is being reported in 60% to 80% of cancer patients. We review the correlation between the cancer-related fatigue syndrome and radiotherapy. In patients undergoing radiotherapy, fatigue is often cumulative and may reach its peak during the last weeks of treatment. The presence of fatigue prior to therapy initiation is the most important predictive factor of the occurrence of radiotherapy-related cancer fatigue syndrome. Occasionally, fatigue persists for a prolonged period of months and even years beyond radiotherapy. Anemia may be one of major causative factors responsible for the development of the cancer-related fatigue syndrome. Fatigue has an enormous physical, mental, emotional, and economic impact on cancer patients, their families and care-providers. The treatment of radiation-related fatigue remains unknown. The initial approach should cover efforts aimed at the correction of potential etiologies, especially anemia. Education concerning fatigue greatly benefits some patients. It seems that exercise may be beneficial in relieving fatigue, bearing in mind that the exercise program for cancer patients should be initiated gradually and significantly individualized. (author)

  8. Postpartum fatigue in the active-duty military woman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rychnovsky, Jacqueline D

    2007-01-01

    (a) To describe fatigue levels in military active-duty women, (b) to describe the relationship among selected predictor variables of fatigue, and (c) to examine the relationship between predictor variables, fatigue levels, and performance (as measured by functional status) after childbirth. Based on the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms, a longitudinal, prospective design. A large military medical facility in the southwest United States. A convenience sample of 109 military active-duty women. Postpartum fatigue. Women were found to be moderately fatigued across time, with no change in fatigue levels from 2 to 6 weeks after delivery. All variables correlated with fatigue during hospitalization and at 2 weeks after delivery, and depression, anxiety, maternal sleep, and functional status correlated with fatigue at 6 weeks after delivery. Regression analyses indicated that maternal anxiety predicted fatigue at 6 weeks after delivery. Over half the women had not regained full functional status when they returned to work, and 40% still displayed symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety. Military women continue to experiencing postpartum fatigue when they return to the workplace. Future research is needed to examine issues surrounding fatigue and its associated variables during the first year after delivery.

  9. Fatigue and creep-fatigue in sodium of 316 1 stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ardellier, A.

    1982-01-01

    Equipment and results obtained on type 316 L stainless stee1 at 450 0 C and 600 0 C with low-cycle fatique and creep fatigue tests are described. Comparison with runs in air on type 316 L stainless steel shows a better low-cycle fatigue behavior in a sodium environment. This beneficial effect can be attributed to the low oxygen content which limits the surface oxidazation

  10. Capturing the post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue following physical and cognitive challenge in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keech, Andrew; Sandler, Carolina X; Vollmer-Conna, Ute; Cvejic, Erin; Lloyd, Andrew R; Barry, Benjamin K

    2015-12-01

    To design and validate an instrument to capture the characteristic post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Firstly, patients with CFS (N=19) participated in five focus group discussions to jointly explore the nature of fatigue and dynamic changes after activity, and inform development of a self-report instrument - the Fatigue and Energy Scale (FES). The psychometric properties of the FES were then examined in two case-control challenge studies: a physically-demanding challenge (moderate-intensity aerobic exercise; N=10 patients), and a cognitively-demanding challenge (simulated driving; N=11 patients). Finally, ecological validity was evaluated by recording in association with tasks of daily living (N=9). Common descriptors for fatigue included 'exhaustion', 'tiredness', 'drained of energy', 'heaviness in the limbs', and 'foggy in the head'. Based on the qualitative data, fatigue was conceptualised as consisting of 'physical' and 'cognitive' dimensions. Analysis of the psychometric properties of the FES showed good sensitivity to the changing symptoms during a post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue following both physical exercise and driving simulation challenges, as well as tasks of daily living. The 'fatigue' experienced by patients with CFS covers both physical and cognitive components. The FES captured the phenomenon of a post-exertional exacerbation of fatigue commonly reported by patients with CFS. The characteristics of the symptom response to physical and cognitive challenges were similar. Both the FES and the challenge paradigms offer key tools to reliably investigate biological correlates of the dynamic changes in fatigue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Fatigue management considering LWR coolant environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Heung Bae; Jin, Tae eun

    2000-01-01

    Design fatigue curve for structural material in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code do not explicitly address the effects of reactor coolant environments on fatigue life. Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of low-alloy steels in light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments has been a concern ever since the early 1970's. And, recent fatigue test data indicate a significant decrease in fatigue lives of carbon steels, low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels in LWR coolant environments. For these reasons, fatigue of major components has been identified as a technical issue remaining to be resolved for life management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. In the present paper, results of recent investigations by many organizations are reviewed to provide technical justification to support the development of utility approach regarding the management of fatigue considering LWR coolant environments for the purpose of life management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. (author)

  12. Fatigue characteristics of dual-phase steel sheets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onn, Irwan Herman; Ahmad, Norhayati; Tamin, Mohd Nasir [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai (Malaysia)

    2015-01-15

    Fatigue characteristics of dual-phase steel sheets, commonly used in automobile body construction were established. For this purpose, a series of fatigue tests, each at constant stress amplitude were conducted on 1.2 mm-thick, dual-phase DP600 steel sheet specimens with two different load ratios of minimum-to-maximum stress, R = 0.1 and -1. The resulting fatigue behavior is expressed in terms of fatigue strength-life (S-N) curves. Fatigue behavior of the steel sheets in the high-cycle fatigue region can be represented by Basquin's equation with coefficient and exponent value of 921.2 and 0.093, respectively. An endurance limit of 255 MPa is observed. In addition, fatigue strengths of the dual-phase steel sheets display lower magnitude than their bulk counterparts. Effect of mean stress on fatigue behavior of the steel sheets is well predicted by Walker's model. Exponential calibration factor is introduced to the models by SWT, Goodman and Morrow with comparable prediction to the Walker's model.

  13. Fatigue Behavior of Inconel 718 TIG Welds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexopoulos, Nikolaos D.; Argyriou, Nikolaos; Stergiou, Vasillis; Kourkoulis, Stavros K.

    2014-08-01

    Mechanical behavior of reference and TIG-welded Inconel 718 specimens was examined in the present work. Tensile, constant amplitude fatigue, and fracture toughness tests were performed in ambient temperature for both, reference and welded specimens. Microstructure revealed the presence of coarse and fine-grained heat-affected zones. It has been shown that without any post-weld heat treatment, welded specimens maintained their tensile strength properties while their ductility decreased by more than 40%. It was found that the welded specimens had lower fatigue life and this decrease was a function of the applied fatigue maximum stress. A 30% fatigue life decrease was noticed in the high cycle fatigue regime for the welded specimens while this decrease exceeded 50% in the low cycle fatigue regime. Cyclic stress-strain curves showed that Inconel 718 experiences a short period of hardening followed by softening for all fatigue lives. Cyclic fatigue response of welded specimens' exhibited cyclically stable behavior. Finally, a marginal decrease was noticed in the Mode I fracture toughness of the welded specimens.

  14. Prevalence of operator fatigue in winter maintenance operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camden, Matthew C; Medina-Flintsch, Alejandra; Hickman, Jeffrey S; Bryce, James; Flintsch, Gerardo; Hanowski, Richard J

    2018-02-02

    Similar to commercial motor vehicle drivers, winter maintenance operators are likely to be at an increased risk of becoming fatigued while driving due to long, inconsistent shifts, environmental stressors, and limited opportunities for sleep. Despite this risk, there is little research concerning the prevalence of winter maintenance operator fatigue during winter emergencies. The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence, sources, and countermeasures of fatigue in winter maintenance operations. Questionnaires from 1043 winter maintenance operators and 453 managers were received from 29 Clear Road member states. Results confirmed that fatigue was prevalent in winter maintenance operations. Over 70% of the operators and managers believed that fatigue has a moderate to significant impact on winter maintenance operations. Approximately 75% of winter maintenance operators reported to at least sometimes drive while fatigued, and 96% of managers believed their winter maintenance operators drove while fatigued at least some of the time. Furthermore, winter maintenance operators and managers identified fatigue countermeasures and sources of fatigue related to winter maintenance equipment. However, the countermeasures believed to be the most effective at reducing fatigue during winter emergencies (i.e., naps) were underutilized. For example, winter maintenance operators reported to never use naps to eliminate fatigue. These results indicated winter maintenance operations are impacted by operator fatigue. These results support the increased need for research and effective countermeasures targeting winter maintenance operator fatigue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Usefulness of multiple dimensions of fatigue in fibromyalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericsson, Anna; Bremell, Tomas; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

    2013-07-01

    To explore in which contexts ratings of multiple dimensions of fatigue are useful in fibromyalgia, and to compare multidimensional fatigue between women with fibromyalgia and healthy women. A cross-sectional study. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), comprising 5 subscales of fatigue, was compared with the 1-dimensional subscale of fatigue from the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) in 133 women with fibromyalgia (mean age 46 years; standard deviation 8.6), in association with socio-demographic and health-related aspects and analyses of explanatory variables of severe fatigue. The patients were also compared with 158 healthy women (mean age 45 years; standard deviation 9.1) for scores on MFI-20 and FIQ fatigue. The MFI-20 was associated with employment, physical activity and walking capacity (rs = -0.27 to -0.36), while FIQ fatigue was not. MFI-20 and FIQ fatigue were equally associated with pain, sleep, depression and anxiety (rs = 0.32-0.63). Regression analyses showed that the MFI-20 increased the explained variance (R2) for the models of pain intensity, sleep, depression and anxiety, by between 7 and 29 percentage points, compared with if FIQ fatigue alone was included in the models. Women with fibromyalgia rated their fatigue higher than healthy women for all subscales of the MFI-20 and the FIQ fatigue (p fibromyalgia. The patients reported higher levels on all fatigue dimensions in comparison with healthy women.

  16. Proceedings of the specialists meeting on experience with thermal fatigue in LWR piping caused by mixing and stratification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    This specialists meeting on experience with thermal fatigue in LWR piping caused by mixing and stratification, was held in June 1998 in Paris. It included five sessions. Session 1: operating experience (7 papers): Historical perspective; EDF experience with local thermohydraulic phenomena in PWRs: impacts and strategies; Thermal fatigue in safety injection lines of French PWRs: technical problems, regulatory requirements, concerns about other areas; US NRC Regulatory perspective on unanticipated thermal fatigue in LWR piping; Failure to the Residual Heat Removal system suction line pipe in Genkai unit 1 caused by thermal stratification cycling; Emergency Core Cooling System pipe crack incident at Tihange unit 1; Two leakages induced by thermal stratification at the Loviisa power plant). Session 2: thermal hydraulic phenomena (5 papers): Thermal stratification in small pipes with respect to fatigue effects and so called 'Banana effect'; Thermal stratification in the surge line of the Korean next generation reactor; Thermal stratification in horizontal pipes investigated in UPTF-TRAM and HDR facilities; Research on thermal stratification in un-isolable piping of reactor pressure boundary; Thermal mixing phenomena in piping systems: 3D numerical simulation and design considerations. Session 3: response of material and structure (5 papers): Fatigue induced by thermal stratification, Results of tests and calculations of the COUFAST model; Laboratory simulation of thermal fatigue cracking as a basis for verifying life models; Thermo-mechanical analysis methods for the conception and the follow up of components submitted to thermal stratification transients; Piping analysis methods of a PWR surge line for stratified flow; The thermal stratification effect on surge lines, The VVER estimation. Session 4: monitoring aspects (4 papers): Determination of the thermal loadings affecting the auxiliary lines of the reactor coolant system in French PWR plants; Expected and

  17. Multidimensional fatigue in pulmonary hypertension: prevalence, severity and predictors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tartavoulle, Todd M.; Karpinski, Aryn C.; Aubin, Andrew; Kluger, Benzi M.; Distler, Oliver; Saketkoo, Lesley Ann

    2018-01-01

    Pulmonary hypertension is a potentially fatal disease. Despite pharmacological advances in pulmonary hypertension, fatigue remains common in patients with pulmonary hypertension. A convenience sample of 120 participants at an international patient conference completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)-20 scale. Data on New York Heart Association Functional Class, body mass index, oxygen use and medication type/use were also collected. There was a high prevalence of “severe” to “very severe” fatigue for each dimension: General Fatigue (60%), Physical Fatigue (55.8%), Reduced Activity (41.7%), Reduced Motivation (32.5%) and Mental Fatigue (27.5%). The mean±sd overall MFI-20 score was 58±5.1. Dimensions with the highest averaged levels were General Fatigue (13.40±3.61), Physical Fatigue (13.23±3.67) and Reduced Activity (11.33±4.16). Body mass index correlated with higher fatigue scores. Phosphodiesterase inhibitor plus endothelin receptor antagonist combination negatively predicted General Fatigue, Physical Fatigue, Reduced Motivation and Reduced Activity. Triple therapy was a significant predictor of General Fatigue, Physical Fatigue and Reduced Activity. There were no significant predictors of Mental Fatigue. Multidimensional fatigue is common and severe in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Phosphodiesterase inhibitor plus endothelin receptor antagonist combination resulted in lower scores in most fatigue dimensions. Comprehensive assessment of fatigue should be considered in the clinical care of patients with pulmonary hypertension and clinical research to develop formal interventions that target this disabling symptom. PMID:29577043

  18. Damage formation, fatigue behavior and strength properties of ZrO{sub 2}-based ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozulin, A. A., E-mail: kozulyn@ftf.tsu.ru; Kulkov, S. S. [Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Narikovich, A. S.; Leitsin, V. N. [Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, 236041 (Russian Federation); Kulkov, S. N., E-mail: kulkov@ispms.ru [Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation); Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science SB RAS, Tomsk, 634055 (Russian Federation)

    2016-08-02

    It is suggested that a non-destructive testing technique using a three-dimensional X-ray tomography be applied to detecting internal structural defects and monitoring damage formation in a ceramic composite structure subjected to a bending load. Three-point bending tests are used to investigate the fatigue behavior and mechanical and physical properties of medical-grade ZrO{sub 2}-based ceramics. The bending strength and flexural modulus are derived under static conditions at a loading rate of 2 mm/min. The fatigue strength and fatigue limit under dynamic loading are investigated at a frequency of 10 Hz in three stress ranges: 0.91–0.98, 0.8–0.83, and 0.73–0.77 MPa of the static bending strength. The average values of the bending strength and flexural modulus of sintered specimens are 43 MPa and 22 GPa, respectively. The mechanical properties of the ceramics are found to be similar to those of bone tissues. The testing results lead us to conclude that the fatigue limit obtained from 10{sup 5} stress cycles is in the range 33–34 MPa, i.e. it accounts for about 75% of the static bending strength for the test material.

  19. Uncertainty on Fatigue Damage Accumulation for Composite Materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft, Henrik Stensgaard; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2009-01-01

    In the present paper stochastic models for fatigue damage accumulation for composite materials are presented based on public available constant and variable amplitude fatigue tests. The methods used for estimating the SN-curve and accumulated fatigue damage are presented.......In the present paper stochastic models for fatigue damage accumulation for composite materials are presented based on public available constant and variable amplitude fatigue tests. The methods used for estimating the SN-curve and accumulated fatigue damage are presented....

  20. Structural integrity and fatigue crack propagation life assessment of welded and weld-repaired structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Mohammad Shah

    2005-11-01

    Structural integrity is the science and technology of the margin between safety and disaster. Proper evaluation of the structural integrity and fatigue life of any structure (aircraft, ship, railways, bridges, gas and oil transmission pipelines, etc.) is important to ensure the public safety, environmental protection, and economical consideration. Catastrophic failure of any structure can be avoided if structural integrity is assessed and necessary precaution is taken appropriately. Structural integrity includes tasks in many areas, such as structural analysis, failure analysis, nondestructive testing, corrosion, fatigue and creep analysis, metallurgy and materials, fracture mechanics, fatigue life assessment, welding metallurgy, development of repairing technologies, structural monitoring and instrumentation etc. In this research fatigue life assessment of welded and weld-repaired joints is studied both in numerically and experimentally. A new approach for the simulation of fatigue crack growth in two elastic materials has been developed and specifically, the concept has been applied to butt-welded joint in a straight plate and in tubular joints. In the proposed method, the formation of new surface is represented by an interface element based on the interface potential energy. This method overcomes the limitation of crack growth at an artificial rate of one element length per cycle. In this method the crack propagates only when the applied load reaches the critical bonding strength. The predicted results compares well with experimental results. The Gas Metal Arc welding processes has been simulated to predict post-weld distortion, residual stresses and development of restraining forces in a butt-welded joint. The effect of welding defects and bi-axial interaction of a circular porosity and a solidification crack on fatigue crack propagation life of butt-welded joints has also been investigated. After a weld has been repaired, the specimen was tested in a universal

  1. Assessing Fatigue in Late-Midlife

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fieo, Robert A; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Lund, Rikke

    2014-01-01

    Previous methods examining the Multiple Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) fatigue questionnaire have been limited to classical test theory, for example, factor analytic approaches. We employed modern test theory to further strengthen the construct validity of the MFI-20 fatigue in a sample of healthy...... the interpretive power of the MFI-20, allowing for the identification of the most optimal scales. Poorly performing items were more easily identified, and person ability was assessed more accurately....

  2. Thermal fatigue. Materials modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegele, D.; Fingerhuth, J.; Mrovec, M.

    2012-01-01

    In the framework of the ongoing joint research project 'Thermal Fatigue - Basics of the system-, outflow- and material-characteristics of piping under thermal fatigue' funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) fundamental numerical and experimental investigations on the material behavior under transient thermal-mechanical stress conditions (high cycle fatigue V HCF and low cycle fatigue - LCF) are carried out. The primary objective of the research is the further development of simulation methods applied in safety evaluations of nuclear power plant components. In this context the modeling of crack initiation and growth inside the material structure induced by varying thermal loads are of particular interest. Therefore, three scientific working groups organized in three sub-projects of the joint research project are dealing with numerical modeling and simulation at different levels ranging from atomistic to micromechanics and continuum mechanics, and in addition corresponding experimental data for the validation of the numerical results and identification of the parameters of the associated material models are provided. The present contribution is focused on the development and experimental validation of material models and methods to characterize the damage evolution and the life cycle assessment as a result of thermal cyclic loading. The individual purposes of the subprojects are as following: - Material characterization, Influence of temperature and surface roughness on fatigue endurances, biaxial thermo-mechanical behavior, experiments on structural behavior of cruciform specimens and scatter band analysis (IfW Darmstadt) - Life cycle assessment with micromechanical material models (MPA Stuttgart) - Life cycle assessment with atomistic and damage-mechanical material models associated with material tests under thermal fatigue (Fraunhofer IWM, Freiburg) - Simulation of fatigue crack growth, opening and closure of a short crack under

  3. Basic psychological need experiences, fatigue, and sleep in individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Rachel; Tobback, Els; Delesie, Liesbeth; Vogelaers, Dirk; Mariman, An; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

    2017-12-01

    Grounded in self-determination theory, this study tested the hypothesis that the satisfaction and frustration of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would relate to fatigue and subjective and objective sleep parameters, with stress and negative sleep cognitions playing an explanatory role in these associations. During a stay at a sleep laboratory in Belgium, individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue (N = 160; 78% female) underwent polysomnography and completed a questionnaire at 3 different points in time (i.e., after arrival in the sleep lab, before bedtime, and the following morning) that assessed their need-based experiences and stress during the previous week, fatigue during the preceding day, and sleep-related cognitions and sleep during the previous night. Results indicated that need frustration related to higher stress, which in turn, related to higher evening fatigue. Need frustration also related to poorer subjective sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, as indicated by both subjective and objective shorter total sleep time and subjective (but not objective) longer sleep latency. These associations were accounted for by stress and negative sleep cognitions. These findings suggest that health care professionals working with individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue may consider focusing on basic psychological needs within their therapeutic approach. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. The impact of work-related and personal resources on older workers' fatigue, work enjoyment and retirement intentions over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stynen, Dave; Jansen, Nicole W H; Kant, IJmert

    2017-12-01

    This study aims to examine the impact of work-related and personal resources on older workers' retirement intentions by studying the pathways (fatigue and work enjoyment) from resources to retirement intentions, the buffering role of resources for psychological job demands, in a cross-sectional and longitudinal timeframe. Longitudinal results on a subsample of full-time, older workers (n = 1642) from the Maastricht Cohort Study suggest that over four years of follow-up personal resources like personal mastery and perceived health related to less (prolonged) fatigue and more work enjoyment. Personal mastery also related to later retirement intentions. A work-related resource like decision authority related to less prolonged fatigue. (Prolonged) fatigue related to earlier retirement intentions, suggesting that fatigue may be a pathway to early retirement. Finally, little evidence was found for effect modification by resources. This prospective study indicates that work-related and personal resources may be useful for prolonging working careers. Practitioner Summary: To date, the impact of work-related and personal resources on older workers' retirement intentions is rarely studied. As this prospective study shows that resources may impact older workers' (prolonged) fatigue, work enjoyment and retirement intentions, the monitoring and fostering of resources is of importance for prolonging their working careers.

  5. Assessment of fatigue in cancer patients and community dwellers: validation study of the Filipino version of the brief fatigue inventory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, Tito R; Laudico, Adriano V; Wang, Xin Shelley; Guo, Hong; Matsuda, Maria Lourdes; Yosuico, Victor D; Fragante, Edilberto P; Cleeland, Charles S

    2010-01-01

    Clinical trials that might identify effective therapies for cancer-related fatigue, one of the most distressing symptoms experienced by patients, require a validated fatigue assessment tool. We developed and validated a Filipino language version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-F) for describing the prevalence and severity of fatigue among Filipino patients with cancer. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Manila, Philippines, in 206 patients with cancer and 170 age-matched community-dwelling adults who had never had a diagnosis of cancer. Validity and reliability were evaluated by principal factor analysis and Cronbach's α coefficients. Factor analysis extracted 1 factor, i.e. fatigue severity, with a Cronbach's α of 0.95; this is consistent with the original BFI English version validation study. Approximately 49% of the patients with cancer had mild fatigue, 34% had moderate fatigue, and 17% had severe fatigue. Patients with a poorer performance status had significantly worse fatigue than patients with a better performance status (5.0 ± 2.8 vs. 3.8 ± 2.2; p Filipino cancer patients. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Fatigue Evaluation Algorithms: Review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Passipoularidis, Vaggelis; Brøndsted, Povl

    series can be simulated. The predictions are validated against fatigue life data both from repeated block tests at a single stress ratio as well as against spectral fatigue using the WISPER, WISPERX and NEW WISPER load sequences on a Glass/Epoxy multidirectional laminate typical of a wind turbine rotor...

  7. Application of non-destructive impedance-based monitoring technique for cyclic fatigue evaluation of endodontic nickel-titanium rotary instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yau-Zen; Liu, Mou-Chuan; Pai, Che-An; Lin, Chun-Li; Yen, Kuang-I

    2011-06-01

    This study investigates the application of non-destructive testing based on the impedance theory in the cyclic fatigue evaluation of endodontic Ni-Ti rotary instruments. Fifty Ni-Ti ProTaper instruments were divided into five groups (n=10 in Groups A to E). Groups A to D were subjected to cyclic fatigue within an artificial canal (Group E was the control group). The mean value of the total life limit (TLL), defined as the instrument being rotated until fracture occurred was found to be 104 s in Group A. Each rotary instrument in Groups B, C and D were rotated until the tested instruments reached 80% (84 s), 60% (62 s) and 40% (42 s) of the TLL. After fatigue testing, each rotary instrument was mounted onto a custom-developed non-destructive testing device to give the tip of the instrument a progressive sideways bend in four mutually perpendicular directions to measure the corresponding impedance value (including the resistance and the reactance). The results indicated that the impedance value showed the same trend as the resistance, implying that the impedance was primarily affected by the resistance. The impedance value for the instruments in the 80% and 60% TLL groups increased by about 6 mΩ (about 7.5%) more than that of the instruments in the intact and 40% TLL groups. The SEM analysis result showed that crack striations were only found at the tip of the thread on the cracked surface of the instrument, consistent with the impedance measurements that found the impedance value of the cracked surface to be significantly different from those in other surfaces. These findings indicate that the impedance value may represent an effective parameter for evaluating the micro-structural status of Ni-Ti rotary instruments subjected to fatigue loading. Copyright © 2010 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue damage evaluation and estimation of remaining life of SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishino, Seiichi; Sakane, Masao; Ohnami, Masateru

    1986-01-01

    Experimental study was made on the damage evaluation and estimation of remaining life of SUS 304 stainless steel in creep, low-cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue at 873 K in air. Creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue damage curves were drawn by the method proposed by D.A. Woodford and the relations between these damages and non-destructive parameters, i.e., microvickers hardness and quantities obtained from X-ray diffraction, were discussed. From these tests, the following conclusions were obtained. (1) Constant damage lines in the diagram of remaining lives in creep and fatigue could be drawn by changing load levels during the tests. Constant damage lines in creep-fatigue were also made by a linear damage rule using both static creep and fatigue damage curves, which agree well with the experimental data in creep-fatigue. (2) Microvickers hardness and half-value breadth in X-ray diffraction are appropriate parameters to evaluate creep damage but are not proper to evaluate fatigue damage. Particle size and microstrain obtained by X-ray profile analysis are good parameters to evaluate both creep and fatigue damages. (author)

  9. Inclusion of fatigue effects in human reliability analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffith, Candice D. [Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Mahadevan, Sankaran, E-mail: sankaran.mahadevan@vanderbilt.edu [Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States)

    2011-11-15

    The effect of fatigue on human performance has been observed to be an important factor in many industrial accidents. However, defining and measuring fatigue is not easily accomplished. This creates difficulties in including fatigue effects in probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) of complex engineering systems that seek to include human reliability analysis (HRA). Thus the objectives of this paper are to discuss (1) the importance of the effects of fatigue on performance, (2) the difficulties associated with defining and measuring fatigue, (3) the current status of inclusion of fatigue in HRA methods, and (4) the future directions and challenges for the inclusion of fatigue, specifically sleep deprivation, in HRA. - Highlights: >We highlight the need for fatigue and sleep deprivation effects on performance to be included in human reliability analysis (HRA) methods. Current methods do not explicitly include sleep deprivation effects. > We discuss the difficulties in defining and measuring fatigue. > We review sleep deprivation research, and discuss the limitations and future needs of the current HRA methods.

  10. Fatigue in Intensive Care Nurses and Related Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çelik, Sevim; Taşdemir, Nurten; Kurt, Aylin; İlgezdi, Ebru; Kubalas, Özge

    2017-10-01

    Fatigue negatively affects the performance of intensive care nurses. Factors contributing to the fatigue experienced by nurses include lifestyle, psychological status, work organization and sleep problems. To determine the level of fatigue among nurses working in intensive care units and the related factors. This descriptive study was conducted with 102 nurses working in intensive care units in the West Black Sea Region of Turkey. Data were collected between February and May 2014 using a personal information form, the Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. The intensive care nurses in the study were found to be experiencing fatigue. Significant correlations were observed between scores on the VAS-F Fatigue and anxiety (p=0.01), depression (p=0.002), and sleep quality (pnurses' levels of fatigue. These results can be of benefit in taking measures which may be used to reduce fatigue in nurses, especially the fatigue related to work organization and social life.

  11. Chronic fatigue syndrome after infectious mononucleosis in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Ben Z; Shiraishi, Yukiko; Mears, Cynthia J; Binns, Helen J; Taylor, Renee

    2009-07-01

    The goal was to characterize prospectively the course and outcome of chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents during a 2-year period after infectious mononucleosis. A total of 301 adolescents (12-18 years of age) with infectious mononucleosis were identified and screened for nonrecovery 6 months after infectious mononucleosis by using a telephone screening interview. Nonrecovered adolescents underwent a medical evaluation, with follow-up screening 12 and 24 months after infectious mononucleosis. After blind review, final diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome at 6, 12, and 24 months were made by using established pediatric criteria. Six, 12, and 24 months after infectious mononucleosis, 13%, 7%, and 4% of adolescents, respectively, met the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome. Most individuals recovered with time; only 2 adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome at 24 months seemed to have recovered or had an explanation for chronic fatigue at 12 months but then were reclassified as having chronic fatigue syndrome at 24 months. All 13 adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome 24 months after infectious mononucleosis were female and, on average, they reported greater fatigue severity at 12 months. Reported use of steroid therapy during the acute phase of infectious mononucleosis did not increase the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome. Infectious mononucleosis may be a risk factor for chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents. Female gender and greater fatigue severity, but not reported steroid use during the acute illness, were associated with the development of chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents. Additional research is needed to determine other predictors of persistent fatigue after infectious mononucleosis.

  12. Fatigue in Breakwater Concrete Armour Units

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Hans F.

    1985-01-01

    The reliability of rubble mound breakwaters depends on the hydraulic stability and the mechanical strength of the armour units. The paper deals with the important aspect of fatigue related to the strength of concrete armour units. Results showing significant fatigue from impact tests with Dolosse...... made of unreinforced and steel fibre reinforced flyash concrete are presented. Moreover universal graphs for fatigue in armour units made of conventional unreinforced concrete exposed to impact load and pulsating load are presented. The effect of fibre reinforcement and the implementation of fatigue...

  13. Evidence of significant central fatigue in patients with cancer-related fatigue during repetitive elbow flexions till perceived exhaustion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Cai

    Full Text Available To investigate whether fatigue induced by an intermittent motor task in patients with cancer-related fatigue (CRF is more central or peripheral.Ten patients with CRF who were off chemo and radiation therapies and 14 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Participants completed a Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI and performed a fatigue task consisting of intermittent elbow-flexion contractions at submaximal (40% maximal voluntary contraction intensity till self-perceived exhaustion. Twitch force was elicited by an electrical stimulation applied to the biceps brachii muscle. The relative degree of peripheral (muscle vs. central contribution to fatigue induced by the intermittent motor task (IMT was assessed using twitch force ratio (TF ratio defined as post IMT twitch force to pre IMT twitch force. The total number of trials (intermittent contractions and total duration of all trials performed by each subject were also quantified.BFI scores were higher (p < 0.001 in CRF than controls, indicating greater feeling of fatigue in CRF patients than controls. A significantly smaller number of trials and shorter total duration of the trials (p < 0.05 were observed in CRF than control participants. The TF ratio (0.81 ± 0.05 in CRF was higher (p < 0.05 compared with that of controls (0.62 ± 0.05, suggesting CRF patients experienced a significantly lower degree of muscle (peripheral fatigue at the time of perceived exhaustion.Consistent with prior findings for fatigue under submaximal sustained contraction, our results indicate that motor fatigue in CRF is more of central than peripheral origin during IMT. Significant central fatigue in CRF patients limits their ability to prolong motor performance.

  14. Occupational fatigue and other health and safety issues for young Australian workers: an exploratory mixed methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paterson, Jessica Louise; Clarkson, Larissa; Rainbird, Sophia; Etherton, Hayley; Blewett, Verna

    2015-01-01

    Youth are vulnerable to sleep loss and fatigue due to biological, social and psychological factors. However, there are few studies addressing the risk that sleep loss and fatigue pose for youth in the workplace. The aim of this study was to explore work health and safety (WHS) issues for young workers and develop strategies and solutions for improved WHS outcomes, with a focus on issues related to fatigue, using a mixed-method, multi-stage approach. Participants either completed a survey (n=212) or took part in focus groups (n=115) addressing WHS for young workers, or attended a Future Inquiry Workshop (n=29) where strategies for improving youth WHS were developed. Fatigue was identified as a significant problem by the majority of young workers and was associated with unpredictable working time arrangements, precarious employment, high workload, working overtime and limited ability to self-advocate. Participants identified six key areas for action to improve WHS outcomes for young workers; 1) develop expertise, 2) give young workers a voice, 3) improve education and training, 4) build stakeholder engagement, 5) increase employer awareness of WHS responsibilities and, 6) improve processes for employers to manage and monitor WHS outcomes. The application of these directives to fatigue is discussed.

  15. As vivências de mães de jovens autistas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leticia Segeren

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available O autismo é caracterizado como uma síndrome comportamental que compromete a interação social, a comunicação e o comportamento. A adolescência é uma fase em que ocorrem mudanças biológicas e psíquicas que podem desencadear dificuldades e conflitos. Estudos têm apontado que para jovens autistas as dificuldades encontradas neste período são mais acentuadas. A pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as vivências de mães de jovens autistas, buscando identificar as reações iniciais ao diagnóstico de autismo do filho, conhecer as rotinas diárias do jovem e sua família e identificar as dificuldades encontradas na fase da adolescência do filho autista bem como as expectativas das mães em relação ao seu futuro. O estudo consistiu de uma pesquisa qualitativa com a utilização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas com onze mães de jovens autistas. Os dados coletados foram gravados, transcritos, categorizados e analisados usando-se a técnica de análise temática. Os resultados apontam que o diagnóstico do autismo foi dado de forma abrangente, enfatizando as dificuldades no desenvolvimento da criança. As mães mudaram sua rotina para assumir o cuidado integral do filho. As dificuldades de socialização da criança levaram algumas delas a evitar ambientes sociais para não ter que lidar com preconceito em relação ao filho. As maiores dificuldades encontradas na adolescência estão relacionadas ao amadurecimento sexual do jovem e são decorrentes da falta de informações das mães e agravadas pelo desconhecimento quanto a quem recorrer para obter orientação. A maior agressividade na fase da adolescência dos filhos autistas foi referida como mais um obstáculo que reforçou o isolamento e o preconceito.

  16. COGNITIVE FATIGUE FACILITATES PROCEDURAL SEQUENCE LEARNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermo eBorragán

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Enhanced procedural learning has been evidenced in conditions where cognitive control is diminished, including hypnosis, disruption of prefrontal activity and non-optimal time of the day. Another condition depleting the availability of controlled resources is cognitive fatigue. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive fatigue, eventually leading to diminished cognitive control, facilitates procedural sequence learning. In a two-day experiment, twenty-three young healthy adults were administered a serial reaction time task (SRTT following the induction of high or low levels of cognitive fatigue, in a counterbalanced order. Cognitive fatigue was induced using the Time load Dual-back (TloadDback paradigm, a dual working memory task that allows tailoring cognitive load levels to the individual's optimal performance capacity. In line with our hypothesis, reaction times in the SRTT were faster in the high- than in the low-level fatigue condition, and performance improvement showed more of a benefit from the sequential components than from motor. Altogether, our results suggest a paradoxical, facilitating impact of cognitive fatigue on procedural motor sequence learning. We propose that facilitated learning in the high-level fatigue condition stems from a reduction in the cognitive resources devoted to cognitive control processes that normally oppose automatic procedural acquisition mechanisms.

  17. Allostatic Self-Efficacy: A Metacognitive Theory of Dyshomeostasis-Induced Fatigue and Depression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaas Enno Stephan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper outlines a hierarchical Bayesian framework for interoception, homeostatic/allostatic control, and meta-cognition that connects fatigue and depression to the experience of chronic dyshomeostasis. Specifically, viewing interoception as the inversion of a generative model of viscerosensory inputs allows for a formal definition of dyshomeostasis (as chronically enhanced surprise about bodily signals, or, equivalently, low evidence for the brain’s model of bodily states and allostasis (as a change in prior beliefs or predictions which define setpoints for homeostatic reflex arcs. Critically, we propose that the performance of interoceptive-allostatic circuitry is monitored by a metacognitive layer that updates beliefs about the brain’s capacity to successfully regulate bodily states (allostatic self-efficacy. In this framework, fatigue and depression can be understood as sequential responses to the interoceptive experience of dyshomeostasis and the ensuing metacognitive diagnosis of low allostatic self-efficacy. While fatigue might represent an early response with adaptive value (cf. sickness behaviour, the experience of chronic dyshomeostasis may trigger a generalised belief of low self-efficacy and lack of control (cf. learned helplessness, resulting in depression.This perspective implies alternative pathophysiological mechanisms that are reflected by differential abnormalities in the effective connectivity of circuits for interoception and allostasis. We discuss suitably extended models of effective connectivity that could distinguish these connectivity patterns in individual patients and may help inform differential diagnosis of fatigue in the future.

  18. Nonlinear ultrasonic wave modulation for online fatigue crack detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, Hoon; Lim, Hyung Jin; DeSimio, Martin P.; Brown, Kevin; Derriso, Mark

    2014-02-01

    This study presents a fatigue crack detection technique using nonlinear ultrasonic wave modulation. Ultrasonic waves at two distinctive driving frequencies are generated and corresponding ultrasonic responses are measured using permanently installed lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers with a potential for continuous monitoring. Here, the input signal at the lower driving frequency is often referred to as a 'pumping' signal, and the higher frequency input is referred to as a 'probing' signal. The presence of a system nonlinearity, such as a crack formation, can provide a mechanism for nonlinear wave modulation, and create spectral sidebands around the frequency of the probing signal. A signal processing technique combining linear response subtraction (LRS) and synchronous demodulation (SD) is developed specifically to extract the crack-induced spectral sidebands. The proposed crack detection method is successfully applied to identify actual fatigue cracks grown in metallic plate and complex fitting-lug specimens. Finally, the effect of pumping and probing frequencies on the amplitude of the first spectral sideband is investigated using the first sideband spectrogram (FSS) obtained by sweeping both pumping and probing signals over specified frequency ranges.

  19. Microscopic local fatigue in PZT thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, B S; Wu, A; Vilarinho, P M

    2007-01-01

    The reduction in switchable polarization during fatigue largely limits the application of PZT thin films in ferroelectric nonvolatile memories. So, it is very important to understand the fatigue mechanism in PZT films, especially at a nanoscale level. In this paper, nanoscale fatigue properties in PZT thin films have been studied by piezoresponse force microscopy and local piezoloops. It has been found that a piezoloop obtained on a fatigued point exhibits a much more pinched shape and a local imprint phenomenon is observed after severe fatigue. Furthermore, the domain structure evolves from a simple single-peak profile to a complex fluctuant one. However, there is only some shift of the piezoloop when a unipolar field with the same amplitude is applied on the film. The available experimental data show that there exist obvious domain wall pinning and injection of electrons into the film during fatigue. Finally, a schematic illustration is suggested to explain the possible fatigue mechanism

  20. Post-impact fatigue of cross-plied, through-the-thickness reinforced carbon/epoxy composites. M.S. Thesis - Clemson Univ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serdinak, Thomas E.

    1994-01-01

    An experimental investigation of the post-impact fatigue response of integrally woven carbon/epoxy composites was conducted. Five different through-the-thickness (TTT) reinforcing fibers were used in an experimental textile process that produced an integrally woven (0/90/0/90/0/90/0/90/0)(sub T) ply layup with 21K AS4 carbon tow fiber. The resin was Hercules 3501-6, and the five TTT reinforcing fibers were Kevlar, Toray carbon, AS4 carbon, glass, and IM6 carbon. The purpose of this investigation was to study the post-impact fatigue response of these material systems and to identify the optimum TTT fiber. Samples were impacted with one half inch diameter aluminum balls with an average velocity of 543 ft/sec. Post-impact static compression and constant amplitude tension-compression fatigue tests were conducted. Fatigue tests were conducted with a loading ratio of R=-5, and frequency of 4 Hz. Damage growth was monitored using x-radiographic and sectioning techniques and by examining the stress-strain response (across the impact site) throughout the fatigue tests. The static compressive stress versus far-field strain response was nearly linear for all material groups. All the samples had a transverse shear failure mode. The average compressive modulus (from far-field strain) was about 10 Msi. The average post-impact static compressive strength was about 35.5 Ksi. The IM6 carbon sample had a strength of over 40 Ksi, more than 16 percent stronger than average. There was considerable scatter in the S-N data. However, the IM6 carbon samples clearly had the best fatigue response. The response of the other materials, while worse than IM6 carbon, could not be ranked definitively. The initial damage zones caused by the impact loading and damage growth from fatigue loading were similar for all five TTT reinforcing materials. The initial damage zones were circular and consisted of delaminations, matrix cracks and ply cracks. Post-impact fatigue loading caused delamination growth